By Liturgical Element
Consider the Birds
In the fall of 2015, Rev. Daniel Cooperrider of Weybridge Congregational Church, UCC told our WorshipWell team about a sermon series he was leading based upon a book by author and pastor Debbie Blue, titled: Consider the Birds: A Provocative Guide to Birds of the Bible. Cooperrider explained that his sermon series included presentations by bird experts in worship along with bird watch outings. Inspired by Cooperrider and Blue, Rev. Goldenbogen of the United Church of Underhill (UCC & UMC) led a “Consider the Birds” sermon...
read moreUsefulness & Freedom
Below is a sermon by Rev. Martha Peck which is based upon Paul’s letter to Philemon and delivered on the Sunday before Labor Day (9/4/2016). What does it mean to be free? What does it mean to be useful? This sermon is followed also by related prayers: 1) prayer of invocation, 2) prayer of confession, and 3) assurance of pardon. They called him Onesimus, which means “useful.” And for most of his life he only had the value assigned to a slave. He was a strong back, silent compliance. He could not own property, nor choose where he...
read moreMapping Our Prayers
Here is a great idea I learned from our church’s youth group led by my friend and amazing youth group leader, Anne Clift. To help people connect their prayers with place, as part of a youth-led service, a family service, on Sunday morning, or anytime you are praying with a group, try this: Before a service, get a wall map or two (the bigger the better) of your state, country, and/or the world. Mount the map(s) on a cork board and place in an accessible place in your worship space. (If you have more than one map, consider spreading...
read moreShort Story Entry
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are people of a STORY. Call it the Gospel story or the Biblical story or the story of Jesus Christ, or the “greatest story ever told” or, simply, “the good news.” Whatever you call it, we are people of a story and we spend a whole lot of time in worship, telling and listening to that story through a variety of mediums (prayers, sermons, stained glass windows, banners, classes, music, video, pageants, etc.). Here’s the thing: because we tell and listen to a PARTICULAR STORY...
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