Copyright: © 1997 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. This material may be
freely reproduced or adapted for non-commercial purposes with acknowledgment and mention
of the Lift Up Your Hearts web site
http://www.worship.ca/ as the source.
The following 18 items were prepared as bulletin inserts in connection with
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada's 1997-1998 ELCIC Bulletin Series.
First Sunday in Advent
Embracing People at Worship
November 30, 1997
"How many of you are from mission congregations?" asked the Canadian Missions representative. His question was put to about forty or fifty delegates attending a synod Conference meeting in Tavistock, Ontario. In answer, seven or eight people raised their hands. "That's funny;" the Missions rep quipped, "I thought you would all be from mission congregations!"
Often it is easy to forget that each congregation in our church is a mission site; that each parish has a mandate to open wide its arms to a whole community.
How, then, do we take a step beyond hospitality and the ministry of welcome? How do we embrace people at worship, our front-line, whole-congregation mission activity?
Today we begin an 18-part series of Sunday bulletin inserts called Embracing People at Worship. Over the year, we shall read about children, youth, the elderly, the sandwich generation, infants and toddlers, seekers, people grieving, antagonists, the talented, occasional worshippers, other Christians, non-Christians, and many more. Our hope is that these articles will begin a conversation which will continue in congregations for some time.
James F. Brown
James F. Brown is Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario, and Editor of this series.
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Embracing the Sandwich Generation at Worship
December 21, 1997
Many post-war kids grew up with Mom and Dad, and maybe brothers and sisters, under one roof. At large family gatherings at Christmas or at other times, we would get together with our extended family. At such events, it was not unusual to hear about our parents having grown up with their parents and their grandparents under one roof.
Is the Sandwich Generation much different from our parents' generation? I think not. As our parents live longer and our children struggle with a sputtering economy, like our grandparents before us, we are the filling in a three-generations sandwich.
Most congregations do a good job of recognizing and supporting the needs of young people and seniors. Would we have a congregation without a Sunday School? youth groups? groups for seniors? But often it seems as if the middle of the sandwich is a low priority. In most congregations, there is a pronounced need for focussed discussions, workshops and study groups to address the concerns of family caregivers, the "sandwiched" generation.
Worship can be our church's large family gatherings, bringing together all three generations. At its best, Sunday worship will be relevant for all who have gathered. If our congregation is the whole sandwich, let's make sure we don't cut off the crusts or throw away the bread or squeeze out the filling!
Bob Schmidt
Bob Schmidt is a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario, a high school principal, and part of the filling in the Sandwich Generation.
Second Sunday after Christmas
Embracing Children at Worship
January 4, 1998
My husband and I often square danced while I was pregnant with my son, Mark. Some of the other dancers joked that my baby would be born singing and dancing. Such was not the case, however, for even as a baby, Mark did not like music. Once, as I sang a lullaby, he said, "Mommy, please don't sing!" Until Grade 4, Mark hated to hear anyone singing in our house. And at church, the music or worship held no interest for him. Week after week, he would remain silent as everyone around lifted their voices in praise.
One September, our church changed from singing the Holy Communion settings of the Lutheran Book of Worship to the setting by Marty Haugen in Hymnal Supplement 1991. Imagine my amazement when Mark eagerly reached for a book because he wanted to join in singing "Now the Feast and Celebration". After church that Sunday, I told my pastor that a mini-miracle had occurred.
The miracle continues: Mark still sings the liturgy every Sunday; our family frequently sings parts of it through the week; and Mark has even joined the school choir!
A few lines from one of our favorite hymns, Earth and All Stars (LBW 558), have become especially meaningful for my husband Roger and me.
Sing to the Lord a new song.
He has done marvelous things.
I too will praise him with a new song!
Linda Ritter
Linda Ritter, her husband Roger, and their three children, Lisa, Mark and Robin are members of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
The Confession of St. Peter
Embracing Communicants at Worship
January 18, 1998
In order to keep people reading our church sign, we change the message on it each week. One week the message read
Join Us For Holy Communion
This Sunday at 9 and 11 A.M.
Because our congregation has Communion every Sunday, this message was a way of inviting people to gather for worship on Sunday morning.
After driving past the sign several times that week, however, and re-reading the message each time I passed, I began to realize that there was more than one way to interpret this invitation. Yes, we were inviting people to Sunday worship; but we were also inviting them to the Lord's Table. It was a message extended to members and visitors; to Lutherans and non-Lutherans; to anyone, in fact, who read the sign. Accidentally, we had made a public commitment to eucharistic hospitality and full participation in worship. We were not inviting people to come to church and sit on the sidelines!
The week of January 18-25 is the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Typically during this week community ministerials will organize multi-denominational worship services, and neighboring congregations will take a step closer to one another in pulpit exchanges, unity services and fellowship events. For host churches in the eucharistic tradition, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity presents some interesting challenges - and possibilities!
James F. Brown
James F. Brown is Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Embracing Youth in Worship
February 8, 1998
At Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kitchener, we have discovered in the music of worship a wonderful way to embrace young people. When our children are preparing for First Communion in Grade 2, I invite them to join the choir program the following year. (In Grade 3, they can read the texts to be sung and can grasp the concept of musical notation. They can also sit through an entire service and participate actively in the liturgy!)
In Grades 3 and 4, the children are full of enthusiasm. By Grade 5, though, it is often necessary for their parents to offer encouragement to continue, as competing interests gain importance with the children. As much as possible, I try to involve the parents in the music program, even if it is only in seasonal handbell ringing. Invariably, our music-making fashions a bond connecting parent, child and church.
It is not unusual to have many of our older children take music in school or even study an instrument privately with a music teacher. Consequently, I try to include instrumental solos and accompaniments in the music of worship; I also orchestrate the weekly liturgy.
As our young people mature, the parish music ministry easily becomes an outward expression of their Christian faith.
Joyce Knarr
Joyce Knarr is Director of Music at Blessed Sacrament (Roman Catholic) Church in Kitchener, Ontario, a position she has held for 14 years. There are approximately 40 young people between the ages of 9 and 18 who participate weekly in the music of worship at Blessed Sacrament.
First Sunday in Lent
Embracing the Elderly at Worship - Part One
March 1, 1998
These comments represent some of our elders' perceptions of Embracing the Elderly at Worship.
The most common form of embrace is a hug. A hug is an expression of "I am thinking of you;" "I am with you;" "I care for you;" "I love you." A hug makes you feel welcome; warm; accepted; and strengthened.
There are numerous hugs for the elderly at worship: the friendly greeting, the warm smile, the caring conversation; the reassurance of ritual through the familiar liturgy; the hymns echoing the faith of our forefathers and mothers; the Scripture lessons vibrating with God's Word of amazing grace; the sermons proclaiming spiritual support and challenge; the Lord's Supper as a holy communion with fellow believers - and with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven! the whole experience of worship!
Feeling embraced by God's "I am thinking of you," "I am with you," "I care for you," "I love you" gives us glimpses of a peace that passes understanding; an inner peace to combat loneliness and sadness; an inner peace to enable us to feel free enough to give a hug to others!
Delton J. Glebe
The Rev. Dr. Delton J. Glebe is a member of Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Second Sunday in Lent
Embracing the Elderly at Worship - Part Two
March 8, 1998
These comments represent some of our elders' perceptions of Embracing the Elderly at Worship. To embrace the elderly, you need to know about a few hangups -- problems or difficulties
Delton J. Glebe
The Rev. Dr. Delton J. Glebe is a member of Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Second Sunday of Easter
Embracing the Talented at Worship
April 19, 1998
In the ancient Graeco-Roman world, a talent was a unit of weight (26 kg.) used to measure silver or gold as a sum of money. In the Hebrew Bible, we read that offerings to God were measured in talents. In the Gospels, Jesus referred to talents in two of his parables. Over time, a talent has come to mean any natural inclination or gift a person has. Today, we still regard each person's talents or gifts as suitable offerings to God.
By embracing the talented, especially in the context of worship, the church enriches the lives of its people by enabling them to share their talents with each other. In my own life as an artist, I have been invited to create works of art for every congregation of which I have been a member. And I have been commissioned to create or design works for other churches, too. Almost always, I enlist the hands of many gifted people to bring these works into existence.
This sharing of our talents with one another is a deeply empowering experience. Together, we offer to one another beautiful and worthy works which we, in turn, offer to the larger community.
God gives to every person, along with our lives and talents and the gift of God's own Self, our ability to give to others. It is by giving away to others what we have been given, that we are able to give ourselves to God.
Nancy-Lou Patterson
Nancy-Lou Patterson is known for her art in churches throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. She is a retired professor from the University of Waterloo, and is a member of St. Columba's (Anglican) Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Embracing Infants and Toddlers at Worship
May 10, 1998
When visiting a neighboring congregation one Sunday, I was surprised to see a couple of shelves in the narthex filled with cuddlies, picture books, bible story books, quiet toys, blank paper, pencils, and washable non-toxic markers. I had visited other churches with soundproof, glassed-in areas for parents and their young children to worship from; and churches with wonderfully-equipped, professionally-staffed nurseries designed to entice parents to "park" their children for the duration of worship. But here was a church which encouraged parents, infants and toddlers to spend the Sunday worship hour together and integrated as the whole people of God.
Later that morning, as we worshipped together, I realized that although the noise level was higher than it would have been at an adults-only service, there was no unacceptable disruption: parents, children and worship leaders were relaxed enough to accommodate any eventualities. When a toddler escaped into the chancel during the Offering, the pastor scooped up the enquirer, spent a couple of moments showing her a banner, and returned her to her family. Inconsolable children left the service with their care-givers for a few minutes, coming back when peace and contentment had been found.
If, as Hillary Clinton suggests, "it takes a village to raise a child," we might consider embracing infants and toddlers at worship as our corporate responsibility as a faith community.
James F. Brown
James F. Brown is Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Embracing the Under-Churched
May 24, 1998
"Change and decay in all around I see,
O thou who changest not, abide with me."
These words penned by Henry F. Lyte almost two hundred years ago - the text immortalized in the hymn Abide With Me (LBW 272) - present one way in which the faithful can cope with change. Are there other ways for congregations to deal with change?
At St Paul's in Cambridge, the witness committee experienced frustration in its attempts to reach out to the un-churched and the under-churched. It seemed that the barriers to participation in Sunday morning worship had gone beyond the desire to sleep in. Societal changes had made Sundays very much like any other day for many workers. Many in our congregation were "at work" Sunday mornings rather than "at worship."
For a while, our committee lamented the changes with wistful remembrance of the common pause day of the past. Then someone asked why we couldn't move one of the Sunday morning services to another day of the week. The congregation was consulted by questionnaire, resulting in a plan to hold one service on Saturday afternoon at five o'clock and one service on Sunday morning at ten o'clock. Thus a new opportunity was created for more people to worship. And more people have come!
Maybe less hand-wringing and more bell ringing throughout the week can better help the church proclaim Christ's presence in Word and Sacrament.
Andrew Paulsen
Andrew H. Paulsen is the Pastor of St Paul's Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Ontario.
The Holy Trinity
Embracing Other Christians at Worship
June 7, 1998
Worshipping with a congregation other than our own can be an uncomfortable experience. Each Christian community colours its worship with its own unique personality and traditions. The result is that, as visitors, we can feel a little lost and unsure about what will happen next at a service. These feelings are magnified when we worship with a congregation of another denomination.
But there are occasions when our congregational or denominational differences seem not to matter much. At weddings and funerals, we are forcibly drawn by our extreme joy or sorrow beyond the immediate concerns of the passing moment to eternal considerations. We instinctively know that each community needs to honour the mysteries of life and death in its own way. When confronted with life's passages, we recognize our common humanity, and are reminded of our need for one another. More often than not at these occasions, we experience the hospitality and graciousness of the host: "Welcome. Thank you for coming to celebrate this event with us. We are honoured you chose to be with us, and we want you to feel comfortable."
How is our Sunday experience different from weddings and funerals? Perhaps it is not. Indeed, we still gather to celebrate the awesome mysteries of living and dying and being born again. We need to hear the host's words of welcome every Sunday.
Bob Shantz
The Rev Bob Shantz is the ELCIC chaplain to the University of Toronto.
Second Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing Non-Christians at Worship
June 14, 1998
Christian worship, today, is a public event. Anybody is free to wander into your church on a given Sunday morning. But this was not always so. When persecution was a real threat, Christian worship was not nearly as public; it is likely that assemblies for worship included only baptized believers and catechumens (those who were preparing for their own baptism).
Today, however, your worshipping assembly is apt to include not only non-members, but also non-believers. So the question arises: How may we welcome even non-Christians in our worship?
First, remember that there is a non-believer lurking within your own breast! You are yourself more like these others than unlike them! In each human heart, faith struggles daily with non-faith. Second, although we need not apologize for the fact that Christian worship is different from, say, a TV talk show, nevertheless you'll want to try to make the experience as visitor-friendly as possible. Help visitors find their way through our liturgy and hymnbook. Whisper an occasional interpretive word: "We stand at the gospel reading as a sign of respect for Jesus ..." You might assure them, too, that it's okay not to commune; that reception of bread and cup is normally a gift for the baptized. Encourage them to speak to the pastor about whatever confuses or offends. And without trying to proselytize, don't hesitate to "give an account of the hope that is in you."
Paul Bosch
Paul F. Bosch was the first Companion of the Worship Arts, an award presented by the ELCIC at the National Worship Conference in June 1996. Paul has served the ELCIC, the LCA and the ELCA as author, teacher and pastor. He is a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Waterloo, Ontario.
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing People in Wheelchairs at Worship
July 12, 1998
What a beautiful thought. An embrace ... caring, concerned, loving and unconditional. To honour this closeness demands a relationship that knows, cares, accepts, helps and trusts. This close personal nearness sees the wonder and specialness in each person. Happiness, wonder, excitement, and respect. This totality of concern mirrors those qualities we cherish and value in God. These attributes can be modelled and lived by each and everyone of us. By listening and asking, the intensity of intimacy of a relationship that we all truly want advances and grows. This intense intimacy creates a feeling so unique and caring that having some craves more and more and more. Each and everyone has these loving qualities. Practised use of them reinforces and strengthens them so that the alliance we all value and hold so dear blossoms into the bloom where so many stop and gaze in wonder, realizing they are seeing true gifts of God. Beauty, excitement, wonder and love. Listen carefully. Look over there. I think I see something; I think I hear something. What will you do?
Peter Kleinschmidt
Peter Kleinschmidt is a member of St Mark's Lutheran Church in Kitchener. Some years ago, many churches began renovating their buildings to make them wheelchair accessible. Peter, who describes himself as "someone whose shoes last a long time", reminds us that the Gospel invites worshippers to see the person and not the wheelchair. We must renovate our perspective as well as our church buildings.
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing Worship Leaders at Worship
September 6, 1998
This morning is the first time Alex will serve his congregation as crucifer. He took extra care this morning getting ready for church. His shoes are polished, his gown is tidy and his cincture securely knotted. Alex has practised his role and asked all the questions that he can think of. He's as prepared as he can be, and yet he's a little nervous. The crucifer leads the procession into church. There's no one to hide behind, and the aisle seems long.
But Alex knows that his service is a gift to God and to his congregation. When he fulfills his responsibility with confidence and grace, the worship service unfolds and the congregation is blessed.
Every week in your congregation, caring people prepare to lead the worship service. The presiding minister, the assisting minister, the lector, acolytes and crucifer, the choir and instrumentalists lend their gifts so that worshippers can participate in the action. They practise, prepare and lead so that worshippers can enter fully into the hymns and prayers, the readings and the meal. Together, the congregation enters into the drama of the liturgy.
Won't you remember from time to time to thank the Alex in your congregation, and all those who serve you at worship?
Marty Tuer
Marty Tuer is Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, London, Ontario.
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing the Seeker at Worship
September 20, 1998
Scripture frequently urges us to be seekers. For the moment, reflect on those occasional visitors to your parish and on what they seek.
They may be asking themselves:
or
And so, they come seeking:
Above all, they are seeking God in and among you and your congregation.
Honest seeking is a very vulnerable act. It is a confession of need and of longing. It is a confession of a need for others and, most of all, a longing for God. To be a conscious seeker is to come to know that beyond all of one's yearning and longing is a desire for God.
You know, we may all be seekers!
Clem Mehlman
Clement Mehlman completed a graduate degree in Ministry and Spirituality last year at St Regis College, University of Toronto. He is a member of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing at Worship Those With Loss of Hearing
October 4, 1998
Think about the last time you drove through fog trying to find a particular turn-off. There were vague outlines, some colour, and some emerging shapes. Based on where you thought you were, interpreting all those signs, you acted. Perhaps you were right; or perhaps you were wrong. There had not been enough visible landmarks to be certain about your decision. In the meantime, someone driving behind had become impatient and had begun sounding the horn in frustration with you.
So it is with hearing loss.
While every loss is different, hearing loss is often like driving in a fog. As a person with hearing loss, I hear some things. Some sounds fit together and create a coherent phrase. Some other sounds seem to float unconnected. Sometimes, after a moment of reflection, the full picture comes together and the comment makes sense. But, there is a delay in responding. While a hearing aid helps, it does not restore normal hearing.
How can you invite those with severe hearing loss into the worshipping community?
Kathie Must
Kathie Must is a member of Zion Lutheran Church, St Agatha, Ontario.
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing the Grieving at Worship - Part One
November 8, 1998
Our "embracing" people who have experienced the loss of a loved one cannot be relegated to the hour or so we spend each week at community worship. Rather, we are always on call to respond to the bereaved in our congregation.
Our usual question is "What can I do for the bereaved?" First, a few "don'ts": not all help helps. In fact, 80 percent of the statements made to mourners are perceived by them as unhelpful.
Don't...
Do:
Delton J. Glebe
Delton J. Glebe is Principal Emeritus and Professor of Pastoral Care and Counselling at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario.
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Embracing the Grieving at Worship - Part Two
November 15, 1998
Our "embracing" people who have experienced the loss of a loved one cannot be relegated to the hour or so we spend each week at community worship. Rather, we are always on call to respond to the bereaved in our congregation.
Our usual question is "What can I do for the bereaved?" It is equally important to ask "How can I be with the bereaved?" Being with points to the personal approach: it is the gift of ourself in times of sorrow. Here are some suggestions for being with the bereaved.
Delton J. Glebe
Delton J. Glebe is Principal Emeritus and Professor of Pastoral Care and Counselling at Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario.