Psalms/Scripture

Base Worship Drama on the Lectionary

In contrast to Jeff Barker, who often presents Old Testament passages as brief plays or mimes in place of or during the sermon text, John Steven Paul writes liturgical plays long enough to replace the sermon.

April 5, 2007
Let Story Form Your Worship: Old Testament and lectionary dramas

Here are two church worship drama models based on Bible texts. Part of a feature story exploring dramas based on the Old Testament and lectionary texts.

April 5, 2007

Old Testament Sermons: The case for preaching the whole Bible

Paul said that all Scripture is God-breathed. Still, when did you last hear a sermon on the Old Testament? A feature story exploring the case for preaching the Old Testament.

March 16, 2007
Returning to the Psalms

Churches that want to use more psalms in worship will find a wealth of resources related to prayer, music, and readings.

March 6, 2007
Biblical Storytelling: Learning scripture by heart

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.

February 9, 2007

What We Can Learn about Worship from Asaph the Psalmist

Asaph is hardly a household name, yet he has been impacting worshipers for 3,000 years. Twelve psalms are attributed to Asaph. Scripture reveals that Asaph was a man of integrity as well as a great artist. This workshop explored the man and his art to glean practical applications for us today.

January 1, 2007
Reformation Worship and the Psalms

This session introduced participants to the world of 16th century printing and focused on books used in early Reformed worship. Participants were able to look closely at these rare books and to gain a better sense of the impact of printing on the faith and practice of early modern Christians.

January 1, 2007
The Nuts and Bolts of Worship Planning

Back by popular demand from the 2003 Worship Symposium, this session reviewed a series of proverbs for worship planners, reflecting a summary of Calvin Institute of Christian Worship learning from past conferences, grant recipients, and publication projects.

January 1, 2007

The Poetry of Astonishment: Preaching the Psalms

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?

January 1, 2007
Eugene Peterson on God's Standing Invitation: Eat This Book

Whether translating the Bible from original Hebrew and Greek or writing spiritual theology, Eugene Peterson says he has one aim--getting Scripture into the hearts, minds, arms, legs, and mouths of men and women. A feature story exploring Eugene Peterson's view on Christians reading and internalizing the Bible.

March 3, 2006