I just read a very good post on the perils of “children’s time” over at Carolyn’s wonderful blog, “Worshiping with Children.” Her post has inspired me to share a bit about how our church worked to include children in the Lent and Easter worship this year. Our Lenten theme this year was “Make Space for…
I love to plan worship services. I love to arrange for the participants, select the hymns, write the prayers, choose the readings . . . I love every part. And I want it all to be perfect. I had this problem even before I was a pastor. My wedding, for example. I didn’t spend much…
Last Friday night I led a Lenten spiritual retreat for a small group from my congregation. As a logistical note, let me recommend the Hollis Renewal Center for anyone in the Kansas City area. Our group found it to be a hospitable, Spirit-filled place. (And the prices are quite reasonable as well.) I cannot begin…
I wrote these worship pieces for the Second Sunday of Lent (Year A). They draw on Genesis 12:1-4 and John 3:1-17. Prayer of Confession Gracious God, You call us to a new land, a new birth. Yet our feet and our spirits hesitate. Forgive our laziness. Forgive our fear. Forgive our selfishness. Forgive our comfort.…
Today’s worship piece is small. As you may have seen, I’ve been putting a lot of my worship planning energies into tonight’s Ash Wednesday service. Today’s piece is an offertory prayer that we will likely use throughout Lent. ~Blessings Gracious God, through our offerings of worship, of time, of money, we seek to make space…
I love these lines from a Wendell Berry poem: Best of any song is bird song in the quiet, but first you must have the quiet This year I’m thinking of Lent as an opportunity to experience the quiet before the glorious bird song of Easter. Last year, I took on a major Lenten discipline—I…
I know it’s not Wednesday, but I figured that would be a little late to post this particular “Worship Piece.” For the first time this year our church will have two services on Ash Wednesday. We will have the contemplative service at 7:30 (posted here), and a child-friendly service at 6:30. I wanted to post…
Spacious Faith 