Wait, what's a liturgy? If you haven't already read this, it might help to start there and then come back. Liturgy might be an intimidatingly churchy word, but it just refers to the order of the service. It is from the Greek word leitourgia, which comes from the words leitos (public) and ergos (working). So … Continue reading A Walk Through The Liturgy
This is a re-post of an earlier writing, but I think it's an important one. And because of something I want to write about next, I think it would be good for you to read this first...A common misconception (because it is wrongly taught and spoken of in that way) is that worship refers only … Continue reading Worship Is…
In another entry for the "Why Do We Do That?" category, I thought I would talk about one of those things you likely either a) take for granted that everyone knows, or b) never noticed before: the church year. Many people aren't even aware that the church follows a different format than the "Puppy of … Continue reading The Church Year
No, really! Every fall, there seems to be a lot of confusion and debate among Christians around the topic of Halloween. In fact, the church I once served as a youth director actually split over the question of whether or not it is OK for Christians to celebrate Halloween. Look, I know that we want … Continue reading Halloween Is a Christian Holiday
In this installment of the "Why Do We Do That?" series, I hope to answer some fairly common questions about an integral part of the worship service and a primary responsibility of a pastor, the sermon. This week: What is a sermon and why do we do it? Next week: How do you decide what … Continue reading On Preaching, Part 1: What Is a Sermon?
Over the coming (school) year, the congregation I serve is going "Back To The Story." Each week, we are encouraging our church family to read along with the book The Story, which is a translation of the Bible in narrative form, making it easier to read as one continuous story. The sermons will focus on … Continue reading Can We Trust The Bible?
One of the things my Vicarage Supervisor* taught me is that it is critical for us as the Church to "Never forget what it's like not to know." Do you remember how scary it was to walk into a new church for the first time? How do they do things? Am I dressed appropriately? Will … Continue reading Why Do We Do That?
Honest Musings from a Regular Guy... Who Also Happens to Be a Lutheran Pastor 