Dr. Jacqui Lewis is Senior Minister Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village of Manhattan. Middle Church is a dynamic 900-member multiracial, multicultural, inclusive congregation in which everyone is welcome just as they are as they come through the door. Lewis is also the Executive Director of The Middle Project, an institute that prepares ethical leaders for a more just society....
Pulpit Fiction Podcast: Lectionary Podcast for Preachers, Seekers and Bible Geeks
Robb and Eric met in class at Eden Theological Seminary, got to know each other while playing volleyball on Eden's church league team, and became friends after the games over pizza, wings, beer, and Police Trainer at Smugala's.
Robb and Sarah and Eric and Nina spent almost every weekend together while they were in seminary, and are still able to get together every once in awhile. This picture was taken over Thanksgiving weekend, 2013. They share a common passion for justice, mercy, and an abiding love for Jesus. They also a share a love for good scotch, the Bears (we won't talk about baseball), Anchorman, The Office, and Star Wars.
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In an era when fewer and fewer people go to church, it is often the song, not the sermon, speech or blog that touches people’s lives in a deep and meaningful way. Houses of faith may embody ethics, morality and good deeds; but the church can learn more of these same things from the street, perhaps as much as the street can learn from the church. This brief essay explores this idea....
Parker Palmer Five Habits of the Heart
http://www.couragerenewal.org/habitsoftheheart/
...
EASTER CROSS- ART for
...Philosophy and Worship
http://www.calvin.edu/cicw/resources/Philosophy_Worship.pdf...
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Dry BONES by Ken Sehested
http://www.prayerandpolitiks.org/litanies-prayers/2017/03/20/dry-bones.2523038...
This poem was inspired by the dramatic betrayal by Judas and denial by Peter.
Betrayal
and Denial
Rev. Laurie Blonk Sponaugle
There
is no escaping…
The breath-stealing
bite
of the dual
edged sword.
Close
enough for eyes to lock,
And
wills to soundlessly utter longing
And
lament to stab through even the strongest of spirits.
Witness
soul deep betrayal
as
heartbeats sync with a kiss…
followed
doggedly with fear, varnished in denial.
Before
the verdict is cast in stone
Before the
sentence is carried out beam over beam
before
the cross is weighted down with love.
One,
Two final thrusts
of the razor
sharp blade
gutting
the soul.
As one
beloved, steals away from the sacred table,
another
scurries behind the mob;
both cloaked
in the
shado...
John 21:1-14
http://www.crosswalknapa.org/blog/2017/4/28/the-worst-resurrection-story
The Resurrection Story can be told in many ways. ...
Luke 18
http://www.storydivine.com/?p=381
A PODCAST on BRIDGING THE DIVIDE...
https://www.faithandleadership.com/woman-behind-textweekcom
Faith of a women that made a difference when her son had Autism
Deuteronomy 10:17-21; Psalm 145; Hebrews 11:8-16; Matthew 5:43-48
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/stw/2013/06/13/independence-day-2013/
Interdependence Day and Independence Day
Independence Day, let’s also think of it as “Interdependence Day”; a day when we celebrate not only being free from unjust rule but also a day when we commit ourselves anew to extending liberty and justice to everyone who seeks it, without partiality.
...
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/sustaining-hope-face-climate-change
Climate Change Video with three different Protestant Churches...
http://paintedprayerbook.com/2016/07/18/blessing-when-the-world-is-ending/
Artwork By Painted Prayers Jan Richardson
Beautiful artwork and creative ideas for ministry...
http://paintedprayerbook.com/2016/07/27/blessing-for-getting-the-news/
Artwork and Poetry "Grace In The Dark"
When we get news from someone, death or other, this artwork touches a sweet place for the heart. Jan Richardson- poem as well. ...
Mathew 5: 13-20
https://faithelement.net/9-06-salt-and-light/
Podcast
Isaiah 4:2; 1 John 4:18; James 3:1-12; Micah 6:8; Matthew 25:35
A hymn written after the Orlando mass killings, plus other hymns for reflection on gun violence:
Where does creativity come from? Is everyone creative? How do people become more creative?What role does creativity play in liturgy and sacred art? Michael Gungor, Science Mike, and Lissa Paino discuss creativity through the lenses of science, art, and faith....
http://sacredise.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/giftlife.pdf
Pentecost: God's Gift of Life
Liturgical Scripts to use for Children - a wonderful creative script for a service with kids! ...
http://sacredise.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/NotLikeMe.pdf
Creative ways to Worship with a Monologue
Not Like Me: A one person dialogue ...
http://mcconline.org/series/brian-mclaren/
A Podcast on Interfaith dialogue...
Acts 1:9-11, Daniel 7:13-14
https://joshuaadamscott.com/2017/05/25/why-are-you-gazing-at-the-sky/
Ascension: Gazing at the Sky and finding Jesus...
http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/God-Freedom-and-the-Fourth-of-July-Bruce-Epper...
Fourth of July and its blessings for the country! ...
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ponderanew/2015/05/13/dear-church-an-open-letter-from-one-of-those-mill...
Thoughts about the Church and Millenials...
http://www.patheos.com/Topics/Faith-and-Aging/Turning-the-Wheel-Aline-OBrien
Faith and Aging in the modern world...
http://rev-o-lution.org/2015/10/01/prayer-to-end-violence/
Prayer in a time of turmoil to End Violence...
Gen 1:26-27
http://rev-o-lution.org/retreats-and-consulting/
Women’s Retreats, but is also known for Church Vision retreats as well as past Youth retreats....
http://voicesinwartime.org
Video about Poems for Peace and War...
John 20:19, Mathew 5:3-10
http://www.actforpeace.org.au/www_AFP/media/act-for-peace/get-involved/campaigns/ipd-2014/Praying-fo...
Prayers to Use for Peace and Acting for Peace...
https://www.charterforcompassion.org/charter/karen-armstrong-2008-ted-prize
Compassion Podcast on Interfaith Dialogue: Karen Armstrong...
John 12:23-24
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/hippieheretic/2017/05/beautiful-gospel-wheat-not-tulip-daisy-roses.html
The Explanation of Acronyms: Theological Flowers and New Ideas
...
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/liturgy-ritual-intergenerational-ministry
Family Ministry and Liturgy for Intergenerational Ministry...
From theliturgists.com:
"Michael Gungor sits down with David Bazan to talk about faith and music."...
From theliturgists.com:
"David Gungor (of The Brilliance) joins Science Mike and Michael Gungor to talk about the faith, art, and science of worship."
Find part two here:
http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast/2015/4/20/episode-18-worship-part-2
...
Brian McLaren calls Troy Bronsink’s book, Drawn In: A Creative Process for Artists, Activists and Jesus Followers, a “fresh vision of God that draws us into a new way of being.” The first episode of the Creativity series features in-depth conversations between Troy Bronsink and Rev. Eric Elnes, Ph.D.. We explore how God’s rhythms are manifest in creative life that is as sincere, vibrant, and artful as it is faithful to the scriptures, and we present concrete ways to find connection with the Holy. ...
The Worship Design Studio is proud to be partnering with thisweaffirm.org to provide worship series materials for each affirmation over the next three years. Want to know more about the techniques taught by Dr. Marcia McFee for creating "sensory-rich" worship? Sign up for the FREE 9-session webinar curriculum based on her latest book, Think Like a Filmmaker: Sensory-Rich Worship Design for Unforgettable Messages. The teachings in this series will help you create a strong process for planning together as a team and a plan-ahead strategy to lessen the stress of creating worship week after week. Let's proclaim the liberating messages of these Affirmations through vital and memorable worship!...
The Convergence Music Project offers great new worship music with language and theology that is totally in sync with This We Affirm. The songs on the site are indexed in many different ways to make it EASY for you to find the exact song you need for any specific moment in worship.
As a subscriber, you can access 3 free songs and their related sheet music products. Checkout with this resource in your cart and you'll receive a code giving you access to your songs, which can be downloaded one song at a time
from the Convergence Music Project. The code can be used up 3 times for 3
free downloads.
...
Eric Elnes interviews Frank Schaeffer and Scott Griessel, about "God experiences" and how they continue to shape their personal and professional lives.
Frank is a New York Times bestselling
author, speaker, and artist who describes himself as a survivor of both polio
and an evangelical/fundamentalist childhood. Frank
has been a frequent guest on the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, has appeared on
Oprah, and been interviewed by Terri Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air.
Scott Griessel is a
photographer and filmmaker who served as the Producer for the Darkwood Brew
video broadcast. Scott has produced several documentaries, including one on Frank Schaeffer's life called "Let Me Be Frank," and “The Asphalt
Gospel” – covering the 2006 walk of Christians from Phoenix, Arizona to
Washington, DC, to raise awareness of the Phoenix Affirmations.
...
Eric Elnes interviews Dr. Marcia McFee, of the Worship Design Studio (http://worshipdesignstudio.com/) about "God experiences" that have shaped her personal and professional life, as well as the relationship between creativity, the arts, and spiritual formation/expression. Drs. Elnes and McFee have frequently collaborated on worship series design and preaching, including a series based on Elnes' book, Gifts of the Dark Wood....
Eric Elnes interviews jazz pianist, Chuck Marohnic, on "God experiences" that have shaped his personal and professional life, as well as the relationship between music, creativity, and the spiritual path. Chuck was the Director of Jazz Studies at Arizona State University for 25 years and currently resides in Louisville, KY. Chuck's music may be found at www.chuckmarohnic.com. ...