John D. Witvliet

Q

Q As we prepare for Holy Week, I am struck by the increasing challenge of exploring the profound meaning of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection in a community with relatively little knowledge of the Bible. What advice do you have for retooling our approaches to worship in light of biblical illiteracy? A

Q Our church rarely uses the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds. I miss them. Why can’t we use them more? Q

Funeral planning is a growing pastoral challenge. Even ten years ago, families mostly left planning to the pastor, who worked to personalize each service. Now, families often make requests of the pastor—but many don’t fit well in a Christian funeral. So how might pastors respond wisely to such requests and even proactively avoid them?

Q We involve a few of our high schoolers in worship, especially those with musical gifts. What ideas do you have for engaging other young people? A

In RW 129 I began a response to the following question: Q Our church is redesigning its website and asked for our worship team’s help with including materials related to worship. What advice does RW have? A

Q Our church is redesigning its website and asked for our worship team’s help with including materials related to worship. What advice does RW have? A

Q I am a fan of short songs in worship—simple songs that don’t take a lot of rehearsal. No one on my praise team is all that interested in this. Help me convince them A I am happy to take a crack at this! Short songs (coritos) offer much:

Q Our church celebrates Christmas and Easter, but not the rest of the year. We are bit perplexed by the long stretch from Pentecost to Advent. Help us understand. Q What should we name the season after Pentecost? We debate this every year and never quite arrive at consensus.

Q We are struggling in our ministry with many people in our congregation who have mental health concerns. We have responded to this pastorally, but not really in worship. Are there resources for engaging this in worship? A