Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Today we take a deeper dive into the Lenten Supper Series which will begin next Wednesday, February 24:

Worship: Praising and Enjoying God Together
 
The Westminster Shorter Catechism, one of the bedrock documents of our church, says that the main purpose of human life is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

Over five Wednesday evenings in Lent, we’ll explore what this means, especially when we gather for worship. After all, for most of us, “glorify” isn’t part of our normal vocabulary, and the idea of enjoying God may strike us as a bit odd (to say the least!).

Along the way, we’ll look at worship through a number of lenses that will help us broaden and deepen our sense of what it means to worship God “in spirit and in truth.”
A Really Short History of Worship
February 24
Steve Simmons
Why and how have people worshiped through the ages? Why do they worship today? This will be a breathless (but instructive) dash through worship practices from the ancient Near East through Bethlehem 2021. 
A Preacher's Eye View of Music in Worship
March 3
Cindy Simmons

Music in worship is unique in that it has one purpose: to glorify God. So whatever is sung or played is intended not as a performance for the pleasure of the congregation but as an offering of praise – a way of returning the gift of music to the Giver of that gift. In this session, we will look at the role that music plays to help worshipers directly or vicariously praise our Creator.
Christian Worship: A Cross-Cultural View 
March 10
Jim Stahl and Janet Stahl
Worship in non-Western settings can include elements of storytelling and other forms of group participation that can stretch our own thinking and practice.
In this session, Jim and Janet will reflect on their experiences in worship, working in Bible translation and storytelling with fellow believers who experience the Bible as enacted rather than read.  
Worship Matters: Engaging Worship as an Embodied Spiritual Practice
March 17
Lindsey Altvater Clifton
In Lindsey’s own words:

“I'll focus on creating space for people to share stories, and for me to offer examples and tools to help us all be more intentional in our holistic participation in (and reflection on) worship so that it more fully nurtures and challenges our spiritual lives.”
Exploring the Art(s) of Preaching 
March 24
J.C. Austin
The sermon is literally at the center of Reformed Christian worship, with everything in the service leading up to it and flowing from it. But where do sermons come from? What makes a “good” sermon? What are we supposed to get out of sermons?
This week we will use the metaphor of music and other arts to think about how sermons come to be, what impact they have on us, and how we draw on them when they’re over, to help us live more faithfully as Christians.
The programs will be offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m.; there will be an opportunity to sign in earlier to ‘virtually’ enjoy your supper and/or fellowship time together. More details to come.