Worship

The worship leader offers this familiar invitation before the service begins.

Worship is a space where we dialogue with God. The language of songs, Scripture and sermon are woven into a cohesive whole—so that anyone who enters that space can relate, be engaged, actively participate and encounter God.

Worship is a space where we dialogue with God. The language of songs, Scripture and sermon are woven into a cohesive whole—so that anyone who enters that space can relate, be engaged, actively participate and encounter God.

Peace be with you. And also with you. It is a greeting we hear every week in worship. So familiar that it can easily become routine. 
And yet, in that simple exchange, something profound is taking place.

Years ago, I shared with a coworker the latest funny thing my cat had done and asked if she, too, liked animals. Her reply caught me off guard: "No. Animals have no soul, so it doesn't matter anyway."

Solomon Ray is an artist created by generative artificial intelligence (AI) that recently appeared in the Top 100 Christian artists on iTunes.

Two months ago at the Victoria Concert Hall, the Methodist Festival Choir performed a musical setting of a Howard Thurman poem titled The Work of Christmas.

What is it about the worship experience that brings a congregation into the same place  of awe that Jesus' disciples felt at his transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–2)? Is it the music? The prayers? The worship leader's voice? Or the sermon? While all these are meaningful expressions within worship, none—on its own—is transformational.

The word Advent means "coming". This season is the time of the year when Christians begin to think of the time when Jesus "came" to earth and ponder upon his coming again.

Scientific research has found that music can powerfully impact those with dementia by reducing anxiety and depression, promoting cognition, speech and memory and reducing the need for antipsychotic drugs. Personally meaningful music, which stirs emotions or memories within the listener, is particularly powerful.

In congregational worship, praise is more easily expressed than grief. But how do we hold both when we gather before God? Scripture often tells us to be strong, not to be afraid (Deuteronomy 3:22, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 14:27, John 14:27).

At a recent workshop, “Writing for the Church: Called for Mission”, church songwriters and musicians gathered to listen from expert songwriters from CityAlight, a music ministry group from St Paul’s Church in Sydney, Australia, who are behind popular contemporary worship songs like “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” and “Only a Holy God”.