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On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Todd Farley shows preachers how to use body communication to preach lively sermons. His embodied preaching ideas spring from a theology of restoring arts to ministry. A feature story exploring body communication in preaching.
A Litany for Ascension Day was an article that appeared in Reformed Worship magazine. Written by David J. Diephouse, it provides words with which to rejoice at the day of ascension and in the present.
Biblical storytelling reconnects worshipers with the communal experience of hearing God together. A feature story exploring biblical story telling and learning the scriptures by heart.
This session took the Psalms as a case study for considering what it means for the preacher, first, and then the congregation, to be astonished by the biblical text. How might this ancient poetry be surprising, and therefore revelatory, to those who hear it in our contemporary contexts? What sort of preparation is necessary for the preacher who wishes to engage the Psalms as poetry?
This session explored what the book of Job teaches about the meaning and spiritual significance of worship, and offered worshipers both theological insights and some evocative poetic images to guide their approach to worship.
The relationship between churches and the news media is too often one of mutual indifference or mistrust. This session explores practical ways of connecting with local reporters and maintaining healthy and beneficial relationships with the media.
A look at writing in worship.
The way we talk in worship affects the way we talk in the rest of our lives, and vice versa. Worship and daily life are integrally connected—a connection which is fundamental for developing healthy approaches to both worship and preaching.
The small choices preachers make provide hearers not only with a better understanding of the text, but also with a keen understanding of the preacher.
The rhetorician James Winans once wrote, "A speech is not merely an essay standing on its hind legs." Yet many speakers—including preachers—write their messages in a style better suited for reading rather than hearing. To be an effective oral communicator, one must learn to write for the ear, not the eye.
Preaching extemporaneously, without a manuscript, can enliven delivery and improve communication. This session will explain and demonstrate how to carefully make the transition from text to outline, and then from outline to embodied delivery.
Many churches devote far more planning and worship service time to music, the sermon, and other service elements than they do to public Scripture reading. A feature story exploring the importance of Scripture memorization and public reading.
