“To change lives, our worship must connect with its congregants. God’s story must enter into dialogue with our stories, and vice versa. Unfortunately, this is less and less the case. Too much of our worship is sadly out of step with the lives of many, if not most, of our congregants. Unwilling to address life honestly, our worship floats above the fray in irrelevance. Rather than recognize that pain is an important part of contemporary life, we anesthetize our existence.... Read more

Fourth Sunday in Lent Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness Text: Bernadette Farrell, 1993 Tune: CHRIST, BE OUR LIGHT Prayer of Confession Gracious God, we are people who still love darkness rather than light. We keep shameful deeds secret, but flaunt our occasional acts of virtue. We see ourselves as blameless, but pass judgment on others. We do not stand firmly enough with those who are vulnerable, but step back, protecting ourselves. Forgive us, we pray. Bring us into... Read more

On a whim, I recently contacted famed American organist Frederick Swann, asking for his response on the value of the pipe organ in the life of the church. This was his reply. “As a church organist for 75 years (starting at age 10…and making it my life’s work) I have been privileged to be the organist of three major churches in the country, each with fine pipe organs and musically literate congregations. And, as a concert organist, my travels have... Read more

Unfortunately some Christians live as though the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ never happened. Our lives become absorbed in the day-to-day experiences of life. We focus on name-brand clothing, the color of our houses, the size of our bank account, the year and make of our automobile, the prestige in which others hold us, and the symbols of our own power. We too easily forget our Maker and Redeemer, replacing God with things and ambition. Lent is the season... Read more

Third Sunday in Lent Jesu, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts Text: Bernard of Clairvaux, ~1160; trans. Ray Palmer, 1858 Tune: QUEBEC Collect Almighty God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who... Read more

  I hear the inevitable moan every first Sunday in Lent. “Why does Lent have to be so somber and boring?” I invite those who ask this question to join me in looking at things from a different perspective, one that Joan Chittister describes. If we genuinely cannot participate in liturgy without the alleluias, it may very well be that the star of Bethlehem has grown dim in our lives and our churches. We very much need a time of... Read more

Second Sunday in Lent God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 18th c.; trans. Robert E. Voelker, 1991 Tune: BACHOFEN Collect O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from thy ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of thy Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth,... Read more

The High Cost of the Worship Wars The worst thing about the worship wars wasn’t the fact that churches were fighting over something that didn’t matter. Worship does matter. How we worship matters, too. It wasn’t that, as a recent comment said, “Satan rejoices when we get bogged down with issues of style.” If anything, I have to believe that God wants us to use our God-given brains and think deeply about the content of our liturgy. The worst thing... Read more

First Sunday in Lent O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High Text: attributed to Thomas á Kempis, 15th c.; trans. Benjamin Webb Tunes: DEO GRACIAS Collect Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted of Satan; Make speed to help thy servants who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and, as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth... Read more

Clergy are reluctant to let silence blossom within their service plans for fear that their congregations will become bored. When worship is conceived primarily as a clerical performance and, therefore, an entertainment, silences seem out of place. They have limited uses in entertainment. Silence interrupts a show’s flow and makes its audience nervous. It suggests that a performer’s concentration has lapsed or that his timing is off. On the other hand, when worship is truly a communal activity, silence feels... Read more