Category Archives: Worship and Liturgy

Two artists worth noting – one Israeli/Jewish and one Indian

Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin

I cannot explain how but starting about five years ago in two thousand and six began to include works of art in our worship guides. So if one of the Bible readings for that day 1 Samuel 3 would include … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Bible, Ethnicity and race, Internationals, Judaism, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

Luke 24 as paradigmatic text (or) This story is our story

Posted on May 16, 2011 by admin

Notes from Evensong talk on Emmaus narrative from Luke 24 last night May 15 2011. Newly called co-pastors Mike Massar and Griff Martin were present. Got a lot of strong positive feedback on this. Paradigmatic texts of the Bible – … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptists, Bible, Ecclesiology, Internationals, Ministry, New Testament, Sermons, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

Late Lent and Pascha and unexpected variations in liturgical calendar

Posted on February 15, 2011 by admin

Since seminary have used the lectionary and followed the Christian liturgical calendar. The two are related but distinct. Theoretically one can observe the liturgical calendar without following the lectionary. In fact back in 2000(?) when Keith Putt led University Baptist … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptists, Christian Practice, Orthodoxy, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

NFL player Troy Polamalu and liturgy of the heart

Posted on January 11, 2011 by admin

The excellent Opinionated Catholic – your one stop portal for Catholic and Football news – recently had an interesting post about Pittsburgh Steelers player Troy Polamalu and his Orthodox Christian faith. I wanted to follow up by focusing on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Practice, Orthodoxy, Sports, Theology, Worship and Liturgy | 1 Comment

Tired of the worship wars (or) Why would they leave?

Posted on December 13, 2010 by admin

Perhaps no issue has generated more controversy at University Baptist Church than worship. By which one means worship style.* Twelve years ago when I began serving here we had two Sunday morning services. One early more contemporary and supposedly the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baptists, Ecclesiology, Ministry, Music, Society and Culture, Worship and Liturgy | 5 Comments

Father Moses and cross-cultural ministry

Posted on April 13, 2010 by admin

Stories do not come much more beautiful than this. The New York Times deserves profound gratitude for a magnificent article on Father Moses Berry who is an Orthodox priest in a small rural village in Missouri. Like most Orthodox priests … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Culture, Ethnicity and race, Missiology, Orthodoxy, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

Low budget eye candy and debates over worship

Posted on March 17, 2010 by admin

What hath the dreadful Star Wars prequel “The Phantom Menace” to do with current debates over worship style? A few months ago my friend Joshua Villines directed my attention to a critical review of “The Phantom Menace” that is biting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ministry, Movies and film, Worship and Liturgy | 2 Comments

What makes worship?

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Rick

At the “Service of Reconciliation” the evening after the senior pastor resigned rather abruptly several spoke positively of the second worship service. Many along the lines of “as long as people are worshiping the Lord who cares what instruments they … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Practice, Hebrew Bible, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

The folly of ritual tourism (or) Christian(s doing) "seders"

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Rick

AKMA offers a fascinating and (as always) deeply thoughtful post expressing discomfort with “the increasing frequency with which Christians set up and proceed to ‘enact’ seders“. He offers four specific “answers” on the issue. In his second answer where he … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Judaism, Religion, Worship and Liturgy | Comments Off

BabyBlueCafe – "How Blended Worship Builds Community"

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Rick

BabyBlueCafe is a thoughtful blog by an Anglican who lives in northern Virginia(?). She is on my short list when it comes to intelligent commentary on religious happenings particularly within Anglicanism. From BabyBlue’s fine and thoughtful post: So instead of … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglicanism, Christian Practice, Religion, Worship and Liturgy | 3 Comments