Category Archives: Worship

Is This What Happened When Churches Moved from Houses to Buildings?

Posted on October 14, 2020 by smaxreisert

At Old South, we are continuing our online existence.  Worship, meetings, gatherings, even pastoral care are all now remote, and mostly on Zoom.  Despite no community transmission of Covid in these parts, we’ve been reluctant to move to in-person gatherings.  … Continue reading →

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Be the Church: Protect the Environment

Posted on July 22, 2020 by smaxreisert

A Meditative Slideshow on Psalm 8, using “Out of the Mouths of Babes” by Silvia Purdie [http://www.conversations.net.nz/] and photos by Susan, Joseph, Margaret and John Reisert

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Easter Worship, In Captivity

Posted on April 16, 2020 by smaxreisert

The word that continues to loom large in my head, when I think of worship in this time of pandemic is the word “weird.”  It’s not an uncommon word, to be sure, and it’s not a terribly good word.  And, … Continue reading →

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Reflections on Hosanna

Posted on April 6, 2020 by smaxreisert

Homily for April 5, 2020, Palm Sunday                                                                    … Continue reading →

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Wondering About Words

Posted on October 4, 2019 by smaxreisert

A couple of weeks ago, I traveled to Venice, Italy with my daughter.  She’s living in Venice for a couple of months and interning at one of the museums.  I went with her to help her get settled and to … Continue reading →

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Old South the Musical or Old South the Opera?

Posted on May 4, 2019 by smaxreisert

Are we comedy or tragedy? One of the most important Sundays on the church calendar for me is the Sunday after Easter. That’s when I get the best sense of the state of the church I’ve served for almost fifteen … Continue reading →

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The Remarkable Sound of Silence

Posted on April 5, 2019 by smaxreisert

Many years ago, when I was a second year divinity school student trying to figure out what sort of ministry was the right path for me, I took a field education assignment at a local church, after a year spent … Continue reading →

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Creed-less

Posted on December 10, 2018 by smaxreisert

It was an interesting moment last week to have headlines involving Christian creeds and statements of faith. When’s the last time that happened? And, to witness various media outlets and late night talk show hosts struggle with what exactly a … Continue reading →

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Remembering—For Christians

Posted on December 9, 2016 by smaxreisert

This week, as I perused the various newspapers and news sources I typically look at every morning, I wasn’t surprised to find several pleas regarding the significance of “remembering.” More specifically, we were called to “remember” Pearl Harbor Day, December … Continue reading →

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The First Word of Advent: Hope

Posted on December 2, 2016 by smaxreisert

Old South’s worship last Sunday, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, included quite a few visitors. One visitor was a young man who came to worship by himself. He stayed for coffee and fellowship, so I had a chance to chat with … Continue reading →

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