Grace and peace to you in the name of the one who died so we may live, Jesus the Christ
This month, I’d like to take a moment (or a page) to share some reasons behind why parts of worship are what they are. Part of this comes from conversations I’ve had, part questions that have come, and part from comments given from the recent survey conducted by the Zion Council. I’m not singling out any one comment or question, simply having you know that there is intentionality behind why worship looks the way it does.
I try to keep announcements to three as much as possible as worship begins. I’m conscience of timing and many of the things stated are already in the bulletin. However, verbal statements by people give a name and face to things we need to hear multiple times, so they can be important. My hope is that they do not take too long, and I know sometimes I speed up to make sure I get them right and timely.
Many of the pieces I explain in worship are meant for intentional hospitality for those who are new or not greatly exposed to Lutheran worship. At times, we all need a comforting, familiar word to remind us of God’s abiding love and presence in our lives. As we approach God in confession, prayer, word, song, liturgy, and deed, I feel as if we acknowledge that what is familiar to many is uncomfortable to some, it will help those unfamiliar or dealing with a challenging time. I am intentional about this by introducing hymns by number in the hymnal and words on page X and in prayers and creeds.
When we prepare to receive Holy Communion, I do spend time to share what we at Zion do in sharing the Lord’s Supper together. Every Lutheran congregation does this in their own unique and wonderful way. If you are not familiar with that, it can be very daunting at first. If you are in a difficult mental or spiritual headspace it can be challenging as well. Not everything about how we share Communion together is listed in the bulletin, so I need to bridge that gap. This is also Jesus’ meal. It is not mine; it is not yours; it is His meal. Jesus invites all of us as we are to share His body and His blood for the forgiveness of sins. I, as pastor, am standing in for Him and I will honor Him as Lord and Savior by welcoming all in the best way possible.
I/we cannot be all things to all people. I recently shared that with the way I preach, there is no help for those who wish to have a copy of a sermon to follow along because I do not write down my sermons. I do grieve that, and it does hurt that I cannot help that situation. I have a very uncomfortable peace with myself in knowing the gifts that God has given me cannot easily walk alongside those hard of hearing. We are called to know ourselves in faith and in life. Knowing our gifts and our limitations is an important piece to being faithful to God’s call for us to share the good news of Jesus to the world. We can be intentional in how we welcome and journey alongside one another.
May we ever know ourselves as we journey in faith and life,
Pastor Chris