Last month, I reflected on the nature and practice of “the maintenance of divine worship,” noting that “I anticipate that there will be continued, ongoing conversations about how we might make our worship services as inspired and inspirational as we possibly can.” When I wrote those words, I did not anticipate I would be writing about worship again so soon! But our Worship and Music Committee has been doing just that – having continued, ongoing conversations about enriching the nature and practice of worship here at Mason First Presbyterian Church – and we want to let you know that there are some changes coming!
The Worship and Music committee has been talking, thinking, and praying about a variety of aspects of our worship service for many months. Specifically, we have been talking about worship service elements important to many of you, including announcements, the prayers of the people, and the length of the service. These conversations have emerged both from our own prayerful reflection and in response to congregational feedback. Worship should never remain static from one year or generation to the next; we should always seek to grow in all aspects of our walk of faith, including how we engage in joyful and spirited worship of the living God. If worship remained static from one year to the next, we might all still be singing Gregorian chant (in Latin, no less)! But we also want to avoid pendulum swings – first doing one thing, then the complete opposite, then swinging back to where we were before, never really making any substantive progress. What we want to see is ongoing, continual evolution in our worship style – gradual changes over time, as we pass on the faith from one generation to the next.
Various changes were introduced in 2009. The most noticeable – and the one that drew the largest amount of concern – was the almost-complete elimination of verbal announcements. That decision was made for a variety of reasons, including concerns regarding (1) the length of the service (the “call to worship” was sometimes delayed up to 10 minutes past the hour), (2) inequities between some people/groups who diligently submitted announcement requests to the office in a timely fashion and others who did not, (3) some Sunday morning bombardments of last-minute announcement requests, (4) announcements for Mason community events not associated with the ongoing life and ministry of the church, (5) some verbal announcements not being able to be heard by everyone, (6) the repeating of information in the bulletin and newsletter, and more. But this change produced some unanticipated and unintended consequences, including a loss of a feeling of community, the occasional offering of prayers that felt more like announcements to other people than prayers to God, and a perception that participation in some church events or projects may have dropped without the ability to verbally highlight their existence or progress. We have heard you! We have talked about all of these issues, and more. And so, in an effort to continually listen for God’s voice speaking to us through the Spirit in many and diverse ways, we are making some changes – not only with respect to the announcements, but in a few other respects as well. We are not simply swinging back to where we used to be; instead, we are taking a step forward, seeking to be faithful to God’s call here and now.
Beginning on the first Sunday in June, look for these changes:
“Gathering” time begins at five minutes prior to the official start time of the service (for example, at 9:55 am for the 10:00 service). The choir and other worship leaders will enter the sanctuary, the tower bell will ring, and I will offer my welcome to the gathered community.
Sharing of Joys and Concerns and the Life of the Church. Here it is – the return of announcements, and more! This is the time for individuals, committee chairs, project leaders, etc., to share with the congregation joys, concerns, and announcements about various things going on in the life of the church. These communications will be made by you, not by me. We will not use a microphone, so it will be important that you speak up (and if you don’t have a strong voice, find someone in the congregation who does!). Please try to be concise - the goal is to finish by the time our service starts at 10:00. This is your time to share with others the things that matter to you.
Prelude and Call to Worship. When the sharing of joys and concerns and the life of the church has concluded, I will invite us to prepare our hearts and minds for worship, and Sandy will begin the prelude. This is a time to meditate, reflect, and open yourself to God’s voice.
Passing of the Peace. Following our opening hymn and our litany of confession and pardon, we will engage in the passing of the peace of Jesus Christ with one another. The passing of the peace used to be a regular part of the worship life of this congregation, and now we’re bringing it back. We will have just heard that we are forgiven and loved by God; this is the time to share God’s forgiveness and love with one another, and offer a loving welcome to people – friends, acquaintances, strangers – remembering that we are all part of the body of Christ and that every member is indispensable to the body. I encourage you to say something to each other like, “The peace of Christ be with you” or “Peace be with you” or simply “Peace.” Take advantage of this opportunity and God’s forgiveness to be reconciled to people with whom you might be estranged, making a point to extend the peace of Christ to them! Here is a wonderful opportunity to “love your neighbor as yourself” and demonstrate that we are indeed a “warm and caring Christ-centered community of faith.” After a minute or two, Sandy will begin playing the organ or piano and we will conclude this time with a musical response (such as the Gloria Patri) to the declaration of God’s love and forgiveness and to the love and forgiveness which we experience with one other.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Supplication. Late in the service, we will continue to offer a time for open prayer to Almighty God. We have been in the habit of using the terms “joys” and “concerns” to describe the prayers that we offer during this time. The format is not going to change substantively, but we are going to change the terminology, to try to go a bit deeper here. “Prayers of thanksgiving” are simply that – prayers that we are offering to God that name things in life for which we wish to offer words of thankfulness to God for the bountiful blessings that God has given us. “Prayers of supplication” are prayers in which we are asking God for help of various kinds – for ourselves, family or friends, our larger community or nation, even the world at large. In both types of prayers, please remember that we are speaking to God, not our fellow worshipers. This is not the time for sharing lots of details; God knows all the details already. These personal prayers can be offered silently, or spoken aloud. If you can’t hear what everyone says, that’s okay – the point is, we’re talking to God here! If two people verbally pray at the same time, that’s okay too – God can sort it out! Use this time to talk to our living Lord about what’s going on deep down inside your heart.
Our goals are to kindle a greater sense of congregational community, enhance our warm and caring interactions with each other, and enrich our Spirit-led prayer with God. If these aspirations are successful, we believe it will be a worthy investment for those who commit to arriving at church five minutes earlier than in the past. Certainly, the changing of any routine requires a period of adjustment, and we encourage you to give these changes a try for the next few months. Then, if you think these goals are being met (or not), let your Worship and Music Committee know, because they have met, prayed, and studied for many months, individually and collectively, to discern and address our congregation’s worship service needs. Greg Lang and Rod Guy are the 2010 Worship and Music Committee co-chairs; they invite one-on-one feedback or written, signed notes so they can get back to you for follow-up.
As I said last month: “Let’s give God the best worship we possibly can.” Alleluia! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns!
Peace and blessings,
Bill Pinches
with Greg Lang and Rod Guy
June 1, 2010
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