All right folks lets get back in the saddle as they say!!! Today I am inviting us to begin our second week of "Cultivating Fruitfulness" together. We begin the section on "passionate worship". For a while now we have been discussing welcoming people in to the church. That is all well and good, but what are we welcoming them to. For most folks it is Sunday morning worship. We hope that it will be a good experience. If they are going to sit in a pew for an hour (+ or -), they need to feel like it has some meaning for them and for their lives. This becomes our responsibility.
Our mission statement puts forth that we believe in "transforming worship". Simply put, we want to offer worship experiences that transform or change people's lives. Change "from what" ~ "to what" may be different for every person. Ideally folks may transform from hopeless to hopeful, purposeless to purposeful, etc.etc. How does worship do that???? Great question, glad you asked. I am not sure worship does the transforming, I believe God does the transforming. We just create the forum for the transformation to take place.
It is an important job. We need to take our responsibility seriously. We need to do our job with excellence so God can do the work of transforming.
But first, let's back up for a moment .... How do you feel about the experience of worship? The questions posed by today's readings invite your thoughts: What is your earliest positive memory of worship? What made it positive or memorable? What did you learn? ... I would include the question: What is positive or memorable about your worship experience today? What have you learned?
I look forward to your thoughts on these questions or any reflections about today's readings!
Great journey huh!
Rev. P
My earliest positive memory was when I was 5 or 6. I had a really, really nice Sunday School teacher. I wish I could remember her name, or even what she looked like, but she was the first person to tell me I was so special that God loved me "no matter what...." I remember thinking that seemed too good to be true, but she kept telling us with such conviction that it was believable. Other early memories include brings canned goods up to the altar of our chapel to feed the hungry, and getting a really beautiful picture of Jesus when I "graduated" from 3rd grade!
ReplyDeleteToday I find worship feeds me, soothes me, and gives me an opportunity to serve. I continue to be reminded of several important lessons - that God is always with us, even in the dark, troubling places in our lives. And also (as we heard and experienced) on Sunday, we are God's hands, and feet, and voice. What an honor. What a responsibility.
First I have to say my earliest memory of Sunday School was dreading going into the scantuary for the childrens sermon. Rev. Passage scared me. I love the Sunday School...but being paraded into Church was not happy. Now my earliest positive memory of Church was at an Episcopal retreat with one of my girlfriends when I was 13. Even though we went to the Congregational Church we were allowed to join them. The services were fun....music was intersting and we learned to use positive sources to let out our agression/frustrations. The councelors were fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned on Sunday at our service is ...God is still speaking...and we were able to use our hands to help those who need it. jackie
For me, worship is a time to feel a more intimate connection with God. I would like to say that every moment in my life I am praising, praying, and growing closer to Him, but with the world always in high speed I often forget. At worship I have an opportunity to center my life back on Jesus, a time of immense thanksgiving even in the roughest of weeks and a time to share the burdens of my heart and release them to Him. What I love about North Congregation Church is that we have such a blended service that worship is individual for every person who joins us. During worship our time with Christ is intimate and is often diverse than our brothers and sisters. Our challenge as a community of Faith is create a time of worship that is comfortable and passionate…times for sharing our sorrows and praise is key to our faith, but as is intimate time with our God. As a child, how awesome it felt to know that every Sunday morning so many of our brothers and sisters are worshiping God with all of their heart whether singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school or even saying the Lord’s prayer in between shifts at the local diner. The worship experience at NCC provides a feeling of intimacy with Christ, but also a connection to the greater faith community worldwide.
ReplyDeleteopps...this was my first paragraph!
ReplyDeleteVery early on I remember being taught that worship isn’t just a meeting of our neighbors, but a family reunion with our brothers and sisters in Christ. A time of love and tranquility where we can express joys and sorrow. During worship the doors of our hearts open wide as we sing praises and thanksgiving in a community of faith. My mother explained that for her going to a service reunites her burning flame for Christ, equips her to face a hurting world with the Love of Christ, and provides an opportunity to fall in love with God over and over again.
I can remember receiving my Bible in church in the third grade (I think I was embarrassed). I remember loving an older man who was our minister for many years - a grandfather type, and there was a beloved Sunday School teacher - a man, very gentle and always with a smile on his face. I remember studying the 23rd psalm and not liking to talk about death. Worship for me has always included saying grace at the dinner table and saying bedtime prayers - I remember reciting my dad's version of "Now I lay me down to sleep" taking out the "if I should die" part and putting in "thy love guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning light" - a prayer I still offer up every night.
ReplyDeleteSome of the passion that I feel in our services includes that gut-wrenching moment when Patty delivers her sermon and drives home a point that speaks directly to me (how does she do that week after week - one of her incredible gifts from God). Our worship services always help to take me outside myself, where I know God wants me to be.
I am enjoying the comments ..and loved what Patty said.. that God does the transforming..we just set the stage.
ReplyDeleteMemories of worship ....sitting with the "old ladies" because Dad was in the choir and Mom was home with little ones. They let me write on the bulletins and squirm a bit....junior choir...sitting in the balcony with the other youth..can't remember the sermons, but somehow the words of the liturgy , the hymns, the feeling of something special(I didn't define it at the time as sacrad) oozed into my pores and became a vital part of me
Worship now...I need time for quiet and introspection; love it when the words and music of the songs connect with the sermon (that happens most of the time), love it when my mind is challenged AND my heart is touched, and I can feel that the God is in this place and still speaking! We are on the right road!
My earliest memories as a child were not positive as I was always "the visitor" and felt out of the loop, so to say. So therefore, my first really positive experience was just out of college when one of my closest girlfriends was getting married in a Methodist church. The pastor was a gentle soul with a great sense of humor and a hearty, engaging laugh. I believe it was because of his genuine personality, that I finally felt a bit connected to the sermons I was hearing. I was engaged by his words and what they made me think.
ReplyDeleteI believe that is what we now have at NCC but on a larger scale for me, personally. The worship gives me a chance to reflect on my week and then delve into Patty's words. I have to agree with Linda that she has a knack for teaching me something almost every week. It is through the scripture, the sermon and the corresponding music, that a "theme" forms and usually connects at some point to my own life. When you can leave church feeling that you have not just been preached at, but spoken to, it is a gift.
One of my first memories is that of receiving my Bible - I think I was 12. I had just joined the First Cong. Church in Whitman. As for now, church gives me a peace and certainty in my life; allows me to reflect and be grateful for who I am, who I have become, and stronger through the tough times.
ReplyDeleteJan
Sorry for being somewhat distant the past few postings; I can assure you that I have been in thought provoking prayer and meditation. ;)
ReplyDeleteMy worship experiences did not start until my teenage years. For those of you who may not know, I was baptized in the Catholic faith. I went to the Catholic Church until I was confirmed in the tenth grade and by the time I became confirmed I was discontent with the Catholic Church and some of the values and beliefs the church professes. Until this time I was not fully engaged in my faith. My parents did not take my sister or I to church on a regular basis, and I was uncomfortable in many church buildings or religious settings.
Even though my family had a lack in church attendance, my parents decided to send me to a Catholic high school. I graduated from Cardinal Spellman in Brockton in 2006, and it was there that I can remember my earliest worship experience. Spellman is a Catholic high school and one that is committed to academic excellence. However, unlike some other Catholic schools, Spellman does not seek to indoctrinate it's students with religion. Spellman was the place where I learned what it meant to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Although Spellman was Catholic, and I was becoming consistently disconnected with the Catholic Church, it was here that I felt a particular tugging on my heart to become more engaged with my Christian faith.
Worship services at Spellman were some of the most memorable worship experiences throughout the beginning of my Christian walk. Spellman was the place where I was introduced to Christian rock music. Spellman was where I first learned what it meant to live my faith and not just observe my faith for one hour on Sundays. At Spellman, I participated in adoration: a time in which many Catholics pray and meditate before the Eucharist. This time became particularly enriching for me because it was here that I found strength in the symbolic presence of Christ. Spellman gave me the opportunity to meet other people my age and connect with them on a spiritual level; a level that I had never connected with other people on.
Much of what I learned at Spellman can be found at NCC. I think this is why I feel so at home at NCC. Spellman was a Christian community that believed in and practiced the mission statement of NCC: Welcome, Worship, and Witness.
NCC provides that arena the devotional discusses for transformative worship. Every week I look forward to coming to church. This is a time for me to reconnect with God and become energized and renewed for a new week. It is at NCC that I walk away each week learning something new or feeling enlightened because of the message that I hear in the musical themes and words of Rev. Patty's sermons.