Preparing for Worship - Darren DeMent, associate pastor.   Our worship service this morning opens with a grand hymn of praise to God. Based on 1 Timothy 1:17, the hymn writer, Walter C. Smith, pens a strong text of praise by highlighting images of God’s glory and...

Preparing for Worship - Mark Wingfield.   This week I asked a friend a question that once upon a time saved my life. “Will you promise me that if you intend to harm yourself you will call me first and give me a chance?” Silence on the other end of the phone. “I...

Preparing for Worship - George Mason.   For the first half of my tenure as senior pastor, I wrote a weekly column for the church newsletter titled By George. It was by me, of course, so the appellation fit. But it also gestured toward the exclamation we sometimes...

Preparing for Worship - Darren Dement, associate pastor.   Have you ever wondered what makes a hymn a hymn? I poked around a bit on the internet this week to see if I could get a nice, concise answer, and, not surprisingly, I couldn’t. As you might imagine, there...

Preparing for Worship - John Kelly.   Saturday morning, I realized I needed to run an errand. A guest room lamp had been out a while, and I needed to replace a couple of bulbs before some friends came into town. “An easy errand,” I assured myself. “I’ll be in and...

Preparing For Worship - Ralph Manuel.   When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? … O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! (Psalm...

Preparing for Worship - Brianna Childs. We follow a big God  Who offers amazing grace The God who made the starry skies  Delights in your shining face God’s love is deep and wide God’s love is strong and true As big as the galaxy As near as your next breath to you...

Preparing For Worship - Gina Biddle. Today is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Each day we are given to live is a good thing and a new day to rejoice and be glad. As I visit patients as a hospital palliative care chaplain, I love to...

Preparing for Worship - Jeff Brummel, associate minister of music. The July 17 prelude was composed during my first summer at Wilshire in 2006. The piece uses the older musical form known as the North German Präludium, sometimes known as the organ Fantasia style....

Preparing for Worship - Kathryn Keller. Anyone else feel like you’re in “go mode” right now? I enter worship (or the Sanctuary anyway), grab a seat and thumb through the Tapestry for a preview of coming attractions. What events are coming up? What spicy guest preacher...