Authors: Gathering Worship Resource

Introduction Extemporaneous prayer means praying without the whole prayer being written out in full form to read. It is a part of many cultures and practised by many people. Some people are able to pray extemporaneously quite naturally, relying on the Spirit to guide them. Others are terrified of being...

Stemming from its roots in the Jewish tradition, Christianity has always practised cultural appropriation. Once Christianity was embraced by the Roman Empire, cultural appropriation became a way of life for Christians. For example, Easter was named after the European springtime goddess Eostre and Christ’s birth was celebrated at the time...

We have gathered your wisdom and your learnings from the Covid pandemic worship and congregational experience. In this Exploring section, you will find common threads and some surprising reflections. In this section, we also introduce Rob Fennel & Russel Day's work on the seven purposes of being church, based on...

Wild Church, a.k.a. Forest Church, is a gradually emerging movement in which the outdoors, God’s creation, is not a backdrop to worship but a participant and indeed a worship leader. Drawing on ancient wisdom, the Wild Church movement engages people in the grace-filled connection, immersion, restoration, and wonder experienced when...

On Saturday, October 24, 2020, the Commissioners of the 43rd General Council voted to declare the intention that The United Church of Canada become an anti-racist church. Yet, as Moderator, the Right Reverend Richard Bott added, “This doesn’t mean that we have achieved this goal.” The United Church first acknowledged...

If you are considering the imposition of ashes for the first time, there are a few pastoral concerns to keep in mind. Ashes are traditionally made from the palms used on the previous year’s Palm/Passion Sunday. Only a few strips are needed to produce sufficient ash. Cut the strips into...