By Ariel Merivil Tim’s sermon series this month on story has me reflecting on my own personal story and how God has unfolded the story of my life. My mom was a school teacher her entire career. In fact, many of my aunts have dedicated their careers to teaching and...
By Timothy Peoples Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of Janie Crawford, an African American woman in early 20th-century Florida, as she seeks love, independence and a sense of self. The story begins with...
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...