If you want to make your Sunday morning services come alive, this remarkably inventive volume is exactly what you've been searching for. It's a terrific library of resources that takes the weekly lectionary texts and puts them into the mouths, ears, and hearts of the people. For each week there's a complete selection of written liturgical material (calls to worship, litanies, prayers, and benedictions) to supplement and strengthen your worship planning -- all specifically tailored to the day's scripture readings. But that's not all There's also a wealth of musical suggestions, including hymns chosen from a wide variety of denominational hymnals, psalm settings, and appropriate anthems for the choir. You'll even find ideas that draw upon the other creative arts (dance, art, drama) to glorify God and enhance worship. This is an outstanding exegesis of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving and Schifrin's fertile imagination produces practical worship material that engages the congregation and encourages active participation.
Amy C. Schifrin, the Seminary Pastor and Dean of the Chapel at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, has been a parish pastor in Saskatchewan, Arizona, North Dakota, South Dakota, and California. She holds a master's degree in music theory and composition from Northwestern University and an M.Div. degree from Luther Northwestern Seminary. Schifrin is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Arts, Worship, and Proclamation at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Her other published works include hymns and psalm settings as well as articles and book reviews in "Currents," "Word and World," "Dialog," and "The Lutheran."
Martha Shonkwiler is currently studying Art Therapy in the post-masters certificate program at Sonoma State University and the Spiritual Direction diploma program at San Francisco Theological Seminary to strengthen her emphasis of Healing through Art and Spirituality. She is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, where she earned her M.A. degree in Christian Ministry. A former elementary schoolteacher, Shonkwiler has participated on mission trips to Indonesia and El Salvador, and has also been active in ministry to the Hmong community in Fresno, California.