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When congregations go through difficult times, worship will both reflect and influence those difficulties. The practice of worship itself can be a key part of the congregation's healing process. Teacher and consultant Kathleen Smith successfully demonstrates this truth in Stilling the Storm, a book for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the ways that worship intertwines with the life and health of a congregation.
There are three main types of difficulty congregations can face: times of crisis, transition, and conflict. Smith considers their differences, similarities, and implications for worship, and explains the congregational dynamics that accompany such times and the roles that leaders play. She reviews basic principles of worship and the ways that unique moments and regular habits of worship shape the congregation. For each type of difficulty she suggests important themes for congregations and their worship planners.
Smith explores the wide range of liturgical resources available for congregations going through difficult times and how those resources can best be shaped to fit the specific situation they are experiencing. A perceptive guide to the worship we offer to God in all times and situations, Stilling the Storm is an important resource for congregations of all worship traditions.
Worship, Justice, and Joy: A Liturgical Pilgrimage
By: Neal D. Presa
This book connects the pilgrimage of life and faith to parallel movements of worship as communities gather to hear, read, proclaim, receive, and witness to the word of God.
Sound Theology: A Reader
By: Randall Dean Engle
This book brings to life in English for the first-time primary, curated sources associated with the pipe organ controversy in the Netherlands during the Reformation.
Journey to Jesus
By: Rhoda Grever Schuler , Kent Jorgen Burreson
When many Christian congregations are asking, "How can we draw new members into our midst?" the authors reframe the question: "How can congregations make new disciples and deepen the faith of long-time Christians?"
Worship, Justice, and Joy: A Liturgical Pilgrimage
By: Neal D. Presa
This book connects the pilgrimage of life and faith to parallel movements of worship as communities gather to hear, read, proclaim, receive, and witness to the word of God.
Sound Theology: A Reader
By: Randall Dean Engle
This book brings to life in English for the first-time primary, curated sources associated with the pipe organ controversy in the Netherlands during the Reformation.
Journey to Jesus
By: Rhoda Grever Schuler , Kent Jorgen Burreson
When many Christian congregations are asking, "How can we draw new members into our midst?" the authors reframe the question: "How can congregations make new disciples and deepen the faith of long-time Christians?"
Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks Is the Key to Our Well-Being
By: Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
In Gratitude, award-winning author Cornelius Plantinga explores these questions and more. Celebrating the role of gratitude in our lives, Plantinga makes the case that it is the very key to understanding our relationships with one another, the world around us, and God.
