1855 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4402 USA
On the campus of Calvin University
© 2026 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
This is a Q&A conversation with Lester Ruth, Research Professor of Christian Worship at Duke Divinity School, and John Witvliet, director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Lester Ruth is a historian of Christian worship with particular interests in the early church and the last 250 years, especially the history of contemporary worship. He is passionate about enriching the worship life of current congregations, regardless of style. He believes that careful reflection on the worship of other Christians--whether past or present, whether Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Eastern Orthodox--can serve to enrich the church today. Lately he has been bringing that approach to inspire contemporary songwriters, having grown concerned about the lack of a trinitarian dimension in so much worship music.
Lester Ruth's new books are Worshiping with the Anaheim Vineyard: The Emergence of Contemporary Worship (Eerdmans, 2016) and Lovin' on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship (Abingdon Press, 2017), co-authored with Swee Hong Lim.
An interview with award-winning artist and celebrated painter Joel Schoon-Tanis on the process and creation of his painting "Psalm 1: Growing Trees" at Psalms 150: A Conference Experience.
This chapel worship service was led by Wendell Kimbrough at Calvin University as part of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship’s “Dwelling in the Psalms” year.
Morning Worship led by staff of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, with Psalm Talks by Terry M. Wildman and Darlene Wildman, Karen Campbell, and Rawn Harbor, and artistic responses by Dea Jenkins and Joel Schoon-Tanis.
An interview with award-winning artist and celebrated painter Joel Schoon-Tanis on the process and creation of his painting "Psalm 1: Growing Trees" at Psalms 150: A Conference Experience.
This chapel worship service was led by Wendell Kimbrough at Calvin University as part of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship’s “Dwelling in the Psalms” year.
Morning Worship led by staff of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, with Psalm Talks by Terry M. Wildman and Darlene Wildman, Karen Campbell, and Rawn Harbor, and artistic responses by Dea Jenkins and Joel Schoon-Tanis.
Closing Psalm Festival Worship led by Amanda Benkhuysen, Bellwether Arts, Celtic Psalms, Anneke Kaai, Darlene Wildman, and Terry Wildman.
