DUTY ONE: LEADS WORSHIP
Worship is the heart of a faith community, it circulates through the ways and walking of the congregation. It is from our intentional gatherings of shared wisdom and affirming witness that we come to our engagement with life.. When we choose to be present in worship, we are nourished and challenged by shared being.
Good worship excites the mind, emboldens the heart, inspires compassion and opens us, with awe and humility, to an experience of the source and ground of Being.
Unitarian Universalist worship can create a dynamic holding environment which nurtures and challenges congregants to come to a sense of truth in and about their lives. With our facility for "multi-faith speak", we provide a place for 21st century seekers to form a spiritual grounding and ethical calling that feels relevant to their lives. This can be especially powerful within the current cultural movement of "nones", people describing themselves as "spiritual but not religious", because it welcomes seekers who are thirsty for a language of the soul to find their way in a faith discipline that deeply resonates.
There are varied forms of worship, from the proverbial “hymn sandwich” to innovative, participatory worship. It is important to plan various styles of worship, keeping core elements intact that honor the narrative of the spirit of the community (e.g. chalice lighting, story for all ages, hymn singing, offertory), so that congregants are both nurtured by the familiar callings to faith deepening and given angles that may inspire new ways of seeing.
Several years ago, I initiated an interactive worship ensemble, which we named the “Embrace the Journey” Ensemble. A House Band was formed as we explored various ways to engender a theme. We incorporate body prayers and physical rendering of poetry. We create room for spoken word offerings and for instructive dialogue. We devise interactive exercises, sometimes with simple crafts, to invite different ways to arrive at personal truths. We tell stories together and acknowledge each other’s company in shared being. We offer this mode of worship three or four times a year.
Last year, the Embrace Ensemble led the Stewardship Sunday. An engagement of play, contemplation and participatory affirmation created a powerful testimony to the worth of our faith community, and translated in joyful giving.
Worship is the heart of a faith community, it circulates through the ways and walking of the congregation. It is from our intentional gatherings of shared wisdom and affirming witness that we come to our engagement with life.. When we choose to be present in worship, we are nourished and challenged by shared being.
Good worship excites the mind, emboldens the heart, inspires compassion and opens us, with awe and humility, to an experience of the source and ground of Being.
Unitarian Universalist worship can create a dynamic holding environment which nurtures and challenges congregants to come to a sense of truth in and about their lives. With our facility for "multi-faith speak", we provide a place for 21st century seekers to form a spiritual grounding and ethical calling that feels relevant to their lives. This can be especially powerful within the current cultural movement of "nones", people describing themselves as "spiritual but not religious", because it welcomes seekers who are thirsty for a language of the soul to find their way in a faith discipline that deeply resonates.
There are varied forms of worship, from the proverbial “hymn sandwich” to innovative, participatory worship. It is important to plan various styles of worship, keeping core elements intact that honor the narrative of the spirit of the community (e.g. chalice lighting, story for all ages, hymn singing, offertory), so that congregants are both nurtured by the familiar callings to faith deepening and given angles that may inspire new ways of seeing.
Several years ago, I initiated an interactive worship ensemble, which we named the “Embrace the Journey” Ensemble. A House Band was formed as we explored various ways to engender a theme. We incorporate body prayers and physical rendering of poetry. We create room for spoken word offerings and for instructive dialogue. We devise interactive exercises, sometimes with simple crafts, to invite different ways to arrive at personal truths. We tell stories together and acknowledge each other’s company in shared being. We offer this mode of worship three or four times a year.
Last year, the Embrace Ensemble led the Stewardship Sunday. An engagement of play, contemplation and participatory affirmation created a powerful testimony to the worth of our faith community, and translated in joyful giving.
Innovative worship engages us in non-verbal connections, feelings of spontaneous wisdom, playful praise and communal interaction. There is a delicate balance between entertainment and engagement. If congregants sit back and "watch the show" you've missed the opportunity for spiritual engagement. If congregants close down, intimidated by the artistry, you've missed the opportunity for a deeper resonance with the intended message. In any case, this is a journey that the worship leaders and congregation enter together.