Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Psalm 33:16-22 Introduction Christmas can be a very hectic and even stressful time for many people. What is the reason for this? I think it comes down to a very simple economic formula of supply vs demand. And I am not talking about stores trying to keep the latest trend on the shelves. Think of … Read More “Our Hope is in the Lord” »
It seems to go without saying that churches should be places of worship. And yet, those things that we say “go without saying” usually still need to be said. What is a worshipping church? C.S. Lewis once said: “It’s not out of a compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are. … Read More “3 Steps to Becoming a Worshipping Church” »
Different churches have different worship styles. Where they are at may be for a variety of reasons. Some perhaps wish they could be more contemporary but don’t have the musicians. Some hold tightly to traditional worship. Others have embraced contemporary worship in order to reach new people. I am not interested in talking about what … Read More “What Does Worship Style Have to Do With a Successful Church?” »
Psalm 100 Introduction An important part of our church mission statement is that we are a people worshiping God in Jesus Christ. I don’t think that there is anything controversial about that. I would be surprised if someone tuned into this worship service and was shocked that we were worshiping God. But what does worship … Read More “A Deeper Praise” »
At the time I am writing this, we are beginning to make plans to return to physical worship services. We have been told by medical professionals that congregational singing is a dangerous activity and that we should avoid it for the first part of our return. But can we even worship without singing? Before we … Read More “Can We Worship Without Singing?” »
I have heard some people critical of the song from Bethel Music titled Reckless Love. The problem they claim is that God’s love is not reckless. The definition of ‘Reckless’ from dictionary.com is: utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action; without caution; careless It is difficult to see how anything God does is “careless.” So … Read More “Is God’s Love Reckless?” »
The “experts” would probably say that the worship wars are over or at least a non-issue. I would say that things have changed but feelings have not diminished. What I saw decades ago was the conflict was between hymns and choruses. What has changed is that many contemporary churches would never consider using the choruses … Read More “What I Look for in Worship Music” »
One of the best things that has happened to our children has been camp. They have spent a number of weeks over the past two years at Camp Oneida. What has really had an impact on them has been the praise songs. Today we went to church. The first time we have done that as a family … Read More “Good News: Making a Joyful Noise” »
