Honors College Forum welcomes Doug McKelvey and ‘Every Moment Holy LIVE’ to MC

“Every Moment Holy” is a prayer and liturgy series by Douglas McKelvey that seeks to help readers understand God’s sacred purpose through the ordinary events of daily life.

The Honors College at Mississippi Christian University is bringing McKelvey to the Clinton campus for “Every Moment Holy LIVE,” a worship, music, art and prayer experience, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, in Swor Auditorium in Nelson Hall. The event uses songs, liturgies and personal stories to take attendees on a narrative journey to a place of renewed hope, faith and encouragement.

Presented by the Honors College Forum and the MC Department of English’s Fund for Excellence in Christian Writing as part of the “Excellence in Christian Writing” initiative, the event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Christopher Weeks, MC Honors College director, said “Every Moment Holy LIVE” will help the audience realize the holy presence of God in every moment.

“People will walk away from this experience thinking about how they might worship God in rich, deep, thoughtful ways – perhaps even more than their usual manner of worship,” Weeks said.

McKelvey’s book series offers a framework for putting one’s whole life before the Lord, emphasizing that every moment for the Christian is holy, not just Sundays and Wednesdays.

“Through the Honors College Forum, we want to put before our students notable people, including writers, thinkers, artists and performers, who have made substantial contributions to their area of expertise and can challenge, encourage and inspire them to think about how all of life is interconnected,” Weeks said.

Born in New Hampshire and raised in East Texas, McKelvey relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, to join Art House America focused on faith and the arts. He wrote more than 400 lyrics for artists like Switchfoot, Kenny Rogers and Jason Gray and served as a scriptwriter and story editor before launching the “Every Moment Holy” book series.

Because McKelvey didn’t begin the series until later in his professional career, Weeks said his story can remind students that “the Lord’s work in their lives may not bear fruit for decades.”

“I want our students to walk away from this presentation with a deepened sense of the Lord’s nearness, of how other people are deeply important in their lives of faith, and that the Lord’s people are all around us. It should be a worshipful and restorative evening.”

Ned Bustard, “Every Moment Holy” illustrator, will also present a narrative about his life. McKelvey will host a liturgy-writing workshop for a small group of Honors College and English Department students earlier in the day.

For more information about “Every Moment Holy LIVE,” visit  mc.edu/honors/every-moment-holy-live.