Here is a helpful phrase for ministers to think, but not say, “Bless your heart; you don’t get worship.” For instance, when someone says, “I’m making the announcement about the party. I’m using ventriloquist puppets.” A kind minister thinks, “Bless…
What worshiping with other people does to you
Recently, I had the opportunity to sing in a choir behind praise and worship leader Charity Gayle at one of her concerts. What I experienced was beyond my expectations and I learned more than I imagined. My church choir was…
On the other side of the pandemic, the report from America’s churches is mixed
Increases in attendance, giving and participation, and a decline in internal squabbling, may signal America’s churches are emerging from the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, new research shows. But the study — “Back to Normal? The…
A church shopper’s guide to finding the right church for you
If I were trying to find a church in which to invest myself I would be a very careful shopper. Sure, I would pay some attention to the name on the sign (Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, etc.), but not too much….
Making peace with my internal worship war
Walter “Buddy” Shurden is an esteemed historian who taught at Carson-Newman University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Mercer University. In a series of lectures in 1980, Shurden described two broad streams of practice in Baptist churches he labels the Sandy…
Appealing to religious freedom is the way to counter Christian supremacism in America today
Christian supremacism has gotten completely out of hand in the United States. We’ve seen it in the insurrection warfare of the New Apostolic Reformation, the battle against librarians by the likes of Kirk Cameron, the desire to punish homosexuality by Al Mohler, Dan…
Is worshipping online a valid substitute for in-person worship?
According to data gathered in 2021, a couple is divorced in America every 46 seconds. This means two to three divorces happen during an average wedding vow recital (2 minutes), more than 156 divorces occur during an average romantic comedy…
Learning to pray … again
On Sunday, July 16, at First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue, in Winston-Salem, N.C., Deacon Dr. Judge Kornegay, following the standard liturgy, led the morning prayer. He began by asking God’s blessing on the sick and the bereaved. His gentle yet…
A primer on leading public prayer
Sunday, April 30, was my last Sunday as minister of music at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. That day my colleague, George Mason, senior pastor emeritus, offered Prayers of the People, a regular part of our worship liturgy led by…