
12 ways to conclude a worship service
None of us want to end a worship service in an awkward way. Here are 12 suggestions for a meaningful transition.
None of us want to end a worship service in an awkward way. Here are 12 suggestions for a meaningful transition.
Adobe Stock Photo. Do not publish.
For reasons beyond the scope of this post, my younger self went many years without reading anything not at least indirectly related to pastoral ministry or my Christian growth. Commentaries, works of theology, homiletics, and church leadership comprised the bulk of my reading. Biographies had to be missionary biographies…unless they were biographies of Christian athletes.
iStock
A bit of wise, if somewhat cliche, advice suggests, “God is in control, but He doesn’t expect you to lean on a shovel and pray for a hole.” The proverb suggests that the Lord’s sovereignty does not absolve people of their responsibility. And it is right.
iStock
Should we plan and prepare, or should we trust and obey? Yes, we should! As we seek to serve the Lord, any dichotomy we place between the two is a false one.
Motherhood is often the sipping of lukewarm coffee. It’s the crunch of Cheerios underfoot. It’s washing dishes and waking to wash dishes…again. Mothering leaves us exhausted. We work around the clock, and the laundry is still half-folded. When we’ve left careers, trade promotions, and external achievements for more time at home, this discouragement is compounded by the fear of not keeping up. In a productivity-driven society, the work of the home lacks the same prestige and influence we gain in our careers. To the world, an emphasis on home is a waste of education and talent.