Christian & Church Coronavirus Resources: Pastoral Support, Devotional Material & Books for lockdown
As society adapts to the new realities imposed by the global coronavirus pandemic, including changes to public worship at churches, we pray for the vulnerable, the sick and the isolated.
Physical isolation need not result in spiritual isolation. Whilst many of us will feel bereft without regular worship at church, there are still abundant opportunities to worship God and pray.
Whether you are concerned for your own spiritual well-being, or the well-being of your church, your family or your community, we have put together a collection of resources that we hope you will find useful during these unusual times.
Some of our wonderful authors have written prayers, sermons, pastoral advice and some light-hearted pieces to help us adapt, and these are available free of charge on our blog.
Below you will find books of prayers and sermons, reflections, devotional poetry and pastoral support. Where possible we have discounted these to make them as widely accessible as possible.
Please do support your local independent bookshop if you can. Now more than ever they need us to shop with them. We have compiled a list of Christian bookshops that are still taking orders and offering home delivery. Otherwise, our website remains open for orders as usual (deliveries may take a little longer to arrive due to the challenges facing delivery services).
Why not join our mailing list and follow us on Twitter or Facebook to stay in touch?
Stay safe!
The Sacristy Press team.
P.S. If you are looking for some light relief, we also have some amazing historical fiction for you to lose yourself in.
Free COVID-19 resources
- Pastoral Care and the Coronavirus: What Can We Do? (Rosie Deedes, 20 March)
- How to Be a Hermit: lockdown lessons from St Cuthbert (Katharine Tiernan, 1 April)
- The Role of the Parsonage in Community Life (Anthony Jennings, 18 April)
- Hunkering Down during Lockdown (Jon Grogan, 22 April)
- Stay Connected, Pray Connected (Rosie Deedes, 24 April)
- Changing the way we listen to nature (Frances Ward, 26 April)
- Pandemic Theology: An Engineer’s Guide to Truth (Peter Bold, 4 May)
- Holy Ground and Common Ground: Covid and Cathedrals (Nicholas Henshall, 25 May)
Prayers & Poetry
- A Prayer for the Fearful (Graham Turner, 20 March)
- A Prayer of Hope (Ian Black, 30 March)
- A Prayer for a Time Such as This (David Grieve, 6 April)
- A Butterfly in the Pandemic (Lyn McCrave, 8 April)
- A Prayer about the Coronavirus (Richard Noble, 13 April)
- The Empires of Things (Catherine Bird, 25 May)
Watch
- Coronavirus and Jesus Healing the Blind Man (Jenny Wilson, 4 April)
- Good Friday Sermon (Jenny Wilson, 10 April)
- The Coronavirus and Liminal Space (Graham Turner, 29 April)
Books
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Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land: Re-shaping the Church for a Changed World
Paperback £14.99
Drawing on a lifetime of experience in the Church's mission and ministry, John Marsh explores how churches can recover their vision for sharing the gospel following the exile experience of the pandemic.
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So We Live, Forever Bidding Farewell: Theology & Assisted Dying
Paperback £14.99
A re-evaluation of assisted dying from a theological perspective, relating theological issues to scientific, pastoral and practical concerns about the subject.
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Out of the Whirlwind: Innocent Pain as a Challenge to God
Paperback £12.99
How can a merciful God can allow suffering and evil? A challenging and thoughtful reflection inspired by the book of Job.
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Into the Depths: A Chaplain's Reflections on Death, Dying and Pastoral Care
Paperback £14.99
Drawing on her experience of chaplaincy in prison, hospice and university contexts, Rosie Deedes reflects on the nature of good pastoral care and chaplaincy as a model of ministry for our time.
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Follow Me: Living the Sayings of Jesus
Paperback £9.99
Connecting what Jesus said and how we live today in all its messiness and complexity, "Follow Me" provides practical steps that all of us can take to live the sayings of Jesus.
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From Over the Edge: A Christian’s guide to surviving Breakdown & Depression
Paperback £12.99
An intimate account of struggling with depression and breakdown as a Christian. Jon Grogan shares what helped him to understand and recover from depressive illness.
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Hope in Dark Places: Poems about Depression and the Christian
Paperback £9.99
Raw and deeply moving poetry about living with depression as a Christian.
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The Paradise Tree: Personal Prayer through Poetry
Paperback £12.99
A beautiful devotional companion about the experience of God and giving expression to our inner spirituality. Creatively mixing poetry, prose and scripture, this book will challenge preconceptions about the nature of God, heaven, hell, intercessory prayer, and the relevance of human existence within the vastness of an unfathomable universe.
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Alternative Collects: Prayers to a Disruptive & Compassionate God
Paperback £12.99
These radical prayers break the mould of the “collect” prayers that are so familiar to millions of Christians worldwide. They are the result of the author’s struggle with the blandness and predictability of so many of the church’s traditional prayers. Useful for both personal and liturgical devotion, these prayers will both challenge and nourish.
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With God we live without God: Reflections and prayers inspired by the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Paperback £9.99
30 reflections and prayers that draw inspiration from the theological challenges, thought-provoking statements, and new intellectual constructs that defined Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s own reflections.
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Following Christ: Sermons for the Christian Year
Paperback £14.99
Well-crafted and inspiring sermons in the Anglo-Catholic tradition that offer food for thought for listeners and preachers alike.
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Keeping Watch for Kingfishers: God Stories
Paperback £14.99
A collection of sermons that explore how we can learn to hear the voice of God in prayer, in the life of Jesus and in the human voice.
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A Sign of the Times: Unlocking Scripture with Familiar Phrases
Paperback £9.99
A study guide suitable for both individual and group use, containing fifteen short studies designed to provoke discussion and contemplation. Each study discusses the context and cultural climate in which phrases from the King James Bible were used, and reflects on their relevance in the modern world.
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Christ in a Choppie Box: Sermons from North East England
Paperback £16.99
An edited collection of sermons preached by Michael Sadgrove during his time as Dean of Durham (2003–2015). Thought-provoking and inspiring. Foreword by Justin Welby.
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Gospel for the Outsider: The Gospel in Luke & Acts
Paperback £12.99
A useful study guide or resource for individuals and bible study groups who want to take a fresh look at familiar material. This book looks again at Luke’s writings from the point of view of reaching “outsiders”.
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Gospel of Fulfilment: Exploring the Gospel of Matthew
Paperback £12.99
A short, handy guide to the Gospel of Matthew for all who want to explore the first book of the New Testament in group study or on their own.
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Living Prayer: Learning to Pray in Daily Life
Paperback £9.99
A gentle introduction to praying in our daily lives. This little companion helps anyone struggling with their prayer life to overcome what can seem like formidable challenges of praying regularly.
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Searching for a Silent God
Paperback £12.99
A thoughtful and engaging companion for all who experience times of spiritual crisis. Sarah Parkinson describes her experience of a time when God, on whose presence she had always relied, suddenly seemed to be absent from her life.
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Stir Up, O Lord: A Companion to the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels in the Book of Common Prayer
Paperback £14.99
A thought provoking commentary gives the words of Cranmer and his colleagues renewed meaning in our own time by providing historical context and reflection on their broader message.
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The Writing on the Wall: Everyday Phrases from the King James Bible
Paperback £9.99
The King James Bible is a treasure-trove of idioms and clichés that have entered everyone’s vocabulary. Taking a phrase from each book and exploring its origins and modern usage, Richard Noble gives a fascinating glimpse into this “inestimable treasure”.
