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On the campus of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary
© 2024 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Kai Ton Chau teaches Calvin University students to articulate different cultural values so they can discuss and appreciate diverse forms of Christian worship. You can do something similar in your school, church, or worship context to build cultural intelligence among Christians.
Gerardo Oberman demonstrates and talks about five songs as part of the CICW series "Songs from the hymnal 'Santo, Santo, Santo: Cantos para el pueblo de Dios / Holy, Holy, Holy: Songs for the People of God.'"
Horacio Vivares demonstrates and talks about five songs as part of the CICW series "Songs from the hymnal 'Santo, Santo, Santo: Cantos para el pueblo de Dios / Holy, Holy, Holy: Songs for the People of God.'"
Christians who see themselves as "people of the book" read about the Word made flesh. They may treasure "I Love to Tell the Story" in their hymnals yet feel skeptical of Christians who prefer to express and pass on faith through oral culture. A Nigerian worship scholar explains the benefits of oral practices in church worship.
The most recent Yoruba Baptist Hymnal includes Orin Idaraya, the indigenous choruses relevant to one of Nigeria's largest people groups. Learning how a Nigerian music scholar analyzed these short songs can help your congregation evaluate whether it offers a balanced musical diet in worship.
What does life look like through the eyes of some of the “Titans” of African American history? Watch this second part of our online conversation with Professor Danjuma Gibson of Calvin Theological Seminary. Dr. Gibson shares additional insights into his approach to learning from the lives of historical figures, identifying key insights from his research that we might apply in our own lives. Professor Gibson is interviewed by Noel Snyder, program manager at CICW.
Pearl Shangkuan, director of choral activities at Calvin University and director of the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, reflects on her top ten bilingual sacred choral pieces.
May God give us grace and strength to resist lies, arrogance, injustice, racism, and oppression in all forms. In worship, we are called to confess sin, to lament brokenness, and to pray for the end of these travesties, even as we are called to preach and celebrate sacramentally the gospel of Jesus Christ—in which power is made perfect in weakness, in which each person and culture is cherished as God’s gift, in which our hope is based on the life, death, resurrection, and continuing ministry of our ascended Lord, Jesus Christ. We long for a seamless connection between faithful public worship and vital Christian witness in every sector of society and in every cultural context.
What does life look like through the eyes of some of the “Titans” of African American history, such as Frederick Douglass, Fanny Lou Hamer, and Martin Luther King, Jr? Watch as Danjuma Gibson of Calvin Theological Seminary shares insights from his research into the qualities, dispositions, and decisions that led these ordinary people to live such extraordinary lives. Professor Gibson is interviewed by Noel Snyder, program manager at CICW.
Many preachers and congregations claim that politics have no place in their worship. But pastors Meg Jenista Kuykendall and Katie Ritsema-Roelofs say that addressing public issues in worship is essential for congregations to become to Christlike communities.
Pope Francis has said, "Without the people of the sea, many parts of the world would starve." Though seafarers aboard ships are essential workers, few people think of them. But port chaplains do. Your church can include seafarers and port chaplains in congregational prayers.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, bus drivers and other public transport workers have been praised as essential workers. Yet they remain largely invisible to those with the option to travel by private automobile. Your church can include bus drivers and other essential workers in congregational prayers.
