"Seven whole days, not one in seven, I will praise thee" -- George Herbert (1633)
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Can you imagine what our congregations would be like if we kept God’s words in our hearts? If we taught our children about God’s great love for us as revealed in the scriptures? If we publicly proclaimed the scriptures?
If you want your church to really get to know the Bible, it doesn’t need to be financially costly. It just takes a willingness to devote the time and the focus to place the Bible front and center. You’ll see transformation, guaranteed.
To get a congregation reading the scriptures will surely lead to transformation of individual lives and of the church itself. To learn the language of scripture is to find new ways to praise and to thank God, and that helps us live out our purpose, to glorify God.
Continuing a Seven whole days tradition since the Episcopal Church’s 2009 General Convention, we have exclusive, breaking news about the next Blue Book. Before, we alone broke the news of the book’s color. This year, the news is even more exciting.
It’s worth inviting people into this mystical journey of triumph, friendship, tenderness, betrayal, desolation, pain, death, grief, astonishment, and victory. It’s worth it because God is glorified, our faith is enriched, and people are drawn into a deeper relationship with our Lord.
I firmly believe that getting our social media presence right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good.
As disciples, we’re followers, and followers are always on the move. So a pretty good way to think of preaching is as a way to keep the followers moving, for Christ our leader is always challenging us to grow into the full stature of his likeness.
If we are going to share the gifts we have been given, we need to find effective ways to do this online. St. Paul wrote about being all things to all people, and that means meeting people online.
All it takes to have a great website for your church is the will to do it. If you have that, you can find a way. It might involve a little money, or a few contacts with experts…
I want us to put our best face forward, literally for the sake of the Gospel. My hope is to kindle a conversation and spur action that might help even a few congregations have better websites.