Lawrie Lowton
"This is a book for all who are seeking to discover reality and adventure through the lives of ordinary people. Chronicles of Fire is thought provoking and brings fresh insight to link the riches of Christian history and present realities. Definitely a unique and challenging read for those of faith and those on a search for faith. Chris writes in a compelling style, with passion and intuition, which draws you to identify with the inner journey of the characters - and in so doing to go on your own journey."
Linda Harding
| Chronicles of FIre - A book for our times! | |||
What’s so mysterious about the visitor in the night? Nicodemus can’t quite say, but the meeting draws him into a dangerous quest to chronicle the amazing events that have happened around him. The challenge takes him on a life-changing
journey beneath ancient Jerusalem and across the deserts of first century Judea
pursued by forces of evil who seem driven to prevent him completing his mission.
Will Nicodemus and his message survive and why is his call so
important? Two millennia later, as a cosmic apocalypse looms ever closer and corporate empires conspire to acquire absolute power so they can rule as gods, we are about to find out. So goes the story line of this new novel, a book that’s a fresh approach to fiction writing.
Why is it something different? We are the most materially advantaged and long-lived society that has ever existed in the UK. We are bombarded by appeals to be self-focussed materialists: to acquire as much as we can and to do whatever suits us. Yet we sense that this philosophy, with its consumption of resources, increasing environmental damage and disregard for the needs of others, is amoral and flawed. We suspect that it contributes to the record levels of addiction, mental ill health, debt, suicide, abortion, violent crime and relationship and family breakdown that we see in our society. We sense something is wrong, but don’t know what to do about it. An increasing number are turning to superstition, fantasy living and drugs to ease the pain and find an escape. This novel is a journey of faith to find an alternative way, an effective answer. It’s an adventure across continents and through time: a story where the miraculous and everyday interact. It makes belief believable and faith accessible. Intentionally, it draws you into the quest so you go on a journey of your own. It invites you to become part of the plot to take the story on yourself: here, you could say that it’s not really fiction at all. Read it and you might never be the same again.
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| For your copy of 'Chronicles of Fire' please email info@elmspring.co.uk for more information | |||
| The Vision of Elmspring Publishing | |||
| To explore the use of both story telling and factually-based logic to increase understanding of both the Christian faith and the role of the Church. The intention is to entertain, stimulate and provoke, whilst examining what is potentially the most important subject that can be investigated. | |||
| Why? | |||
| Many
in Western Europe and, increasingly, in the USA understand little of
what the Christian faith is all about and what the real purpose of the
Church is. Sadly, this includes some who would call themselves
churchgoers. Written material to address this problem is available, but unfortunately, apart from short outlines of the essentials, largely consists of fairly impenetrable theological works, biblical aids and commentaries and a vast literature of Christian testimony, belief and practice which is written primarily for committed believers. Most of this material is either unhelpful or inappropriate for those wishing to investigate the faith. More accessible books tend to be either the allegorical novel, where information about the faith is so disguised as to be unfathomable, or vivid fiction, which most non-Christians find unbelievable. This site offers an alternative approach: something for our times. |
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| Contact | |||
| This is a developing site and is still in its infancy. Comments, questions and opinions are welcome and can be emailed to info@elmspring.co.uk | |||
| Materials | |||
| 1 Statement of faith 2 Chronicles of Fire (novel) 3 Alpha to Omega (short stories) 4 Christianity: a reasonable faith (coming shortly) |
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| Statement of faith | |||
| I consider
that there are essential and immutable features of the Faith that
should be accepted by all Christians and which can be understood, if
not necessarily subscribed to, as the essence of the Faith by
non-theists and those of other religions. Anything less than this
‘heart of orthodox Christianity’ is a slippery slope down which lie the
many exit doors away from the Faith. Here it is: ‘The only true God is the creator and sustainer of everything material (space, time and matter). Humankind is created in His image and we are meant to have a close relationship with our Father, but broke that bond by deliberately choosing to be disobedient: to go our own way and ignore God’s way. Jesus is an expression of God on earth and this is testified to by what He taught, claimed and did. He offers, through His death and bodily resurrection, the free gifts of forgiveness, a renewed life and a restoration of our eternal relationship with God to all who will turn from their self-focus (sin, if you prefer), follow Jesus and seek to make Him Lord of their lives. Further, Jesus commands, and through the Holy Spirit empowers, Christians (the Church) to love God and spread the Gospel (the Good News) by sacrificially being salt and light wherever we are. This begins to bring the Kingdom of God to earth and the restoration of Creation. This will be completed by Jesus’ return when there will be a resurrection of the dead and a judgement of all who have ever lived.’ It is the primary aim of this site to explain and support this essential message in as interesting, credible and accessible a way as possible. I acknowledge that some phrases such as bodily resurrection, judgement, restoration of creation etc. may require further unpacking and it will be a secondary role of this site to do this and to redirect to other sources when necessary. Many Christians would also wish to add to this core with perspectives from their own traditions, for Christians don't believe only this basic message. However accepting such qualifications should not be seen as essential to being a Christian, nor binding on Christians from different denominations. Nor should different opinions about these additions prevent us working together. |
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| Chronicles of Fire - A Story to start you on a quest of your own | |||
What's
so mysterious about the visitor in the night? Nicodemus can't quite
say, but the meeting draws him into a dangerous quest to chronicle the
amazing events that have happened around him. The challenge takes him on a life-changing journey beneath ancient Jerusalem and across the deserts of first century Judea pursued by forces of evil who seem driven to prevent him completing his mission. Will Nicodemus and his message survive and why is his call so important? Two millennia later, as a cosmic apocalypse looms ever closer and corporate empires conspire to acquire absolute power so they can rule as the gods, we are about to find out. "I found myself totally gripped by a master storyteller. I took 'Chronicles of Fire' with me as a holiday 'read' but, in fact, devoured it in two days, unable to put it down. And then, I read it again! A magnificent first book; I look forward to the second." Lawrie Lowton "This is a book for all who are seeking to discover reality and adventure through the lives of ordinary people. Chronicles of Fire is thought provoking and brings fresh insight to link the riches of Christian history and present realities. Definitely a unique and challenging read for those of faith and those on a search for faith. Chris writes in a compelling style, with passion and intuition, which draws you to identify with the inner journey of the characters - and in so doing to go on your own journey." Linda Harding |
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| Alpha to Omega - Catch the Fire | |||
| A series of downloadable short stories. New ones will be introduced from time to time. 1. The Adam and Eve of it - pdf 2. Closer to God - pdf 3. The Vanishing Man - pdf 4. From Dust and Ashes - pdf |
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