{"id":306582,"date":"2020-11-27T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T12:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/the-beauty-of-liturgy\/"},"modified":"2020-11-27T07:00:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T12:00:04","slug":"the-beauty-of-liturgy","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-beauty-of-liturgy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beauty of Liturgy"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Douglas Kaine McKelvey shares how we can practice the presence of Christ through the use of liturgical prayers, not just in church, but in our homes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/mp3.familylife.com\/fl2020-11-27.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:26:26","filesize":"24.2M","filesize_raw":"25372549","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822],"tags":[2210],"podcast_series":[8297],"cwp_profile":[9552],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-306582","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","tag-prayer","podcast_series-every-moment-holy","cwp_profile-douglas-kaine-mckelvey","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/306582\/the-beauty-of-liturgy","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/306582\/the-beauty-of-liturgy","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"WYn1Stnbuy\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-beauty-of-liturgy\/\">The Beauty of Liturgy<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-beauty-of-liturgy\/embed\/#?secret=WYn1Stnbuy\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;The Beauty of Liturgy&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"WYn1Stnbuy\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Douglas Kaine McKelvey shares how we can practice the presence of Christ through the use of liturgical prayers, not just in church, but in our homes.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2020-11-27.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Friday, November 27<sup>th<\/sup>. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson; I\u2019m Bob Lepine. You can find us online at FamilyLifeToday.com. Are there some mundane moments ahead for you today?\u2014moments where you could pause and ask the question, \u201cHow can I find God in this moment and worship Him here?\u201d We\u2019re going to explore that today with Doug McKelvey. Stay with us. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us on the Friday edition. One of our goals, as moms and dads\u2014really, one of our goals, for all of us, as believers in Christ\u2014is to\u2014I\u2019m thinking of the phrase from Brother Andrew: \u201c\u2026to practice the presence of Christ in our lives.\u201d That\u2019s an interesting phrase, \u201cpractice the presence,\u201d because we know God is always with us; but our awareness of His presence with us is something that ebbs and flows. To the extent that we are aware of the presence of Christ and are remembering that, it helps us walk in the Spirit; don\u2019t you think? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It\u2019s acknowledging His presence. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I think to practice the presence, you have to stop; at least, I do. You can run, run, run; rush, rush, rush. Even with a digital device in your hand, it becomes something that just pulls your attention away. I think, for me, I have to pause; focus the mind, focus the heart and pause. And that\u2019s where we are headed today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> It really is forcing us to do that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> We\u2019re talking, this week, about how we practice the presence\u2014as a family in our homes\u2014how we make every moment holy. That\u2019s the title of a book written by Doug McKelvey, who is joining us on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>, again, this week. Doug, welcome back. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Yes; thank you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you write this for families or for individuals?\u2014or did you have groups in mind or people in mind when you wrote the book, <em>Every Moment Holy<\/em>? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I hoped that, ultimately, it would be a book that could serve individuals, families, married couples, church groups; but my secret hope was always that it would really resonate as a tool for families to incorporate into the rhythm of their daily lives. I hoped that, regardless of the particular family circumstances, that there would be a number of the liturgies within the book that would just make sense to any given family as ones that they could incorporate, in a natural way, into the rhythm of their lives together. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe most exciting idea to me, as I wrote the book, was that, maybe, there would be kids who would begin to take ownership of some of these liturgies\u2014that, when the electricity goes off, it\u2019s the six-year-old, who says, \u201cHey, can we do the liturgy for the loss of electricity?\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Do you remember writing your first liturgy\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I do. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014for your family to go through? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t write the first one for <em>my<\/em> family to go through. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Okay; who did you write it for? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I wrote it for <em>me<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>What were the circumstances?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug: <\/strong>The circumstances were that I was working on a novel\u2014or I was supposed to be working on a novel. [Laughter] I had gone through a two-week dry spell\u2014just every day, sitting down in the morning to try to write, and just hitting a brick wall, and then distracting myself with checking messages on social media or whatever it might be. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEventually, I just realized: \u201cI need something to center myself every time I sit down. I need something that will reawaken my understanding or will restore my vision of who I am in relation to my Creator, of who I am in relation to the stewardship of my craft of whatever gift I\u2019ve been given, and of my relationship to those that I hope to serve ultimately by what I\u2019m writing.\u201d I thought, \u201cOkay; I\u2019m going to write a prayer I could pray. And I\u2019m going to do it in a liturgical form,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Okay. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> \u2014just because there is an aesthetic beauty to that\u2014but also, I thought, \u201cWell, maybe, if it turns out good, maybe, other people would want to use it, too.\u201d I wrote a liturgy for fiction writers, so that was the first one that I wrote. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was about to do a session with Andrew Peterson at a conference. We were going to be speaking about storytelling. I sent that liturgy for fiction writers to him and said, \u201cHey, would this be a cool way to close the session?\u201d He responded and said, \u201cYes; I love it; but man, I wish I had a liturgy for beekeeping, and a liturgy for\u2026\u201d and he named a couple other things like that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat was the moment\u2014it was just instantaneous\u2014when I said: \u201cOf course. This isn\u2019t just about a liturgy for fiction writers as something to help <em>me<\/em> because I need it. There is a real opportunity here to serve the body of Christ and to create prayers that would articulate the heart cries, and the desires, and the needs over a vast spectrum of life experiences that we have\u2014the mundane and the special ones.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; I was just reading one here, and you tell me what it is. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> What the liturgy is for?\u2014okay; alright. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Alright? Obviously, you are going to know Douglas; but these two\u2014right?\u2014see if you know. I\u2019m going to take out the line that tells what you\u2019re\u2014it\u2019s a task you are doing, and we\u2019ve done this recently\u2014but it says: \u201cHeavenly Father, in such menial moments as this <u>blank<\/u> I would remember this truth: my unseen labors are not lost for it is these repeated acts of small sacrifice that, like bright, ragged patches, are slowly being sown into the quilt of loving kindness that swaddles this child.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> So beautifully written, by the way. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> When you got to \u201cswaddles this\/swaddles a child,\u201d I was thinking, \u201cClean the toilet\u201d; but I was in the right ballpark; right?\u2014that\u2019s changing a diaper? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; changing a diaper. I mean, I just read the first paragraph. I mean, listen to this: \u201cSo, this little act of diapering, though in form sometimes felt as base drudgery, might be better described as one of ten thousand acts by which I am actively creating a culture of compassionate service and selfless love to shape the life of this family and this beloved child.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> That\u2019s beautiful. <br>\u00a0\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Trust me; I read the whole thing. It\u2019s <em>so<\/em> beautiful, and it <em>does<\/em>\u2014it stops you to practice the presence of God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is not how we think about\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> No. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014cleaning toilets or changing diapers. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> No; it is not. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Nobody goes, \u201cOh, I get a chance to sow into the quilt of the fabric and shape a service mindset in the life of my child for generations to come,\u201d\u2014that\u2019s not how we think\u2014but if we pause and go, \u201cThere is something bigger here.\u201d Stop and think: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t1 Corinthians 6: \u201cSo, in everything you do, whether it is eating or drinking\u201d\u2014back to the most mundane, daily things we do\u2014\u201cdo all to the glory of God.\u201d That\u2019s at the heart of\u2014whether it\u2019s diapering or beekeeping; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014and to pray without ceasing as well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It\u2019s a way of staying in continual contact with God. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Douglas is looking at us, like: \u201cGuys, I know this. I know this. That\u2019s why I wrote the book!\u201d [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> I have to think, when you sat down and said, \u201cOkay; I\u2019m going to write a liturgy for changing a diaper,\u201d there has to be a part of you going, \u201cIt\u2019s just crazy to write a liturgy for changing a diaper!\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I wouldn\u2019t describe that as my response to it because I think, for me, there was something in play here that probably parallels something that I see as a refrain in my fiction writing as well; and that is, when I am writing fiction, inevitably, I find myself going to a place where some very difficult things happen to the protagonist. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFor me, it\u2019s a way of working out this question\/this theology of: \u201cOkay; if the things that I claim are true are true\u2014if the things Scripture says\/if the promises that are made in Scripture are true\u2014then they <em>have<\/em> to be true in the very worst experience that I or any other human being might ever have, so let\u2019s cut to the chase. Let\u2019s go right to those moments of loss, of grief, of fear and try to work out, in the context of a story, how these things are actually true, even in light of the most difficult of circumstances that we go through.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWith <em>Every Moment Holy<\/em>, I think there was a similar kind of dynamic going on, in that I am saying: \u201cOkay; I believe every moment is holy. I believe that all of life is consecrated and lived out, under the gaze of God and under His sovereignty, and that every moment is an invitation to grow in relationship to Him\/to move deeper into that relationship.\u201d So, if that\u2019s true: \u201cLet\u2019s look at some of the most mundane, menial, thankless tasks that we have to do; and let\u2019s apply that promise to them. Let\u2019s look at it through the lens of scriptural truth, and of where Scripture tells us history is going, and of where our lives fit into that now. Let\u2019s see if we can articulate a theology of how the act of changing a diaper actually is part of\u2014or can be part of\u2014the building of the kingdom of God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019m thinking about my morning this morning. I took a shower; I put\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Bob; Bob, we really don\u2019t\u2014[Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I did what you did! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> I put on my socks. I didn\u2019t clip my toenails, but they need that. I\u2019m thinking, \u201cShould I have had a liturgy for clipping my toenails, or for taking a shower, or for putting on my socks?\u201d At some level, you go, \u201cThis could expand to the absurd, where, \u2018Am I really supposed to think about clipping my toenails with a liturgy in mind?\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I think, when you introduced the show a few minutes ago, and you were talking about practicing the presence of God\u2014I think that\u2019s the heart of it. It\u2019s not an exercise in \u201cOkay; how many things can I create a liturgy for?\u201d It\u2019s an exercise in learning to think about every aspect of our lives in terms of God\u2019s presence, and His purposes, and His involvement, and the way that He is constantly shaping us and drawing us; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think <em>that\u2019s<\/em> the heart of it\u2014is practicing the presence of God\u2014or as you explained that: \u201cpracticing our ongoing <em>awareness<\/em> of the presence of God.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Well, as I\u2019m reading, too\u2014and it\u2019s not just the mundane things\u2014it\u2019s areas where we may feel insecure or fearful. I\u2019m looking at this one; and it says: \u201cA Liturgy for Those Who Feel Awkward in Social Gatherings.\u201d I\u2019m thinking about anxiety\u2014how people are so filled with anxiety and depression today. I like that you are kind of addressing these things. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou are a really good writer; it\u2019s <em>beautifully<\/em> said. In this one part, it says: \u201cI know this about myself, Lord. In a room full of people, I would rather retreat into a quiet corner and flip through the pages of a book than to step beyond the walls of myself to engage another person in conversation.\u201d I think so many people feel that, so you\u2019ve put it into these beautiful words that are pleading with God: \u201cGod, enter into this with me and be my companion as my insecurity and anxiety may flare up. I need You.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> I like that; it\u2019s beautiful. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Yes; I just\u2014my wife and I got to make a trip to Ireland a few weeks ago. It was the first time I had been there; most of the time we were in Northern Ireland because that\u2019s where my great, great grandfather came from. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I was going to say [Irish accent], \u201cGood for a McKelvey to get back to Ireland\u201d; yes? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I actually got to find a business there that\u2019s still standing that my great, great, great grandfather and grandmother founded. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Wow! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> It was a wonderful trip. We have some good friends there, and we stayed with them for several nights. Their youngest daughter is really having a difficult time in school, just being kind of bullied by other girls. She\u2019s the <em>sweetest<\/em> kid, but it\u2019s just difficult for her to go to school every day.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHer mom, Heidi, told me while we were there\u2014she said, \u201cYou know, a lot of nights, my daughter will come to me with your book and will say, \u2018Mom, can we please pray the prayer for \u201cThose Who Feel Awkward in Social Gatherings\u201d?\u2019\u201d because for her, it\u2019s helping her set the context of what she\u2019s about to walk into the next morning. She\u2019s feeling anxiety the night before about these difficult relationships, where she\u2019s being picked on and snubbed. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> She may not even be able to process or bring words to her feelings, and it probably has helped her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Yes; I think so. I mean, it moved me to tears when her mom told me that\u2014just to know that there was something articulated there that is resonating with her tender, little heart and that is helping to shape her theology as she walks through this difficult season and a hard situation. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Are you seeing a return, in this generation, to liturgy? I mean\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014more formal liturgy; you\u2019re saying? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; more formal. I mean, I\u2019ve sensed it, as a pastor, in a church that\u2019s pretty contemporary. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> \u2014of young families returning. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Millennials\/Gen Z seems to be\u2014again, I don\u2019t know if there is research on that\u2014but it seems like people are <em>longing<\/em> for more liturgical services than ten years ago. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I <em>definitely<\/em> see that. I\u2019m no expert; I can\u2019t tell you the reasons why; but yes, for whatever reason, there does seem to be a hunger. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019ll tell you what I think the reason is. There are two parallel truths about God that we have to hold in tension. One truth is that He is high, and holy, and majestic, and glorious, and beyond us\u2014He is transcendent\u2014is the word theologians would use. The other truth is He is near, and He is our friend. He is our elder brother, and He is as close as a friend. He is in us and with us. So, He is high and holy, and He is near. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, the more we lean into the direction of Him being near, the more we start to lose the majesty of who God is. The more we lean in the direction of Him being high and holy, we start to lose the sense that He is with us, and near, and we can commune with Him. Understanding those, in tension, is important in our Christian walk. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br>As the church, we have leaned hard, over the last 50 years, in the direction of the fact that God is near: \u201cYou can have a personal relationship\u2014\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> It\u2019s all about relationship; yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014\u201cand you can walk with Jesus every day. He can be near, and He can be your buddy. He can be with you in every moment\u201d; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think we\u2019ve lost some of the rooted, transcendent sense of who God is\u2014that some of these more formal liturgies bring us face to face with. I think there\u2019s a hunger in the lives of a lot of people, who have grown up in evangelicalism over the last 40 or 50 years, to say: \u201cI want to know the big God. I want to know the powerful\/the Almighty God\u2014the God who has been worshipped for centuries by our fathers and forefathers\u2014they seemed to, maybe, have a bigger view of Him than we have.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThere is a book that came out 20\/25 years ago called <em>The Trivialization of God<\/em> that I remember reading. There is a quote in the book from Annie Dillard\u2014she said, \u201cI see people going to\u201d\u2014this is a paraphrase\u2014she said, \u201cI see people going to church, wearing Easter bonnets.\u201d She said: \u201cWe should be wearing crash helmets. Do we not realize who we\u2019re about to come in contact with? Do we not realize what we\u2019re walking into? We\u2019re walking into something that is\u2014into the presence of the Almighty.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> Yes; and I\u2019ve sensed, even in the younger generation at our church\u2014they are longing for mystery. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dave:<\/strong> We spent decades trying to explain away the mystery and make God explainable and practical\u2014just what you\u2019re saying, Bob\u2014yet, they are sort of leaning in, saying, \u201cI just want to sit in the mystery.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So, a listener, who is intrigued by this conversation\u2014how is this going to start to incorporate into their life or into their family\u2019s life? What would be your hope for it? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> We have an easy, no-risk way to see what these liturgies are about. We have a website, EveryMomentHoly.com\u2014on that, we have liturgies from the book that you can download formatted PDF copies of. For instance, when it is around the Thanksgiving\/Christmas season, we will offer a liturgy for feasting with friends as a free one. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You\u2019re saying: \u201cSample this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<br><strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u201cGo to the website, download one of these liturgies; see what the experience is like for you\u201d; and then you might go, \u201cI\u2019d like to do more of this,\u201d\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Right. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014and get the book and start diving into diaper changing with a liturgy; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Sure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Before we end, do you have a favorite that you have memorized? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> I do not have <em>any<\/em> of them memorized; I do have some favorites. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> What\u2019s the one you go to most often? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Ann:<\/strong> Yes. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> The fiction writing one is one that I go to frequently because <em>nothing<\/em> drives me to the end of myself like the act of trying to write, whether it\u2019s trying to write a liturgy, or trying to write a piece of fiction, or an essay. I just so quickly hit the wall and realize, \u201cApart from God somehow meeting me, in the midst of my weakness, in this process, I\u2019m not going to be able to produce anything that\u2019s going to be of any real service to anyone else.\u201d That\u2019s continued to be a go-to prayer for me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Well, you have been a service to us and to our listeners just in having this conversation and in what you\u2019ve written in the book. Thanks for coming and being a part of the conversation here. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Doug:<\/strong> Thanks so much for having me. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> The book we\u2019ve been talking about is Doug McKelvey\u2019s book, <em>Every Moment Holy<\/em>. I just want to, again, read through some of the topics that he\u2019s written liturgies for: a liturgy for the sound of sirens\u2014when sirens are going off in your neighborhood, have a liturgy\u2014the liturgy for those who experience road rage, liturgies for table blessings throughout the week, liturgies for leavings, for fearing failure, for the death of a dream, for those who have done harm. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe president of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, David Robbins, is here. You\u2019ve had an opportunity to put this book to work; right? \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> I have. The day we got it, I took it home. I was like: \u201cI\u2019m just going to try one of these tonight; this is different.\u201d It was an easy choice: \u201cWhich one?\u201d\u2014when I scanned through the Table of Contents\u2014like, \u201cOh, I\u2019m going to have a chance to practice this one.\u201d The title of it was \u201cA Liturgy for a Moment of Frustration at a Child.\u201d [Laughter] I go, \u201cOkay; there is going to be some opportunity tonight for this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSure enough, as bedtime was being executed, we had one that started spiraling a bit. I stepped out of the room, which is not what I always do. I went to this; I read it; I prayed. Wisely, it was a really short liturgy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David: <\/strong>I\u2019ve just got to share a moment with you\u2014it was so helpful\u2014\u201cLet me not react in this moment, O Lord, in the blindness of my own emotion; rather give me, a fellow sinner, wisdom to respond in grace that would be a shepherd of my child\u2019s heart.\u201d As I just reflected that and prayed that back to God, it was so helpful; it shaped the rest of the evening. The rest of the evening, actually, didn\u2019t go that well. [Laughter] It didn\u2019t like solve it\u2014but it made me respond in grace, mercy, <em>and<\/em> truth to my kid. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> In your heart, at that moment\u2014now, you had: \u201cI\u2019m a fellow sinner. I need to shape his heart. I need to stay on mission and not let my emotions overwhelm me.\u201d A book like this can be a tool for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThank you, David. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>David:<\/strong> It prompted the Spirit being in charge of my responses that night. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> That\u2019s a great story; thanks for sharing that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAgain, we have copies of Doug\u2019s book in the <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> Resource Center. It\u2019s titled <em>Every Moment Holy<\/em>. You can order from us, online, to order at FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to get your copy. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, quickly, before we wrap up this week, because this week has been all about giving thanks, we want to make sure we let you know how thankful we are for you as listeners, and also how thankful we are for those of you who keep <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> on the air in this community via our podcast network; on the FamilyLife mobile app, which has just recently been updated; and those of you who are listening by telling Alexa<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> to \u201cPlay <em>FamilyLife Today.\u201d<\/em> Thanks for connecting with us, and thanks to all of you who make this program possible through your donations. <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is listener-supported. Your donations make everything we do at FamilyLife possible, and we\u2019re grateful for that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn fact, if you\u2019re able to help with a donation today, we\u2019d like to express our thanks by sending you a set of Christmas tree ornaments. These are kid-friendly ornaments designed to help your kids better understand whose birthday it is we\u2019re celebrating in December. Each of these ornaments pictures a different aspect of Who Jesus is: there\u2019s the Lion of Judah; or the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world; there\u2019s the True Vine; there\u2019s the Living Water.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEach of these ornaments helps you unpack with your kids something different about Who Jesus is. Maybe you decide, as a family, to memorize the Scriptures associated with these verses, as well, during the Christmas season. We call this the \u201cTwelve Names of Christmas.\u201d<sup>\u2122<\/sup> This set of ornaments is our gift to you when you make a donation today when you support the ministry of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. You can do that, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make your donation. Thanks, in advance, for your support. We appreciate you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe hope you have a great weekend. Hope you can celebrate with your church family this weekend, the first Sunday in Advent. On Monday, we\u2019re going to talk about the Advent season and how we can think more biblically about the birth of Jesus. David Mathis joins us for that. I hope you can tune in as well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Bob Lepine. We will see you back Monday for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. Help for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2019 FamilyLife. 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