I was first introduced to Tolkien’s Middle Earth at the age of 36 with a 9-year-old who fell head over heels with hobbits when he found a hardcover copy of Bilbo’s tale displayed at the entrance to our small library in Ohio. As most early Tolkien readers are prone…
Read MoreI've seen it twice in the theater and more than 10 times on Netflix. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent watching YouTube reaction videos. In fact, I even made a podcast with my friend, Andy Jones, to talk about the theological implications of this summer's hit movie. The soundtrack might still be…
Read MoreAdvent begins quietly
like the sun slipping into the sky
before we even notice
the stars have stepped away…
This Advent, we invite you to follow along with Pastor Anthony Celia as we spend time meditating on God's word, daily from November 30th to December 25th.
Read More’m learning to be grateful
for the small things—
the quiet moments
I used to rush through,
the ones…
I once fancied myself a summer man. My most formative times were the summers between sixth grade and before going to college, when my family had a house on Fire Island. The sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore aided my sleep, and the salt air wasn’t just…
Read MoreHymnHouse is the latest project from singer-songwriter Blake Flattley. This collaborative musical effort seeks to continue the great tradition of hymnody, telling the story of Christ and His Church. You can expect to hear re-tuned hymns, new arrangements, and new music that fits into a liturgical life of worship.
Read MoreThe Liturgical Calendar T-shirt from CommunionArts lets you wear the rhythm of the Church year — a reminder of how time itself tells the story of Christ.
Read MoreEl Río de los Brazos de Dios, the river that runs through Waco, TX, was named for its “arms” (brazos) by which God nourishes the land…
Read MoreA NIGHT OF HOPE is a powerful and restorative event led by Blake Flattley, Tanner Olson, and Heidi Goehmann, designed to meet people where they are—with honesty, creativity, and hope…
Read MoreIn this interview, we sit down with songwriter Matt Doering. We talk about how creativity changes as your family grows, rituals and routines, and his latest project, Developing.
Read MoreThe morning begins with a whisper of light,
a slow, steady sunrise,
spilling gold across the sky.
The Paris Olympics took place in the summer of 2024. Paris, the city of love and romance and bodily freedom, played host to some of the most fit bodies in the world competing for precious metals. We love the Olympics because they…
Read MoreToday wraps up our series of praying through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. Tomorrow begins a new series as we continue to pray through Matthew’s Gospel starting with Matthew 8:1-4.
Read MoreAuthor and spoken word poet Tanner Olson and singer/songwriter Blake Flattley, have created something truly unique: Evenings of Music & Poetry — intimate gatherings that go far beyond…
Read MoreI was reading David Zahl’s latest, The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World, and along the way, I started thinking about what the relief he describes would look like in a local congregation. I resonated with the idea that “The church has been the place I go when there’s no place left to go” for relief…
Read MoreAt CommunionArts, we’ve just concluded our meditative journey on Daily Lectio through Paul’s prayers for the church, and today we begin walking with Jesus through the Sermon on the Mount. Over the next three weeks, Daily Lectio will guide us through Matthew 5–7.
Read MoreWe hear a lot about the prophet Elijah in the church, very little about his successor, Elisha. I find that curious because Elisha’s impact on the narrative of God was enormous. When the prophetic mantle is first being passed, Elisha asks…
Read MoreI love it when people work together to create something completely unique or hilarious, or joyful, or truly heartbreaking. And the most lifegiving thing is just having a community of people you can be with and know you’re not alone. The most affirming thing is to see someone say or do something about songwriting and think, “Oh, that’s not just me?”…
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