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Author: Brian Rhea

Four Ways to Understand Lent

Often, we celebrate the ebb and flow of the church calendar without really knowing what it means or why we do it. But, if we understand what our seasons mean and why we practice them, it can open up a whole new facet of vibrant faith for us. In today’s post, Brian Rhea offers four ways for us to understand the concept of Lent.

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February 9, 2016

Welcoming Children into Ash Wednesday

Sometimes, as adults, we are not very good at taking intentional steps toward making our worship child-friendly. Brian Rhea has some suggestions on ways we can make our Ash Wednesday services accessible and easier for our younger church members, so we might lead our children into the presence of Christ and the worship of the church.

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February 2, 2016

From the Mouths of Babes: Participation of Children in Worship

We use all manner of criteria to judge churches: Does the preacher “feed” me? Is the music rockin’? Can I “feel the Spirit”? Some might be good criteria; others (most) are pathologically self-centered. But one criterion is often omitted, and yet has good dominical authority: Do the children participate?

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September 22, 2015

The Benediction

The benediction is not some throwaway verbiage to get people out the door; it is nothing less than the heart and soul of who we are and whose we are.

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August 19, 2015

Moment of Silence Before God

Every Sunday morning, after a hymn of praise and praying a Collect together, the churches I serve have a “moment of silence before God.” I conclude the silence with an extemporaneous prayer, usually inviting God to encounter us during our worship service.

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July 20, 2015