On Sunday my congregation prayed for the teachers and staff of our community’s schools. We prayed for them by name – over 100 of them. I asked each student in my church to make a list of their teachers and their school staff – office staff, cafeteria staff, maintenance staff, etc.. To help them with thisContinue reading “Praying by Name for School Teachers and Staff”
Category Archives: Liturgy
Why I Left the Revised Common Lectionary Behind
The RCL’s treatment of the Old Testament is almost criminal. And other problems.
Creating Space for Communion Before Baptism
Who is welcome to receive Holy Communion? Are all invited to receive the sacrament? All baptized Christians? Or, all baptized Christians who believe that Christ is truly present in the sacrament? Variations on these three invitations can be found printed in worship bulletins across our church. The longstanding understanding of the church is that communionContinue reading “Creating Space for Communion Before Baptism”
Do Worship Leaders Hide in Worship?
It is an odd proposition – do worship leaders hide in worship? Even though they’re standing up front, in the most visible part of the worship space, leading the congregation in prayer and praise and acts of worship, are they hiding in plain sight? Maybe. I’m struck after visiting two larger churches on Sunday –Continue reading “Do Worship Leaders Hide in Worship?”
Worshiping Elsewhere
Yesterday with members of my church’s outreach committee I attended two churches for worship to experience how these churches welcome visitors and newcomers. One church was a campus of a large, multi-site evangelical church, and the other church was a large congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (my denomination). At the Lutheran church,Continue reading “Worshiping Elsewhere”
The Lutheran Zephyr 