Ministry & Liturgy
magazine was created with integrated ministries in mind. For more than
37 years, ML has been an independent, thought-provoking source of ideas
and solutions for all ministers working in an ever-evolving church.
If you are looking for solid, practical ways to connect your ministries,
you need this resource.
In addition to features and
regular columns on topics of interest to the entire parish team — rites,
music, faith formation, Scripture, art and architecture, hospitality, and
many others — you will find valuable tools and inspiration in every issue.
Click
here to find out how to subscribe.
Click on a cover to link to its table of contents.
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June–July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010 – January 2011
ML 2010: What is church? In dynamic dialogue with
the people who are church, ML in its 37th year proposes to explore what
“church” means in the context of today’s tension. Editor Donna M. Cole
has asked a number of ML’s writers (and readers) to share what church means
to them, and she has used those initial responses to help build the content
of this year’s issues. ML will continue to ask the question throughout
the year from a continually expanding cross section of respondents in the
hope of seeking out what is truth in this question.
And with your spirit: Formation
of the assembly
Models for the emerging church:
Promises and threats
Fasting: A spiritual discipline
Through my most grievous fault:
Reconciliation in a post-conciliar church
Below you will
find tables of contents of recent issues.
December
2010 – January 2011 Volume 37 Number 10
In hope of sharing the
glory of God
Purchase & Download This Issue
(PDF format), $6
ON THE COVER:
Lenten Cross constructed
by Jimmy Hare for St. Martin of Tours Church, San Jose, Calif. Full story
on pages 7–8. Photo by John Duffy.
From
Inside
ML: In what moment does darkness
turn into light? Some darkness seems endless, resolving reluctantly through
shades of gray into a grudging lightness. Other darkness has hard edges
to it, exploding into sudden light, like a mountain sunrise. Or darkness
can seem to have its own identity, existing in balance with the light of
day. In that, the light emerges and recedes in a gentle cycle. Sometimes
it’s hard to tell how much of this has to do with our own perception and
how much of it has to do with the way the world unfolds. There is no question,
though, that a life lived fully in Christ entails embracing that edge of
darkness and light. The hope of sharing in the glory of God calls us out
of darkness, not alone, but as community. We are a community of hope. Faith
defines us; hope in Christ sustains us. Whatever else we are as church,
if we remove hope, we cease to be. (More)
FEATURES
Pledging Lent together: Year
A Paige Byrne Shortal Community Lenten discipline
A community takes up its
(Lenten) cross Elizabeth J. Asborno The work of human
hands
The profitable practice
of Lent William C. Graham Striving for eternal
life
"Mommy, where's my
Easter basket?" Mission Triduum: Creating
family-friendly holy days Paige Byrne Shortal Balancing ministry
and home life
ON THE COVER:
Station 13 (Descent from
the Cross) of "Fourteen Stations" by Rob Macdonnell, installed at St. Jerome's
Church, Brampton, Ontario. See all 14 stations at www.desmarais-robitaille.com.
From
Inside
ML: In ministry we encounter
predictable questions and complaints, one of which has to do with the Christmas
readings. Having spent many Christmas Eve–Christmas Day marathons ministering
to the overflowing assemblies at these liturgies, I often had to explain
why “the Christmas story” wasn’t told at a particular Mass. I understand
the many reasons why people crave a familiar, comforting story during this
season, and also why they may be disappointed when they fail to find what
they seek. But we are the keepers of more than just the joy of the season;
we are the keepers of the mystery. We proclaim the mystery of the incarnation,
and we acclaim our place in the lineage of God’s people as we pray our
way through the Christmas liturgies. In this way we come to know again
the wonder of God-with-us. (More)
FEATURES
A lector prepares Mary Catherine Bateson Forming relationships
through the word
Reconciliation: Encounters
with the incarnate Word Timothy J. Cronin Incarnational experience
of reconciliation
Recruit, retain, and develop
your team like Jesus did Michael J. Castrilli Servant leadership
in pastoral ministry
Forgiveness Joni Woelfel Companions in freedom.
From the Divine Adventures series for parishes.
ON THE COVER:
Station 11 of "Fourteen
Stations" by Rob Macdonnell, installed at St. Jerome's Church, Brampton,
Ontario. See all 14 stations at www.desmarais-robitaille.com.
From
Inside
ML: I recently received a message
from a reader inquiring about the reasoning behind last month’s cover (37:7,
September 2010). He was rather agitated, demanding to know whose “bright
idea” it was to use an image of a church in which there was an obvious
clash of cultures. It seemed to him that the church building had been constructed
or renovated recently, but then the parish received a new, conservative
pastor who layered a more traditional style on top of the existing space.
He may have been surprised with my reply. I said that I was glad that he
had written to share his thoughts, because his reaction is part of what
I was trying to evoke with that cover. What he (and others) may not have
realized is that every cover this year (except for May’s architecture issue)
has featured a cross. That symbol, that sacrifice, unites us. Everything
else is interpretive. The worship space this reader reacted so strongly
to was clearly imagined and designed with a relatively progressive worship
style in mind. Something happened to put a conservative spin on it, with
what appears to be not much concern for the impact this would have on the
space. There was probably little concern for the people as well. It illustrates
well the question of “what is church?” that we are grappling with in each
issue this year. That photo capturing two interpretations of what church
should be struggling for dominance in one worship space with the cross
of Christ suspended over it all made quite a point, I thought. (More)
FEATURES
A foot in the door: A community
modeled after Blessed Brother Andre Bessette, CSC Ron Raab Blessed Brother Andre's
impact
A voice, a chime, a chant
sublime: Answering the calls of justice and peace Ada Simpson Peace and true catholic
charity
Yesterday, today, forever:
God's universal outreach to humanity Todd Flowerday Christ present in
every moment
Called to write: Encouragement
for ministers of the written word Joni Woelfel Support for faith
writers
ON THE COVER:
St. Francis of Assisi Church,
Bend, Ore. Robert G. Becker, AIA, Becker Architects, Bellevue, Wash. (rgb@beckerarch.com)
From
Inside
ML: God’s church, the holy people
called God’s own, may be described in many ways and defined by a few. Throughout
this year in ML we have pondered many dimensions of what it means to be
church. One of the more challenging models of church is that of “mystical
communion.” It incorporates elements of other models, connects faith with
mission and touches on vocation. Beyond all of that, it connects all those
who are one in Christ throughout time, calling on the sense that faith
provides in order to understand that which our ordinary perception fails
to discern. It offers an equality disturbing to some but is surely a reflection
of what we are all called to be for one another. It demands that we be
one. Of all the ways we can think about church, approaching it as “mystical
communion” holds deep hope in a time when so much in the world is unsettled.
Avery Dulles, SJ, in reflecting on this, notes that “many of the Church
Fathers, including Augustine, develop the image of the Body of Christ with
particular stress on the mystical and invisible communion that binds together
all those who are enlivened by the grace of Christ” (Models of the Church
[Doubleday,
1987], 50–51). (More)
FEATURES
Welcoming the (illegal) stranger Kathi Scarpace Immigration and conscience
Seven lessons from the
Camino William C. Graham God of the journey
Anam cara: Church rooted
in mystical communion Jean Marie DuHamel Soul friends
Those who are a part of
me Leisa Anslinger A spirituality of
communion
ON THE COVER:
Chapel Cross by Stephen
A. Wilson (www.stephenwilsonstainedglass.com),
installed at Calkins Chapel, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston.
Photo by Cynthia Ford Meyer.
From
Inside
ML:
Prayer stands before
God as an honored ambassador. It gives joy to the spirit, peace to the
heart. I speak of prayer, not words. It is the longing for God, love too
deep for words, a gift not given by man but by God’s grace. The apostle
Paul says: We do not know how we are to pray but the Spirit himself pleads
for us with inexpressible longings. (St. John Chrysostom, bishop, Supp.
Hom: 6 De precatione: PG 64, 462–466)
Prayer is what draws us into
the experience of life as a sacred encounter with God. Through it, we are
able to witness as living signs of the holiness to which God has called
each of us. In the light of scandal in our church, with tensions high,
in the face of so much disillusionment, now is a time for prayer too deep
for the shallow words heard too long from too many pulpits. Predictably,
we hear the call to return to church, to “come home” to the sacraments.
As if confession were source and summit of our Christian identity rather
than baptism, we hear loudly and boldly of the saving grace of penance.
But what of the other sacraments? When communion and matrimony are wielded
as weapons, our integrity as a community suffers. When even the dignity
of a funeral is denied to some, we are injured as a people. (More)
FEATURES
iRevelation: Plugged in to
the sacred Donna M. Cole Retreating from connectivity
Salesian spirituality
for corporate America (part 2) Michael Castrilli Servant-leadership
for business
Unexpected blessings Joni Woelfel Blessings in grief.
(From the series "A divine adventure
story for parishes")
Who do you say I AM Jean Marie DuHamel Holy relationships
ON THE COVER:
Suspended cross by Alexander
Tylevich. Installed at St. Francis de Sales Church, Morgantown, W.V.
Bronze, 13 feet in height.
To see more of this artist's
work, visit www.hillstream.com.
From
Inside
ML: These words from John 14:1 are encouraging, but how hard we struggle
with them. We find so much to be troubled about. Economic hardship, catastrophic
natural events, violence, war, intolerance, disease, loss, and loneliness
are just a few of the many things troubling our hearts. It’s right and
just that these and other tragedies should touch our hearts, that they
should indeed pass through our church doors spread wide in welcome. Our
hearts should be open to the suffering in our midst as well as the joy.(More)
FEATURES
Playing and singing through
the sadness Gordon E. Truitt Countering sorrow
through song
The Holy Order of Misfits
Club: Support for the depressed (A divine adventure story for parishes) Joni Woelfel Helping the hopeless
Salesian spirituality
for corporate America (part 1) Michael Castrilli Toward balance in
the workplace
Threefold longevity of
the St. Louis Jesuits' music Elizabeth A. Elliott Enduring nature of
a musical form
From
Inside
ML: Where we live says a lot about us. Our homes reflect who we are,
what’s important to us, who we aspire to be, and what we do there. They
may say different things to a dear friend than to a stranger or have a
different feel to an invited guest than to someone who happens on the doorstep,
but there are always signs within about who dwells there. Some homes are
untended, in constant disarray; no one spends more time there than is absolutely
necessary. Other homes are full of activity, places to which people are
drawn by the promise of good times. A home can appear from the outside
to be something quite different than what it is on the inside, the homeowners
projecting an image inconsistent with the reality of their own circumstances.
Some homes are centers of family celebrations, the places where memories
are made, where generations gather, where stories are told and retold.
So it is with church buildings. (More)
FEATURES
Proclaimed, celebrated, and
lived: Two buildings, one church Where liturgy finds
its home
St. Aloysius: A tent for
a pilgrim people G. Scott Shaffer Housing the presence
of God
Our Lady of the Most Holy
Trinity A church that teaches
ON THE COVER:
Alexander Tylevich's "Tree
of Wisdom" on the Regis University campus in Denver. To see more photos,
click here.
From
Inside
ML: The concept of “church as servant” surfaces readily as we continue
to explore and reflect on the church’s many dimensions. Service is an appealing
attribute, and in theory, it is one area on which most in the church can
agree. However, when we come to the question of how each person is called
to serve, and how that service is carried out in practice, that conversation
escalates to heated debate. The echoes of that are heard from parish to
monastery as the way we live out the gospel command is tolerated in some
cases, supported in others, and sometimes vigorously challenged. On occasion
we may be very good at serving others but have yet to develop the maturity
or humility to let others serve us. Servanthood should be a very simple
thing, but our human nature seems determined to make it more complicated
than it should be. (More)
FEATURES
Rites for victims Paul G. Mast Reconsecration of
abuse victims
Serving those who serve
the word Bruce Janiga and John
D. Berry Logos Bible Software
Someone else's clothing Ron Raab Clothing and identity
Guided meditation as a
stress management tool for support groups: How one parish is coping with
the economic crisis Mary Lou Devlin Ministry to the unemployed
ON THE COVER:
Chapel of the Transfiguration,
Jackson, Wyo.
From
Inside
ML: As we continue to explore the question “What is church?” it is
important to listen for the many voices offering perspective. Bishop Matthew
Clark of Rochester, N.Y., in speaking of pastoral challenges, asserts that
it is crucial that we not mistake our own life experience for the fullness
of truth. He stresses that it is necessary to be always open to the possibilities
offered by a broader reality than that presented by what seems comfortable
and right in our own lives. (More)
FEATURES
Toward a new model of church:
Balancing dysfunctional family with community of caregivers Paul G. Mast Ecclesiological shift
Take and eat, take and
drink, all of you: Living out Christ's commandment of love Mary Amore Invitation to loving
discipleship
What church is Paul Turner Understanding church
identity
The spirituality of hospitality
and dialogue in the church Aurelie A. Hagstrom Mediating God's saving
grace
ON THE COVER:
Traditional-style cross
at Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church, Little Falls, N.J.
From
Inside
ML: Who do we say we are? How we answer that question says a lot about
how we perceive the world around us and our relationship in community.
How we recognize the Christ living in us and manifest in others is based
on this. The way we understand creation and our place in it depends on
this. Asking the question “What is church?” is something we should do more
often, and as something more than an academic exercise. Right now this
question is of critical importance as we see different ways of worship,
different models of community life, and different languages causing conflict
to the very breaking point of the church. A sort of spiritual violence
erupts and suddenly foundations no longer seem so firm. The late Cardinal
Avery Dulles, SJ, spoke wisely of this, in words that might have been spoken
today, “When paradigms shift, people suddenly find the ground cut out from
under their feet. They cannot begin to speak the new language without already
committing themselves to a whole new set of values that may not be to their
taste. Thus they find themselves gravely threatened in their spiritual
security” (Models of the Church, Exp Rei ed. [New York: Image, 1991],
31).(More)
FEATURES
What is church? The state of the question
Grieving the Holy Spirit:
Not a job description for the community of disciples Timothy Backous and William
C. Graham Stretching toward
the reign of God
A preview of coming attractions:
How the reintroduction of the Tridentine rite will guide the new age William C. Graham Model for the emerging
church
Church: A divine adventure
story for parishes Joni Woelfel Storytelling church
issues
