Experiencing a Holy Awe of God I awake both excited and unsettled. I’m excited at the prospect of returning to Church #28 (“Intriguing and Liturgical”). There’s much for me to learn from their mystical worship of God, from their rituals steeped in meaning that I don’t yet comprehend. However, I’m also unsettled having awakened with […]
A Second Atypical Service We first visited this small Presbyterian Church several months ago. Now they have a new minister. Our first visit was on a cold winter day. Today, spring permeates the air. But I don’t need warm sunshine, blue sky, or the life-promise of burgeoning buds to bolster my expectations. I’m excited to […]
Psalm 173: from Beyond Psalm 150 It’s hard for a large group of people to recite a long passage in unison, but they can do quite well with shorter phrases. Three times in the book of 2 Chronicles and once in the book of Ezra, the people collectively praise God. Each time their succinct response rises […]
Wrapping Up Our Year of Visiting Churches Our journey of visiting fifty-two churches is over, though the memories will last forever. With much to consider, this wrap-up pulls together key elements of our adventure. I hope this helps you and your church better interact with and respond to visitors, as well as find new ways […]
Psalm 156 from Beyond Psalm 150 With the people poised to take the promised land, Moses recaps their forty-year history in the desert and reviews the instructions God gave them. At one point Moses leads the people in a liturgy of blessings (for obedience) and curses (for disobedience). In this the Levites make a statement […]
One of the area’s megachurches has intrigued me for years. I once wanted to be part of it. Now I’m not sure. Our first visit came several years ago, long before the original 52 Churches project. Now we return for a fresh look. It’s Advent and they have an Advent service. Consider these seven discussion […]
One of the area’s megachurches has intrigued me for years. At one time I was a regular podcast consumer of their weekly messages, which usually featured their founding pastor. A gifted communicator, he conveyed truth with a fresh voice and looked at spirituality from new vantage points. His perspectives moved me toward the spiritual more […]
In general, we found smaller churches offered more opportunity to make connections. We also discovered that most liturgical churches weren’t very friendly. Consider these two discussion questions about church format and size: 1. Churches have characteristics that often relate to their size. How can you tap the strengths of your church’s size and counter its […]
Located in a building with shared tenant space, this church has an inviting location, easily accessible, with nearby parking. They are a most welcoming church. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #43: 1. With little room to mingle, we sit down. Several people come over to greet us. They give a heartfelt thanks for […]
The newer building doesn’t look like a typical church. The sanctuary is open and inviting, with a comfortable feel. But what we will soon learn is that people make the difference. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #41: 1. “Hi, are you the DeHaans?” The usher’s question surprises me. Either he looked up Candy’s […]