Food and Faith
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Food and Faith is a blog of the Presbyterian Hunger Program.
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Posts with tag: worship
September 1, 2014Welcome to Presbyterian Worship
Welcome to Presbyterian Worship, a new blog from the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This is a place to share insight, inspiration, and resources for worship in the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition.
- Posted at 2:40 p.m.
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April 8, 2014
Please and Thank You
The primary purpose of Christian worship is, of course, simply giving glory to God. But worship also provides us with regular opportunities to practice the theological habits of grace and gratitude. Like learning to say “please” and “thank you” at home, worship seeks to shape us in a way of life that befits God’s holy realm, our eternal home.
- Posted at 3:24 p.m.
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March 6, 2014
Back to Basics on Ash Wednesday
In the congregation where I worship, I have the solemn joy of visiting each class of children’s choirs and talking to them about Ash Wednesday. Last night was the third year running … which means we’ve now entered the realm of sacred and inviolable tradition.
- Posted at 9:47 a.m.
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July 22, 2013
If You're Happy and You Know It
The words and gestures of the liturgy ought to work this way. A simple phrase, such as "The Lord be with you," is intended to evoke an immediate, almost instinctive response: not only the verbal rejoinder "And also with you," but a sense of community, a shared way of faith and life, and an entry into prayerful participation. A simple gesture, such as the lifting of open, outstretched hands in prayer, ought to direct our hearts to the worship of God, alert our minds to the presence of Christ, and connect our souls in the communion of the Spirit.
- Posted at 1:22 p.m.
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October 30, 2012
What If
If we tell the truth about our mistakes and God-neediness, we’re afraid others will ridicule, condemn, or reject us (like Christ on the cross?).
- Posted at 5:44 p.m.
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October 5, 2012
Vatican 2 at Fifty
Last night I had the honor and joy of participating in a worship service at Bellarmine University to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the convocation of the Second Vatican Council. On October 4, 1962, the feast of Saint Francis, Pope John XXIII went to Assisi to pray for the council. The service included the prayer that Pope John XXIII used to convene the council, subsequently prayed by the bishops at the opening of each session.
- Posted at 8:55 p.m.
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October 5, 2012
Dallas II Kicks-Off!
The time has finally arrived, and with only minor travel hiccups, 200+ Presbyterians, global partners, and mission personnel have gathered together in Dallas for the second Mission Consultation. At the first one, those who had gathered together discussed what mission priorities the PC(USA) should focus on, coming up with the three Critical Global Issues. Now, the goal is to come together, to join our voices, spirits and experiences, and discern concrete strategies which will enable us all to more effectively reach out in mission and proclamation.
Hunter Farrell called us together, reminding us of the rich tradition of history the …
- Posted at 3:01 p.m.
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September 18, 2012
Keep the Feast
Recently someone asked me why the word “festival” is used to describe all those “red-letter days” in the Christian year—like Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, but also Baptism, Transfiguration, and Ascension of the Lord, among others.
A teachable moment!* We have nearly forgotten that “festival” originally meant “of or pertaining to a feast” (Oxford English Dictionary). We’ve come to think of “festival” in a more general way, as a grand gala or communal celebration—like a music festival or an arts festival. But a festival, at least in the original sense, is meant …
- Posted at 2:18 p.m.
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September 8, 2012
I Love to Tell the Story
One of the things I love about the forthcoming (2013) Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God, is that it is shaped by a story -- the story of our salvation in Jesus Christ.There are lots of ways to organize a hymnal: topical categories, theological doctrines, liturgical seasons, even alphabetical order (we tried that with the Worshipbook). But Glory to God is shaped by the story of salvation history.
The first half of the hymnal, therefore, is all about Christian faith, telling the story of God's Mighty Acts. It begins before the beginning, with hymns and songs …
- Posted at 9:45 p.m.
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September 2, 2012
The Church Needs a Table
On the way home from worship today I heard a (rerun) episode of America's Test Kitchen Radio. Host Christopher Kimball was interviewing Mary Roach, author of Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, about what and how astronauts eat in space. This exchange caught my attention:- Posted at 1:03 p.m.
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August 16, 2012
Love is All You Need
Love is always patient and kind, it is never jealous, love is never boastful nor conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offense, and is not resentful...
- Posted at 2:32 p.m.
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August 8, 2012
Stewards of the Mysteries
Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. (I Cor. 4:1)
If you receive the Font and Table enews (which is what this originally appeared as), you hear a lot about Invitation to Christ from us. Well, it’s in the process of being extended to other Reformed bodies as well.
The Association for Reformed and Liturgical Worship (AR&LW) has requested permission to make the original PCUSA Invitation to Christ more broadly Reformed in order to extend the Invitation to other Reformed bodies. This has been granted and is in the process of …
- Posted at 2:34 p.m.
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July 13, 2012
There Isn't a "Me" in Community?
This week one particular article piqued my interest.
I was initially taken with the article’s title, “Books Increasingly Show It’s All About Me”. I’m interested in anything that might shore up my feeling that it really is all about me.
- Posted at 3:27 p.m.
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June 26, 2012
Give Them Somthing To Eat
I’m going to let you in on a secret about the lectionary. Not many of us know or remember that the Revised Common Lectionary was designed to be a eucharistic lectionary. That is to say, the readings for Sundays and festivals of the Christian year were selected with the weekly celebration of the Lord’s Supper in mind.
- Posted at 10:00 a.m.
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June 6, 2012
Sharing Christ
People gathering in a "sanctuary" (or safe place) to share the word, to share "common food," and then being sent to share Christ with others—it sounds an awful lot like "doing what the church does" when we gather in the presence of Christ around Word and Table.
- Posted at 11:30 a.m.
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May 2, 2012
Song and Sacrament
One of the strong signs of sacramental renewal in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the expansion of our repertoire of hymns and songs about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Posted at 5:23 a.m.
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April 10, 2012
In the Breaking of the Bread
What was so important about the breaking of the bread that—after walking and talking with Jesus, after hearing him teach the scriptures and preach the gospel—this was the sign that finally opened their eyes?
- Posted at 5:18 p.m.
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April 7, 2012
Lessons from the Easter Vigil
We're celebrating the Easter Vigil this evening in the congregation where I worship. If you've never had the opportunity to participate in the Easter Vigil, it's the "swiss army knife" of liturgies. It's got everything ...
- Posted at 5:15 a.m.
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March 30, 2012
A Prayer of Confession for March Madness
In between scouring the internet for new articles about the tournament, showing off my Sports Illustrated cover, and running to the store to buy a new UK shirt, I read this verse last night in my one-year-Bible:
But watch yourselves! Otherwise, your heart might be led astray so you stray away, serving other gods and worshipping them.
Deuteronomy 11:16
- Posted at 10:05 a.m.
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March 20, 2012
Why Isn't It Working Anymore?
For the shrinking minority, this type of church experience satisfies them. They’re content with the status quo. But what about the growing majority of people who don’t regularly attend church services? Why don’t these same factors work for them? It seems that what attracts the church-inclined may actually repel or at least disinterest the majority. Let’s look at each factor again from their perspective.
- Posted at 6:00 a.m.
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December 2, 2011
Share Christmas
“If I showed up at a church, the walls would probably fall in.” That is, unfortunately, how many unchurched people feel about intersecting with the church. It is their way of saying: My life is too messed up for me to have a place in the church. In Luke 5, the disciples were eating and drinking with tax collectors and those whom the religious community regarded as sinners. The Pharisees thought the disciples should stay with “their own kind,” but Jesus responded: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32) In other words, it’s the very ones who think their lives are too messed up for Jesus who are the ones Jesus invites to share a meal with him.
- Posted at 9:19 a.m.
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September 9, 2011
Domingo de evangelismo: 25 de septiembre
Estaba mirando el boletín que envié para estas fechas en el 2005 y encontré estas sugerencias para la iglesia en cuanto a su programa de evangelismo. Las comparto aquí para inspirar el esfuerzo evangelístico de tu congregación:
- Pongan una meta de por lo menos un crecimiento de 3% en asistencia al servicio de adoración durante el próximo año.
- Evalúa la propiedad de la iglesia y encuentra maneras de hacerla más accesible a personas que tengan dificultades con escuchar, ver o con problemas de movilidad. ¿Cómo puedes hacer que el edificio sea más accesible para personas con impedimentos físicos? ¿Tienes un estacionamiento designado para personas con impedimentos físicos?
- Posted at 6:15 a.m.
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September 7, 2011
This Bread
When the church gathers at Christ's table we are like grain -- once scattered over the hills, now gathered into one whole loaf, gathered from the ends of the earth.
- Posted at 12:31 p.m.
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August 26, 2011
Ayudas litúrgicas para el 28 de septiembre
En el enlace que se encuentra abajo, podrás encontrar las ayudas litúrgicas para el 28 de agosto. Dios te bendice.
AL 28 de agosto
- Posted at 6:46 a.m.
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August 26, 2011
Ayudas litúrgicas para el 11 de septiembre
En el enlace que aparece abajo, puedes encontrar las ayudas litúrgicas para el 11 de septiembre. En ellas encontrarás dos oraciones que puedes utilizar para enfatizar el rol de la iglesia en hacer la paz, especialmente en el contexto de la celebración del décimo aniversario de los ataques del 11 de septiembre de 2001.
AL 11 de septiembre
- Posted at 6:44 a.m.
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August 18, 2011
Evening Prayer at the Airport
I usually don't enjoy hanging out in airports. This evening, though, while waiting for a flight, I wandered into the chapel / mosque at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) just in time for evening prayer.
- Posted at 5:29 p.m.
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August 16, 2011
Consigue EBR: parábolas de Jesús
Estudios bíblicos reformados: parábolas de Jesús ya está a la venta. Visita nuestra tienda cibernética para conseguirlo.
Estas son las instrucciones generales de como descargar materiales en el church store:
1. Necesita crear una cuenta de la tienda cibernética de la Iglesia: http://store.pcusa.org/
2. Una vez completado el proceso de crear la cuenta, puede buscar los materiales escribiendo «Estudios bíblicos reformados» en el blanco de search, o buscando recursos en español.
3. Una vez pida el material, irá a una página que le pedirá incluir o su pin number (número de cliente de la iglesia) o la información de …
- Posted at 6:22 a.m.
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August 16, 2011
Prepárate para un nuevo trimestre de Así Creemos
Aunque sea difícil de creer, el otoño ya se está acercando. Y eso quiere decir que es tiempo de prepararse para el nuevo trimestre. El trimestre de otoño de Así Creemos narra la historia de Dios Creador. Comienza con un vistazo a la creación del mundo y de todo lo que existe. Dios creó la luz y la oscuridad, el cielo y el mar, la tierra y las plantas, el sol, la luna y las estrellas, los animales y los seres humanos. Dios creó todo y lo llamó bueno. Pero, Dios también creó a un pueblo especial y le hizo su pueblo, por medio de un pacto hecho con Abraham. Como señal de ese pacto nace Isaac, el hijo de Sara y Abraham. De Isaac y su esposa Rebeca, nacen dos hijos, Jacob y Esaú, que perpetúan el pacto. Finalmente, veremos que Dios también crea un linaje, y le da a su pueblo líderes como Rut y David. Dios promete que este linaje continuará, y así ha sido hasta el día de hoy.
- Posted at 6:14 a.m.
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August 16, 2011
Reflexiona sobre la visión para la juventud y la IP (EEUUA)
La oficina de ministerios con la juventud de la IP (EEUUA) está trabajando dirigida por una visión para la juventud y para la iglesia que puede resultar nueva para algunas personas. Por eso, y porque celebramos a la juventud el 21 de agosto, queremos compartirla con ustedes con la esperanza de que guíe de alguna manera la reflexión sobre el trabajo con la juventud en nuestras iglesias.
- Posted at 5:53 a.m.
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August 4, 2011
21 de agosto: Domingo de la juventud en la iglesia y en el mundo
He aquí algunas ideas para transformar el servicio de adoración del 21 de agosto para celebrar el día que la Iglesia Presbiteriana (EEUUA) ha señalado como el día de énfasis de la juventud en la iglesia y en el mundo. Invita a tus jóvenes a mirar esta página, y a utilizar estas ideas y otras para crear un domingo de la juventud que les invite a pensar sobre la providencia de Dios y su llamado a ser diferentes.
- Posted at 11:11 a.m.
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July 22, 2011
Bread of Life
A desperate situation continues to develop in the Horn of Africa: food crisis, drought, and famine are putting ten million people at risk of starvation. As the body of Christ, how are we called to respond?
- Posted at 3:42 p.m.
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July 6, 2011
Big Tent, Big Font
Given that the theme for the 2011 Big Tent Event was "Grow Christ's Church Deep and Wide" we wanted to have a deep and wide font as a sign of the source of Christian life and identity: our baptism into the name of the triune God.
- Posted at 11:12 a.m.
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June 29, 2011
The Worship Curmudgeon: Call Us to Confession
“Let’s now say together the prayer of confession.” That’s how one ill-trained liturgist called us to confession one Sunday. There was actually no call to confession, just an announcement that said, in effect, “Ok, we’re gonna do this now, folks.” Argh!
Apt sinners that we are, we need called (dragged?) to confession. Without a call to confession, we have no idea why we’re saying we’re sorry to God. Without it, a confession of sin feels like we’re going to say I’m sorry because our mother told us we had to apologize to our sister. We mumble the words, …
- Posted at 3:28 p.m.
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June 14, 2011
Confessing the Faith on Trinity Sunday
This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. How will your congregation confess the faith?
- Posted at 3:38 p.m.
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June 1, 2011
Our Daily Bread
There is at least one celebration of the Eucharist each day at the National Cathedral. The only time in recent memory when that celebration was in question was Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
- Posted at 7:21 a.m.
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