WorshipWorship

Rev Jill Jarvis, PresenterRev Jill Jarvis, Presenter

April 2011April 2011

Lay Participation in Creating Lay Participation in Creating and Leading Worship: What are and Leading Worship: What are

the Benefits?the Benefits? For the Congregation --For the Congregation -- Shared ministry is honoredShared ministry is honored Different voices, new viewpoints, and Different voices, new viewpoints, and

range of themes are offeredrange of themes are offered

Lay Participation in Creating Lay Participation in Creating and Leading Worship: What are and Leading Worship: What are

the Benefits?the Benefits? For the leaders -- For the leaders -- opportunities for nourishment in opportunities for nourishment in

sharing spiritual journeyssharing spiritual journeys For development of depth & skill in For development of depth & skill in

worship artsworship arts To explore religious themes in the To explore religious themes in the

context of shared perspective, and…context of shared perspective, and…

Lay Participation in Creating Lay Participation in Creating and Leading Worship: What are and Leading Worship: What are

the Benefits?the Benefits? To deepen one’s own spirituality in To deepen one’s own spirituality in

creative collaboration with creative collaboration with colleagues, through sharing life colleagues, through sharing life experience, perspectives, resources.experience, perspectives, resources.

Our Webinar will CoverOur Webinar will Cover

Worship theory in the Unitarian Worship theory in the Unitarian Universalist traditionUniversalist tradition

Issues to be aware ofIssues to be aware of SermonsSermons Creative CollaborationCreative Collaboration Leading WorshipLeading Worship ResourcesResources

““To Worship” by Jacob To Worship” by Jacob TrappTrapp

DefinitionsDefinitions

Worship: To shape Worship: To shape things of worth things of worth (Intransitive verb? (Intransitive verb? Or transitive?)Or transitive?)

Liturgy: The work Liturgy: The work of the peopleof the people

We Gather in Community to We Gather in Community to WorshipWorship

To remind each other that we share a To remind each other that we share a common human journey of promise & paincommon human journey of promise & pain

To acknowledge & celebrate our giftsTo acknowledge & celebrate our gifts To respond to the mystery of that which To respond to the mystery of that which

sustains ussustains us To rededicate ourselves to our shared To rededicate ourselves to our shared

valuesvalues To renew our commitment to repairing the To renew our commitment to repairing the

world world

Worship is not contemplation. Worship is not contemplation. Worship is Action.Worship is Action.

We don’t just think about. We attend We don’t just think about. We attend to.to.

Regular communal worship can be Regular communal worship can be transformativetransformative..

Worship in 5 ActsWorship in 5 Acts

1. Attention/vision: We state & affirm our 1. Attention/vision: We state & affirm our ideals and aspirations.ideals and aspirations.

2. Humility: We are humbled by the 2. Humility: We are humbled by the realization that we fall short of our ideals.realization that we fall short of our ideals.

3. Exaltation: We regain our strength, feel 3. Exaltation: We regain our strength, feel empowered, give thanks.empowered, give thanks.

4. Illumination: We consider wisdom from 4. Illumination: We consider wisdom from the past & presentthe past & present

5. Dedication: We reaffirm our ideals, 5. Dedication: We reaffirm our ideals, resolve to act responsiblyresolve to act responsibly

““The Work of the People”The Work of the People”

Every participant brings Every participant brings something to the worship something to the worship

experience.experience.

The True Test: Was The True Test: Was WorshipWorship

Meaningful? Meaningful?

Memorable? Memorable?

Issues in WorshipIssues in Worship

Create Safe Space: Do No HarmCreate Safe Space: Do No Harm Communal Worship is Public: Communal Worship is Public:

Welcome the StrangerWelcome the Stranger Who is being excluded?Who is being excluded?

Examples of “In-crowd” Examples of “In-crowd” BehaviorBehavior

Clues in the Order of ServiceClues in the Order of Service In-crowd languageIn-crowd language Some ritualsSome rituals

Different Ways of LearningDifferent Ways of Learning

MusicalMusical Logical/mathematicalLogical/mathematical Visual/spatialVisual/spatial Body/kinestheticBody/kinesthetic IntrapersonalIntrapersonal InterpersonalInterpersonal

SermonsSermons

Theological contextTheological context Preaching: Freedom of pulpit and pewPreaching: Freedom of pulpit and pew Must entertain, inform, inspire, & Must entertain, inform, inspire, &

developdevelop DO use stories, anecdotes, illustrations, DO use stories, anecdotes, illustrations,

short sentences, simple languageshort sentences, simple language DON’T use long complex sentences, lots DON’T use long complex sentences, lots

of abstract languageof abstract language It’s to be heard, not readIt’s to be heard, not read

Creative PlanningCreative Planning

Can be a spiritual growth experienceCan be a spiritual growth experience An art form: the creation of a drama An art form: the creation of a drama

with many elementswith many elements Requires intention, authenticity, skillRequires intention, authenticity, skill

Questions:Questions:

What do we want people to take What do we want people to take away from the experience? [“so away from the experience? [“so what?”]what?”]

How does this element contribute to How does this element contribute to the service?the service?

What difference does this make to What difference does this make to how we live our lives?how we live our lives?

Planning ProcessPlanning Process

Decide on a themeDecide on a theme BrainstormBrainstorm Search for elements to contribute to themeSearch for elements to contribute to theme Music is essential to the experienceMusic is essential to the experience Who does what?Who does what? Consider format, flow, transitions, symbolismConsider format, flow, transitions, symbolism Create Order of ServiceCreate Order of Service

Order of ServiceOrder of Service

Gathering SongGathering Song WelcomeWelcome Share Joys & SorrowsShare Joys & Sorrows Call to WorshipCall to Worship PreludePrelude Chalice LightingChalice Lighting HymnHymn Welcoming NewcomersWelcoming Newcomers OfferingOffering

Story for All AgesStory for All Ages First ReadingFirst Reading Second ReadingSecond Reading Musical InterludeMusical Interlude Meditation & SilenceMeditation & Silence SermonSermon Closing HymnClosing Hymn Extinguish the ChaliceExtinguish the Chalice Choral BenedictionChoral Benediction

#117 O Light of Life#117 O Light of Life

O light of life that lives in us, help us to O light of life that lives in us, help us to turn away from war, Reveal the hate turn away from war, Reveal the hate that lives in us, help us to live no more that lives in us, help us to live no more in fear, Save us, save our children.in fear, Save us, save our children.

O light of love, rain down on us, help us O light of love, rain down on us, help us to heal our wounded world, Our dying to heal our wounded world, Our dying forests, gutted palms, smoldering cities, forests, gutted palms, smoldering cities, wasted fields, Save us, save our wasted fields, Save us, save our childrenchildren

O love of life that lives in me, help me to O love of life that lives in me, help me to lift my head and sing, Let me know joy as lift my head and sing, Let me know joy as well as pain, see beauty in the rain and well as pain, see beauty in the rain and wind, Save us, save our childrenwind, Save us, save our children

O light and life and love in us, help us to O light and life and love in us, help us to open eyes and ears, Reach out and listen, open eyes and ears, Reach out and listen, touch and love, that we may stand in touch and love, that we may stand in strength and peace, Save us, save our strength and peace, Save us, save our childrenchildren

Leading the Worship ServiceLeading the Worship Service

Leaders must be non-anxious & Leaders must be non-anxious & poisedpoised

Pay attention to what is happeningPay attention to what is happening Should appear seamless – but Should appear seamless – but

leaders are constantly stitchingleaders are constantly stitching Handle the glitches with graceHandle the glitches with grace Practice! Practice!Practice! Practice!

ResourcesResources

http://www.uua.org/leaders/worship/http://www.uua.org/leaders/worship/ Google search: Unitarian+sermon+themeGoogle search: Unitarian+sermon+theme Worship that Works: Theory & Practice for Worship that Works: Theory & Practice for

Unitarian UniversalistsUnitarian Universalists, Arnason & Rolenz, Arnason & Rolenz How to Preach a Sermon: A Guide for the How to Preach a Sermon: A Guide for the

AmateurAmateur, by Robert Slaughter, by Robert Slaughter Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in

Everyday LifeEveryday Life, by Fred & Mary Ann Brussat, by Fred & Mary Ann Brussat http:www.uua.org/documents/http:www.uua.org/documents/

worship_associates.pdf [building a Worship worship_associates.pdf [building a Worship Associates program]Associates program]