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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.
How do worship and prayer practices form and sustain us during times of great suffering and grief? Watch this online conversation with Tish Harrison Warren, an Anglican priest and author of the new book Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep [IVP 2021]. In this video, Warren reflects on themes of suffering and lament, vulnerability and joy, and how the Compline prayer service in the Anglican tradition provides a spiritual anchor in dark times. Warren 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.
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.
A panel of teacher-scholars with research projects focused on worship practices that affect human flourishing share the fruits of their research, with a special focus on the implications of their research for worshiping communities.
A panel of teacher-scholars with research projects focused on practices, patterns and space in worship share the fruits of their research, with a special focus on the implications of their research for worshiping communities.
A panel of teacher-scholars with research projects focused on youth and formation share the fruits of their research, with a special focus on the implications of their research for worshiping communities.
A panel of teacher-scholars with research projects focused on worship and public witness share the fruits of their research, with a special focus on the implications of their research for worshiping communities.
A reflection on a selection of CICW’s Ten Core Convictions from the introductory session of the 2021 Virtual Vital Worship Grants Event, led by John D. Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute of the Christian Worship, and featuring Vital Worship Grants Advisory Board Members James Abbington, Kimberly Belcher, C. Michael Hawn, William H. Johnston, and Leopoldo A. Sánchez M.
How does Christian faith relate to anti-racism efforts? What does faithful anti-racism work look like in today’s world? Watch as Dr. Christina Edmondson shares insights from her work with the online “Faithful Anti-Racism” courses and cohorts she teaches and leads in collaboration with CICW. Hear some of the core principles she teaches and some of the lessons participants have learned. Dr. Edmondson is interviewed by Noel Snyder, program manager at CICW.
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.
