Strong Center Open Doors
Strong Center Open Doors is devoted to taking liturgy out of the box through:
  • Articles, resources & links for liturgy
  • Consulting by arrangement
  • On line worship and liturgy courses
  • Author-Reader dialogue
Taking Liturgy Out of the Box

"Liturgy" is not a four letter word.
Many have put what they imagine
liturgy to be in a box and set it on
a shelf in favor of other
approaches to worship. But
maybe, in this post-modern,
post-Christian,
post-denominational time, the
Spirit is waiting for courageous
people and congregations to see
and explore "the work of the
people." I
host this site to provide
pastors, priests, musicians, and
other worship leaders with a place
to think, reflect and connect with
worship that is centered around
the central things of the Christian
faith and, at the same time, be
radically open to the hurt and
hope of the world.
Worship resources,
links, commentary and
learning liturgy
I teach online courses on
sacramental leadership
and renovating worship
spaces, consult with
worship leaders and
congregations, and
support my books and
publications with author-
reader dialogue, links and
value-added resources.
See "About This Site" for
more background.

Upcoming events and
courses:

  • April 7-12, 2008
    Spiritual Formation
    Academy #27 Bon
    Secours Spiritual
    Center near
    Baltimore, MD. I will
    be one of the two
    faculty for this
    session. For
    information on the
    SFA, click here.
  • July 28-August 2
    Sacred Music
    Summer
    Conference at
    Virginia Wesleyan
    College. Dan
    Benedict will be the
    day lecturer on July
    30 focusing on how
    liturgy shapes us
    and liturgical space.
Copyright ©2007 Daniel T. Benedict, Jr.
All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Strong Center Open Doors
Patterned by Grace news:
  • For a Q&A with Daniel Benedict
    in the United Methodist
    Reporter click here.
  • Patterned by Grace: How Liturgy
    Shapes Us is now available.
    Order from Cokesbury or The
    Upper Room Bookstore. For
    more on this book see the
    content menu bar on the left.
  • Liturgy Out of the Box online
    workshop is now finished, but I
    would be happy to host another
    one. If you would like to be in a
    future workshop contact the
    author.
What's New

  • See Dean McIntyre's informative
    commentary (# 188 and 189) on
    the proposed UM hymnal.
  • The United Methodist Church
    decides to create a new hymnal  
    for Church in the US. For more
    details click here. Be sure to see
    related articles and news stories
    at bottom left of linked page.
    Delegates also approved a four-
    year study of the issues
    around developing an
    Africana hymnal and
    appointment of a committee to
    conduct the study and report its
    findings to General Conference
    2012.
  • New book Beyond Smells and
    Bells: The Wonder and Power
    of Christian Liturgy by Mark
    Galli (Paraclete Press). For an
    interview with Mark click here.
  • Hymnal research and report
    made public as The United
    Methodist Church prepares to act
    on recommendations at it April
    2008 General Conference.
  • Check out changes on the
    Baptism & Initiation page,
    including the link to EnVision's
    image slide show of baptismal
    fonts and pools.
  • Living into the Mystery: A United
    Methodist Guide for Celebrating
    Holy Communion is the first of a
    three-volume series of print and
    video resources that provide
    guidance for the ritual
    performance of worship for United
    Methodist pastors, pastors in
    training and congregations. The
    other two print volumes now
    under development are “Living
    into the Covenant” (services of
    the baptismal covenant, print
    release 2008) and “Living All Our
    Days” (marriage, death and
    resurrection, daily prayer,
    healing, print release 2009).
  • Virtual Tour of The Cathedral of
    Our Lady of the Angeles, Los
    Angeles CA.  
An invitation: If you see anything
on this site that you believe is in
error or that would be strengthen
by additional information or links,
please use the "Contact Me" page
or my email at
stlukebysea@yahoo.com and
offer your correction or addition. I
will take it into consideration and
gladly get back to you with a
response and thanks for your
participation in the work of this
website.
Calendar and Resources
Click here for resources for the following days on
the liturgical and cultural calendar.

  • May 18 Trinity Sunday
  • May 25 Second Sunday after Pentecost/Ordinary Time
  • June 1 Third Sunday after Pentecost/Ordinary Time
  • June 1, 2008 Ordinary Time/Third Sunday after Pentecost
  • June 8, 2008 Ordinary Time/Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
  • June 15, 2008 Ordinary Time/Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
  • June 22, 2008 Ordinary Time/Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
  • June 29, 2008 Ordinary Time/Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
  • July 6, 2008 Ordinary Time/Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
  • July 13, 2008 Ordinary Time/Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
  • July 20, 2008 Ordinary Time/Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
  • July 27, 2008 Ordinary Time/Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

As you plan for the fall consider inserting the Season of
Creation in the September and early October weeks. For
wonderful planning resources, including a special lectionary
table, worship services, and theological commentary go to
Season of Creation.
.
What do you see in this picture? What do you feel as you look at this worship space?
What does it say? What is central, clear and strong? What is confusing? Missing?
Overwhelming? Liturgical space, furnishings, and arrangements speak powerfully,
sometimes supporting the gospel and sometimes contradicting it. Look at your
worship space asking "How does this space and its furnishings match our sense of
God's mission and message? What do we need to reconsider in light of our
emerging sense of the good news in this congregation and community?

Photo by Glenn Reed. Used with permission. Church: Covina United Methodist Church (Covina
CA)  built in the mid-60's
"God saw everything that God had made, and
indeed it was very good." And what does God
see now? A planet in peril? Earth and its
creatures suffering? Christians are beginning to
awaken to their vocation of stewardship of the
earth. Now is a good time to explore the worship
resources for facing the ecological crisis  with
the risen Christ.
  • For a reprint of my article, "Season of
    Creation--Expanding the Christian
    Calendar?" from Worship Arts, click here.
  • For the Season of Creation website click
    here. You will find a wealth of interpretive
    helps and well developed worship
    resources for the season.
New
Bishops Gregory Palmer and Janice Huie preside at
the General Conference's opening Eucharist. For
the first time the altar-table was placed in the midst
of the nearly 1000 delegates from around the
world. Photo with permission and courtesy of
United Methodist Communications. A UMNS photo
by Paul Jeffrey. Phot #GC0058. April 23, 2008. For
more on the UM General Conference
click here.