“With all these details, don’t lose sight of the reason why people come: that moment when a pet is blessed in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Ensure enough time, enough room, […]
Chanting the Psalms is a practice that goes back thousands of years, to the time of ancient Israel. Speaking the Psalms is actually an anomaly, because Psalms are meant for singing. For some worshippers, however, […]
In the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross, a senior stockbroker drills his mantra into his charges: A-B-C: Always Be Closing! True story: A colleague once told me that they used to have a chorister program, […]
Ed. Note: The way we welcome children into worship can make a difference for families and parishioners. While some say that children are the future of the Church, we need to remember that children are the […]
Editor’s note: As choirs around the country gear up for the first rehearsals of the program year we thought it would be helpful to outline some best practices for choir rehearsals. A choir’s performance is only as […]
Each week following the Peace congregations are invited to make “to present the offerings and oblations of [their] life and labor to the Lord.” Ushers collect money, a symbol of food, our homes, and, indeed, our […]
As we look toward the fall and the beginning of the program year (and yes, we know that “program year” is not a liturgical term), you might want to rethink your service leaflet. When was […]
What Congregations Practicing Inter-generational Worship Have In Common What Is “Intergenerational Worship”? “Intergenerational worship” or “worship for all ages” is worship that seeks to equally value people of all ages. These are services that intentionally […]
Recently someone in the Episcopal Musicians Facebook group asked for suggestions for unison and two-part anthems for use in the summer. After doing some crowd sourcing and adding a few anthems of our own choice, […]
The Very Rev. Catherine D. Hicks Can you remember when music took you out of yourself, beyond yourself, and carried you off to some transcendent place, into the presence of God? Music, truly heard, has […]