Theology

Vertical Habits: Practical Wisdom for Teaching Worship

A panel of pastors and artists shared resources created by their congregations to teach "Vertical Habits," and described the fruit that developed in all areas of congregational life.

January 1, 2008 | 57 min listen
Where the Love of God Goes: Dealing with Disasters

"Where is God when it hurts?" "Why me, Lord?" For worship leaders, the time to prepare yourself and those who you love for times of disaster is before the disaster strikes. We will examine the impact disasters can have on people's lives and the spiritual preparation necessary to help you plan worship in ways that help you and your congregations face disasters in your own lives and the lives of those whom you love.

January 1, 2008 | 30 min listen
The Most Used Contemporary Worship Songs: Their View of God and of Our Love for God

This session explored how the most-used contemporary songs speak of the Triune God and what God has done to save us.

January 1, 2008

Beauty Will Save the World: Jonathan Edwards and Abraham Kuyper on Glory and Beauty

Should Christian worship explicitly call our attention to and direct us toward the world and its need, to social action? Or does such worship in fact turn us away from the triune God, the proper focus of our worship? This workshop will explore some ways Abraham Kuyper and Jonathan Edwards?both theologians of beauty and glory, and both very socially engaged?might point us in the right direction.

January 1, 2008 | 55 min listen
Finding Themselves at the Table: Youth Practicing Eucharistic Living in the World

This session explored an ecology of practices designed to deepen youths' participation in the Lord's Supper/Eucharist and to form them to interpret and act in the world eucharistically. Participants learned creative pedagogies for teaching youth about the Eucharist; how youth may be engaged in ministry at the Table; the importance of creating a broad ecology of liturgical and extra-liturgical Eucharistic practices through which youth may be formed; and the means to invite youths? personal and theological reflections on Eucharistic life.

January 1, 2008 | 59 min listen

Adapting Vertical Habits to Your Church or School

Focusing on simple phrases helps develop worship habits that affect our whole lives. Vertical habits expand how people talk with God during church worship and school chapels. A feature story exploring relational words that expand worship language.

September 14, 2007 | 4 min read
Vertical Habits: Relational words that expand worship language

Focusing on simple phrases helps develop worship habits that affect our whole lives. Vertical habits expand how people talk with God during church worship and school chapels. A feature story exploring relational words that expand worship language.

September 14, 2007 | 9 min read
Why Preach Sermons Based on a Catechism?

It turns out that preaching sermons based on the Heidelberg Catechism--or other confessions--hits home with worshipers, including those from the postmodern generation. A feature story exploring the value of preaching sermons based on a Catechism.

August 31, 2007 | 15 min read

How Church Architecture Affects Lord's Supper Practices

Does your church visually convey a message that contradicts your theology of communion or mass? Mark A. Torgerson explains how church architecture and sanctuary design can inhibit or enhance a more full and communal Eucharist celebration. A feature story on how Church architecture affects Lord's Supper practices.

August 17, 2007 | 11 min read
Lord's Supper Practice in the Reformed and Presbyterian Tradition

Though John Calvin favored weekly communion, many churches in the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition are just starting to renew Lord's Supper practices. A feature story exploring Lord's Supper practices in the Reformed and Presbyterian Traditions.

July 24, 2007 | 12 min read
God's Law in Worship - From Reformed Worship

The church should consistently instruct and encourage Christians to live in obedience to God. Some complain that God’s law is a burden. Yet God’s will for our lives is not a set of arbitrary demands, it is how God designed us to live and the path to blessing.

June 1, 2007 | 1 min read