Category: Edition

Word and Sacrament: Tracing the Theological Movements of Reformed Worship

I knelt on the floor in front of the class as my seminary professor generously poured water over my head in triplicate, soaking my head and drenching my clothes. While this was not a “real” baptism, the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable.

A Requiem Remembered: Catharsis, Lament, and Hope in Sacred Song

59.2, In Life and in Death, Review

Throughout the centuries, varied liturgical expressions have served as tools by which spiritual catharsis with the holy can be embraced. Just such an event occurred on March 22, 2025, at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City.

On the Arts: An Inclusive Burial Liturgy

59.2, Column, In Life and in Death

Like funerals and memorial services, liturgies at the graveside, vault, or columbarium are opportunities for the living to remember and mourn the person who has died.

On Preaching: Proclaiming Death Unfinished

59.2, Column, In Life and in Death

These days most places seem to have hospital waiting room vibes. The usual noise of ordinary places—grocery store lines, school parking lots, traffic jams, sidewalks and lobbies, pews before worship—even places that celebrated the last election, sounds different.

On Music: We Belong to God

59.2, Column, In Life and in Death

In the mid-to-late 90s, I had only been in Delaware a few years in my first academic music job and was also serving a downtown, scrappy PC(USA) congregation that had made a clear choice to open its doors wide and not be a fortress against its changing neighborhood, but a place of true welcome and support.

On Liturgy: One Conviction to Summon

59.2, Column, In Life and in Death

In life and in death we belong to God”—to be perfectly frank, it’s the only thing I’m sure I believe all the time.

We Belong to God: An Improvised Affirmation of Faith

59.2, Idea, In Life and in Death

Born out of an intergenerational exercise in improvisation, “We Belong to God” has become a beloved heart song for the people of Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

Joyful Voices: Ideas for Engaging Children in Worship and Music

59.2, Idea, In Life and in Death

Music ministers, educators, and pastors hold the sacred responsibility of fostering worship that reflects the full body of Christ, including our youngest members. From a Reformed perspective, children are not future participants in the church; they are present and active members of the covenant community. Therefore, engaging them in worship is not optional—it is essential.

Congregational Life Cycles: From Scarcity to Opportunity

59.2, Article, In Life and in Death

We can be honest, right? Countless articles with titles like “Fifteen Signs of a Dying Church and How to Revitalize Your Ministry” tell us about how the church is dying. Most of the time these articles seek to raise the levels of fear and anxiety in ourselves and our pews.