In 2020, COVID-19 challenged our churches’ production and practice of congregational worship. The isolation resulting from quarantines and shutdowns raised questions about discipleship and the practice of worship in our homes and daily lives. Yet, in response to these questions, creativity sprouted from the absence of familiar traditions associated with liturgical worship. I went on…
It’s Time to Go to Church
The most significant decision a Christian makes every week is whether they will go to church. The corporate worship of God is the principal activity of the people of God, and as the Westminster Catechism reminds us, the reason for which we were created. No other decision will so impact a disciple’s beliefs and practices…
Bring Your Umbrella! “Garden Churches”
“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? …. He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and…
Diving into Worship
“When she was in the kitchen, she would hum—not a steady tone, but entire melodies. Her humming was never soft and intimate, but loud and firm, as if she were humming for an audience. As a small child, if I knew the song she was humming, sometimes I would hum along with her, and my…
Putting Our Worship to Work: How the Pandemic Can Renew Our Relationship with Church
One summer during college I thought it would be fun to sew a dress for myself. I only succeeded because my grandmother intervened to rescue the project. Her generation still had a muscle memory for homegrown and homemade goods. I grew up shopping for what I needed. Our consumer economy trains us to buy, not…
The COVID Crisis: A Terrible Thing to Waste
If your church is just riding out the pandemic, hoping that you can get back to normal, you are missing the opportunity of the century to reimagine the ministry of your congregation for the century ahead. The main activity of every congregation has been upended. Sunday worship, which has been the core of church life…
The Next Normal? Not So Fast (COVID-19 Final Resource Roundup)
Early on in the midst of this global pandemic, Ed Stetzer told us to think about the next few months like an accordion. He predicted multiple phases of expanding and contracting in terms of our ability to gather in-person. We are beginning to see this accordion effect. The U. S. News & World Report ran…
Regaining Rhythm? (COVID-19 Resource Roundup)
The last few months have been incredibly disruptive. We have all been navigating a global pandemic. Now, we are navigating phases of COVID-19 recovery (and possible resurgences) alongside renewed conversations about race and justice amidst social unrest. As we move into the Summer, many congregations are regaining some sort of rhythm as they begin regathering….
The Consolations of Compline in Quarantine (and Beyond)
In the shadow of a global pandemic and the uncertainty it has brought to every aspect of life, I have found myself drawn again and again to the Compline service in the Book of Common Prayer. I have especially found deep comfort in the service’s collects and prayers, which deftly blend a realism about the…
Beginning to Regather for Worship (COVID–19 Resource Roundup)
Our COVID–19 Resource Roundup Focus This Week This week, we want to highlight several different areas. First, the national conversation is focused on race, justice, and social unrest. There is a robust conversation taking place and we are seeing different responses from church leaders. Anglican Compass published “A Letter to Fellow ACNA Clergy” and hosted…
