Blogs and Articles
To encourage worshipful, generous-hearted living
For the most recent blog or to see articles by dates, look down the list on the right.
One tradition of Advent, the four weeks before Christmas Day, has long held a particular mystique for me. It’s called the “O Antiphons.” “Antiphons” are short prayers that are chanted, said, or sung. Ever since the 8th Century CE, Roman Christian brothers and sisters in the Religious Orders (monks and nuns) have said this special…
Read MoreGREETING (responsively) The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you And also with you. The risen Christ is with us. Praise the Lord! OPENING PRAYER (all) Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being, you created us for yourself, So that our hearts are restless until they…
Read MoreResponse to “Leading Worship” course November, 2024 Name: Local Church: 1. What I most appreciated (or) found most meaningful was: 2 What I’d like to say to Betsy Schwarzentraub as teacher: 3. What I’d like to tell others about Betsy’s book, Tossed In Time Expanded Edition: 4. After participating in this planning retreat, I’d like…
Read MoreI was moved by Rebecca Janzen’s article, “Healing from the ground up,” in the Nov. ’24 issue of The Christian Century. In it she reviews a new book called The Understory: An Invitation to Rootedness and Resilience from the Forest Floor. In The Understory the author, Lore Ferguson Wilbert, moves back and forth between personal…
Read More“In the beginning,” John says—the very beginning, as “when God began to create” in Genesis chapter one, verse one. So here is a new genesis: God’s speaking the Word of Love incarnate, in the One we would come to know in human history as Jesus of Nazareth. But not only Him. God’s love is embodied…
Read MoreExcerpts from an article by Tracy L. Meyers The Hanging of the Greens occurs annually at the start of Advent* and is a multisensory communal event. . . . ADVENT = a time of preparation for Christmas and preparing ourselves for a new year living in the presence of God through our relationship with his…
Read MoreIn addition to print book, Tossed in Time Expanded Edition: Steering by the Christian Seasons (includes season themes, questions, and activities) For the Christian Year 1. Dr. Marcia McFee, worship consultant: Worship Design Studio Partnership with the California-Nevada Annual Conference: You Tube uploads from Marcia McFee (317 of them!): https://www.youtube.com/@marciamcfee5248 including The Inn Advent Worship…
Read More1st Sun. 3/9/2025 God is our Refuge. Don’t put God to the test. Week: Testing God Luke 4:1-13 – Jesus tested by devil: We don’t live by bread alone; Worship only God; Don’t put God to the test. Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 – God my refuge, fortress, and dwelling place. God rescues those who know God’s…
Read More“From Scrolls to Scrolling” is a fascinating article about the “technology” of Judaism. Ever since the COVID pandemic, I’ve been intrigued by the Christian worship seasons and the reassuring framework they give to help us steer our way through time, so this piece in the latest issue of The Plough immediately caught my eye. J.…
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