To Stand in Awe

The ministry of this congregation consists of all us working together, contributing what we can, in what is often called shared ministry. Although this congregation has just one called professional minister, responsibility for the congregation’s health and wellbeing really belongs to us all.

When we work together in teams, we can often feel a genuine sense of spiritual reward. This is also the case for me, in my ministry with, and to, you. One of the most visible areas of ministry for which I am responsible is worship. But because the result is visible doesn’t mean that but how it is conceived is always visible. Often, planning for worship is done months ahead in choosing themes for the entire worship year. This year, with the blessing of having a full-time intern, we try to have a general plan about who is leading worship each particular week, with some idea as to intended topics or themes, yet still trying to leave room for spontaneity or breaking news along the way. Working with an intern lends a level of inspiration to my creative process, in the choosing of topics as well as in sermon writing and choice of readings. I love having someone in the office with whom to talk over my thinking, as Carol often brings new ideas and suggestions.

I love mulling over hymn possibilities, sitting together and moving around the order of service when something doesn’t feel quite right. I also feel incredibly supported when I can trust the musician to understand what I have in mind as the intent and mood of an upcoming service. Working with Marla Bacina this year has added richness and fervency to my confidence in the outcome of the morning’s event. Marla has written a guest column this month that I encourage you to read. Our budget allows for a professional musician approximately three times a month; other weeks we rely on gifts of the members of the congregation to accompany and play, on recorded music, acapella singing or a combination of all of these. Recently, we have welcomed regular storytellers to our worship team in Glen Jacob and Doug Sprague.

The addition of their sharing brings layers of meaning and fun to the Sunday morning experience. Crystal Carroll and Karen Yearout creatively contribute altar décor appropriate to the season. And always, it is delightful to have the calm presence of the worship associate to help link our celebrations together in a seamless thread. The worship associate chooses the morning’s chalice lighter and is always looking for people who like to participate in worship by sharing a reading.

If you would like to participate in worship in any way, please let me know. We are looking for one or two more regular storytellers and are always in great need of piano accompanists. It’s a shared ministry, a team effort. In our hymnal are these words of Jacop Trapp: To worship is to stand in awe under a heaven of stars, before a flower, a leaf in sunlight, or a grain of sand. May our worship lead us to this place.

Love, Katie