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resources for wisdom and depth in the language arts in worship
Articles
Crafting Words for Worship
outline of a panel presentation at Symposium 2006
Metaphor in Liturgical Studies
John D. Witvliet
journal article on philosophical and theological perspectives on metaphors in worship
More Than Words
Nathan Bierma
series of word studies to recapture the beauty and freshness of familiar words in worship
Public Reading of Scripture
Clayton Schmit
audio and outline of a workshop on scripture reading
Pulpit Talk (Center for Excellence in Preaching)
Scott Hoezee
article on the dangers and benefits of challenging language in sermons
Reading the Homilies as Liturgical Act, Canonical Construct, and Homiletic Discourse
Brian T. Hartley
abstract of project for a seminar on aesthetic theory and worship
Reading Scripture in Public Worship
Howard Vanderwell
overview of the role of Scripture in worship
Sample Scripture Readings
audio files of readings and recitations of Scripture
Stories That Preach
W. Dale Brown
presentation to the Calvin Symposium on Worship 2007
The Forgotten Art: Developing New Writers for Your Worship (Reformed Worship)
Carol Rottman
article on forming a writing group for worship planning
The Role of Prayer in Public Worship
Howard Vanderwell
overview of the role of prayer in worship
Words Shape Our Worship Worlds
Marc Nelesen
article on how words frame the experience of worship
The Words of the Word (Books&Culture online)
Nathan Bierma
review of two books' different approaches to Bible translation
Wordstruck (Center for Excellence in Preaching)
Scott Hoezee
article on efficiency and diction in the prose of sermons
Resources
Prayers of the People: Patterns and Models for Congregational Prayer
excerpted from The Worship Sourcebook
Preparing for Preaching
articles and resources for preparation for preaching the Word of God
The In-Between Words
multimedia resources on using verbal transitions that encourage full engagement in worship
A Litany Prayer for Darkness in an Age of Glare
poetic litany written for worship at Wesley Theological Seminary
Interdisciplinary Learning: Linguistics
articles and resources from studies in linguistics
Worship Weblog
Entries on language and preaching
Ministry Partner
Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary
“Worship is much more than words, of course. And often worship features too many words. ... Still, worship depends on words. God's revelation to us is given not only in creation but also in words that communicate all we need to know about God, ourselves, and our salvation. Our communal worship is made possible because we have words to speak to each other, to call each other to worship, to speak common prayers, and to encourage each other in the faith. Yet the words of our worship often don't get the attention that our music does. ... Language, like music, is an art to be received and cultivated as a gift from God. Liturgical cliché is not a virtue. As art, language can be immeasurably enhanced by creativity, imagination, and forethought."
–from the prologue to The Worship Sourcebook