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This service invites reflection on Isaiah 43:1-7 and border crossings, leading participants to wonder: What can Christians do in the face of restrictive and unjust boundaries? In what ways does Christian hope reside on the borders?
The Rev. Nathan Kirkpatrick preaches at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Statesville, North Carolina.
The answer depends on congregational and community context and begins with another question: What does the gospel have to say to a broken and brokenhearted world in this moment?
Photo illustration by Jessamyn Rubio
An associate pastor discovers the joy of accompanying people across actual thresholds with liturgical loving care.
The Sunday Fellowship of West Concord Union Church celebrates St. Patrick's Day 2018 with a dance. Photo courtesy of Hannah C. Brown
West Concord Union Church had had a ministry for people with disabilities since the 1980s. But the congregation discovered that truly welcoming everyone would be complicated and costly -- and worth it.
Joined by Urban Doxology staff, interns are all in as they get ready to perform a concert of their own worship songs. Photo by Mike Morones
At the Urban Doxology Songwriting Internship, young musicians study theology and collaborate on worship songs that speak to the challenges of a diverse community.
Members of Church of the Pilgrims pray over a blanket for a former pastor, shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer. Photo courtesy of Ashley Goff
Beset by grief at the imminent death of a beloved former pastor, a minister and her congregation let liturgy lead them amid death and dying.
Photo courtesy of Kristen E. Vincent
Although most people likely think of praying with beads as a Catholic practice, it is catching on with Protestants, who use the beads as a tangible reminder of God’s presence.
“Free, Indeed” by the Rev. Laura Gentry.
This worship experience, based on Bible verses that guide the Fondren Apartment Ministry in Houston, Texas, can be used by any group wanting to respond to God’s great love for us.
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Everyone knows that a ‘small, country church’ isn’t interested in liturgy or making changes. But a young pastor found otherwise at Shady Grove UMC in Providence, North Carolina.
Cheesecloth banners, papier-mâché and other inexpensive materials are used to create the installations in the 128-year-old sanctuary of Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Photo courtesy of Tabernacle Baptist Church
Vivid installations that change with the liturgical seasons are an integral part of worship at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. The Rev. Sterling Severns shares advice for congregations that wish to experiment with this kind of creative visual approach to worship.