Worship

The Apostle Paul’s correspondence with the church at Corinth occupied a great deal of Paul’s time and energy. The two letters (and nearly thirty chapters) to the Corinthians that we have in the New Testament are just a part of a larger correspondence. Paul had to write as much as he did because, not unlike congregations today, the church at Corinth had many struggles, many concerns, and questions as to what it means to live into a baptized identity in Christ. When Paul addressed his beloved Corinthians in what we call 2 Corinthians, he took care to lay out what it means to be people of a New Covenant in Christ and that a major part of that New Covenant is the need to be reconciled to one another across all of our differences and all of our "jars of clay" frailties. Only through reconciliation in and through Christ can we become God’s new people, ambassadors of God’s grace to a hurting world as we spread the sweet aroma of love and unity to and among all people.

Schedule

2 Corinthians 1:1-11: The Comfort of God

Timothy Blackmon

2 Corinthians 2:12-3:6: The New Covenant

Pablo Jiménez

2 Corinthians 4:1-12: God's All-Surpassing Power

Meg Jenista

2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2: The Ministry of Reconciliation

M. Craig Barnes, Shadyside Presbyterian Church

God's All-Surpassing Power

Meg Jenista

Journeying to the Light: A Pilgrimage of Prayer and Praise

One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: Psalms that Sing the Church's Mission

Michael Hawn, Southern Methodist University
William N. Heard
Jorge Lockward
Martin Tel, Princeton Theological Seminary

What a joy to gather with Christians from all over the world in this Symposium! In this service, we will sing music that expresses our joy and our calling to live and work together as part of Christ’s body in the world. We will pay attention to way that biblical Psalms express all four of these key themes, centuries before these four marks of the church came together in the Nicene Creed. The songs and prayers in this service could be used on almost any occasion, but would be especially poignant during celebrations of Pentecost.

Prayer Around the Cross for the Healing of the Nations: A Candlelight Liturgy of Scripture, Silence, and Simple Song

Susan Briehl
Tom Witte

Join us for this contemplative evening prayer service, set in the darkness, as we gather around a large map of the world, with the cross—our Tree of Life—at its center, to pray for nations, places, and peoples in need of healing, hope, and peace. Note: Workshop C6, Prayer around the Cross: Unpacking the Liturgies is being offered to help participants think about how to offer these kind of liturgies in their own setting.

Singing the Story: Hymns for Holy Week

David Cherwien, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
Awet Andemicael

Congregational singing invites us to not just think about the events of Holy Week, but to become participants in unfolding drama of Christ’s passion and resurrection. Through song we explore what it means to be united with Christ in his dying and rising (Rom. 6:4). Come ready to sing the story of the events that unfold from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with songs from Lift Up Your Hearts (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2013), and to prepare your hearts for your own shaping of Holy Week services this coming spring.

The Beauty of Christ

Miranda Dodson

"We've Come This Far by Faith:" Our Story, Our Song

Emmett G. Price III, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
James Abbington, Candler School of Theology

This Vesper/Prayer Service will feature the inspiring prayers, songs, and readings from the African American worship tradition past and present.