This week marks my two year anniversary here at Epiphany Lutheran Church. Someone once told me as a pastor in your first year at a church, you can't do anything wrong and the second year you can't do anything right. It is in the third year that ministry moves forward. I don't know how true this adage may be, but I am ready to move forward in ministry in this wonderful congregation.
When I came two years ago, interim pastor Pete Rudowski shared with me that he had started a blog to keep the communication lines open with the congregation and community. I found his blog insightful and helpful in the call process to get a pulse of the congregation and his leadership. When I arrived, I was asked if I wanted to continue to offer a blog. "Sure. Why not!" I thought I would give it a try and see how it would go. Well, today I am writing blog #100.
When I started, I didn't know what I was doing, or what I was supposed to do. Two years later, I am still not sure what I am doing or what I am supposed to do, but I do it. My focus is to share where I have seen God active and alive in my life the past week. It has become a blessed discipline.
I appreciate the comments I receive from people who read the blog regularly. I visited one member who shared with me her appreciation for the blog because her hearing is poor and sermons are hard for her to hear, but the blog she can read. The blog has also been an opportunity for people to share their stories with me. I am so thankful for the many stories people have shared with me about how God is active in their lives.
Maybe we should all write blogs! Maybe taking the time each week, or even each day to answer the question, "Where did you see the hand of God today?" It is a simple exercise, really. And it is a great springboard for prayer. Where did you see God? Thank God for that! Let me give you an example or two. This weekend I saw the hand of God as Pastor Jay stood before the congregation and was officially installed as one of our pastors. The past nine months of discerning God's future for Epiphany Lutheran Church, the formulation of a call committee, the call process and the call to a candidate all came together this weekend. God's fingerprints are all over this, and it is exciting to see. Dear God, thank you for your guidance in bringing Pastor Jay Shailer to Epiphany. AMEN!
Yesterday afternoon, we blessed the pets of many church members and friends. Many dogs, a few cats, and a bird. I even received a thank you note from one of the dogs this morning (I think his owner may have helped). Thank you God for our pets!
This morning, on the way into work, I saw the most beautiful cloud shimmering in the early morning sun. The lingering darkness to the west caused its shadow to be a deep purple. On the eastern side of the cloud, the rising sun sent its rays to brighten the cloud in shimmering white. And in the middle of the cloud, rising to the heavens, a red band of light where the colors met. My first thought was "Can I get a picture of it?" My second thought was to just enjoy it, and give thanks to God for it. Thank you God for your beautiful creation.
100 and counting. Thanks for reading.
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
Monday, September 29, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Going Back To Where It All Began
Last Sunday, my wife and children and I went back to the church where I began my pastoral ministry - St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Massillon, Ohio. The church has been celebrating its 150 years of ministry over the past year, inviting back pastors and interns who have served there. I was the 11th of 12 guest preachers on the docket for the year, serving as the warm-up act for the bishop of their synod who is preaching next month. So many memories and emotions flooded through me as I prepared for the trip there, and so many more during our time there on Sunday.
It was great to go back to the place I was called to serve so many years ago. I was called to St. Paul's right out of seminary in June of 1990 as their Associate Pastor, focusing much of my time and energy on youth ministry. What a blessing it was to see some of those kids that were in my confirmation classes and youth group at worship this past weekend. Many of them have kids of their own that they are now raising in the Christian faith.
I started off my sermon by telling them in preparation for coming back to preach, I looked through some of my old sermons that I preached some 20 years ago, and I told them I had only one thing I wanted to say to them - I am sorry! Some of those sermons were not very good! But grace abounds, and over time, I guess it isn't the bad ones that are remembered. Or maybe they were just being nice and not mentioning those.
The memories came flooding in. I remembered baptisms, funerals and weddings, Christmas programs and youth events. I remembered Easter egg hunts and making hardtack candy in the basement kitchen. I remembered youth group meetings and Sunday school classes, confirmation classes and camp retreats, youth gatherings and Bible studies. So many memories from just five and a half years of ministry there.
What struck me so vividly this past weekend is the influence we have on people that can and will last for years to come. I realized first of all the influence those years had on my ministry. It was at this congregation that I was given an opportunity to serve and try new things, and preach some sermons that were less than stellar, but also some that people still remembered 20 years later (in a positive way!). It was at this congregation my wife and children were nurtured and grew. It was at this congregation that I came to a clearer understanding of what it means to be a pastor. This congregation has had a great influence on me.
I also came to see the influence our ministry can have on others. LET ME STATE HERE CLEARLY - it is not all about ME! As a pastor, I am called to be the vessel by which the Word of God is proclaimed and the Sacraments administered. This is most certainly true. My call is to point to Jesus Christ, and to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. That being said, I was deeply moved by the words of thanks and appreciation from the parents and kids I served. Through social media, especially Facebook, I have been able to keep in touch with some of the members of the church, especially the youth (former youth, I should say), and I am so thankful to see how many of these continue on in their faith journey.
For me, this weekend affirmed how vitally important it is to give our children the encouragement and tools for growing in the faith. At the baptismal font, we make promises to raise our children to grow in faith and in relationship with God and others. What a daunting responsibility. What a great opportunity. We are to be the ones who nurture and teach and encourage our children (God's children) in their walk with Jesus Christ.
St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, who were arguing over which leader they should follow. This was causing divisions in the church. The people took up sides - some claimed to be followers of Paul and some followers of Apollos, who was a leader from Alexandria that was also a leader of the church in Paul's day. So Paul shared these words with the church:
...When one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:4-11)
We have been given good news, and good news MUST be shared. Don't think your words or actions are in vain. We plant. We water. God WILL provide the growth. Thank God for the opportunity to work in His vineyard!
Some pictures from our trip back to Massillon.
Ben is one of the "kids" I confirmed some 20 years ago!
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
It was great to go back to the place I was called to serve so many years ago. I was called to St. Paul's right out of seminary in June of 1990 as their Associate Pastor, focusing much of my time and energy on youth ministry. What a blessing it was to see some of those kids that were in my confirmation classes and youth group at worship this past weekend. Many of them have kids of their own that they are now raising in the Christian faith.
I started off my sermon by telling them in preparation for coming back to preach, I looked through some of my old sermons that I preached some 20 years ago, and I told them I had only one thing I wanted to say to them - I am sorry! Some of those sermons were not very good! But grace abounds, and over time, I guess it isn't the bad ones that are remembered. Or maybe they were just being nice and not mentioning those.
The memories came flooding in. I remembered baptisms, funerals and weddings, Christmas programs and youth events. I remembered Easter egg hunts and making hardtack candy in the basement kitchen. I remembered youth group meetings and Sunday school classes, confirmation classes and camp retreats, youth gatherings and Bible studies. So many memories from just five and a half years of ministry there.
What struck me so vividly this past weekend is the influence we have on people that can and will last for years to come. I realized first of all the influence those years had on my ministry. It was at this congregation that I was given an opportunity to serve and try new things, and preach some sermons that were less than stellar, but also some that people still remembered 20 years later (in a positive way!). It was at this congregation my wife and children were nurtured and grew. It was at this congregation that I came to a clearer understanding of what it means to be a pastor. This congregation has had a great influence on me.
I also came to see the influence our ministry can have on others. LET ME STATE HERE CLEARLY - it is not all about ME! As a pastor, I am called to be the vessel by which the Word of God is proclaimed and the Sacraments administered. This is most certainly true. My call is to point to Jesus Christ, and to proclaim Christ crucified and risen. That being said, I was deeply moved by the words of thanks and appreciation from the parents and kids I served. Through social media, especially Facebook, I have been able to keep in touch with some of the members of the church, especially the youth (former youth, I should say), and I am so thankful to see how many of these continue on in their faith journey.
For me, this weekend affirmed how vitally important it is to give our children the encouragement and tools for growing in the faith. At the baptismal font, we make promises to raise our children to grow in faith and in relationship with God and others. What a daunting responsibility. What a great opportunity. We are to be the ones who nurture and teach and encourage our children (God's children) in their walk with Jesus Christ.
St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, who were arguing over which leader they should follow. This was causing divisions in the church. The people took up sides - some claimed to be followers of Paul and some followers of Apollos, who was a leader from Alexandria that was also a leader of the church in Paul's day. So Paul shared these words with the church:
...When one says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:4-11)
We have been given good news, and good news MUST be shared. Don't think your words or actions are in vain. We plant. We water. God WILL provide the growth. Thank God for the opportunity to work in His vineyard!
Some pictures from our trip back to Massillon.
What a Pulpit - I love preaching up there!
Son Andrew, Wife Lisa, Son-In-Law Brad, Daughter Bethany and Me
Ben is one of the "kids" I confirmed some 20 years ago!
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
Monday, September 15, 2014
In The Band
We needed another guitar player for this Sunday's service. There is a guitar in the corner of my office that has been gathering dust for the past few months. I can play guitar - not with the skill and expertise of many of our Praise Band members, to say the least. But I can play some chords and keep the rhythm for the most part. I was planning to be at the services anyway - why not?
So I dusted off the guitar and tuned it up. I printed out the music and started practicing. I realized it had been a while - the fingers didn't move as easily as they had years ago, and the calluses on my fingers had long since softened. But I kept at it, and on Sunday, I got to play in the band. I admit, I missed a few chords, got lost more than once, and the chords I played were not always right, but as I often say, "Grace Abounds!" No, it was not a stellar event, and no one rushed the stage or asked for my autograph afterwards (not like that was going to happen anyway!). But it was good to be a part of the band. Together we made music as an offering to God, and led the congregation in worship.
We all have gifts we can offer - everyone of us. These are gifts from God. We give thanks to God for what God has done for us by using these gifts to share the message of God's great love and forgiveness with others. The American writer - Henry David Thoreau, spoke about the responsibility that comes with our having received talents and abilities from God. He retold today's parable to get at this point:
So I dusted off the guitar and tuned it up. I printed out the music and started practicing. I realized it had been a while - the fingers didn't move as easily as they had years ago, and the calluses on my fingers had long since softened. But I kept at it, and on Sunday, I got to play in the band. I admit, I missed a few chords, got lost more than once, and the chords I played were not always right, but as I often say, "Grace Abounds!" No, it was not a stellar event, and no one rushed the stage or asked for my autograph afterwards (not like that was going to happen anyway!). But it was good to be a part of the band. Together we made music as an offering to God, and led the congregation in worship.
We all have gifts we can offer - everyone of us. These are gifts from God. We give thanks to God for what God has done for us by using these gifts to share the message of God's great love and forgiveness with others. The American writer - Henry David Thoreau, spoke about the responsibility that comes with our having received talents and abilities from God. He retold today's parable to get at this point:
Once there was a king who had
three sons, each with a special talent. The first had a talent for growing
fruit. The second for raising sheep. And the third for playing the violin.
Once, the king had to go overseas on important business. Before departing he
called his three sons together and told them he was depending on them to keep
the people contented in his absence. Now for a while things went well. But then
came the winter, a bitter and cruel winter it was. There was an acute shortage
of firewood. Thus the first son was faced with a very difficult decision.
Should he allow the people to cut down some of his beloved fruit trees for
firewood? When he saw the people shivering with cold, he finally allowed them
to do so.
The second son was also faced
with a difficult decision. Food became very scarce. Should he allow the people
to kill some of his beloved sheep for food? When he saw the children crying for
hunger, his heart went out to them and he allowed them to kill some of the
sheep.. Thus the people had firewood for their fires, and food for their
tables.
Nevertheless the harsh winter
continued to oppress them. Their spirits began to sag, and there was no one to
cheer them up. They turned to the fiddler, but he refused to play for them. In
the end things got so bad that in desperation many of them emigrated.
Then one day the king arrived
back home. He was terribly sad to find that many of his people had left his
kingdom. He called in his three sons to give an account of what had gone wrong.
The first said, "Father, I hope you won't be mad at me, but the winter was
very cold and so I allowed the people to cut down some of the fruit trees for
firewood." And the second son said, "Father, I hope you won't be mad
with me because when food got scarce I allowed the people to kill some of my
sheep." On hearing this, far from being angry, the father embraced his two
sons, and told them that he was proud of them. Then the third son came forward
carrying his fiddle with him.
"Father", he said,
"I refused to play because you weren't here to enjoy the music."
"Well then", said the king, "play me a tune now because my heart
is full of sorrow." The son raised the violin and bow, but found that his
fingers had gone stiff from lack of exercise. No matter how hard he tried, he
could not get them to move. Then the father said, "You could have cheered
up the people with your music, but you refused. If the kingdom is half-empty,
the fault is yours. But now you can no longer play. That will be your
punishment." (Henry David Thoreau)
I shared this story in a sermon at my previous church. I know at least one person was listening to me. She stopped on the way out of church and said to me, "I used to play the violin when I was in college, but I haven't played since. The story you shared in your sermon was like God speaking to me, that I need to get out my violin and play for church. Do you think I can play with the praise band?" Yes, yes you can! And she did. And she still does. And what a blessing that was and is to the congregation, and to God! Because she broke out the violin again, this inspired her daughter to take up the violin as well.
I have had other people hear the invitation to use their gifts for the church to give thanks and praise to God. The junior high girl who asked if she could dance in church. While it had never been done before in that church, we made the arrangements and it happened. And what a beautiful dance it was. Then there was the third grader in another church I served who had been taking guitar lessons, and when he heard me mention using your gifts for the church (another person listening to the sermon!), he asked his Mom and Dad if he could play in our praise band. We had to make arrangements for rehearsals with him so it wasn't past his bed time, but we made it work. He was better than most of us, and played a few solo parts in our songs. The local newspaper even ran an article on him!
I share these stories with you to encourage you to consider what you can give back to God in praise and thanksgiving. We do this in response to what God has first given us - ourselves, our time and our possessions - all signs of God's gracious love. What about you? Want to join the band, or the choir, or handbells, or the puppets or the drama team or the sound tech team or...? (I could go on and on.) We would love to have you be a part of the team As one theologian put it, find what brings you the greatest joy, and seek to use it to address the world's greatest need. I believe as a church, we are called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the message the world needs to hear. May we work together, using our gifts to share the message.
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
Monday, September 8, 2014
Tears
I was moved to tears twice this past week. I am not one who cries often, but there are things that move me to tears, and it happens when I least expect it and sometimes it catches me off-guard. While there was plenty of reason for tears watching football games on Saturday, that was not the cause of my unexpected eye moisture. There were other events, including Pastor Jay Shailer's ordination (a wonderful, moving service) and time with family and friends, and a great kick-off to our youth events for the year, but these didn't move me to tears. No. Instead it was a song and a child.
Last Wednesday, my wife and I traveled down to Cincinnati with friends to see The Piano Guys in concert. I have mentioned this group in previous blogs. The group consists of a piano player and a cellist who play both classic and contemporary music, often blending the two together with precision and beauty. As a former cellist (I played from 4th grade through high school, and a little in college) I have always loved cello music. I have been a fan of cellists from Pablo Casals and Yo Yo Ma to the cellist in the 70's band Electric Light Orchestra. It was a couple years ago someone sent me a video of Piano Guys and I was hooked.
The concert was just the two guys on stage with a grand piano and three cellos which were used at different times for differing sounds. The cellist also had foot pedals that provided different sounds from his instruments, and a foot drum to boot. The different cellos were a traditional cello, a carbon cello, and an electric cello that looked like a piece of black metal bent to look like the outside border of a cello. The group has made dozens of videos, and incorporated several of them into the show as well.
I had a flashback during the concert. I remembered learning to play the cello, with pieces of tape on the neck of the cello to teach me where my fingers were supposed to be. That was the first step. Later as I advanced to more difficult music, it was time to learn different positions along the fingerboard to play higher notes and different sounds. This is a talent I never felt I mastered. I would try to get close, then try to listen to see if I needed to adjust my fingering to make the note sound better. A good vibrato would help as well - wiggle around the note til you find it!
What amazed me more than anything else was the precision and clarity of the music, especially from the cellist. His ability to play that instrument, moving along the fingerboard with ease and confidence gave me the pleasure of hearing beautiful sounds I have never heard before. And when they played the song "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables in honor of all who serve in the military and their families, the tears came. Here is a video of the Piano Guys. I can assure you, the beauty of the song on this video was just as lovely in person as it is here.
There are many things that show us the handiwork of God. Music is one of them, is it not? Thank you God for music!
The second occasion for the tears to flow was at the baptismal font to celebrate and welcome Ella Christine into the Body of Christ - the family of God. I was doing fine until I took Ella into my arms to share God's peace with her, and introduce her to the congregation. In my arms I was holding a blessing of God, whose life was given as a gift from God. And at the font, the promises of God were given to her. What a blessing it is to be the one who shares this message and is the one who administers the sacrament.
There are many things that show us the handiwork of God. The beauty and joy of new life is one of them, is it not? Thank you God for life.
I learned from my Dad that tears are not something of which we should be ashamed. It is a part of who God made us to be. Than you God for tears.
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
Last Wednesday, my wife and I traveled down to Cincinnati with friends to see The Piano Guys in concert. I have mentioned this group in previous blogs. The group consists of a piano player and a cellist who play both classic and contemporary music, often blending the two together with precision and beauty. As a former cellist (I played from 4th grade through high school, and a little in college) I have always loved cello music. I have been a fan of cellists from Pablo Casals and Yo Yo Ma to the cellist in the 70's band Electric Light Orchestra. It was a couple years ago someone sent me a video of Piano Guys and I was hooked.
The concert was just the two guys on stage with a grand piano and three cellos which were used at different times for differing sounds. The cellist also had foot pedals that provided different sounds from his instruments, and a foot drum to boot. The different cellos were a traditional cello, a carbon cello, and an electric cello that looked like a piece of black metal bent to look like the outside border of a cello. The group has made dozens of videos, and incorporated several of them into the show as well.
I had a flashback during the concert. I remembered learning to play the cello, with pieces of tape on the neck of the cello to teach me where my fingers were supposed to be. That was the first step. Later as I advanced to more difficult music, it was time to learn different positions along the fingerboard to play higher notes and different sounds. This is a talent I never felt I mastered. I would try to get close, then try to listen to see if I needed to adjust my fingering to make the note sound better. A good vibrato would help as well - wiggle around the note til you find it!
What amazed me more than anything else was the precision and clarity of the music, especially from the cellist. His ability to play that instrument, moving along the fingerboard with ease and confidence gave me the pleasure of hearing beautiful sounds I have never heard before. And when they played the song "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables in honor of all who serve in the military and their families, the tears came. Here is a video of the Piano Guys. I can assure you, the beauty of the song on this video was just as lovely in person as it is here.
There are many things that show us the handiwork of God. Music is one of them, is it not? Thank you God for music!
The second occasion for the tears to flow was at the baptismal font to celebrate and welcome Ella Christine into the Body of Christ - the family of God. I was doing fine until I took Ella into my arms to share God's peace with her, and introduce her to the congregation. In my arms I was holding a blessing of God, whose life was given as a gift from God. And at the font, the promises of God were given to her. What a blessing it is to be the one who shares this message and is the one who administers the sacrament.
There are many things that show us the handiwork of God. The beauty and joy of new life is one of them, is it not? Thank you God for life.
I learned from my Dad that tears are not something of which we should be ashamed. It is a part of who God made us to be. Than you God for tears.
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Let's Call It Worship
My first introduction into the Lutheran church was in college. Up to that time, I had been an active member of a Congregational church with my family back home in Royal Oak, Michigan. When I went away to Central Michigan University, there were no Congregational churches near campus. So my high school friend invited me to go to church with him. Chip was a life-long Lutheran, and had received a letter from the pastor at the Lutheran chapel on campus inviting him to worship. The first Sunday, even before classes started, we attended the 11 a.m. service (talk about catering to college students!). What caught my attention that first day in this new denomination was the liturgy and flow of the service. The pastor knew there had to be many like me in the pews not familiar with the service and flow, so he took time to explain a different part of the service each week. Being a person who likes structure, I was sold!
After a few weeks of attending this church, Chip and I were invited to a hayride and party with the New Song Folk Group. This was a student-led group that led worship once a month or so at the chapel, as well as travel to churches around the state of Michigan about once a month to lead worship. We decided to give it a try. We were soon heavily involved in the group, and to this day, we have several friends from that group. In fact, it was in this group that I met my wife! But that is another story for another blog.
In this folk group, we used a couple of different liturgies, including the Chicago Folk Service and others that were created by members of the group. I remember one of the settings used song tunes from Peter, Paul and Mary. We had guitars and piano and an occasional flute or violin. We also would, from time to time, lead a "Clown Service." That is ALSO another story for another blog. Yes, back in 1981, we were "cutting edge" to say the least! Yet the thing that drew me into the Lutheran church was still there - the flow and the structure.
I remember back in my previous church when we started the conversation of adding an alternative service to our two traditional offerings. I invited any and all who wished to be a part of the conversation to come to a jam session and bring their music and instruments. Several showed up, including a teenage member of the church and his two friends with their electric guitars and drums and speakers - when they played, the stained glass windows shook! On the other side of the circle was June, the retired organist with her auto-harp. My comment? Can we find something in between? Over time, we did.
We find ourselves in the church still seeking and trying different ways of offering worship. Technology, worship slides and projection, more instruments and recorded tracks continue to come along and evolve. In some churches, it is quite a production, with fog machines, bright lights and special effects. For other churches, it may be a couple of guitars and a singer. We also are blessed with a rich history of music and hymnody, liturgy and song in the Lutheran church. We are blessed to be able to offer a variety of worship styles.
So what do we call it? Do we call the hymns and organ service "Traditional Worship" and the guitar, pianos and drum service "Contemporary Worship?" What happens when the songs we sing in the contemporary service are older than some of the hymns we sing in the traditional worship? Should it be called "formal" and "casual?" Does that mean there is a dress code for one and not the other? How about calling the guitar, piano, drum service a Praise service? Well, that is all well and good, but we are told in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to mourn and a time to dance. So do we cancel the praise worship on those days of mourning?
Here's my thought: let's just call it worship. Maybe we can designate it by the time of the service, or the instruments used, or the location it is being held (outdoor worship this summer was not a good title, was it? So many rain days.) No matter the title, it is still worship. In the newsletter article for this week, I share my vision for the Praise/Contemporary/Casual worship service at Epiphany. What I believe is important is the distinct flow and structure to worship, no matter the style or the place.
Worship is about coming into the presence of God, with the people of God. We gather, confessing our sins, and are assured of God's forgiveness. We hear the Word of God in the Scriptures and the sermon and in the words of the music we sing. We sing together as the people of God as an offering to God (I remember the story of a parishioner telling the pastor that he didn't care for one of the hymns for that Sunday. The pastor said, "That's alright. We weren't singing it for you!"). We confess together as the body of Christ gathered in one place our faith in the words of the Creed. We offer our prayers to God, and listen for God's will to be spoken to us. In response to God's great gifts for us, we offer these gifts back to God for God's service. And then we receive the greatest gift of all - the gift of God himself in the meal - given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. Fed and nourished, we are sent out to face the week to come, ready to serve as we have been so equipped. That is what worship is all about. And what we strive to do is to offer God our very best.
So let's call it worship. One service may draw you in more than another, and that is okay. What a blessing it is that we can offer a variety, so that more people may be drawn to be a part of the community. May we give to God our worship and praise. May our worship be a sweet, sweet sound unto His ear!
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
After a few weeks of attending this church, Chip and I were invited to a hayride and party with the New Song Folk Group. This was a student-led group that led worship once a month or so at the chapel, as well as travel to churches around the state of Michigan about once a month to lead worship. We decided to give it a try. We were soon heavily involved in the group, and to this day, we have several friends from that group. In fact, it was in this group that I met my wife! But that is another story for another blog.
In this folk group, we used a couple of different liturgies, including the Chicago Folk Service and others that were created by members of the group. I remember one of the settings used song tunes from Peter, Paul and Mary. We had guitars and piano and an occasional flute or violin. We also would, from time to time, lead a "Clown Service." That is ALSO another story for another blog. Yes, back in 1981, we were "cutting edge" to say the least! Yet the thing that drew me into the Lutheran church was still there - the flow and the structure.
I remember back in my previous church when we started the conversation of adding an alternative service to our two traditional offerings. I invited any and all who wished to be a part of the conversation to come to a jam session and bring their music and instruments. Several showed up, including a teenage member of the church and his two friends with their electric guitars and drums and speakers - when they played, the stained glass windows shook! On the other side of the circle was June, the retired organist with her auto-harp. My comment? Can we find something in between? Over time, we did.
We find ourselves in the church still seeking and trying different ways of offering worship. Technology, worship slides and projection, more instruments and recorded tracks continue to come along and evolve. In some churches, it is quite a production, with fog machines, bright lights and special effects. For other churches, it may be a couple of guitars and a singer. We also are blessed with a rich history of music and hymnody, liturgy and song in the Lutheran church. We are blessed to be able to offer a variety of worship styles.
So what do we call it? Do we call the hymns and organ service "Traditional Worship" and the guitar, pianos and drum service "Contemporary Worship?" What happens when the songs we sing in the contemporary service are older than some of the hymns we sing in the traditional worship? Should it be called "formal" and "casual?" Does that mean there is a dress code for one and not the other? How about calling the guitar, piano, drum service a Praise service? Well, that is all well and good, but we are told in Ecclesiastes that there is a time to mourn and a time to dance. So do we cancel the praise worship on those days of mourning?
Here's my thought: let's just call it worship. Maybe we can designate it by the time of the service, or the instruments used, or the location it is being held (outdoor worship this summer was not a good title, was it? So many rain days.) No matter the title, it is still worship. In the newsletter article for this week, I share my vision for the Praise/Contemporary/Casual worship service at Epiphany. What I believe is important is the distinct flow and structure to worship, no matter the style or the place.
Worship is about coming into the presence of God, with the people of God. We gather, confessing our sins, and are assured of God's forgiveness. We hear the Word of God in the Scriptures and the sermon and in the words of the music we sing. We sing together as the people of God as an offering to God (I remember the story of a parishioner telling the pastor that he didn't care for one of the hymns for that Sunday. The pastor said, "That's alright. We weren't singing it for you!"). We confess together as the body of Christ gathered in one place our faith in the words of the Creed. We offer our prayers to God, and listen for God's will to be spoken to us. In response to God's great gifts for us, we offer these gifts back to God for God's service. And then we receive the greatest gift of all - the gift of God himself in the meal - given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of your sins. Fed and nourished, we are sent out to face the week to come, ready to serve as we have been so equipped. That is what worship is all about. And what we strive to do is to offer God our very best.
So let's call it worship. One service may draw you in more than another, and that is okay. What a blessing it is that we can offer a variety, so that more people may be drawn to be a part of the community. May we give to God our worship and praise. May our worship be a sweet, sweet sound unto His ear!
Peace,
Pastor Charlie
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