Friday, April 3, 2020

A Liturgy for the Coronavirus Crisis

Have you been feeling disoriented in the last few days? One of the most helpful things we can do when we start feeling anxious about the unknown is to channel our anxiety into actual prayer. But how do we pray for something we have never experienced before? Sometimes it can help to have a prayer that’s already been written and to pray it in community (even if it has to be online community right now). Here’s one prayer you can pray aloud with others to help spur you on to pray more. As you pray through it, listen for the ways that Jesus is praying with you and leave a comment to let others know how you are being stirred to pray too.

Liturgy

(Written by Kelly Aalseth in collaboration with Jon Ball)

Our heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

 

We worship you as the Creator and Redeemer of all things.

Thank you, Father, for your loving care for all of creation.

March 20, 2020
By Nathan Peterson
Real Hope—Even during Coronavirus

In this new season, real hope isn’t a cliché. No, God, in his wisdom and sovereignty, guided us to this theme two years before COVID-19. He knew how people would crave tangible hope right now. 

March 13, 2020
By Bridget Gee
4 Ways to Deal with Loneliness

We are not called to live life alone or in fear. So how do we get ourselves unstuck? Here’s some advice on how to deal with loneliness (both short-term and long-term).

February 27, 2020
By Ashley Bauer
Through My Lens—Being Christian, Being Hmong

Through contextualization, we can restore the beauty and value of our shared experiences and culture and reorient ourselves to see how our cultural identity relates to our faith in Jesus. Contextualization is more than being able to identify areas that aren’t working well; it’s reengineering structures and systems to cultivate a space and message that are relevant to the people in the room.  

February 14, 2020
By Kadrian Hinton
Through My Lens—The Master Liberator

I often think about the gospel and how it was presented to me. It was in the country roads of southern Arkansas, where my grandmother sang in the choir of a Black church. It was the hands raised, the strength of the Black women, and the rapping of the pastor that excited my soul. It always struck me that pain, joy, and hope could coexist. 

February 13, 2020
By Carrie Carey
Church Membership—Not Perfect But Still Worth It!

But I believe, as a follower of Christ, that it is essential to be an intentional, active member of a church community. Membership facilitates opportunities for vulnerable relationships and accountability. 

February 06, 2020
By Michael Huang
Career or Calling? How Global Urban Treks Changed My Life

Even now, eight years since my last Trek, I constantly recognize how the Treks have taught and shaped me into the person I am today. They weren’t just summer missions trips. They were launching points for lifelong discipleship, where I learned how to persevere and follow God through adversity.

January 30, 2020
By Scott Bessenecker
Through My Lens—American Christian Syncretism

All this begs the question: how do we allow the good news about Jesus to take on the beauty and diversity of other cultures without infusing beliefs that are contrary to the gospel?

January 23, 2020
By Karen Foster
New Year. New You? Changing How We Prioritize Goals

What if we approached the New Year with a new take on creating resolutions? What if instead of “trying to fix ourselves,” we chose one thing we wanted more of? Something we want to bring into our lives in order to follow Christ more closely.

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