2014 Advent to Christmas Series "The Promise" Worship Helps

As promised, here are the candle lightings, calls to worship, and corporate or pastoral prayers for our 2014 Advent to Christmas Series "The Promise".  Everything is designed to get the point across for each particular Sunday and is free to use.  Let us know me the comments if any of this is of help to you!

This year, I decided to go with the traditional names for the Advent Wreath Candles (perhaps for the first time since I started writing original lighting liturgies).  I'll have a graphic for worship guides in the next couple of days!

November 30 (Advent 1) - “A Promise and a Plea” Isaiah 64:1-9

Lighting the Candle of Hope
Long ago the prophet Isaiah cried out for God’s mercy to be shown to God’s children – all of us.  God heard that prayer, though God came in God’s own time.  Even though God may not move in the way we expect or as quickly as we would sometimes like, God still keeps the promises that God makes.  God hears our cries for mercy, even today.  This morning, as we light the Candle of Hope, may this small light be a symbol to all of us that waiting and hoping for God to come to us again.
Let this fire remind us that while we wait for the Lord, truly the Lord is already here.  Hope is here!

Call to Worship
Lord, hear our prayer!
Listen to your children praying!
Hear your people crying out for mercy this morning, God of our Salvation.
May the hope of Jesus arise in us this morning!

Prayer of Confession
Merciful God, we have much to confess.  We lose our focus.  We forget the reasons we’ve had for the holiday season.  We get caught up in being busy, caught up in ourselves, caught up in the world.  Help us to focus on you, and in so doing becoming more like you.  The world around us needs you, needs people focused on you and ready to meet the needs of those that are hurting and lost around us.  Focus us God, lead us with your Holy Spirit, so that when the Hope of the Nations does arrive, we are ready.  Amen.

December 7 (Advent 2) - “Passing the Baton” Mark 1:1-8

Lighting the Candle of Peace
John the Baptist’s ancient words, calling us to prepare the way of the Lord were more ancient than he was.  He learned them from Isaiah.  But in John’s time, Jesus did finally arrive.  The Hope of the Nations walking among the people.  This morning, we light the Candle of Peace.  May we carry the Lord’s peace with us this holiday season, as we remember that Jesus was, and is, real.
Let this fire remind us that while we wait for the Lord, truly the Lord is already here.  Peace is here!

Call to Worship
Peace of the Lord be with you today!
Peace of the Lord be with you!
We have work to do to prepare the way of the Lord!
May Jesus make his true way into our hearts, today.

Prayer of Confession
Everlasting Lord, we confess that Advent is not a peaceful season, and that it is our own making.  We forget that your incarnate love in Jesus Christ wasn’t just meant for the church or the people that call themselves ‘Christian’ … It is for everyone.  Can you help us be peace-bringers this season?  Can you open our hearts and minds to those that need us to bring your healing touch?  To those that need to be introduced to your son, Jesus Christ?  To those that need the way to you made plain?  Calm our hearts and steady our minds, dear God, that we may find your peace and show it to others.  Amen.

December 14 (Advent 3) - “A Mother Sings” Luke 1:46b-55

Lighting the Candle of Love
Mary’s song reminds us that God’s love is truly for everyone, that we are all God’s children, and God’s mercy is equally given.  Mary helps us to remember that God’s view is different from ours– that those we might consider the lowly, the outcast, are equal in God’s eye to the powerful and the strong.  This morning we light the Candle of Love, reminding ourselves that God’s love is without boundary, it is timeless, it is free to all.
Let this fire remind us that while we wait for the Lord, truly the Lord is already here.  Love is here! 

Call to Worship
This morning, we are called to sing!
To sing of the Lord’s everlasting mercy!
To sing of the Lord’s faithfulness!
Thank you God for keeping your promises from generation to generation!

Prayer of Confession
God on high, we know you love us, but we confess that we forget to return that love.  You give us everything and we squander our resources.  We spend on ourselves, we pour extravagance on ourselves, all while those around us, in our neighborhoods, communities, and families struggle just to keep healthy food on the table.  Let us hear Mary’s song anew this morning, may we be reminded that the ways of the world, where the strong forget the weak, are not your ways.  Your ways are higher, God.  Help us to bring your Kingdom more fully onto this earth.  Amen.

December 21(Advent 4) – “Yes!” Luke 1:26-38

Lighting the Candle of Joy
As the angel tells Mary not to fear, we hear that call on our own hearts this morning.  Because we know that the promise of God, delivered by an angel, and received by Mary, is true.  When the world cried out for a savior, that savior did come to us.  Not as a king, but as a baby.  As we light the Candle of Joy this morning, may we be reminded, with joy, that the Lord loves us so much, that the Song of God came into the world like one of us.
Let this fire remind us that while we wait for the Lord, truly the Lord is already here.  Joy is here!

Call to Worship
The Lord is with us this morning!
Yes, indeed.  The Lord’s joy is here!
Are you prepared for miracles?
Nothing is impossible with God!

Prayer of Confession

God of Compassion, we are a fearful people.  We carry so much with us … hurt, pain, disease, strife.  We confess that we forget that you are with us, often in the hardest times.  We confess that sometimes this season of joy is less than joyful, because we lose track of you.  We need you to heal our hurts God, we can’t make it on our own.  Heal us God so we can be prepared to say “Yes!”, as Mary did.  Yes, to your call to lift up each other, to carry each other and lift burdens for one another, not just for our friends and family, but to everyone.  Help us to receive the gift of your healing, and joyful, love in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

December 24 (Christmas Eve) - “The Promise is Kept” Luke 2:1-20

Lighting the Christ Candle
As we light the Christ Candle, we remember that long ago God’s promise to us was kept!  We called on the Lord for salvation, and not only did the Lord bring it, the Lord Our God appeared to us as a baby.  A baby to be loved and nurtured in a human family.  A baby Messiah that would grow up to preach the good news that all are welcome and loved in the Kingdom of God.  Today, we welcome Jesus Christ!
Welcome to you, Lord Jesus!  May this light remind us of the hope, peace, love, and joy that can only be found in you!

Call to Worship
Let heaven and nature sing -
Joy to the world!
Oh come, all ye faithful –
Joyful and triumphant!
The herald angels sing –
Glory to God!
Jesus is here!
Jesus is here!

A Christmas Prayer
God, we welcome you here.  We have been waiting for you, anticipating your arrival, expecting you to visit us today.  We need you God, and we are so grateful that you love us so much that you came to us in the form of a child.  You place so much trust in us, even trusting a humble family to raise your own son.  On top of that, you gift us with care over one another.  Yes, it’s a care that we often fail to give.  Thanks be to you God that no matter how often we forget to take care of each other, to love each other as you love us, your forgiveness knows no end.  Forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love that became incarnate in Jesus Christ.  A promise of salvation that is kept.  Welcome to the world, Lord Jesus.  May singing your songs, sharing in your gifts, and looking to your earthly life bring heaven closer to us this Christmas.  Amen.

December 28 (1st Sunday After Christmas) - “Seeing Salvation” Luke 2:22-40

Call to Worship
In our church, today it is still Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
The angels are still singing!
Glory to God, and peace on earth.

Prayer for After Christmas
Lord Jesus Christ, another Christmas Day has come and gone.  How did we celebrate your birthday?  With family and friends?  With food and gifts?  Did we remember that you are the true gift of Christmas?  You are the agent of our salvation, the light in our darkness, a fulfilled promise of God.  And we, whom you would call friends, are called to share these great gifts, that only you can give, with the world. Remind us that the gifts we’ve been given aren’t ours to keep.  Remind us that there’s more than enough food for none to go hungry.  Remind us that through you everyone we meet is now a brother or sister.  Thanks be to God for the family of faith that began on Christmas Day and continues to grow into the future.  Amen.

Advent to Christmas 2014 Worship Series: The Promise

This Advent season at FUMCA we're following the thread of messengers, the people who prophesied and proclaimed the good news the culminated in a fulfilled promise with the birth of Jesus Christ.

Our Advent journey will take us from the heartfelt prayers of Isaiah, to the rugged preaching of John the Baptist.  Then to the tender joy of Mary, mother of Jesus, as she sings her song of thanksgiving after the angel Gabriel gives her the news that God has chosen her to bear the Son of God into the world.  Finally, after the long wait, the promise of God, Jesus the Messiah, comes to us at Christmas.  A promise fulfilled.

Here is an outline of our plan, with liturgy resources and graphics to come.  This is all shared freely, but if you use it within your faith family, just do me a favor and share that in the comments!

Advent to Christmas 2014 Worship Series:

The Promise

November 30 (Advent 1) - “A Promise and a Plea" - Isaiah 64:1-9

Isaiah prays, "Oh, that you would tear the heavens and come down ..."

This lesson is a heartfelt plea for mercy, which is unlike many of the iconic Advent scriptures we pull from this prophet's deep words.  Where is the Holy Mountain, or the Great Light?  Isaiah is speaking for a world that needs a savior, a messiah, a rescuer.  Do we not cry for this still today as we wait for Christ to come again?  We wait still for the great intercessor to appear.

We remind our people though, as evidenced by the Incarnation, that God does hear our prayers.  That God does move towards us.

December 7 (Advent 2) - “Passing the Baton” - Mark 1:1-8

John proclaims, "One who is more powerful than I is coming after me ..."

A rough and tumble prophet, John wasn't into the pretensions of his time.  He wanted to get down to business, declare a season of repentance, and get people right with God.  However, he wasn't the Messiah, he wasn't the endgame ... Jesus was/is.  John, the way-maker, is preparing the people to meet Christ, for real.  John starts the race, but Jesus finishes it.  So, the question may be, still today, how are we making the way for Jesus in people's hearts right here, right now?

December 14 (Advent 3) - “A Mother Sings” -  Luke 1:46b-55

Isaiah had cried out to God for mercy (as had many Israelites), and here mercy is, gifted to Mary to bring into the world.  The special thing, though, is that God is buying into the human experience.  Not only will God come down to earth and to our rescue, but God will do so by coming into the world the way all humans do.  You might say, "God has skin in the game."

And, of course, this is Mary's song.  It's a riff on Hannah's song from the First Samuel, but Mary makes it her own.  She's prophesying in a way, singing the themes that are the Gospel of Luke's central message: the world as we know it is upside down from here on out.  That is, God's heart is for the lowly, the tread upon, the outcast, the ill, those who have no way out in society.  Mary is one of those people, and here she is, soon-to-be Mother of God.

December 21 (Advent 4) – “Yes!” - Luke 1:26-38

"Nothing is impossible with God ..."

God makes it happen for God's children.  The world needs a savior, and a savior is sent.  Not on a flaming chariot with an angel army as backup, but as a child.  However, the approach to Mary needs to be made, and Gabriel gets to make it.  Angels in the OT aren't bringers of joy, on the whole.  The Israelite history with angels is pretty scary stuff, so it's no wonder that Gabriel first tells Mary not to fear.

The Lord is with us, we don't need to fear.  Do we fear things this time of year?  Loneliness?  Money problems?  Brokenness in our families and relationships?  Are there things in our lives that we find impossible?  Is God there to help us find a break through?  The Incarnation is proof to us that God is ready, willing, and able to work miracles.  Mary was brave enough to say "YES!" to God, what about us?

December 24 (Christmas Eve) - “The Promise is Kept” - Luke 2:1-20

This sermon is so easy, but so hard.  How do  you bring something new to the Christmas story?  Do you even need to?  The awe, wonder, and praise wrapped into these twenty history-changing verses are timeless.  The joy of the angels, the shock to the shepherds, the love of the holy family.

But perhaps the greatest thing of all: God was always on the move to bring us Jesus, and God is still on the move in the world today.  Karl Barth wrote of the incarnation, not just that Emmanuel means "God with us", but also that "God does not want to be without us."

That is the Good News of Christmas!

December 28 (1st Sunday After Christmas) - “Seeing Salvation” - 2:22-40

"My eyes have seen your salvation ..."

The Song of Simeon rounds out the three songs that open the Gospel of Luke (Mary's Magnificat and the Song of the Angels being the other two).  Most people may know the Nunc Dimittis, 'Let your servant go in peace', set to music, but it doesn't give much of the scriptural context.  Simeon had been waiting, and waiting for the arrival of the savior, having a witness that he would meet the Messiah from the Holy Spirit.

What a gift Simeon received - to have tangible proof that God's promises are true.  We humans, some 2,000 years later have to take to these stories on faith.  However, the point should be made more often that while we don't see the Human One in the flesh before us, we, the church, are the Body of Christ - baptized to love and serve others as Christ did.  In other words, others should be able to see Christ in us.  In the aftermath of Christmas and before the New Year, what can we do to better show people that we know Christ was/is real?  Do we bring good new to the poor?  Let the oppressed go free?  Help people shake off their spiritual blindness?  Proclaim the time of the Lord's favor on the whole wide world?

Health Kits and Worship

When the earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the church I was serving in Louisiana did something monumental.

We cancelled Sunday school.

We cancelled Sunday school  the following Sunday and took a mission trip as a church to our fellowship hall where we, as the church, packed UMCOR Health Kits to be shipped to Haiti, via UMCOR's warehouse in Sager Brown.  In one hour, 400 people came together to back a 2,000 kits or so.

For that church, offering an opportunity to provide that kind of relief was second nature.  When Katrina hit their area of LA, UMCOR was quickly on the scene with a trailer of bottled water and flood buckets, essentials for nourishment and hygiene when all of those things most people take for granted were nowhere to be found.  In response to the generous outpouring of God's love through God's people it became one of the most mission-oriented churches in the area.

That morning three years ago was the genesis for our worship service this last Sunday.  I offered up the preaching time for our contemporary service to take on a missional experience in the fellowship hall where we worship every Sunday morning.  Our missions committee gathered supplies over the last several weeks, getting buy-in from nearly every small group ministry of the church.  We had the supplies to back 300 health kits during worship, and that's exactly what we did together.

It's special to have a multi-use worship space, where we have the ability to create a hybrid experience of worship and mission in the same place.  We began with the elements of our normal worship, with song, prayer, and offering.  I offered a short devotional and then we moved into packing the kits, children, youth and adults walking down the assembly line together as a family.  A multi-generational mission activity, and it took about 30 minutes in total to pack the 303 health kits.  It was slow to start as people found their rhythm, but completely worth it.  People didn't get impatient.  People helped our children.  People got to work, bringing together service and worship.

After all, don't we call it the worship service?   Don't we refer to our orders of worship as 'the liturgy' - the work of the people?

We had to pause in the middle of the packing to offer Holy Communion and formally conclude the worship service, but by the time I'd gotten through the benediction, all supplies had been packed and worship clocked in at just over an hour.  It was epic.  It was moving.  It was fun.

Initially it felt like a risk, but then it just felt like it was something the Spirit was calling on us to do.  303 Health Kits were offered to the world, for the Glory of God last Sunday in worship at FUMC Arlington.  Is that radical hospitality?  Risk-taking mission and service?  Maybe both, but most of all, it was just right.  Think about it - we're always trying to find ways to get people to go somewhere, and that is very important - to go places and do good works.  But not everyone can do that.  Are there more ways to bring a mission experience to the people?  This was an easy one, and too easy not to pass on.

How is your church innovating ways to create multi-generational mission experiences?

Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown

As we head into our third week of our series on Wesleyan Christian beliefs, this week we tackle John Wesley's thoughts on heaven, the Kingdom of God, and how to get there.  It's a tough subject to tackle, but in his sermon "The Way to the Kingdom" he's pretty clear that the Kingdom of Heaven is something that is meant to be enjoyed here and now.  It is meant to be pursued in the immediate, that we can experience heaven on earth.

How?  By pursuing the love of God, which is also all around us, running amok in our daily lives whether we like it or not.

Wheresoever therefore, the gospel of Christ is preached, this his "kingdom is nigh at hand."  It is not far from every one of you.  Ye may this hour enter thereinto, if so be ye hearken to his voice, "Repent ye, and believe the gospel. (John Wesley, The Way to the Kingdom)

For me, it kind of strikes me that God has actually been in pursuit of us all along, that God has already done all of the hard work of reconciliation, and that all we must do is say "Yes" to the Kingdom's entrance into our hearts.

I've been spending time this week with the text of Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown, by Charles Wesley, a stirring and emotional text that describes Charles' own faith journey, mirroring the struggle of Jacob with God at Peniel.

Stanza one (UMH 386):

Come, O thou Traveler unknown who still I hold, but cannot see!My company before is gone, and I am left alone with thee.With thee all night I mean to stay, and wrestle til the break of day;With thee all night I mean to stay, and wrestle till the break of day

And stanza four:

'Tis love!  'Tis love! Thou diedst for me, I hear thy whisper in  my heart.The morning breaks, the shadows flee, pure, Universal Love thou art.To me, to all, thy mercies move; thy nature and thy name is Love.To me, to all, thy mercies move; thy nature and thy name is Love.

It's one of the few hymns that we have in the hymnal by Charles that actually includes the full text, UMH 387, it was originally published in 1742 under the title "Wrestling Jacob".  Charles was John's younger brother, but John outlived him, his partner in ministry and friend, by three years.  After the full text in the hymnal, there is a short piece of history given in our hymnal:

John Wesley ended his obituary tribute to his brother Charles at the Methodist Conference in 1788.  "His least praise was his talent for poetry: although Dr. [Isaac] Watts did not scruple to say that 'that single poem, Wrestling Jacob, was worth all the verses he himself had written." A little over two weeks after his brother's death, John Wesley tried t teach the hymn at Bolton, but broke down when he came to the lines "my company before is gone and I am left alone with thee."

I've gone on a little bit longer than I intended on this piece already, but that little story gets me every time I read it.  Love pursues us right now.  That's the narrative the church needs to be preaching, without putting stumbling blocks in front of it.

An Awkwardly Good Baptism Remembrance

Yesterday we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord in all of our worship services.  Although my main assignment on Sunday mornings is to preach at our contemporary service, I also float around to our other (traditional) worship services as a liturgist and occasional preacher.

Our second traditional style worship service serves communion every week, it's a different layout than most traditional services to accommodate the sacrament and it was something we had planned around for our liturgy of baptism remembrance.  Yes, I realize that our Book of Worship liturgies highly suggest that you serve Holy Communion following the remembrance, but ... well ... logistics.

So, we stuck faithfully to the service of baptism remembrance in the UMBOW, nothing fancy.  Our pastor went through the liturgy and poured the water.  I then walked the basin up the center aisle, stopping every few paces, calling on the people to remember their baptisms and be thankful.  Pretty standard stuff!  I then walked the basin back up and place it on the altar table to proceed with communion.  

That's when and awkward miracle happened.

I had the center station and we were going through the line at a good clip.  No nonsense whatsoever.

But then, a woman who I'd never met before stepped forward in line.  I'd already broken off a piece of bread for her when she looked at me and said, "Can I go up and touch the water?  I just want to touch the water."

I glanced back up the stairs to the basin and then back at her and said, "Go right ahead."

She quickly, boldly, walked up the steps and touched the water, and walked back down to get back in line for communion.

The choir member serving with me looked slightly mortified while this was going on and asked me what she was doing.  I just looked at her and shrugged, "She just wanted to touch the water."

Sometimes the Spirit calls on us to drop the formalities for a second.  I would never say that our traditional services are too traditional or rigid, but they are 'high church' to be sure - and done very, very well.  But sometimes, we just need to let people touch the water.  I was proud to be this woman's pastor yesterday, even though this easily could have crept into worship blooper territory.  It was a bold move to walk up those steps and touch that water in remembrance.

Things like that can happen when a person is in the Spirit.  I'm thankful to have been a part of that simple, awkward, moment.

Post-Epiphany Sermon Series Idea - Method: Our Wesleyan Way

What's next?

It's a question that we're frequently asking ourselves in the worship planning professions.  What's next?  What's needed?  How do we tell the Gospel story?

In my congregation, and I suspect many others, one question I seem to be running into over and over again is:

"What do United Methodists believe?"

I come up against this in many ways, though maybe not as overtly as those words themselves.  It happens in the hallways, in Sunday School classes, in the parking lots after worship.  One of the problems in the UMC narrative, is that through our own doings, the message of Methodism has become watered down.

We're the church that believes everything.

Our founder, Mr. Wesley, would argue against that, to be sure.

So, I approached our Senior Pastor with an idea.  What if we started the year off with a study on our Wesleyan roots?  What if we gave a few basic lessons on the tent-poles of our faith?  I wanted to take the start of the year and talk about our views of the sacraments, the social gospel, and of course, GRACE.

He really liked my idea, but put three requirements on it in order for us to bring it together.

1. We need to follow the lectionary.
2. It needs to take up the eight Sundays between Epiphany and Lent.
3. We need to feature one sermon by John Wesley each week as a source of inspiration.

There's been a dearth of less-than-Wesleyan teaching across the board in our United Methodist Church, so we figure going to the source of our denomination's founder was a great way to talk about what we really believe.

With that in mind, this is what we've come up with:

Method: Our Wesleyan Way

Sundays after Epiphany

January 12 – March 2

For each Sunday, there's a scripture from the RCL, featured sermon by John Wesley (which is also the title for the message of the day - links provided), and the main topic for discussion.

January 12 – Baptism of the Lord Sunday
RCL Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17
Featured John Wesley Sermon (title of the message for the day): #18 “The Marks of the New Birth”
Main Topic(s):  Baptism

January 19
RCL Scripture: John 1:29-42
Featured John Wesley Sermon:  #113 “The Difference Between Walking by Sight and Walking by Faith”
Main Topic(s):  Faith, Discipleship

January 26
RCL Scripture: Matt 4:12-23
Featured John Wesley Sermon: #7 “The Way to the Kingdom”
Main Topic(s):  Heaven (up there and down here), Kingdom building

February 2
RCL Scripture: Micah 6:1-8
Featured John Wesley Sermon:  #2 “The Almost Christian”
Main Topic(s):  Justice, the Social Gospel, Works of Mercy, Communion…

February 9
RCL Scripture: Matthew 5:13-20
Featured John Wesley Sermon: #24 “Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount”
Main Topic(s):  Holiness of heart and life

February 16
RCL Scripture: 1 Cor 3:1-9
Featured John Wesley Sermon: #39 “Catholic Spirit”
Main Topic(s):  Universality of the church, 'non-creedal-ness'

February 23
RCL Scripture: Matt 5:38-48
Featured John Wesley Sermon:  #89 “The More Excellent Way”
Main Topic(s):  GRACE

March 2 – Transfiguration Sunday
RCL Scripture: 2 Peter 1:16-21
Featured John Wesley Sermon: #128 “Free Grace”
Main Topic(s):  Evangelism, More Grace, Sanctification, Election, Communion…

************

Feel free to use any or all of this!  As always, all I need is a comment if you put it to use.  God bless your future planning!

Snowday Home Worship for Advent 2!

We're iced in here in North Texas, so my wife and I decided to offer a little worship from our home since many churches, including ours, were closed this morning.

It's a little chaotic, as any worship that includes a toddler will be!

Rethink Creative

So, it's pretty rare that I'd ever endorse a business.  In fact, I don't think I ever have.  So this must be pretty good, right?

I'd like to introduce you to a group of guys that have dubbed themselves the Rethink Creative Group.

They have a goal, and that's to be a full-service creative hub to get the Gospel News into the world.  They're uniquely aware that most churches in Christendom are awful small.  Most can't afford truly original graphic design, website design, videography - but they can generate it for any local church. They even help pastors generate topical sermon series complete with visual content.  Maybe one of the more unique things they offer are their custom music arrangements to suit a local church's worship needs.

In other words, they're an original content generator for any church's context.  They have their rates ... But they know their clientele.  These guys love the church, and want to serve it - in the universal sense.  They provide a service that many smaller churches could use to up their media and worship games.  Local churches are often behind the times when it comes to media for a variety of reasons ... Church size, church age, time ... Here's a great option to bring your interaction with media and the church forward.

Check them out!

*Full disclosure - One of their founders did buy me a plate of cheese fries last week at lunch.  They were really good.  I won't endorse just anything for cheese fries, but they do make me pause and think.

UPDATED: Hope is on the Way!

I've been kind of silent on my blog lately, and I can finally share the reason why!

For the last two months, I've been working on a writing assignment for GBOD Worship - sermon preparation ideas for the Hope is On the Way Advent Series I helped to put together for my faith family at FUMC Arlington.

It was a tall assignment, working out seven sermons a couple of months out, but it was a really fun project and a blessing to get this opportunity!

The GBOD published it all today!  So, if you're looking for a little bit of help with your sermon preparations for Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, I hope you'll check out what we've offered.  With these notes, I also wrote out a few ideas each week for you to discuss with your worship planning team, questions to ask and ideas for you to own your worship this season and glorify God in your context.  Combine them with the liturgy resources we have, and it's a comprehensive resource to serve your congregation!  It's all free, but I'd love for you to comment if any of this is of help to you, or if you have a different perspective than from what I've given!

Blessings as you plan!

Hope is on the Way Sermon and Worship Helps

Hope is on the Way Liturgy Resources

Updated 11/05/13: Hope is on the Way Series Art

Hope is on the Way Series Art

One of the many blessings of working at the church I'm appointed to is having a trained graphic designer on staff who takes on most of our communications needs.  She doesn't just make fliers (though she does), she also manages our website, email communications, and designs our publicity materials for our various campaigns and sermon series.  As pastor of communications, I don't have to do the tricky stuff ... I get to deal with overall vision and scope, while my team does a stellar job of bringing our big ideas to life.

I don't know if you're church needs it or not, but we're offering our main graphic for our Advent series here for free.

It should give you a lot of room to use as you're church needs, for bulletins, fliers, banners ... Whatever you need.

As always, if you use it, just leave a comment to let us know how far it's gone!

You can also check out worship helps for the Hope is On the Way Series here.  And sermon notes at the GBOD worship site here.

"Why Rock Star Worship Leaders are Getting Fired"

I observed this headline on my twitter feed this morning and quickly followed the link ... "Why Rock Star Worship Leaders are Getting Fired" at Churchleaders.com

I'm not going to lie here, I'm both surprised ... and not.  

I am a staunch advocate of modern worship styles, and all genres that fall under that umbrella, from contemporary to Taize to African and Latin styles ... It's all good to me - when done well, and when used to actively help the congregation get after the heart of Christ.  As opposed to the heart of the worship leader.

I think maybe our larger mega churches might be realizing that they have an authenticity problem on their hands, hiring extremely talented musicians and song writers with no real training in worship leadership.  No real training in Bible study.  And probably not a whole lot of skill at communicating with a pastor in helping communicate the message for the week.  All while building their own album-launching platforms.

That's why I'm not surprised at the trend this author is pointing out ... Though, I'd love to see some real data! 

But why am I surprised?  The trend for a while has been flash over substance in worship.  The more secular the better, the more hipster the better.  I realize I'm saying that as a mostly hipster-looking pastor, but hopefully you know what I mean.

On the other hand, to my worship leader friends - go and get yourself that $100k job!

What do you think?

Worship Leader Survey

If you're a worship leader, choir director, or song leader, I'd love for you to take a few minutes and complete a short survey for me regarding how you and your pastor prepare worship together.

Crossing over to the pastoral side from musical leadership, I had very strong opinions on these matters when I was a worship minister, and I'm just curious about how things go for others!

It's anonymous and shouldn't take long.  Thanks in advance!

Click here to take survey

The Lectionary Trap

Yesterday we concluded our October sermon series on the book of 2nd Timothy.  It was great to be able to dwell on this important book of the New Testament, and it was an edifying experience for those in worship to be able to read the letter, essentially from beginning to end in a month's time.

At FUMCA, we follow the lectionary, but we spin things a little differently in that we build sermon series out of the selected texts.  For instance, during the season of Easter, we followed the Acts stream to study how the early church was build.  For the Summer, we followed the Gospel of Luke.  Then, in October we switched streams again to 2nd Timothy.

In doing things this way, it forces us to deal with the tough stuff and actually have an extended bible study in worship.

For instance, in doing a month long study in 2nd Timothy, we were able to pick up a few simple points each week for surviving tough times in ministry.

1. In the first chapter, Paul points Timothy towards his family as a source of an authentic faith.
2. In the second, Paul suggests that if Tim is facing tough times, he can look no further than the example of Paul, who follows the example of Christ.
3. In the third, and beginning of the fourth chapters, Paul tells his student to read his Bible.  Not rocket science there.
4. And the fourth, Paul wraps up his life's ministry, reminding all of us to be telling our stories.

Through studying one book over a few weeks, we were able to actually go somewhere with the texts.  It does take preparation, to be sure.

The lectionary is an awesome tool for planning worship, it keeps pastors from just preaching on what they're 'feeling' (not that that's always a bad thing ...).  But I do wonder whether we do a disservice to our congregations when we hop from one lectionary stream to another on a weekly basis.  Do we avoid tough topics when we do that?  Do we avoid the narrative of a book when we do that?

As a rookie preacher, I'm just wondering!  I also mean no disrespect to my elders here, just asking the questions.

Preachers: How do you prefer to structure your scriptural preaching patterns?
Congregants: What do you feel you need to hear?  Would you rather jump around, or follow a stream?

A Litany of Affirming the Call

This weekend I've been gifted the task to help lead and structure the worship for a conference-wide discernment retreat for young people in Central Texas and abroad.  It's a different kind of retreat, focused on vocational ministry in many ways, but the flip is that we're not fixated on ordained ministry as the only option.

We'll have break out sessions with leaders in ministry from our conference and many others to discuss with our young adults ministry in careers in youth ministry, children's ministry, and ordained ministry.  We'll talk about the need for educated lay people - that may even want to go to seminary just for that.

The point of the whole extravaganza is simple: we're all called to ministry, and our ministry call is as unique to each one of us.  What if ... we truly treated all members of our churches as the ministers we call ourselves?  That's the point of the weekend as we'll meet, pray, and discover where the Lord is guiding us.

At the close of the afternoon worship session, we'll be reading this litany together, as we affirm the call in one another.

A Litany of Affirming the Call

The discernment process can be a long one
     But thank God it’s not meant to be done alone
We stand here in community and we affirm together that the Lord has called each of us to ministry
     By our baptisms we are claimed by God to do good work in the Lord’s name
Our call is personal, and it is unique to each one of us
     And it is communal, as we live out our callings with those around us
Lord God, thank you for being with us as we discover who you are calling us to be
     Who you are calling us to be as a people of faith
     Who you are calling us to be as ministers of your word
The Spirit has brought us together in this place, by pulling on each of our hearts
     Maybe others have nudged us here, some have been shoved
But yes, God, we are here wondering at the plans you have for us
     So, Lord, we pray for the call put on our neighbor on our left
     We pray for the call put on our neighbor to our right
     In front of us.
     Behind us
We give God our thanks
     We thank you, God, our Creator for gifting us with our calls
     We thank you, Jesus Christ, for teaching us how to walk in the Way.
     We thank you, Holy Spirit, both for disturbing us into realizing our call, and comforting      us as we follow it.
May our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer fill us up, as we are sent out.
     Amen.

Worship and Liturgy Resources - The Essentials

Yesterday, I completed the whirl-wind educational experience known as "Licensing School", a big step in the UMC on the road to ordination; upon completion and appointment by the Bishop you are bestowed the title "Licensed Local Pastor".  It is now a required step for all that are moving onto Elder or Deacon, but for many becoming a LLP is actually the goal and they continue their education through Course of Study.

There were thirty or so folks in class, most from Central Texas, but others from Southwest Texas and one from the North Texas Conference.  All of us are serving in a variety of circumstance, many as Lay Supply in smaller churches already, some in larger churches serving in youth, young adult, children, and music departments waiting for appointment or just taking the class as part of the ordination track while in seminary, others serve as volunteers and unpaid staff.

Most discussions were panel-led with some great pastors and laity serving in the CTCUMC.  After attending, one thing I felt was needed was a list of essential resources for worship ministry.  Nothing frilly or overly theological (you seminarians and fellow liturgy nerds know what I mean).  Just good resources for the folks who don't have time right now to dig into the heavier things while they barely have time to prepare a sermon, much less worship plan.

It'll blow your mind how many quarter and half-time supply pastors we have serving while holding down one or two other jobs to support a call to ministry.  I met several, and they are my new heroes.  I also understand, more than ever, how fortunate I am to have landed in a great full-time job, surrounded by stellar mentors who pour into me every day.

So, here's my list of essentials.  What would you add?

Books

United Methodist Book of Worship (1989)
Goes without saying, but still needs to be said.

Worship and Song (Liturgies and Prayers) (2011)
This is the latest hymnal supplement adopted by the United Methodist Church.  A great resource for seasonal and topical calls to worship, offertory prayers, corporate prayers, confessions, and new creeds.  If you're going to buy this one, it's probably good just to go ahead and purchase the leader's version as well, but this volume of just liturgy resources is cheap.

Christian Year, Christ’s Time for the Church
A seminary level book that’s completely accessible.  Stookey breaks down each season of the church year. Great to read as a whole or just as prep for upcoming worship planning.  Before planning worship for any season, I choose the chapter from this book to wrap my head around the task.

The New Handbook of the Christian Year
A comprehensive UMC resource breaking down the Christian year, complete with liturgy and worship suggestions.

Upper Room Worship Book
A great resource for different types of liturgies (daily prayer, evening prayer, healing services).  Tons of music and sung psalter with a wealth of world, traditional, and ‘contemporary’ music.

Websites

GBOD Worship
Predominantly oriented towards lectionary preaching churches, there are resources for each week including sermon helps (with great ideas towards building lectionary-based sermon series), and hymn suggestions with semi-contemporary resources.

Ministry Matters
A UMC website with fantastic worship resources (among other practical things), click the worship tab for worship resources.  For each week of the lectionary, there are calls to worship, offertory prayers, etc.  Yearly subscription is $99 for access to the online library (worth it)

Worship Together
One of the best contemporary music resource sites out there, it brings together artists of the Passion Movement, Hillsong and many others.  It offers a whole lot of free stuff, including mp3 downloads of the most recent songs by their artists, including song stories.

CCLI - www.ccli.com
A music licensing company, with avenues for video and streaming licenses as well.  You have to have a license to perform anything not in one of our hymnals (or anthems that have been purchased by the church) - or you could get sued.

Advent in July

Last week my senior pastor bestowed a big task on me - putting together our sermon series for the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Whoa.

In his words, "I feel like I haven't kept you busy enough."

Busy or not, I'm stoked for the opportunity.  If you've read this blog at all, you know that I'm a total nerd for the church year.  Following the liturgical seasons of the church is important in most of our United Methodist Churches and many of our mainline sister denominations.  I find it keeps my own personal soul centered on a direction throughout the year, and it's another great thing that connects us from church to church.

And now begins my pre-game ritual for worship planning of any season - reading the seasonal chapters of Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey.  I've been doing this since this book was assigned reading in my church music classes in seminary, and I find that it's the best way to keep things grounded in God's point and in the minds of those who crafted the Revised Common Lectionary in the first place.

Yes, call me a liturgy nerd.

In chapter 6, "Advent: The End and the Beginning", I find this gem on page 121, referring to the seemingly backwards nature of the Advent season:

... The beginning of the liturgical year takes our thinking to the very end of things.  For "end" means not only the "end of time," but the central purpose or goal of creation.  We are not aimlessly wandering in a wilderness, even though we may be temped to think so.  Rather, history is headed somewhere by direction (though not dictation) from God.  It is necessary that the liturgical year begin with this focus on a central, holy intention; for otherwise the story of Jesus, which is about to be rehearsed from conception and birth to death and resurrection, may seem less that what it is: the deliberate fulfilling of divine purpose, worked out through historical process.  Only this focus on the central purpose of God in history can keep the story of Jesus from falling into the superstitious or almost magical understandings that often afflict the Christian community, on the one hand, or into the trivialization and irrelevance that characterize secular interpretations, on the other hand.

This dual focus of the Advent season, a look ahead to the future coming of Christ through the voices of the prophets, but then the touching account of Christ's birth can be very confusing.  But then we remember the great mystery of faith:  Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Confusingly good.  Time to plan.

From Texas to Taize: Morning Prayer

For the last few weeks, I've been writing a lot on my recent pilgrimage to the Community of Taizé, a neo-monastic community in the Burgundy region of France.  To read the story from the beginning, check here.

This post is of a much more practical nature, and goes out to my fellow worship and liturgy nerds.

Many of us have had the opportunity to worship in the Taizé style in our local church communities; it's a powerful style of worship with a focus on truly blending elements of scripture, prayer and song into one beautiful service of prayer.  In the community, the services are actually simply known as the 'prayers'.  There are three services each day in the community: morning before breakfast, midday before lunch, and then evening prayer.  I took the opportunity during my stay there to document one of each service in its entirety, songs and all for the purpose of sharing what the truly authentic services looked like.

While there was a lot of nuance in each particular worship service, I found that each morning, noon, and evening service had a flavor that was consistent from day to day.  The thread that connected each morning prayer was the sacrament of Holy Communion.

We should note here before we dig in that in the the community of Taizé, the communion elements are not consecrated in public.  This is done purposefully.  As this is a completely ecumenical community with brothers and pilgrims of many faith communities, to avoid any discomfort between those of the Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox faiths the elements are consecrated behind the scenes before worship so that nobody knows who consecrated the elements.  For instance, while Catholics are given special dispensation to receive the elements in Taizé, in this way it doesn't matter if the Great Thanksgiving was said by a fellow Catholic or a Baptist.  This also keeps with the traditions of the community that really has a lack of ceremony we most commonly associate with our worship.

Worship in Taizé is stripped down to the most basic element of all - building community between the Holy Trinity and we human beings here on earth.

All songs will include page numbers and texts from the 2013-2014 Taizé songbook.  I'll go ahead and include the language we sung it in, as well as the English translation.  A few times we sang in alternate translations (as a way of being inclusive of the pilgrims) but most often we sang the chants in the original (printed) language of the chant.  The chants were repeated often during the week, and if done in an alternate language, it stayed that way.  And also keep in mind - none of this was written down on a worship guide or bulletin, the only way we knew what hymn was coming next was to check the LED screens on the walls.

So, that said, here's a breakdown of Morning Prayer in Taizé!

***************

Taizé Morning Prayers

Prelude - 10 Minutes of Carillon from the bell tower

          During this time, the brothers stroll in in their simple, white robes and take their seats.  Music began around 8:15am.  As the pilgrims also come in for worship, they're each handed a songbook, scripture reading page (with at least 5 languages, the Psalm intonation, and any supplemental chants not in the book (all in the picture above).

Veni Creator Spiritus (canon) 22

Veni, Creator, veni Creator, veni Creator Spiritus.

Come, Creator, Holy Spirit, come, Creator, Holy Spirit, come!

Psalm 103 (sung)

          This psalm was sung in a psalm tone, but a little difficult to sing along with.  So for me, I just focused on taking it in.  There was a chant on the psalm tone to begin and end the psalm that we did sing along with.

Scripture Lesson - 2nd Corinthians 1:18-22

          At this point comes one of the more interesting rituals of the community.  When worship starts everyone, including the brothers faces forward.  But at the reading of the lesson, the scripture is proclaimed from a simple lectern in the center of the church and everyone turns to face the reader.  It is quite beautiful, and a great way to respect the Word.  I've seen this done with Gospel readings in Catholic and Orthodox services, with everyone standing.  But here everyone still sits.  As stated earlier, the reading is on a handout given at the beginning of worship and is printed in at least five languages on the sheet.  It is read in at least two languages, the most common being French, German, and English.

Vien, Saint-Esprit (antiphon) 281 (from a worship handout)

Viens, Saint-Esprit, du ciel fais jaillir l'éclat de ta splendeur

Come, Holy Spirit, and from heaven shine forth with your radiant light.

          I'm choosing to call this one an antiphon, but hymn might be better.  The words translated are the refrain that the pilgrims sang and the brothers sang verses in between.  After this, everyone faced the front again.

Guiding Verse

          Frequently at specific points of the worship service a verse or phrase of the scripture reading was stated, as a point of prayer.  A sort of Lectio Divina occurrence for worship.  I didn't get this one down because it was not in English, but I can tell you it was usually a key phrase from the passage for the service.  It usually signified that the time of silent prayer was on the way.  I took this phrase to be my focus for the silence.

Tui amoris ignem (chant) 14

Veni Sancte Spiritus, tui amoris ignem accende.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, veni Sancte Spiritus.

Holy Spirit, come to us, kind in us the fire of your love.

Holy Spirit, come to us, Holy Spirit, come to us.

Silence

          Ten minutes of silent prayer.  During this time some would lean forward on their knees with their face to floor, others would completely prostrate themselves.  It was very personal and very communal at the same time.

Veni lumen cordium 92

Veni lumen cordium ...

Come, Creator Spirit, come!

          This chant was our usual setting for the Prayers of the People.  Concerns related to current events were often sung, and in the languages of the countries the concerns had to do with.  This was amazing to participate in.  It was a time when you could tell that the Brothers were really attuned to what was going on in the world.

Our Father 145

          This an ecumenical setting of the Lord's Prayer, and every time we sang it during the week it was in English.  It is the traditional Taizé setting sung in many churches.

Dominus Spiritus est 132

Dominus Spiritus est.  Spiritus autem vivificat.

Spiritus autem vivificat.

The Lord is the Spirit.  The Spirit gives life.

          At this point the Brothers and pilgrims stand to prepare to receive Communion.  The Brothers spread out in pairs throughout the church as communion was by intinction.  At the close of the song, there was a spoken invitation to partake in the sacrament.  Pilgrims just walked to the station closest to them, no ushers or anything, you stood in line to receive.  It was very natural.  After receiving you went back to your seat to pray and sing.

Communion Hymns:
Seigneur, tu gardes mon âme 134

Seigneur, tu gardes mon âme; Ô Dieu, tu connais mon cœur.

Conduismoi sur le chemin d'éternité, conduismoi sur le chemin d'éternité.

Lord, you watch over my soul; you know my heart.

Lead me on the road to eternity.

Oculi Nostri 11

Oculi nostri ad Dominum Jesum.

Oculi nostri ad Dominum nostrum.

Our eys are turned to the Lord Jesus Christ

Our eyes are turned to the Lord God, our Savior.

Communion Response - El Senyor 17

In the Lord I'll be every thankful, in the Lord I will rejoice!

Look to God, do not be afraid.

Lift up your voices the Lord is near.  

Lift up your voices the Lord is near!

          The text setting for this song was in Portuguese, but we sang it in German, so I thought I should just leave it in English!  I was really struck by the wonderful planning putting this song in as our response to Communion - the Lord is near!

I am sure I shall see 127

I am sure I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Yes, I shall see the goodness of our God, hold firm, trust in the Lord.

          Upon the close of this final song, the Brothers would begin to walk out and this was our signal that worship had come to a close and we were dismissed to breakfast.  This chant was also a frequent closer of worship as in Taizé, functioning as our benediction.  And really, what could be a better statement?  We prayed for most of our services to feel God's presence in the worship, but upon living we prayed to see God's presence out in the world.  And not only do we pray for it, but we expect to see God while we are out in the world.  Epic.

What if we all chose to see God's goodness in the world?  That's a great prayer.

From Texas to Taizé: A Museum, or a Church?

Welcome to chapter four on my journey to Taizé with many very cool people from the Central Texas Conference, a pilgrimage led by Bishop Mike Lowry and Rev. Dr. Larry Duggins of the Missional Wisdom Foundation.  For a few words on the worship life, check out chapter 1, for a bit on living in the community, check out chapter 2, for a few words on the worship space itself, see chapter 3.  Chapter 4 spoke of the Good Friday and Easter Worship services that close out the worship week at Taizé. 

This post is a little different from the others.  Part of the fun of traveling to Europe, especially for this liturgy nerd is being able to take the opportunity to tour some of the most beautiful churches in Christendom.   To be able to take the opportunity to tour (pray through) some of the churches so close to the beginnings of the Christian church as we've come to think of it was just priceless.  But at the same time there was something that nagged me consistently - while I felt the weight of history on me inside the many hallowed walls I walked through, I was walking through museums, not really houses of worship.

On Saturday of the week at Taizé, our Texas group took the opportunity to go into Cluny, the closest major town and a short bus ride away.  At the center of the town are the ruins of what used to be the Cluny Abbey.  The Benedictine order of monks that were in residence there founded the order in the early 900s.  Three successive churches were built in Cluny over the next three hundred years, and the Abbey became a hub for some 300 other Cluniac monasteries the reached throughout Europe.  As an abbey that only answered to the Pope (many abbeys and monasteries also had to answer to their patrons), so it grew to be a very powerful and influential monastic community.  It's influence, however, slowly declined over the centuries.  Even as the town had grown up around it, at the time of the French Revolution the church was seen as an oppressive enemy of the people.  The church itself was torn down brick by brick in the aftermath of the revolution, brick and stone used to further build out the town of Cluny itself.

At the bottom of the picture, you can see a display stand with steps arched around it.  In the back ground you can see a large tower and a smaller one to the left of it.  The old abbey stretched some 186 meters from that black to just past those towers, most of it sanctuary with little chapels off to the sides as you walked from one end to the other.  All of it gone, and the towers preserved as a museum.  Until St. Peter's in Rome was completed, the Cluny Abbey was the largest church in Christendom, a status it had maintained for 500 years.  I can't begin to describe to you the feeling of standing where such a grand church used to be.

After our time in Taizé, we had the blessing to take three days to decompress in Paris.  Which of course involved seeing many of the more famous churches in Christian history.

Having the chance to walk through Notre Dame was the opportunity of a lifetime.  When we walked through the doors, we were blessed enough to here a choir singing as they offered a concert.  It was more than incredible.

But it was also a bit of a circus in there.  Another museum, not so much a church.  Mass is indeed offered many times a week, but like Sacré Cœur across Paris, mass includes tourists making the loop around to see the beautiful stained glass and different chapel settings and art work.  It was actually kind of embarrassing at times.

Meanwhile there are signs everywhere to pay your euros for the prayer candles (which there were always more than one size of).  And oh my, the confessional booth at Notre Dame?  It was a bit like a bank vault.  Seriously.  Probably two inch thick, completely sound proof glass framing out a comfy looking office area for the priest in rotation.  Better take a ticket.

There's really nothing like this feeling here in America ... Touring these museum churches, that kind of still functioned as churches.  We have some amazing old churches with such rich history on the east coast, but most of our American churches are children in comparison.

But at the same time something was gnawing at me ... I mean, did God want us to build monuments to God's glory in buildings?  Or in people?  As beautiful as these churches were (the stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle was other-worldly in its beauty), why were they built?  Yes, for a time they drew people in to worship, but now they draw tourists in (even as they worship).  To me, these beautiful houses of worship are now cautionary tales.  As I work in a beautiful downtown church, I'm mindful that it  needs to remain a house of worship - now - and that's the way to glorify God through this building.

Even through all of these emotions, I felt the power of God as I walked the steps to the top of the Notre Dame's tower, able to see out over all of Paris.  I felt the weight of history as I walked the paths of so many monks who had walked up what felt like hundreds of stairs to do their duty in ringing the bells for the parish. Even in the hustle and bustle of churches selling souvenirs in the narthex, the presence of God was there.  I felt the presence of many saints who had genuinely worshiped on the hallowed ground I'd walked upon - I pray for them to be present with us as we build a church of people on this day.

From Texas to Taizé: Good Friday and Easter in Taizé

Welcome to chapter four on my journey to Taizé with many very cool people from the Central Texas Conference, a pilgrimage led by Bishop Mike Lowry and Rev. Dr. Larry Duggins of the Missional Wisdom Foundation.  For a few words on the worship life, check out chapter 1, for a bit on living in the community, check out chapter 2, for a few words on the worship space itself, see chapter 3.  Here I want to tell you about two very moving rituals at the heart of the community, their services for Good Friday and Easter.

Good Friday

I had read a little bit about Good Friday at Taizé, but I wasn't really prepared for the Holy Spirit to move me the way it did.  I wasn't even sure I was going to participate at first, but I did, and I felt the power of the Holy Spirit that evening unlike any other moment at the community.

Worship started much as all of the evening services had started with the bells, the singing, praying, scripture reading.  As the formal prayers ended, many of the brothers walked out as was their tradition.  A few stayed behind to lead the singing.  As the brothers left there was a mass movement in the congregation - forward down the brothers aisle.  Many of our fellow pilgrims kneeled as the crucifix (the central icon of the church) was brought forward to the front of the center aisle and was laid down, propped up at the corners by stands and a candle was placed near the head of Jesus.  This in and of itself was a stirring sight, and one that happens every Friday at Taizé, as they observe Good Friday every week.

Leanne and I kind of just jumped in with the crowd, not really knowing what to expect.  Many of the Texas group also jumped in with us.  What happened was the least expected thing of all - a pilgrimage.

We both started on our knees, but that soon became very difficult.  We were kind of middle of the pack, with a couple hundred other pilgrims ahead of us.  We couldn't really see what was going on, we just knew something special was happening and we were in it until we finished.  Earlier in the evening, in a truly eye-opening moment we sang "In manus tuas, Pater, commendo spiritum meum." - Into your hands father, I commend my spirit.  Yes, we sang Christ's last word from the cross together.  Initially in Latin.  When I read the English translation, I had to pause singing for a good while.  I mean, how was I worthy to even sing that? But then I realized the call to model those very words of Christ.

So, as we were on our knees, and then our feet so we could continue, that chant sat with me.

After about 30 minutes, people started jumping out of line in front of us.  But still we stood.  The few brothers that had stuck around to lead the singing started moving out themselves after about an hour, leaving behind a few sisters from the local nunnery to continue leading the singing with a keyboard player.  This continued on, as we slowly moved forward.

After about an hour and a half we could finally see what was happening, again, I'd read about this, but didn't know what I was really getting myself into.  At the cross laid on it's back were pilgrims kneeling at the cross, laying their foreheads to the crucifix.  There were six to seven at any given moment, kneeling and praying.  As they would close out their personal prayers, the person would walk away and another would step in to take their place.  I wasn't sure how far I would take this myself - would I actually lay my forehead where hundreds (truly thousands) had before me?  This isn't something you would really see in a United Methodist Church.  Praying to an icon isn't really in the scope of what we do.  And this form of body prayer also isn't the norm in my squared-up Methodist worship mind.

People were still walking out around us.  But after two hours or so of standing and inching forward, we were there.  When it came time to be our turn to kneel at the cross, a friend we had made from America who was in front of us let us cut in so that Leanne and I could kneel together.  As we quickly made our aproach, I knelt with Leanne.  As I was deciding if I was going to go all in, we began singing my favorite chant of Taizé, the words of the criminial on the cross next to Jesus -

Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.

After hearing that, I had no other choice but to completely submit to what was happening.  I laid my forehead to the cross and I prayed and gave thanks for such an amazing experience.  That Creator, Christ, and Spirit could stir others in such a way to begin this movement called Taizé.

After a minute, we stood and left.  I'm still so thankful for that moment.  Thankful I was there, thankful I ws given the gift of sharing that experience with my wife.

Easter

After Good Friday, we know, comes Easter.  Easter at Taizé happens during Evening Prayers on Saturday night, kind of the big finale to the worship week.

For us it came after making a trip to the local town of Cluny, where the second largest cathedral in Europe stood - before it was town down during the French Revolution.  Can you imagine walking into a sanctuary that was 186 meters long from front door to rear of the chancel?  All that was left was two towers of the abbey and a few scattered remains of the massive cathedral.  That itself was a mystical experience, standing in a place where and oppressive and opulent order of monks had their church torn down around them when the people had had enough.  In it's place is now a museum in the remnants.

However, at Taizé, the church is dynamic and growing and new pilgrims come in and out of the place.

The Easter worship service, much like Good Friday started as usual.  Although the energy was a little more electric, as if it was the culmination of a week's work together in prayer and it was time to celebrate.

How do the brothers of Taizé celebrate Easter with their pilgrims?  By candlelight.

As you walk in to worship to pick up your worship guide, all congregants are given a simple taper candle.  At the culmination of worship after prayer, singing, reading of scripture, and silence, the candles are lit.  What is a staple of our Christmas Eve worship here in the states we observed as an Easter celebration, celebrating that the Light of the World was among us - right now.  It was a magical moment, as it is on Christmas Eve, to see all of those candles lit for all of us that were there.  We all lit our own Christ Candles that night. Thanks be to God for these amazing moments.

From Texas to Taizé: The Church of Reconciliation

Welcome to chapter three on my journey to Taizé with many very cool people from the Central Texas Conference, a pilgrimage led by Bishop Mike Lowry and Rev. Dr. Larry Duggins of the Missional Wisdom Foundation.  For a few words on the worship life, check out chapter 1, for a bit on living in the community, check out chapter 2.  In this chapter we'll discuss the main worship space itself, the Church of Reconciliation.

The brothers of Taizé live a life of simplicity, and compared to many of the ornate churches in Europe, the Church of Reconciliation is extremely simple.  But in living and worshiping in this space for seven days, I can tell you that describing the church as simple couldn't be further from the truth.  As I moved around the space I found that nearly every angle of the church was planned and thought out.  It's a truly amazing, organically shaped design.

As a group, we Texans decided to sit further back in general so we could all sit together.  In the photo to the left you see the hedges that outline the place where the brothers sit.  If you look closer you see a lecturn with an icon on the front from which the brothers would read the scripture for the service.  At this spot you can see the whole of the formal sanctuary.

Later in the week, my wife and I decided to be daredevils and sit closer to the front.  We arrived a half hour early for evening worship to accomplish this task - it gets very crowded towards the front (kind of the opposite of most Methodist churches).  As far as space for your personal worship goes, as there are no pews, we would find ourselves strategically placing our backpacks to allow room for at least a little movement during worship.  The closer to the front you were  the more people would jump in to the smallest area possible to get a closer seat - even if it was in your lap.

The church itself is a truly multi-purpose facility.  Throughout the back of the church there were garage doors placed as walls to divide things up into classrooms and other worship spaces.  This also served as a form of crowd control, much like larger churches that rope off sections of the pews to cram people in toward the center, as it would get closer to worship time designated brothers or volunteers would raise the doors.  There was still the occasional group of teenagers that would flock to the corners, but usually volunteers would steer people towards the front if possible.  However, if I group was near one of the plugs that were few an far between in the community, you could forget moving them.  Charging cell phones was so important.  I digress.

Pictures were highly discouraged during worship, I snuck a few, but the brothers were generous to allow the community to come in everyday from 1 to 2pm to take photos of the space, including the many icons scattered intentionally through the church and the side rooms of the church for intentional prayer.  As a United Methodist, I initially found this beautiful, but a little strange.  We came to find out through discussion that the icons were part of intentional outreach to Orthodox communities throughout Europe and Asia.  It was another instance of the intentional inclusion of other faiths by the brothers.

The most notable icon in the worship space in the painted crucifix.  A fixture of the worship, it is moved around to different areas on the chancel for the different services.  At the formal end of the evening service, it was often brought forward by volunteers to the middle of the brothers aisle as the brothers left.  It was placed there so worshipers could step forward and worship at the foot of the cross.

While the stained glass wasn't nearly as ornate as some churches we saw in Paris, there was unique attention placed on the windows of the space.  Some of the most beautiful were along the right side of the sanctuary as you face the chancel.  There's a raised area there with benches and along the concrete walls were niches with small (maybe one foot square) depictions of different Gospel events, the Magnificat, Assumption of Mary, Christ as the Sacrificial Lamb, the Nativity, the Wise Men ... There weren't many, and they were so simple.  Much like the community itself.  The worship space had this air of simplicity, but the more you got to know it you understood the prayerful and inclusive design of the place.  Every wall, every door, every angle was prayerfully conceived to help the worshiper engage with the Holy Spirit.  It was an awe inspiring place to encounter God.