This high and holy season is a favorite in many communities. Join the Worship Team from Discipleship Ministries as they discuss resources for Advent with an experiential emphasis as again we are invited to “Come, Let Us Adore Him” this season. And then hear how we launch a new calendar year with reflections on what it means to be community with “Re-Membering the Body” for Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord Sunday and then “Where You Are” a reflective reorienting of self and congregation for Ordinary Time.

One of the most popular features on the Discipleship Ministries website is the ongoing series History of Hymns. These insightful articles give worship planners and music lovers a deeper look into our favorite hymns for worship. The editor and most frequent writer of the History of Hymns is Dr. C. Michael Hawn, DMA, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church Music, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. He joined Perkins faculty in 1992 and retired from fulltime status in 2017. Previously he was professor of church music at two Baptist seminaries for a total of 15 years. In addition to teaching, he has served churches in Kentucky, Georgia, North Caolina and Texas as minister of music. In addition to over 500 articles, reviews books and curriculum materials, Dr. Hawn began writing the “History of Hymns” in 2004 for The United Methodist Reporter and now for Discipleship Ministries. Join us for this lively conversation, full of stories and music with Dr. Michael Hawn.

Dr. Diana Sanchez-Bushong, Executive Director of Worship Ministries and Director of Music Ministries, discusses the project to vet contemporary music for its theological soundness and appropriateness for worship in United Methodist congregations. Joining her are two members of the 2024 team – Dr. Nelson Cowan, Project Manager; and Felicia Patton – both United Methodist musicians and worship leaders working in the church. Join us to learn about the criteria and process in this vital project for modern worship in The United Methodist Church.

Joining Dr. Derek Weber, Director of Preaching Ministries for this episode is the Rev. Sara McKinley, formerly Director of the Office of Clergy Excellence at the Florida Conference Center in Lakeland and now Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Naples Florida. Sara was born in England, raised in Africa, worked in the Far East, traveled extensively throughout the world, and chose to live in the United States. Before her call to ordained ministry, she worked in the juvenile court system in Worcester, MA; international corporate business in the U.S and the Far East; and co-owned a graphic design business in Florida for 12 years. She has degrees from the University of Bristol, England; Clark University, Worcester, MA; and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. As a part of the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, Sara and a team of pastors and theologians developed worship resources called Wesleyan Rooted, https://www.wesleyanrooted.org/. These free resources are available outside the Florida Conference and are a part of the movement to reclaim our identity and roots as a Wesleyan rooted denomination. Listen in as we share more details about the resources and the creating team’s vision for the project.

In this episode, Diana Sanchez-Bushong and Lisa Hancock interview Becky Posey Williams, Senior Director of Sexual Ethics and Advocacy for the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCOSROW), and Rev. Stephanie Arnold, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama, about their work planning and hosting a Service of Lament, Confession, and Hope for survivors of sexual misconduct, which was held during General Conference. They also discuss the resolution that passed at General Conference requiring that all annual conferences read an apology to survivors of sexual misconduct at their next meeting and the work ahead as GCOSROW continues to train and advocate for ethical conduct in The United Methodist Church. You can find the full text of the apology here. The full liturgy for the Service of Lament, Confession, and Hope is available in English, French, and Portuguese here. You can hear Bishop LaTrelle Easterling’s sermon on ending violence against women at General Conference here.

Ordinary Time is anything but! At least that is the choice before us. In this episode, the Worship Team introduces the first two worship series after Pentecost for this long summer season we call Ordinary Time. Ascribe to God begins on Trinity Sunday and reminds us of some of the attributes of the God we worship. That is then followed by Open Your Heart, a short series based on 2 Corinthians and is Paul’s invitation for us to be vulnerable as we worship God together. We are invited to open our hearts to God, to one another and to the world as disciples of Jesus Christ. Join us for this lively conversation on worship in Ordinary Time.

Sustaining the glow after Easter Sunday has passed is always a struggle for the local congregation. The Worship Team shares the resources prepared for more of Eastertide and looks forward to another celebration of Pentecost. Last episode we presented the resources for the first three weeks after Easter in a collaboration with members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement (See Worship Matters Episode 101). Now we continue with another three weeks with a series called “How Shall We Love.” Central to our Christian witness is the command to love God and love neighbor. But what should that love look like in our own context? Join us as we share these resources. And then let’s plan for a grand and glorious Pentecost Sunday, with “These Bones Shall Live,” a weaving of Ezekiel and Acts to tell the story we need to hear today.

Eastertide makes an early appearance this year, giving us the opportunity to spend the first half of this season of Resurrection preparing for Earth Day, which also happens to be the Fourth Sunday of Easter. In this episode, Lisa Hancock interviews members of the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement who were part of a team who wrote many of the worship resources for our Eastertide series, “How Shall We Live.” Tune in to learn more about these worship resources, as well as tools and ideas for integrating creation justice into worship throughout the year!

If you would like to learn more and get involved in the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, you can find more information here: https://umcreationjustice.org/. You can also find more worship resources developed by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement here: https://umcreationjustice.org/library/.

The worship team takes a moment to reflect on the Worship Matters podcast – how it started, what we were trying to accomplish, and what we have learned along the way. We share our favorite episodes and guests, special events, and how Covid and the ongoing disaffiliation impact all redirected some of our content along the way. Listen as the team shares some of the outgrowths of the podcast, leading to Prayers for Anti-racism, the worship webinars, hymnal project updates, Hey Preacher resources, disability ministry, and many other current and future projects were podcast conversations on Worship Matters. Join us for this lighthearted anniversary edition of Worship Matters.

The season of Lent begins on Valentine’s Day in 2024. It seems a strange juxtaposition and yet a perfect opportunity to spend time reflecting on Depths of Love, which is our Lenten theme. Far from a hearts and flowers expression, the love presented in the Gospels gives us insight into the God we worship and the calling we have to live out this love by the commandment to love one another. Join the worship team as we discuss the possibilities for this important season and get us ready for Holy Week and the glorious celebration of Easter to come.