Pastor's
Message
by the Rev. Dr. Marcia Cox
The way we worship is ancient. The parts of the Service are as follows:
THE PREPARATION
Musical Offering
The Prelude ... contrary to popular belief, this is not
mood music.
Confession and Forgiveness
We confess our sinfulness and receive the announcement
of Gods forgiveness.
Hymn
Kyrie and Gloria
Prayer of the Day.
Formerly known as the Collect, this prayer
collects the themes for the day and the Pastor offers it on behalf
of the congregation to God. (These are great prayers to memorize and/or
pray if you are running late or get here early. They give great clues
to what is going on that particular day.)
WE HEAR GOD'S WORD
Reading of Gods word from the Bible
(Usually this includes an
Old Testament and New Testament lessons, and an Old Testament hymn,
a psalm). The Old Testament lesson frequently speaks to the Gospel
while the New Testament lesson may be a continuation of the prior weeks
lesson.
Holy Gospel.
One of the stories about Jesus, that's why
we stand if we are able.
Sermon.
Theological reflection on the lesson(s)
Hymn of the Day.
Chosen to speak with the lesson(s) of the day.
WE RESPOND TO GODS WORD
Creed.
One of the 3 Creeds.
I believe or We believe.
Prayers.
The Deacon prays on behalf of the whole congregation to God.
Sharing of the Peace.
More than a casual “good to see you this
am!”, this is a time where we tell those around whom we sit,
that the peace, shalom, salaam, wholeness of the God of all creation
might belong to them. The pastor offers it to the congregation and
vice versa; then we share this peace of Christ with those around
us.
Choir.
The role of the choir is to lead participation in worship rather
than to being a group of entertainers. That is why they participate
throughout the worship service as opposed to performing one big MGM
anthem. Listen carefully to the words of the anthem as those, too
will add to the depth and breadth of the scripture lessons.
Offering.
Contrary to popular belief, this is not the Church collecting
money to pay bills but it is our turn to respond to God's word
with what we value most, our money. Throughout the whole worship
service,
we are offering ourselves up in confession, in song, in sharing
the peace, in prayer, in listening and reflecting on the word of
God
coming to us; now it’s our turn to offer that which reflects
our priorities in life. To put our actions where our mouth is,
so to speak, just as God has already done for us in Christ.
THE SERVICE OF THE MEAL
Communion.
This is the culmination of the morning’s event; receiving
the tangible presence of Christ in bread and wine. Just as one waits
to eat at a wedding banquet until the bride and groom arrive so we
have been in worship until the Host appears. Then it is time for celebration.
The extra garment the Pastor wears is called a chasuble (pronounced
CHAZ u ble), a festival garment for a feast (not an extra layer because
she’s cold or not hot enough in July!).
Benediction and Dismissal..
We close
with the Benediction,
literally "good word"; Go in peace to love and serve the
Lord. Thanks be to God!
(In a suburban congregation that has its own parking lot, I saw
a sign facing the traffic as we exited "You are now entering the
mission field." We leave from worship to go and serve. Every
decision we make, every word we speak, every act we do, does it reflect
the glory of God in some way? Bach wrote SDG on the expressions of
his work Soli Deo Gloria. To God alone be the glory!)
The way the worship service moves on any given Sunday begins with
the Scripture lessons for the day. Dr. Mitts intentionally chooses
the music; anthem, hymns, gradual, even prelude and postlude
to reflect the Scriptures of the day. The sermon, which may include
newspaper,
TV, or other input; is a reflection on the Scriptures of the
day.
In seminary it has been said that the best worship service is one
where
the leaders and participants become secondary because the Word
of God is so prominent in all of its expressions (preached, sung,
prayed,
eaten, drunk) That's partly why we wear robes to keep us
from calling attention to ourselves. Next
Article - The Augustanan Home
|
