By Al Stewart Air fascinates me. It surrounds us completely and we hardly notice. We involuntarily breathe it. Only when breathing becomes difficult do our survival senses awaken. We then acutely recognize a desperate need depends on something elemental and invisible....
By Kelly Akins Lent is a time of waiting, but it is also a time of preparation. We must get ready. Seeds are growing, and plants are peeking out from underground. Are you listening? Can you hear God speaking in the stillness and the quiet? I wonder what God is trying...
By Abbey Adcox Sometimes our arrival in worship is gradual. Our bodies may be present, but our attention lags behind. Slowly, our minds settle into stillness, grounding us where we are. In today’s choral anthem we will hear these words from Psalm 46: “Be still and...
By Ariel Merivil When I started high school, the dress code required uniforms: khakis and a polo every day but Friday. By my junior year, the rules relaxed, and students could wear whatever they wanted, within reason. The first time my brother and I tried to leave...
By Jeff Brummel Take one minute to look around the Sanctuary. Quiet your heart as you gaze at the chancel, the tops of the pillars on the sides of the room, the windows. What is different? The paraments are purple, the shutters are closed and we have an old rugged...
By Amanda Hines In my college days, I would periodically make the three-and-a-half-hour drive between Starkville, Mississippi, and Huntsville, Alabama. The most efficient route connecting these two places put me on a lot of backcountry roads running through a few...
By Heather Mustain Today is Wilshire’s annual Souper Bowl of Caring. For nearly 30 years, Wilshire has offered a soup luncheon on Super Bowl Sunday that benefits hunger and poverty alleviation efforts all over the world. Historically these funds were given to the...
By Georgia McKee “Control what you can control, and let go of what you can’t.” Before every competition, my head coach at Belmont University had us listen to a recording that repeated this phrase while guiding us through a breathing exercise. The goal was to steady...
By Jordann McMahan Have you ever heard the Parable of the Choir? It is attributed to Celeste Bembry and goes like this: “A choir can sing a beautiful note impossibly long because singers can individually drop out to breathe as necessary and the note goes on. Social...
By Amanda Hines This time of year is marked by New Year’s resolutions that vary from things like living more healthy lifestyles through exercise and nutrition to reading more books and spending less time on screens or traveling more to experience new places. The...