Liturgy and Worship Commons^™

Hosanna!: Ecumenical Songs For Justice And Peace, Ester P. Widiasih

Symposium on Worship Archive

This collection of music is gathered from five continents and many different cultural contexts. Each song carries with it a story that provides insights into the unique challenges and piety of worshiping communities around the world. Learning these songs and the stories, gestures, rhythms and instruments that accompany them is a wonderful way to pray for the church around the world and to stretch your community experience toward new empathy for the piety of others.

Limelight And Christian Leadership, Rebecca K. Deyoung

Symposium on Worship Archive

Work in Christian ministry and worship leadership often brings a struggle with image, reputation, and audience-pleasing. In this workshop, we’ll learn about the vice of vainglory—both the patterns of its temptation to show off a false self and time-tested spiritual disciplines of resistance to this vice. In a world captivated with selfies and social media, we’ll explore virtuous practices that can help Christians handle the limelight well and show appreciation for each other in ways that glorify God.

Bringing Hymns To Life On Guitar, Wendell Kimbrough

Symposium on Worship Archive

We’ve heard many of the great old hymns played beautifully with organs, pianos, and choirs, but their journey into the world of guitar-led worship can be awkward. Old tunes are often abandoned or significantly altered in the name of modernization, but such revision is not always necessary. This workshop will focus on demonstrating and discussing how to translate traditional hymns into a guitar-led band format while keeping the hymn’s soul intact.

Explaining Christian Worship To The Skeptical Or Questioning Seeker: Group Exercise, Kevin Adams

Symposium on Worship Archive

What are best practices for introducing people to the practices of Christian worship? How can we give an account of what we do in worship in warm, winsome, and convicting ways that move beyond surface level explanations to address the deepest spiritual hungers of our age?

Teenage Youth Worship Leaders: Wisdom For Teenagers And Those Who Mentor Them, Eric L. Mathis

Symposium on Worship Archive

“Sometimes, it’s so awkward to stand in front of your friends and lead them in worship,” a teenager recently said. It may be awkward at times, but it’s also an unfathomable privilege that comes with much responsibility. This workshop, designed with teenagers and their mentors in mind, will focus on the task and responsibility of leading worship when those closest to us are present. More importantly, this workshop will remind us all of the ways God fits into the work of teenagers seeking to be an example in speech, behavior, love, life, and purity.

The Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving At Baptism And The Lord's Supper, John D. Witvliet

Symposium on Worship Archive

In the past 40 years, many Protestant communions have recovered a robust, historically-oriented prayer of thanksgiving at celebrations of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Nearly every official denominational liturgical publication has featured strong examples of this practice. Yet thousands of local congregations do not practice this for a variety of reasons, including concern over the length of the service, and—quite likely—not really understanding the spiritually formative power of this practice for the daily life and faith of Christian believers. This session will feature a robust testimony about the value of this ancient practice, deeply rooted in the Psalms, and present …

Singing The Psalms In A Modern Worship Setting, Wendell Kimbrough

Symposium on Worship Archive

The Psalms were written to be sung. But if your church favors guitar-led modern worship, how do you sing the Psalms? Songwriter Wendell Kimbrough’s pastor answered this question by asking him to write short Psalms refrains that are singable and memorable for his congregation. For the past two years, their church has engaged the Psalm through music each week, following the Revised Common Lectionary. In this workshop, Wendell will share some of the best-loved of these refrains and talk about his church’s journey learning to sing and love the Psalms.

The Sun Rises In The East: New Congregational Songs From Asian Composers, Joel Navarro

Symposium on Worship Archive

This session features new congregational songs and music for church choir from young composers in Southeast Asia whose works are currently making waves in many parts of the world. This session is recommended for choir directors and singers who are looking for fresh ideas for regular worship, intercultural worship, or church choir repertoire.

Worship: The Embodied Moment For Self And Church Community, Kathleen S. Turner

Symposium on Worship Archive

The guiding question for this workshop is: How can movement gesture enhance the worship of God in ways that are whole, imaginative and fulfilling for both the individual and the collective church body? This workshop will explore the ways in which song, word, prayer, liturgical materials and movement gesture meet within the worship experience. It will pay particular attention to the use of the body as an expressive instrument that embodies and displays reflective thought and honest emotion during the worship moment. This workshop welcomes participants to wear comfortable clothing and shoes in order to explore various worship movements that …

Biblical Storytelling Masterclass, Joy-Elizabeth Lawrence

Symposium on Worship Archive

How can dramatic arts and oral interpretation be used in worship? By applying skills from these art forms to scripture recitation! Bring your memorized Bible narrative to share and hone. Participants are welcome to observe, or to work with Joy in deepening their communication of God’s Word.

What Makes Christian Worship Trinitarian?, Cornelius Plantinga Jr.

Symposium on Worship Archive

The doctrine of the Trinity is old, deep, and mysterious. How should Christian trinitarianism manifest itself in worship—that is, beyond simple repetition of the trinitarian formula? How might deep trinitarian worship bless God and ourselves? How might it even affect the way we look at each other after worship is over?

Singing Psalms: An Outpouring Of Contemporary Song For Congregational Use, Alison Adam, Alfredo Colman, Wendell Kimbrough, Greg Scheer, Isaac Wardell

Symposium on Worship Archive

Remarkably, even since the publication of Psalms for All Seasons just a few years ago, over 30 new Psalm-based songwriting and recording projects have emerged from a variety of contemporary worship leaders across North America and beyond. While some of these settings are designed for solo voices, many are well-suited to congregational use, and are worthy heirs to the legacy of congregation-based Psalms re-established by Luther and Calvin. Come to explore a variety of examples of this music, as well as the stories behind the songs. In addition, to consider new songs you might use in your context, come ready …

Faith Formation From Birth To Age 20: A Psychology Professor's Insights For Strengthening Congregational Ministry, Marjorie L. Gunnoe

Symposium on Worship Archive

What are the most important things to know when working with kids ages 0–2, 3–6, 7–11, early adolescents, and late adolescents? This fast-paced session is a (really, really) condensed version of a course required for Calvin students minoring in Youth Ministry—without the homework. Helpful for parents, pastors, teachers, mentors and anyone who cares about the faith formation of the next generation.

Short Songs: Deepening Our Participation In Worship, Alison Adam

Symposium on Worship Archive

Short songs do something different: they deepen, with music, the responses a congregation makes in an act of worship. Often tied to liturgical moments in a service, short songs enable us to gather, to pray, to prepare to hear God’s Word, to affirm, to go forth, to move, to rejoice. They tap into the emotion of worship songs, and they draw on the ancient tradition of chant, but they are neither contemporary nor traditional. We’ll sing about 10 of these songs, gathered by the Iona Community from their own writers and from the world church. They are easily led, enable …

Inviting The Text To Direct The Service, Joan Devries

Symposium on Worship Archive

Biblical text is central to Christian worship gatherings. Generally, the most significant piece of scripture is the focus of the sermon or the message, and worship planners are happy when they can match that theme in other parts of the worship gathering. What if, however, we invited the text with its various parts and movements to shape the whole of our service more concretely rather than have it be packaged as the teaching contained in a sermon? What if we adopted the movements within a psalm as the separate movements of our worship gathering and we enacted the psalm together? …

Essential Worship: Introducing People To The Art Of Leading Worship, Greg Scheer

Symposium on Worship Archive

Greg will offer reflections on his new book. This is an ideal session for beginning worship leaders, anyone who mentors, teaches, or encourages them, or anyone who is preparing to lead brief training sessions for a worship team or worship committee in their context.

Innovation In Worship: Working With A Team To Make Healthy Changes, Jordan Clegg, Dawn B. Gibson, Kathy Smith, Jonathan Tamayo, Jeff Wong

Symposium on Worship Archive

Listen to a diverse group of panelists from various churches across North America describe how they envisioned and led their congregations through changes in worship. We will consider the value of empowering members’ gifts in worship, and wisdom for healthy change processes. This seminar will be valuable for any church considering changes in worship.

Universal Design, Responsive Design: Keys For Welcoming Persons With Varied Abilities, Benjamin T. Conner, Melissa Conner, Barbara J. Newman, Karen Roberts Phd, Reginald Smith

Symposium on Worship Archive

Worshipers and congregation members certainly do not come in a “one size fits all” wrapping! As you gather for worship you will notice an array of gifts, but you may also see the areas of struggle each one brings to the community. How do worship planners and pastors best weave in best practices for including each one in the conversation with God in worship? Join us as we highlight ideas to get your congregation launched in the right direction as you include members with disabilities.

Program - 2017 Worship Symposium, 2017 Worship Symposium

Symposium on Worship Archive

No abstract provided.

How Churches Around The World Pray For Churches Around The World: How We Pray In Argentina For Churches Around The World?, Nina Ciesilski, Dwight Kelly, Hanns Lessing Phd, Gerardo Oberman, Kathy Smith, Ester P. Widiasih, N. T. Wright, Anne Zaki

Symposium on Worship Archive

Intercessory prayer is an essential part of public worship, and we are called to pray for the flourishing of Christians all over the world. This seminar begins with a brief reflection by theologian N.T. Wright on Ephesians 6:18: “Pray . . . with all perseverance and intercession for all God’s holy ones. . . .” Then learn from church leaders from Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt, Jamaica, Germany, and Scotland about how their communities pray for the worldwide church, and also how they would like others to pray for them. Come to see the world from several different perspectives, from voices that …

Movement And Worship: An Experiential Engagement Of Embodiment In Ministry, Cassandra Vander Well

Symposium on Worship Archive

From the earliest origins of the Judeo Christian tradition, dance and movement have been integral to the Christian life and faith practice, moving us individually and communally closer to the heart of God. This seminar will examine the history of liturgical/sacred dance in the church and how a biblical perspective on dance can inform current approaches to weaving movement into the fabric of Christian worship and ministry. Come ready to explore and engage these concepts through movement and dialogue.

Playing In Luke's Gospel, Joy-Elizabeth Lawrence

Symposium on Worship Archive

Though we often think of Bible study as serious business, adding an element of play into our exploration of scripture deepens our emotional connection to the text and can invite our congregations to experience God’s Word in a new way. In this hands-on seminar, we will explore and consider contextualized ways to present portions of Luke’s gospel in worship.

Autism And Your Church, Barbara J. Newman

Symposium on Worship Archive

With one in 68 individuals being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it is likely that your worshiping community already includes someone with ASD. If you are a pastor, worship leader, musician, church school teacher, or church volunteer, discover specific ways to identify, interact with, and worship with persons with ASD. Using six key areas of difference, this session will take best practices in special education and apply them to a church setting. Leave with a toolbox full of new ideas to try starting next week with both children and adults!

Worship 101: Giving Witness To The Unseen, Eric L. Mathis, Paul Ryan

Symposium on Worship Archive

A fundamental task of worship leadership is giving witness to God. Although we do not see God, we do see evidence of God’s work in the world. We bear witness to God’s work in worship through songs, stories, prayers, and words, and we prompt the congregation to do the same as they embody each action of worship. In this seminar, we will explore the ways worshiping communities name, or give witness to, those things that are seen and unseen. Then, we will imagine how communities similar to or different from our own might teach us about our own faithful witness.

Worship 201: Giving Witness To The Urgent, Eric L. Mathis, Paul Ryan

Symposium on Worship Archive

A critical task of 21st century worship leadership is to name pressing issues, and give confident witness to the reality of God’s presence in sometimes difficult circumstances. In this seminar, we will identify pressing issues in local and global worshiping communities. Then we will engage past and present worshiping communities as case studies to identify their approach to urgent issues. Finally we will imagine how these communities might teach us about giving confident witness to those issues that are urgent in our time and place.

Reformed Worship (Rw) 122 - Lent / Easter (December 2016), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: Freedom from Fear by Marcus Roskamp....3

The Final Hours by Chris Walker....8

Called to New Life by Kathryn Roelofs and Meg Jenista Kuykendall....26

Articles

Editorial: Contemplate the Grave by Joyce Borger....2

Q&A: The Holy Spirit in Worship by John D. Witvliet....39

A Primer on Congregational Fasting by J. E. Eubanks Jr.....42

On Worship Technology by Roderick Jager....44

For Pastors: Celebrating the Reformation Graciously by Scott Hoezee....47

Resources

Walk in His Steps by Christopher Wheeler....13

The Path to the Cross by Kelly VanderWoude....19

The Light Dawns by Patricia …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 51 No 2 - November 2016), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: The Usefulness of Divine Majesty According to Calvin on Genesis by Rebekah Earnshaw - 181 / Sola Scriptura: An Inadequate Slogan for the Authority of Scripture by Henk van den Belt - 204 / Nuptial Reading: Hippolytus, Origen, and Ambrose on the Bridal Couple of the Song of Songs by Hans Boersma - 227 / Just What Do You Mean—Kingdom of God? Lessons from a Century (and More) of Christian Social Thought by John Bolt - 259 / Bound to the Altar: The Isaac of Genesis 22:1–19 by Arie C. Leder - 283 / Calvin Bibliography 2016 - …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: October 2016, Richard Mouw, Amanda W. Benckhuysen, Danjuma Gibson, Geoff Vandermolen

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Articles
3 - From the President: Loving Your Neighbor Today (and Tomorrow!) by Jul Medenblik
4 - Loving Your Neighbor by Richard Mouw
6 - Old Testament Insights on Loving Your Neighbor by Amanda Benckhuysen
8 - Why & How Should Christians Engage Their Neighbors of Other Faiths? by Cory Willson
11 - Trauma: Suffering in Silence by Danjuma Gibson
14 - Loving Your Neighbor with Dementia by Mary Vandenberg
16 - CEP Summer Seminars 2016 by Scott Hoezee
19 - Vocational Formation — A new name, a renewed focus by Geoff Vandermolen
20 - Reflections on China Today by …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 121 - Advent / Christmas (September 2016), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worship Series: The Senses of Christmas by Mark Vande Zande....3

Sing 10: Modern Arrangements for Advent by Phil Majorins....11

Advent Then and Now by Peter Schuurman and Mark Wallace....19

Articles

Editorial: Soli Deo Gloria by Joyce Borger....2

Seeing the Sacred in the Ordinary by Phil Schaafsma....24

For Pastors: Thirty Years in Reformed Preaching by Scott Hoezee....28

Q&A: Lament and Praise as a Way of Life by John D. Witvliet....30

Universal Design for Worship by Barbara J. Newman....38

Growing Up in Worship: An Interview with Ken Medema....41

A Decade of …

Reformed Worship (Rw) 120 - Beauty (June 2016), Reformed Worship Editors

Reformed Worship Magazine

Features

Worshiping with the Psalms by the Synodical Worship Planning Team....3

Strength and Beauty Are in God's Sanctuary by Lisa DeBoer....11

Commemorating the Reformation for the 500th Time by John Witvliet....38

Articles

Editorial: Why Beauty? by Joyce Borger....2

Beauty Revealed by Phil Schaafsma....20

Recovering the Power of Biblical Imagery by William Dyrness....27

Words of Life by Kari Kristina Reeves....34

For Pastors: Preaching in Tough Times by Scott Hoezee....36

Resources

Singing Like David by Becca Whitla....11

Come and See: From Brokenness to Beauty by Brenda Holtrop....23

Beauty in Children's Worship Spaces …