Personal Worship (Page 16)

Hey, Church! Recently, Pastor Tom has been challenging our staff to cultivate joy, which is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. There is not a whole lot, in the worldly sense, to be joyful about right now! If anything, it feels like the world around us is becoming increasingly angry and hopeless. As a result of the encompassing darkness, Tom observes, we have a unique…

Hey, Church! Man! People are AMPED UP out there! Am I right? After a short drive to the Dunkin in which I sit to write some encouragement to you all now, my adrenaline is surging as if I were being stared down by a grizzly bear. All I did was drive! Sitting in the air-conditioning, in no hurry at all, I was assaulted by one seething driver after another. On the bright…

Hey, Church! One of the easiest ways you can prepare for worship each weekend is to listen through the songs we will sing together. Put them in a playlist and set it to repeat until you are familiar enough with the melody and lyrics to sing along. With each listen, make it more personal so that you can sing it authentically to God.  Remember that YOU are the worship team…

Hey, Church! Last week, we read the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed during our Maundy Thursday service as part of a corporate confession. Much like the better-known Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed was authored by our Christian forefathers as a response to a contemporary misreading of Scripture that led many to adopt a heretical view of God. When it was written in…

Dear Rio Family, We hope that you have been experiencing a blessed Holy Week and you’ve had opportunity to attend our Holy Week services. As you prepare your hearts for Resurrection Sunday tomorrow, we encourage you to participate in the Holy Saturday Vigil tonight. If you are able, we invite you to come to the worship center and do so. (A note about that. The…