Worship Library Essays & Blog
Explore over three hundred curated essays on the Christian year, ancient-future worship, sacramental practice, and sacred music.
Unity Through Worship
The community of faith is a place of worship. In worship, unity and healing recur as the church remembers that the community was born of a divine act of deliverance. As the ch…
The Daily Office for October 18, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Jonah 3:1-4:11 Psalm Psalm 18 New Testament Acts 27:27-44 Gospel Luke 9:18-27 Reflection As Paul and the other prisoners drifted across the Me…
The Daily Office for October 9, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Micah 1:1-9 Psalm Psalm 121 New Testament Acts 23:12-24 Gospel Luke 7:1-17 Reflection Capernaum, on the northwest shore of Galilee, was Jesus’…
The Daily Office for October 6, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Hosea 11:1-9 Psalm Psalm 108 New Testament Acts 22:17-29 Gospel Luke 6:27-38 Reflection Today's Old Testament reading from Hosea portrays Isra…
The Daily Office for September 12, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 29:1 Job 30:1-2 Job 30:16-31 Psalm Psalm 119:49-72 New Testament Acts 14:19-28 Gospel John 11:1-16 Reflection Psalm 119 is dedicated to th…
The Daily Office for September 5, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 12:1 Job 14:1-22 Psalm Psalm 38 New Testament Acts 12:18-25 Gospel John 8:47-59 Reflection In Psalm 38 David confesses his sin and cries t…
The Daily Office for June 23, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 87 Numbers 13:31-14:25 Romans 3:9-20 Matthew 19:1-12 Reading (Psalm 87) Psalm 87 Reflection The world is full of promises. You know, for things like sure-fire…
The Daily Office for June 13, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 72 Ecclesiastes 9:11-18 Galatians 5:1-15 Matthew 16:1-12 Reading (Matthew 16:1-12) Matthew 16:1-12 Reflection God is concerned with our physical well-being – …
The Daily Office for June 3, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 146 Job 38:1-11 Revelation 19:4-6 John 1:29-34 Reading (John 1:29-34) John 1:29-34 Reflection You’ve probably heard the adage “God helps those who help themse…
The Daily Office for May 24, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 105:1-22 Zechariah 4:1-14 Ephesians 4:17-32 Matthew 9:1-8 Reading (Ephesians 4:17-32) Ephesians 4:17-32 Reflection That church down the street from yours is a…
The Daily Office for May 7, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 56 Leviticus 16:1-19 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 6:1-15 Reading (Psalm 56) Psalm 56 Reflection Our talents, abilities, opportunities and gifts all come fr…
The Daily Office for May 1, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 45 Exodus 32:21-34 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 5:11-16 Reading (1_Thessalonians 1:1-10) 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Reflection Are you sitting down? Then you’re…
The Daily Office for April 23, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 25 Exodus 18:13-27 1 Peter 5:1-14 Matthew 1:1-17 Reading (Psalm 25) Psalm 25 Reflection In this era of fast food, convenience stores and microwaveable meals, …
The Daily Office for March 1, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 119:49-72 Genesis 37:25-36 1 Corinthians 2:1-13 Mark 1:29-45 Reading (Mark 1:29-45) Mark 1:29-45 Reflection Notice in our Gospel reading that when Jesus went …
The Daily Office for February 23, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 37:1-18 Habakkuk 3:1-18 Philippians 3:12-21 John 17:1-8 Reading (Habakkuk 3:1-18) Habakkuk 3:1-18 Reflection This prayer ( tepilah in Hebrew or song of praise…
The Daily Office for February 15, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 101 Genesis 31:15-50 1 John 2:12-17 John 10:1-18 Reading (1_John 2:12-17) 1 John 2:12-17 Reflection As today's Epistle reading opens John is not, of course, w…
The Daily Office for February 12, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 66 Genesis 29:20-35 1 Timothy 3:14-4:10 Mark 10:23-31 Reading (1_Timothy 3:14-4:10) 1 Timothy 3:14-4:10 Reflection In 1 Timothy 4 we read: "Now the Spirit exp…
The Daily Office for February 4, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 75 Genesis 24:28-51 Hebrews 12:12-29 John 7:14-36 Reading (Hebrews 12:12-29) Hebrews 12:12-29 Reflection Beginning in verse 14 of our reading today the athlet…