Emily R. Brink

In every March issue, Reformed Worship offers resources and reflections to celebrate the ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Those festival days are worth celebrating by offering joyful worship to the Lord. We also reflect on the implications of those feast days for doing the work of the Lord, to exercise the power given us by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Connections Between Worship and Evangelism

JUNE Go Now in Peace June is often a month of partings. Children finish another school year, families leave on vacations, and many young couples get married, leaving their parents' homes to begin new homes. This little parting song of blessing would be appropriate in a number of these settings.

How many extra services does your church plan during Holy Week? Traditionally, most Presbyterian and Reformed congregations have held a service on Good Friday. Some have also gathered for a sunrise service on Easter morning. But few have considered anything further.That pattern has begun to change. Worship planners have enthusiastically discovered the riches of a liturgical heritage that goes beyond traditional Holy Week offerings, and have added new services to their Holy Week schedules.

The Native American Hymnal and Worship Resource Committee. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1992.94pp. Available for $9.95 from Discipleship Resources, PO Box 189, Nashville, TN 37202; (615) 340-7284. Two publications dealing with Native American worship resources were published this year. The first, entitled Voices, is a product of the United Methodist Church, a leader among denominations in providing resources from many different traditions. Marilyn M. Hofstra, of Choctow and Chickasaw heritage, directed the project.

Hugh McKellar. Published by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, 1992. 56 pages. Available from The Hymn Society, Texas Christian University, PO Box 30854, Fort Worth, TX 76129; (800) 843-4966.

Leader: When the evangelist Luke recorded the outpouring of God's Spirit on the early Christian church, he was led by that same Spirit to incorporate the Old Testament prophecies that Peter included in that first Pentecost sermon. We will now listen to that story and sing together those Old Testament prophecies.(2) Hear now the Word of the Lord.

James L.H. Brumm. New Brunswick: Historical Society, RCA, 1990. 77 pages; $12.00 (spiral). Available from RCA Historical Society, 21 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

Alice Parker. Worship Works, A National Worship Resource Network, 10619 Alameda Drive, Knoxville, TN 37932; (616) 966-0103. 56 minutes, $39.95

 WE ENTER GOD'S COURTS WITH SINGING Prelude Songs of Praised:1

How many members of your congregation are taking organ lessons? How many have pianos in their homes? Probably far fewer than a generation ago. Some congregations are getting desperate to find competent organists. If the trend continues, we could consider going back to unaccompanied singing, typical of the early days of the Protestant Reformation. It's likely, though, that few congregations would have much success with acapel-la singing. Our culture is simply not a singing culture.