Category Archives: Worship

Worship in Paris

Posted on August 30, 2016 by smaxreisert

This year’s family vacation took us to France. The first week was spent with extended family in eastern France, along parts of the Saone and the Rhone rivers. Then, my husband, children and I spent a few days in Paris … Continue reading →

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When the Small Church Shines

Posted on August 11, 2016 by smaxreisert

[Note:  I’ll be on vacation for the next couple of weeks and will take a brief break from this blog.] For the small church, it’s easy to get caught up in worries. Parishioners are fretful about the future, about our … Continue reading →

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Weddings and Church Buildings

Posted on July 7, 2016 by smaxreisert

Those who know me well know that I’m not a big fan of weddings, especially when I’m the one presiding over the event. I find that there’s usually too much emphasis on the “show,” and not so much on the … Continue reading →

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Let Go, But Hang On

Posted on September 11, 2015 by smaxreisert

It’s back to school time and time, in our household, to settle into a new routine. Our daughter is off at college, for her first year. Our son is a sophomore in high school.   And, my husband is getting back … Continue reading →

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Where Have All the Organists Gone?

Posted on September 5, 2015 by smaxreisert

At Old South, we are in search of a new organist/choir director. Our search is now several months old. In the first round, we had only a few applicants and only two that we thought were good candidates for Old … Continue reading →

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What Is Worship?

Posted on August 14, 2015 by smaxreisert

“If there’s no music, people won’t come.” That was the declaration. The conversation was about worship and, more precisely, what we are going to do about music next summer. The assessment: no music; no people. At Old South, we are … Continue reading →

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More Thoughts on Worship Illiteracy

Posted on October 12, 2013 by smaxreisert

I feel that it’s only fair to offer a few words on last Sunday’s attempt at another round of the “homework” that I mentioned last week. For the second week of “talking about worship to someone,” the response was dramatically … Continue reading →

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Worship Illiteracy

Posted on October 5, 2013 by smaxreisert

There are some Sundays when my thirty-minute commute home after worship is a difficult, disheartening experience. Last Sunday was one of those days, a commute that included an internal debate on why I do this work, as a pastor of … Continue reading →

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Hope in Worship

Posted on April 13, 2013 by smaxreisert

During Lent at Old South, we engaged in a little “spring cleaning,” thinking about aspects of our church life that are very meaningful to us, that we want to keep, as well as things that are no longer meaningful, that … Continue reading →

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