liturgy
Standing Naked Before God, by Molly Phinney Baskette
Molly Phinney Baskette's book is not a robust example of the Christian practice of confession. But she does offer a glimpse into the life of a church that is thriving against the odds.
reviewed by Shawnthea Monroe
The same night for years
Three times a year, a worship service ends and I go back to the vesting room to change—and I feel as though I'm walking into a time warp.
Believe it or not: My struggles with the creed
When the congregation starts reciting the creed, I do one of two things: argue with it in my head, or zone out and stop listening.
by Amy Frykholm
Shame and guilt
It is a subtle shift that we make in our liturgy and preaching. But it’s an important one. We do terrible things and we must confess our action. But we are good. We are made in the image of God. And in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven people.
Worship for the Whole People of God, by Ruth C. Duck
Ruth Duck takes a balanced approach to liturgy. Her aim is not to champion a single style but to offer a foundation for reflection.
reviewed by Marlene Kropf
Church(y) weddings: When worship is the main event
In a culture of personalized weddings, is a very liturgical ceremony simply the church nerd's niche? Or might it function as a corrective?
Witness to the dark: Ashes in the streets
At our first outdoor procession, I felt awkward. I’d led liturgies before, but my church life and my real life didn’t usually intersect so publicly.
by Sara Miles
Alternative liturgy: Social media as ritual
If Christian liturgy works on the imagination, so do disordered secular liturgies. Social media—despite its good uses—might be one example.
Worship without walls
Public ritual might be construed as a benign relic, as imperialism, or as marketing. Or it might be seen as a form of pilgrimage.
Temple talk: Mark 13:1-8
There they all stood, gaping at the blinding wonder of the temple wall and thinking about how magnificent it was. That is, until Jesus stunned the group by blurting out, "Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
Christian juxtapositions: Holy Things and Holy People
Though the World Council of Churches' consensus document Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry is a work of enormous significance, it may strike one as bland. Gordon Lathrop, a Lutheran theologian, presents much the same material in two books (the first published in 1993) that are lively, provocative and challenging.