If you read last week’s post in this series, you know my musical metaphor: Orthodox worship is to jazz as Western worship is to a singer-songwriter concert. There are several individuals and groups which, like instruments or sections, pick up important themes in turn, transforming each theme and adding to it. On your first visit […]
Monday Meditation: RCL Year B, Trinity Sunday, John 3:1-17
(This week’s Monday Meditation is coming out on Tuesday. But I really did write it on Monday. No kidding.) I love the story of Nicodemus (John 3:1-17), though it is very hard to read it with fresh eyes. (I’ve written on it a couple of other times. There’s a separate meditation for when it comes […]
Monday Meditation: RCL Year B, Pentecost, John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 As with almost any text in John, the Gospel text for Pentecost (John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15) is evocative, fascinating, and confusing by turns. Don’t expect me to clear it all up and tie it with a bow for you. These Monday Meditations are just my journey into next Sunday’s Gospel. I hope you’ll […]
First Visit to an Orthodox Church (pt. 4): Jazz vs Ballads
I asked one Orthodox priest what he thought the typical newcomer would experience when visiting the Liturgy. His response: Chaos! He was joking. His congregation has a lot of free-range children. But I think he was right. Once the service begins in that icon-filled space, your typical Protestant is hard pressed to make much sense […]
Letters to a Young Pastor: The Children’s Sermon — Is it True?
Dear ______: I do think you’ll be well on your way to a solid children’s sermon if you take up my challenge to make it one salient point from the text you are preaching to the grown-ups. But that isn’t the whole journey. You still need to work hard at finding kid-friendly ways to get […]
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