Immersed in Worship Ideas

One of the things that I have been watching closely here at Synod are the many ways worship participants have been pulled into the experience through all of their senses. Yesterday I learned of the team that met last November to plan how they might bring to life the theme, "Immerse Yourself" in Grand Rapids. From the evocative stage and energetic dancers to the varied music and litanies, we have been wading deep into this theme that draws from the gift of water.


The Rev. Alexandra Childs, a pastor at Alameda (California) First Congregational Church coordinated the physical set. It took Childs and a dozen other volunteers five days to create the handpainted 25 x 42 foot canvas that serves as a backdrop, (the floor actually) for the worship participants. It has whirls and wisps of blues and greens that evokes a vivid interpretation of sky, mountain, lakes, and rivers. There is also an 8 by 8 foot immersion pool at centerstage and 200 gallons of water that recycled itself over 3 levels creating a beautiful waterfall that is not only lovely to look at but wonderful and peaceful to hear. Framing these falls were plants and fieldstone. At the back wall there are two "rain panels" made out of multi-blue hued LED lighting and soft fabric.

In addition there is a jumbo screen and then many video panels throughout the hall so everyone can see everything that is happening. The images on the screens have been so thoughtfully selected that they enhance rather than distract my worship experience. Within every worship service there is a variety of musical styles and instrumentation. There is dancing. There are different languages spoken. There are many, many ways to engage each participant.

Part of my keen interest in these worship elements this year is because I have been thinking about and praying about how we might more effectively use a variety of experiences in our worship service. The space in our sanctuary is entirely different from a convention hall but the need to be attentive to all the ways people experience and learn has inspired me to try to expand what we are doing now.

Is there anyone who wants to dream about this with me?

Do Not Lose Hope!

Two great men were honored at Synod today; they are both men who have continually helped me move forward in hope.


The first man honored was Ralph Quellhorst, our current Consistory president, who is retiring from his work with the Pension Board. At a surprise reception for him, one by one, different people from all over the country came forward to share a memory of Ralph. I noted how a recurring theme was mentoring and encouragement. I wonder just how many people have been nurtured in their call from Ralph; I realized I am just one among many! What a gift he has brought not only to these individual lives, but to the denomination and the greater Church through his constant encouragement.

Tonight the Synod also celebrated the work of our General Minister and President for the past ten years, John Thomas. John has been leading the UCC for just about as long as I have been ordained. I have always been impressed with John's pastoral, theological, intelligent, and prophetic leadership. Tonight his address to those gathered moved me a great deal. Every time I am with him I sense his authenticity, and tonight was no exception. I appreciated the way he was able to talk about his honest assessment of the past ten years - the disappointments as well as those things we can celebrate. As one person said, "He is able to tell us everything that is wrong and we are still inspired!"

The refrain tonight was, "Do not lose hope; let your light shine; treasure your call in Christ Jesus!" These men have been people who have helped me do just that.

God's Punctuation

Greetings from the UCC General Synod #GS27!

I arrived in Grand Rapids earlier today for the UCC General Synod. Grand Rapids has rolled out the red carpet for what is shaping up to be the largest convention to ever be held in this city. I get a thrill of seeing so many different people together in one place, bound together by our commitment to Christ. However, the highlight of the day for me was this evening's worship service that featured the choirs and the Rev. Otis Moss, III, from Trinity UCC in Chicago.

Any day I get to hear Rev. Moss preach is a good day! He is so skilled, and smart, and filled with the Spirit! Tonight Moss preached on Revelation 1:1-8 and talked about "God's punctuation;" he brought the Still Speaking comma into a whole new perspective. I won't share the whole sermon here, only one thought that emerged as Moss was just getting started that has stayed with me. Moss says that since God is the "Alpha and the Omega," and the "Beginning and the End," only God can really use a period. Too often, we are quick to put a period after things. We consider lives, or circumstances, projects or dreams to be "said and done." When we don't think that there is any use to keep exploring, working, or dreaming, we attempt to finish it off with a period. Moss put this into context most clearly for me when he spoke about children.

No child should ever enter this world with a period behind his or her name. No child should ever enter this world or live in a world where people have his or her future figured out before he or she does. Every child should enter this world and be nurtured in this world with a question mark behind his or name - a question mark that signifies that whoever he or she is to become is something that will unfold with the grace of God, hard work, and the nurture of those around them.

It reminds me of Paul who will sometimes sing for us in church a song about how each of us is "full of possibility." How might we more fully cultivate this sense of possibility, this life with a big question mark for each of us?

Make Like a Potato

On Monday, I began a fun read, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously. As soon as I saw the preview of the film that will be out later this summer, I knew I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie. In it, Julie Powell decides to cook her way through each of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volume 1, in 365 days.

One of the first recipes she tries is a soup, Potage Parmentier (potato soup). There is nothing in the soup but leeks, potatoes, butter, water, pepper, and salt. It is a "simple soup," but it is not "easy" to make. I won't detail all of the peeling, ricing, simmering steps here, but let it suffice to say it is a process. The process got Julie thinking about the difference between "easy" and "simple," and as a result it has me thinking about it, too.

She wrote about it this way, "This life we had going for us felt like the opposite of Potage Parmentier. It was easy enough to keep on with the soul-sucking jobs; at least it saved having to make a choice. But how much longer could I take such an easy life? Quicksand was easy. Hell, death was easy....maybe I need to make like a potato, winnow myself down, be a part of something that was not easy, just simple."

It reminds me of the wonderful Quaker hymn, "'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free, 'tis a gift to come down where you ought to be ..."

God-Sized Hearts for Parents

Jesus welcomed children and taught adults. We welcome adults and teach children. Someone’s got this backwards, and I don’t think it was Jesus.

This quote, from Marian Plant’s book, Faith Formation in Vital Congregations, caught my eye, and I knew I needed to read the rest of the book. Plant does an excellent job of looking at the whole area of Christian Education, or perhaps more appropriately called “Christian Formation.” It is an area of ministry in the church that I have always cared very much about.

Reading Plant’s book helped me integrate what I know I have known, but haven’t known how to accommodate, respond, or adapt to: “we are not in Kansas any more.” No longer are the church and society woven together in the same ways they were when I was growing up as a child. No longer do the schools and community life support the life of the church. This is most dramatic with the sports schedules, but is apparent in many other ways, too – with an increasing commitment to pluralism of all kinds. This presents an opportunity to create new and distinctive forms of formation.

In addition, Plant highlighted for me how parents and families are both exhausted and spiritually hungry. I have understood the exhaustion. I have sensed the hunger. Plant has challenged me to hold both of these needs together and find new ways to meet them. Rather than try to figure out how to “fit in” programs or lure kids to Sunday School, I think we need to shift the questions we are asking. How can we have God-sized hearts for parents? How can we meet the needs of the PARENTS who are trying to do all they can for their kids, recognize they can’t, and have many of their own spiritual needs that are left unmet?

I am most interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas about this.

Speak The Truth

I love the wording on this house, "Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes."

One of our confirmands echoed this statement in her statement of faith that she shared with the congregation on May 31st, "I believe in accepting. I believe I can accept others opinions without arguing with them to try to change their minds. I accept what others believe because I think it’s very brave to tell others your religious beliefs when you don’t know what someone may do or say in response to those beliefs."

I find that I keep thinking about her statement and what a great foundation it provides for her, and for all of us. If each of us could listen to one another with such openness, more of us might have the courage to speak the truth as we see it.

President Obama reflected on the importance of speaking the truth in love during his speech in Cairo, June 4th, when he addressed the ongoing tension between the United States and Muslims around the world, No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust, nor can I answer in the time that I have all the complex questions that brought us to this point. But I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors. There must be a sustained effort to listen to each other; to learn from each other; to respect one another; and to seek common ground. As the Holy Koran tells us, "Be conscious of God and speak always the truth."

The Swing of Summer

I love summer. I love warm weather and sunshine. I love having the kids home. I love the ever changing gardens outside, and being able to cut fresh flowers for my home. I love cooking on the grill and using fresh produce that comes right from the ground. I love having a schedule that is a little less crowded with meetings so there is more room for reading, planning, and creativity to emerge. I love the longer days and the spontaneity of getting together with family or friends that seems to happen more readily in the summer. I love sitting on the porch, or by the water, and simply enjoying the day. I love sitting in our sanctuary feeling a breeze and hearing the sounds of the city right outside our door.

With the new season comes a new schedule. This year my husband is teaching for several weeks in India, and so my early morning hours have been spent communicating via web cam with him. My late night hours have been spent connecting with the kids. I wouldn’t trade those hours; I cherish them. However, I recognize that these were the times I had typically been blogging - first thing in the morning or last thing at night. I want to get back to regular blog updates and I know I can do it. Like most things that are important to us, it is a matter of making it a priority and balancing it with everything else. Now that I recognize the need, I will carve out other time. I see it all as part of getting into the swing of summer! I will be in the swing of summer before the calendar officially tells us we are there.