By Kelly Akins I recently traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia, to attend the North American Gathering of Godly Play. It was a beautiful time of retreat, renewal and connection. On the first day, we were invited to cross the threshold, and as we entered the chapel...
By Ariel Merivil As a five- or six-year-old in Boston, I grew up in a church with a vibrant and spirited hymn and choral singing tradition. We sang classic traditional anthems and gospel songs. Alongside hymns like Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Praise to the Lord...
By Timothy Peoples We all know the song and have sung it at parties, restaurants and in some of the craziest places we would not want to admit. According to USA Today, “Every 5-year-old knows it. It is the most frequently sung song in the English language, according...
By Scott Spreier As I sit here this morning waiting for worship to begin, I have the strange sensation that somewhere between Sunday School and the Sanctuary, I passed through a time warp and now find myself back in 1958. I’m timid “Little Scotty,” sitting...
By Katie Murray Do you ever say a word so much that it starts to sound a little strange to your ears? This phenomenon, called semantic satiation, occurs because the repetition causes your brain to focus on the sound of the word and, in that process, loses the meaning...
By Jeff Brummel In 2009 I climbed the steps into the organ loft situated in the rear gallery of the Corinthian-columned Greek revival church of La Madeleine in Paris. I sat down at the console of what I still feel is the loudest organ I’ve ever heard. My teacher for...
By Georgia McKee Have you ever looked at something familiar and noticed something you’ve never seen before? Maybe it’s the weathered trunk of the tree outside your window you thought you knew by heart. Or maybe it’s that faint freckle on your child’s arm caught in an...
By Heather Mustain “This Is My Song” is a hymn of quiet reverence, not for flags or empires, but for the earth itself and the deep longing for peace that lives in every human heart. Written in the early 20th century and set to the moving tune of Jean Sibelius’s...
By Maggie Morey This week marked the halfway point in the calendar year. On Wednesday, we were 182 days removed from Jan. 1 and 182 days away from Dec. 31. And I have found myself asking, how is the year only and already halfway through? We began this year with...
By Georgia McKee This Sunday, we have the joy of welcoming two remarkable guests: Jeff Lee, CBF field personnel in North Macedonia, and Yusuph Emmanuel from Twelve21 in Tanzania. As I have reflected on my recent journey to visit the Lees in Macedonia, it’s not just...