Preparing for Worship - Darren DeMent, associate pastor. A couple of weeks back, December 8 to be exact, we marked the 40th anniversary of the death of John Lennon at the hands of a disgruntled and deranged fan. I was only six years old at the time, so I was not...
Preparing For Worship - Leanna Coyle-Carr, pastoral resident. Everything is difficult this Advent. For example: The Coyle-Carr Calama-tree. We went to pick out our tree at the Whole Foods parking lot, found the perfect fir, snapped a selfie for the book, and then …...
Preparing for Worship - Doug Haney, associate pastor. How might we best prepare for the worship of the Lord on this second Sunday of Advent? Whether we are a household of one or several, there are steps to consider before you turn on the device that will enable you...
Preparing for Worship - George Mason, senior pastor. The word advent comes from the Latin adventus, meaning coming into view, arrival or appearance. When capitalized, Advent refers to the season of the church year we begin this Sunday — a four-week time of fasting...
Preparing for Worship - Ashley Robinson, pastoral resident. Last week, Jenna and I set out on a day trip to seek out something we had both been missing since moving to Dallas — fall colors. Jenna, my fellow pastoral resident, is from Arkansas, and I am from Atlanta,...
Preparing for Worship - Heather Mustain, associate pastor. Sunday, Nov. 15, begins a nationwide, weeklong campaign, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, to draw attention to the problem and prevalence of hunger and homelessness in America. And in partnership with...
Preparing for Worship - Jacob Leal, intern This past Monday was the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos or “Day of the Dead.” This celebration, which resulted from Spaniard colonization, is a mix between Catholicism and indigenous spirituality. Families set up...
Preparing for Worship - Jenna Sullivan, pastoral resident. Just the other day, a very dear friend of mine told me she was interested in learning more about “this Jesus guy.” My friend’s parents immigrated from China before she was born, and she was raised with a...
Preparing for Worship - Abbey Adcox. I recently attended the Evolving Faith Live Virtual Conference along with a dozen or so Wilshire members, and the encouragement and wisdom I received continues to stretch my mind and settle into my soul. Kate Bowler, historian at...
Preparing for Worship - George Mason, senior pastor. We sometimes confuse the words hear and listen. To hear can either mean the physiological act of having sound waves bounce off our eardrums and register in our brain, or it can mean comprehension of what is heard....