Select Topic
Cuaresma: reflexión sobre nuestra mortalidad y la vida después de la vida

Los cuarenta días previos a la pascua son días que la tradición cristiana ha considerado como días de reflexión sobre nuestra mortalidad (“somos polvo y al polvo volveremos”) sobre nuestros sufrimientos, nuestros pecados y la necesidad de volvernos a Dios para ser restaurados y tener una nueva vida.

February 14, 2025 | 20 min read
Reuben Kigame on Music that Expresses the Full Gospel

Not many churches in Africa or elsewhere often include songs about social justice in worship. Kenyan scholar and musician Reuben Kigame believes that re-examining what the Bible says about justice and the good news should shift what we define as music appropriate for worship. 

February 3, 2025 | 8 min read
Ten Tips for Writing Worship Songs for Children

Lilly Endowment Inc. encourages intergenerational worship through its Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. Worshiping together can include prayer, music, scripture, drama, visual arts, movement, testimony, and sacraments. Three grant projects include children’s worship music or songwriting for children to create immersive intergenerational worship experiences. 

January 28, 2025 | 10 min read

Nurturing Intergenerational Worship through Song

Lilly Endowment Inc. encourages intergenerational worship through its Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. Worshiping together can include not only music, but prayer, scripture, drama, visual arts, movement, testimony, and sacraments. However, these three grant projects include or spotlight children’s songs or songwriting for children.

January 28, 2025 | 9 min read
Desde los márgenes: Servir a los marginados ¿Cómo ser discípulos de Jesús hoy?

Este mes haremos un repaso de las enseñanzas y acciones compasivas de Jesús a favor de los marginados. Las bienaventuranzas y milagros de Jesús nos muestran el desafío de ser discípulos de Jesús hoy. 

January 22, 2025 | 16 min read
Demetrius K. Williams: African American Christians Enlarged the Meaning of the Cross

Through spirituals, freedom narratives, conversion accounts, and Black preaching, enslaved African Americans shared the embodied hope of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Like Paul, they proclaimed that the power of the cross of Christ should advance how the church participates in and quests for a more just and equitable world.  

January 14, 2025 | 8 min read

Mark Stover on Choral Music as Pastoral Ministry

Singing in a good choir is aesthetically satisfying. But choral directors have the opportunity to do so much more. Mark Stover explains how do pastoral ministry in and through choral ensembles. This includes choosing anthems that promote social justice in ways that express God’s wide welcome.  

January 7, 2025 | 6 min read
Demetrius K. Williams: Reclaiming the Full Power of the Cross

Probably every Christian knows that Paul preached about the power of the cross of Christ for personal salvation. But Christians often miss Paul’s discourse on the power of the cross of Christ to bring about social transformation. Reclaiming the full power of the cross should bring about unity and equality—in body, soul, mind, spirit, and voice—in the body of Christ and society.  

January 2, 2025 | 8 min read
El poder para crear una vida plena y vencer a los poderes malignos del mundo

En su bautismo, Jesús es ungido por el Espíritu Santo, Señor y dador de vida, para dar vida en abundancia a todas las personas en medio del caos y la muerte. En sus tentaciones, Jesús renuncia a los poderes económicos, religiosos y políticos, y al asumir una vida de servicio, justicia y misericordia, los vence y conquista. 

December 20, 2024 | 17 min read

W. David O. Taylor on the Collect, an Ancient Prayer Form

You’ve probably heard that we should take all of ourselves to God in prayer. But does God really care about doing laundry, aging rapidly, fighting traffic, or spending time with friends? God does care, according to W. David O. Taylor. His Prayers for the Pilgrimage: A Book of Collects for All of Life offers prayers about mundane sorrows and joys.

December 17, 2024 | 8 min read
CICW Funds 34 New Grant Projects in Worship, Preaching

Vital Worship, Vital Preaching grants support innovative projects for worshiping communities and teacher-scholars in the United States and Canada.

December 13, 2024 | 2 min read
Temporada de Navidad: El Mesías ha llegado

En esta temporada de navidad consideraremos los relatos de los Evangelios y de Pablo con respecto al nacimiento de nuestro Señor y salvador Jesús. Cada evangelista presenta una perspectiva única que nos permite apreciar y vivir el evangelio. Jesús es Emanuel, El Salvador, Cristo el Señor, el pobre que nos enriquece, el Verbo o Palabra encarnada. Cada una de estas miradas contribuye a una visión más completa y rica de Jesús. En la Epifanía consideraremos a los sabios que buscaron y adoraron al Mesías prometido. 

December 13, 2024 | 24 min read