Lamenting in Polarized Times
Eight churches in Birmingham, Alabama, took part in a worship renewal grant on using lament in worship. Three years later, leaders from some of those churches talked about how hard it is to practice lament during divided times. Their advice may help your church bring real suffering to God with honesty, protest, petition, and trust.
May 12, 2026
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8 min read
HyeRan Kim-Cragg and Mona Tokarek LaFosse on Trauma-Informed Worship
Christians often talk about being one body in Christ, but migrants often struggle to feel that oneness in the Spirit. Some international doctoral students, all migrants to Canada, created liturgies that help recognize and heal trauma.
March 31, 2026
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8 min read
Janette H. Ok on Giving and Receiving Sermon Feedback
Whether you’re an average worshiper or a seasoned pastor, you’ve probably wondered, “Why is the preacher saying this or doing that?” But would you ever dare ask the preacher? Creating a culture of giving and receiving sermon feedback benefits both preachers and congregations.
March 12, 2026
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8 min read
Janette H. Ok on Shared Pulpits
Hearing more than one voice in the pulpit opens congregations to hearing God in new ways. Welcoming homiletical diversity takes a burden off the main pastor and trains churches to create a culture of hospitality.
March 5, 2026
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6 min read
Story of the Book of Sacred Songs
A Psalm Talk by Terry M. Wildman and Darlene Wildman on the creation of the First Nations Version of the Bible, with a visual prayer and embodied response led by Dea Jenkins.
March 3, 2026
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22 min video
Terry M. Wildman on Psalms and Proverbs, First Nation Version
Indigenous cultures are storytelling cultures. So were the cultures of ancient Israel and its neighbors—the cultures Jesus lived among. First Nations Version (FNV) projects translate the Bible through the intertribal lens of Indigenous people in North America. The latest project, FNV Psalms and Proverbs, remains faithful to the Old Testament’s Hebrew poetry and wisdom literature while offering new ways to help readers place themselves in God’s story.
February 19, 2026
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9 min read
Chris Fenner on African American Hymns and Devotions
Many Christian publishers offer books of hymn stories, hymnals that follow the lectionary and church year, and devotionals based on hymns or the lectionary. Two new resources by Chris Fenner provide all three in one—hymn stories and sources, hymns, and lectionary-based devotionals to match each hymn. Both Hymns & Devotions for Daily Worship and Hymns & Devotions for Daily Worship: African American Edition begin with Advent.
February 18, 2026
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5 min read
Nate Glasper on Changes in Gospel Music
From “I’ll Fly Away” to “You Know My Name,” gospel music over the generations has helped musicians, choirs, and congregations embody faith in God’s promises and provisions. Nate Glasper describes how gospel music’s main genres comprise “academic, theological, historical, and cultural scholarship expressed through sound.”
February 4, 2026
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7 min read
Nate Glasper on Directing and Mentoring Gospel Choirs
Directing a gospel choir can help singers express their own culture or learn from other cultures. Nate Glasper shares tips for helping gospel choir members grow through mentorship and skillful directing so that they live a lifestyle of worship.
January 22, 2026
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6 min read
Amy Peeler on Reading the Bible as a White Woman
Amy Peeler is part of a movement calling us to bring our whole selves to scripture. As a white woman, her perspective offers insight while also urging her to learn from others. She reminds us that both the wounds and the gifts of our identities shape how we read and find comfort in God’s word.
January 12, 2026
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8 min read
New Testament in Color: Hearing God’s Voice Through Others
Reading the Bible closely raises questions shaped by our race, class, gender, culture, and more. Recognizing how culture—including White culture—influences interpretation helps us learn from others and see our own blind spots.
January 12, 2026
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11 min read
Jonathan Calvillo on How Hip-hop Cultivates Community
Sociologist Jonathan Calvillo researches how hip-hop gives Christians in and beyond the church agency to deal with real-life issues and shape their faith and spirituality.
December 22, 2025
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7 min read
