We, the Gathering Worship editorial team, would like to introduce ourselves to the whole Gathering Worship community! Get to know a bit about who’s behind the names that appear frequently on your page and screen—the people who put it all together. Meet Alydia Smith. What Brought Me to Worship Leadership...
Blessed Season of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, Gathering community, Many of us are starting to plan and prepare for the Advent and Christmas season. Luckily, the ACE issue of Gathering is packed full of great resources that you will want to mark as Favourites,* such as “Welcoming Children into the...
In the past three years, as discussions on mental health and wellness have become more prevalent, pithy sayings like “It’s okay to not be okay” have flooded social media streams. But the way social media has responded to women like Simone Biles, Meghan Markle, and Naomi Osaka, who choose to...
I am the vine; you are the branches “Don’t tear down an entire branch for one perfect fruit.” This is advice from my father, who, in his youth, often did just that for the perfect mango, killing the branch for one fruit. Perhaps this is why I resist the description...
Lenten Greetings and Happy Birthday GatheringWorship.ca! We have been online for about a year now, and with your feedback, support, and patience, we continue to grow our beloved online worship-planning tool. Thank you! For our first birthday, we would like to extend our deep gratitude to all of the amazing...
I do not believe that dismantling racism within the church is possible in my lifetime; like extracting flour from a cake already baked and ingested, it would literally tear us apart. Even though I will never experience a fully anti-racist church, I know that having one is possible and necessary...
Happy New Year! What are your plans for Lent and Easter this year? In Lent, I always plan to say no to something (fast) so that I can say yes to something else (feast). What do you hope to feast on? What are you thinking of fasting from? Here is...
“As the people were filled with expectation...” —Luke 3:15 I was 18, wearing a grey baby-doll sweater dress that belonged to my sister’s best friend. All my life, I had performed dance recitals and concerts and spoken publicly before many crowds, but I knew none of those crowds really expected...
I had a professor in seminary who always said that we had to train physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the Season of Advent and Christmas, otherwise the multiple demands might overwhelm us entirely. I wish you all the best as we begin to prepare and train for the season! And...
While in his nineties, the Rev. T., a preacher I admired, told me that he only had one sermon in him, which he developed about 40 variations on each year, depending on the liturgical season, biblical text, and the pastoral needs of his community. His sermon was one of assurance...
