06/16/2026
CWTA is excited to announce and welcome our liturgy writers and Spotlight Session Leaders, Carol Meier and Rev. Hans Peterson!
Carol is a musician, liturgical composer and retreat leader. She is passionate about writing songs for the church that give new expression to God’s expansive love. Carol received her BA in music education (Luther College, ‘93), and has taught music to people of all ages in a variety of settings. In 2022, Carol received an MA in liturgical music with a focus on composition from Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary. She has served as music director at Eagle Lake for 19 years, collaborating with many partners in both church and community events. In 2023, Carol and poet Rev. Meta Herrick Carlson co-created The Prairie Liturgies. Commissioned and inspired by Shalom Hill Farm, the work includes Peace of the Prairie and Shalom Daily Prayers as well as a communion service and an Advent liturgy. Carol lives in west central MN with her husband Steve and enjoys long walks, good talks, and gathering together at the table with family and friends. A perfect week for Carol and Steve is camping in the BWCA with their two adult children. You can learn more about Carol and her music at carolmeiermusic.com.
Born and raised in Alaska, Hans arrived in the Midwest to attend Luther College (’90). Since 1992 he has served as a musician/partner in Dakota Road Music. He has a MA from United Theological Seminary (’01) and an MDiv from Luther Seminary (’21). Hans currently serves as pastor at River of Hope Lutheran church in Hutchinson, MN. As a songleader/songwriter he ventures out solo and with the Dakota Road band, playing piano and acoustic guitar. Hans and his spouse Heidi raised their two boys on the family farm in Belle Plaine township and are now empty nesters. If not connecting with people over a cup of coffee, he might be found writing a song or a sermon, hiking, biking, weeding the garden, eating ice cream, pruning apple trees, or playing pickleball. In all that he does, Hans prays and works for a world where all creation is seen as sacred.
Together, Carol and Hans composed Living Voice of Creation: A Celebrate! Worship for the Season of Creation. This new intergenerational liturgy features seven congregational songs, a variety of activities for embodied worship, spoken material contributed by Rev. Meta Herrick-Carlson and Rev. Sherri Larson, and Children's resources by Rev. Amanda Dahlseng-Monroe. Living Voice of Creation can be used as a complete liturgy or as a resource from which churches can draw to build their own liturgies, connecting God’s Word and worship with God’s world. The elements of worship invite us to remember and know our belovedness, to reflect on our relationship with God and creation, to call us to stewardship, and to live in hope of God’s restorative work in this world.
In addition to featuring their new liturgy during daily worship, Carol and Hans will also be leading a Spotlight Session in the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21st, titled “The Heavens are Singing the Glory of God (you may as well too!)”: Join the composers of the Living Voice of Creation liturgy for a hands-on, interactive workshop. Carol Meier and Hans Peterson will speak briefly about the backstory of this intergenerational worship resource, while involving you in learning some of the core elements and supplementary materials that are available. Come prepared to sing, move, and learn some new music. Be inspired to bring all or parts of this liturgy back to enliven your worship context.
To learn more about CWTA, visit stolaf.edu/cwta
To register, visit https://stolaf.wufoo.com/forms/2026-conference-on-worship-theology-the-arts
