Favorite Worship Songs: Hosanna
My wife and I sang to our children as part of our nighttime ritual. It was interesting to see which songs encouraged them to relax and fall into a sleepy state. There were some songs that stirred them and there
Favorite Worship Song: Whisper a Prayer
As a preacher’s kid, I literally grew up in the church. We would attend Sunday morning worship and Sunday evening worship. For the most part, our Sunday morning worship songs would come from the hymnal, while the Sunday evening songs
Favorite Hymn: It is Well with My Soul
For several years, I was required to complete an annual self-assessment for my denominational leaders. The first question was often, “How is it with your soul?” My response was always, “It is well with my soul.” The 19th Century song,
Favorite Hymn: And Can It Be That I Should Gain
It was an exciting day in May 1998, as I gathered with family for my brother’s graduation from Asbury Theological Seminary. As we opened the service, the congregation, students, and platform dignitaries rose to sing a powerful Charles Wesley hymn,
Favorite Hymns: Because He Lives
(Last month we focused on Worship in our Guide devotions. Over the next two months, I want to share some of my favorite hymns (August) and my favorite contemporary songs (September) as our weekly focus for The Guide.) Paul writes
Favorite Hymns: O Come, All Ye Faithful
The Christmas celebration invites us to proclaim the promised Messiah and the amazing beauty of Jesus’ birth. Each year as we begin our preparation in Advent, I enjoy the songs we sing that are limited to a certain season. Though,
Worship: Broken and Contrite Heart
Our experience of worship is often measured in how it makes us feel, whether songs we enjoy are sung, or the preacher’s message gives us a sense of being heard, understood, and maybe even validated. Few, if any people, enter
Worship: Pray for All People
The search for peace and quiet in a loud and busy world causes people to look in many places in hopes of finding a semblance of what they desire. The constant noise from outside and from within makes escape seem
Worship: With Raised Hands
Our hands are powerful. They can bring comfort to a wounded person, while they can also be tools of anger, evil, and violence. Our hands serve a purpose to construct havens of rest, and to provide the surgical work to