Marking Time: Dressing The Church For The Liturgical Year,
2016
Sweley Theological Seminary
Marking Time: Dressing The Church For The Liturgical Year, Deborah Sokolove
Symposium on Worship Archive
The seasons and special days of the church year are often marked visually by artworks that come and go. In this session we will examine art as a congregational practice in which both adults and children produce banners, paraments, installations, and other occasional artworks that take their place in the worship space alongside those elements that are permanent. Participants are encouraged to send images of what their own congregations do to dress their churches as a way of marking liturgical time.
The Doorway To A New World: The Gracious Power Of Baptism In The Christian Life,
2016
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
The Doorway To A New World: The Gracious Power Of Baptism In The Christian Life, Lisa Weaver
Symposium on Worship Archive
What a remarkable event baptism is: at once a sign of our being washed clean, a sign of rebirth, and a sign of our dying and rising with Jesus. How can we celebrate baptisms in ways that convey this grace, this depth, and this mystery? How can we best mentor, teach, and encourage those who are baptized, whether as adults or children? Come to learn from a student of worship who has learned from Baptists, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholic communities, and whose research is unpacking the power of early church baptismal practices.
21 Spirituals For The 21st Century,
2016
Indiana University
21 Spirituals For The 21st Century, Raymond Wise Phd
Symposium on Worship Archive
The Negro Spiritual has been hailed as American’s first authentic folk music. Spirituals have served as a primary musical source from which many sacred and secular musical genres have stemmed. The “Spiritual” itself has evolved into many forms. There are oral, concert, art song, congregational, and gospel spirituals, and each has its own unique musical characteristics that have helped to preserve the Spiritual as a musical form. Come learn more about Spirituals, hear and sing some traditional spirituals and experience contemporary spiritual arrangements from Raymond Wise’s collection of 21 Spirituals for the 21st Century.
Wording The Sunday Sermon,
2016
Calvin Theological Seminary
Wording The Sunday Sermon, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
Symposium on Worship Archive
One of the preacher’s big challenges is finding language for the Sunday sermon that will engage the most of her or his listeners. But what kind of language is that? What are some of its features? Using multiple examples from published sermons, this workshop will identify, discuss, and recommend certain excellent features of well-worded Sunday sermons.
Understanding Your Congregation's Unique Worship Culture,
2016
Baylor University
Understanding Your Congregation's Unique Worship Culture, Monique M. Ingalls
Symposium on Worship Archive
Each local congregation has its own unique history, geographical and social location, demographic makeup, and mission. As worship leaders, we need to understand each of these aspects of our local church’s “worship culture” in order to choose and adapt worship resources that engage the mind, heart, and spirit of our congregation members. This workshop introduces models and methods from the social sciences, including ethnography, interviewing, and structured observation, that we can use to explore these dynamics within our congregations. It then highlights practical ways how we can use the insights we glean from these methods to more deeply understand and …
The Formative Power Of Art And Architecture In Worship,
2016
Faith and Form
The Formative Power Of Art And Architecture In Worship, Michael J. Crosbie Phd, Lisa Deboer
Symposium on Worship Archive
Hear from two experts whose work puts them in touch with a wide variety of worshiping communities across North America. First, art historian Lisa DeBoer will share insights from her forthcoming book, The Visual Arts in the Worshiping Church (Eerdmans), about how Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant worshipers relate to the meaning of art in such different ways. Then, Michael Crosbie, editor of Faith and Form, will take us on a memorable tour of recently built or renovated award-wining worship spaces, taking note of the underlying motivation and artistic vision of master architects and the congregations they work with. This is …
Compare And Contrast: Learning From The Visual Arts Across Christian Traditions,
2016
Westmont College
Compare And Contrast: Learning From The Visual Arts Across Christian Traditions, Lisa J. Deboer
Symposium on Worship Archive
Many Protestant congregations are eagerly and actively working to recover the riches of the visual realm to deepen their worship and communal life. And while much good work and learning is occurring within these congregations, what might we learn from a close examination of the how the visual arts function in Orthodox and Catholic settings? This session highlights three theological questions regarding worship and congregational life, raised by a cross-confessional comparison of the role of the visual arts.
Singing The Great Fifty Days,
2016
Muskingum University
Singing The Great Fifty Days, Zebulon M. Highben
Symposium on Worship Archive
Easter Sunday is the beginning of the church’s longest festival: the Great Fifty Days of Easter. Yet it can be a musical challenge to connect the exuberance of Easter Sunday with the season’s culmination at Pentecost. This workshop presents ideas for musically and liturgically unifying the Easter season while highlighting each Sunday’s individual lessons and themes. Hymns, canticles, and choral repertoire from several publishers will be featured.
We Need A Church That's Inside-Out,
2016
Northwestern College - Orange City
We Need A Church That's Inside-Out, Heather Josselyn-Cranson
Northwestern Review
This hymn gives voice to one frustration that many Christians feel: a despair over watching Christian factions argue about doctrine while the poor suffer outside of church walls. This hymn calls us to see the self-obsession which prevents us from attending to those in need (first stanza), confess our neglect of Jesus' mandate to care for others (second stanza), and turn away from the distractions of petty bickering toward the expression of Christ's peace, grace, and love to all those outside the church (third stanza).
Days Will Come That Sap Our Vigor,
2016
Northwestern College - Orange City
Days Will Come That Sap Our Vigor, Heather Josselyn-Cranson
Northwestern Review
"Days Will Come that Sap our Vigor" speaks encouragement to individuals and congregations in the face of exhaustion (the first stanza), depression (the second stanza), and even death (the last stanza). In each case, God restores to us strength, hope, and life. The tune for this text, FALLS PARK, alludes to the fact that the author wrote the hymn text after visiting Falls Park in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Full, Conscious, And Active…Listening?,
2016
Northwestern College - Orange City
Full, Conscious, And Active…Listening?, Heather Josselyn-Cranson
Northwestern Review
Active participation by Christian laity in singing is a goal assumed by all liturgical leaders, scholars, and musicians. Is singing, though, the only form of active participation in liturgical music? What about listening? Drawing on discussions of listening by Aaron Copland, Frank Burch Brown, and Ronald J. Allen, it becomes clear that listening well is an active task, one for which musical leaders must prepare their congregations. Lay people should be encouraged to both receive music as a gift and to search out what it means in relationship to the congregation, the day, and the liturgical context. Congregations also need …
An Inquiry In The Early Creed Of Romans 1:3-4: Does The Word Ὁριζω Support An Adoptionistic Christianity?,
2016
Liberty University
An Inquiry In The Early Creed Of Romans 1:3-4: Does The Word Ὁριζω Support An Adoptionistic Christianity?, Nicholas Dodson, Brian Scalise
Eruditio Ardescens
No abstract provided.
Cultivating Biblical Imagination Through Preaching,
2016
Luther Seminary
Cultivating Biblical Imagination Through Preaching, Edward N. Kay
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Explores the ways preaching can help increase familiarity and comfort with scripture so people are able to interpret their daily experiences and lifetime milestones with God’s story revealed in the Bible. The importance of narrative is explored, especially in relationship with competing narratives in today’s world. A variety of forms of interactive preaching are explored to evaluate the ability of the sermon to increase biblical imagination: biblical storytelling, people talking to one another, and writing down reflections to act on in the future. Sermons were preached in multiple ELCA congregation in a variety of contexts.
Exploring The Effectiveness Of Field Preaching Evangelism In The United Methodist Church,
2016
Luther Seminary
Exploring The Effectiveness Of Field Preaching Evangelism In The United Methodist Church, Paul D. Johnsen
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Explores present-day versions of John Wesley’s field-preaching. Wesley preached in fields, at marketplaces and in a variety of other outdoor settings. Field-preaching requires pastors to take their preaching ministry beyond church buildings. This thesis considers the effectiveness of pastors who preach at restaurants, coffee shops, bars and in rented spaces. It also evaluates the cost of these efforts. It argues that reclaiming this historic Methodist practice helps reach a population and demographic currently not served by most United Methodist congregations.
Mystagogical Preaching In The Episcopal Church: Connecting Sermon And Liturgy,
2016
Luther Seminary
Mystagogical Preaching In The Episcopal Church: Connecting Sermon And Liturgy, Daniel John Justin
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Seeks to determine the effectiveness of mystagogical preaching for communicating the theology of the Episcopal Church as it is presented in the liturgies of the Book of Common Prayer. Mystagogy is a liturgical theology leading worshipers deeper into the mysteries of the faith as they are experienced in the liturgy. This study uses an action/reflection research method seeking to determine participants understanding of the liturgical rites in question prior to the sermon and if that understanding changes after hearing a mystagogical sermon. Surveys including both quantitative and qualitative questions are used to measure effectiveness of this style of preaching.
Preaching Effectively To The Unchurched,
2016
Luther Seminary
Preaching Effectively To The Unchurched, Rodney Reed Carlson
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Explores the question of how to preach effectively today to the growing number of Americans who have never regularly attended church or long ago stopped attending. The current challenges of Biblical illiteracy in the population, an increasing cultural hostility toward Christians, and a growing perception by many (especially the millennial generation) of the irrelevancy of Christianity are addressed. Biblical preaching that has proven to be ineffective with the unchurched is noted with special focus given to preaching that has been proven to be effective.
Lift Up Your Hearts: Preaching Grace Effectively As A Pastoral Response To Shame,
2016
Luther Seminary
Lift Up Your Hearts: Preaching Grace Effectively As A Pastoral Response To Shame, Harold Kenyon
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Proposes preaching grace effectively as pastoral response to shame. Sources include Robert Albers, Robin Stockitt, James Fowler, Serene Jones and Cameron Harder. Argues fall-redemption theology harms those experiencing shame. Employs shame as alternative lens for reading scripture. Explores social, biblical and theological dimensions of shame. Differentiates shame and guilt. Demonstrates shame’s connections to mental illness, trauma, and addiction. Honors people’s formative narratives. Claims baptismal basis for identity. Seeks preaching practices that build resilience from shame’s spiritual and psychological consequences. Identifies narrative practices enhancing understanding God’s acceptance. Offers insight into crafting sermons that celebrate identity within a reconciled future.
Preparing Transformational Sermons: An Attitudinal Model Of Sermonic Application,
2016
Luther Seminary
Preparing Transformational Sermons: An Attitudinal Model Of Sermonic Application, Donald G. Bryant Jr.
Doctor of Ministry Theses
This mixed method, action-reflection project explores the results of attitudinal rather than a behavioral sermon-application model. The research project delves into the change in the listener’s perceptions, thoughts, and beliefs through sermons deliberately designed for attitudinal application of the gospel. My project will attempt to assess whether such an intentional focus on attitudinal application can impact heart transformation. I hoped to study sermons that transform the human heart as opposed to legalistic (behavior-based) sermons within evangelical churches.
Preaching More Effectively To Multiple Generations,
2016
Luther Seminary
Preaching More Effectively To Multiple Generations, Lynne Kammeraad
Doctor of Ministry Theses
This thesis explores the possibility of preaching more effectively to multiple generations at the same time. There are currently six generations (G.I., Silent, Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, and Unnamed) represented in the congregation where this research was conducted. First-person narrative, object-based, and story-based sermon styles were presented and tested to determine if a particular style was more effective. The definition used for effective preaching included the need for instruction, a delightful presentation, and persuasion to be present. Preaching effectively to multiple generations has the potential of shaping other ministries in the church in profound ways, and build strong multi-generational churches.
Telling The Old, Old Stories: Reconnecting With Jesus' Parables Through Biblical Storytelling,
2016
Luther Seminary
Telling The Old, Old Stories: Reconnecting With Jesus' Parables Through Biblical Storytelling, Kathryn L. Skoglund
Doctor of Ministry Theses
Suggests the use of biblical storytelling as a means of presenting Jesus’ parables in order to regain their original power. Uses the practice of biblical storytelling, contrasted with simple reading of the text from the Bible. Examines the responses of congregations from two churches comparing reactions of those who heard six parables told as a story to those who heard them read from the Bible. Also notes the connection the method of presentation of the parables has to listeners’ engagement with the sermon. Includes discussion with confirmation-aged students regarding the efficacy of biblical storytelling.
