| Author |
Messages |
|
RuralUCC
Posts:27
 |
| 05/15/2006 12:02 AM |
|
| I find diverse worship styles interesting, from traditional to contemporary, Taize, Quaker style silent prayer, biblical readings. Everyone, what is your church's worship service like? Mine has an organ, several choirs, the passing of the peace, sharing of joys and concerns. I enjoy it, but it is pretty traditional. What else is going on in the UCC or elsewhere for you visitors? |
|
|
|
|
lisa
Posts:38
|
| 05/15/2006 9:40 AM |
|
Thanks for asking! Every UCC church is different, so some experiment with all the things you have mentioned and some stay very traditional, just like yours. We have used Quaker style silent prayer for some of the evenings during Lent, and I love it. We tried a contemporary style service on Wednesday, but it was not well attended. I look forward to seeing answers from others. What are you doing and what is working? Visitors, what do you like best?
Lisa |
|
|
|
|
innervisions
Posts:29
|
| 05/15/2006 1:00 PM |
|
At Trinity UCC in Chicago we have a men's chorus, a women's chorus, a sanctuary choir and a youth chorus. Our music tends to be in the African-American tradition with a mix of sprituals, traditional anthems, traditional gospel, contemporary gospel, inspirational, and a lil jazz.
We also have a passing of the peace and an altar call. In addition, we usually have at least one performance a week by one of the dance groups (men's women's, teenagers' childrens') or drill team groups (women's, girls', boys'.) |
|
|
|
|
Posts:0
|
| 05/15/2006 5:01 PM |
|
I've been teaching a Sunday School Class with PS - 4th grade children (different weeks) about worship. I've asked them what happens in a worship service. They say things like, "Singing, praying, when the pastor talks a long time, offering, when we eat and drink, the part where we hold hands and sing "alleluia" and their favorite (and I think mine) Greeting time!
It's the greeting time I want to share. We spend a good amount of time inviting people to wander all over the sanctuary and greet at least 10-15 people. I love to see people walking about, smiling and genuinely welcoming one another. |
|
|
|
|
Linda
Posts:93
|
| 05/17/2006 12:04 AM |
|
Our worship service is traditional- an order of worship that's pretty standard, choir anthem plus three hymns (from a hymnal that doesn't have inclusive language), time for prayer concerns, etc. One Sunday a month we have what we call "contemporary" worship. It's still pretty tame by contemporary standards- nothing too hard-rocking musically, some more contemporary language in the prayers and Scripture. Right now we're in a very slow process of trying to blend multiple styles of worship, in terms of music, Scripture translations used, sermon style, etc.
I echo what ProudDog said about greeting time. Our congregation would spend half the service in greeting time if we let them. The pastor says it's like "herding cats" to get them back to their seats- it's great! Our church does fellowship very well.
The other thing I like about every service, no matter the style, is that it always feels relaxed and intimate. We worship sincerely together as a family, and there's never anything pretentious about it. My favorite example is from Easter a few years ago. Of course, that's one of the services where we pull out all the stops, have all the bells and whistles, and in some other churches it can feel pretty formal and pretentious. But this particular Easter, one of the acolytes was wearing new shoes that hurt- so at the end of worship when she came forward to extinguish the candles she came prancing up the aisle barefoot. And the great thing was that everyone noticed, but nobody cared.
I really love my church. |
|
|
|
|
Booktender
Posts:14
|
| 05/17/2006 1:40 AM |
|
My growing-up church has been quite traditional to its midwest Congregational meeting house roots. Processional, prayer, forgiveness hymn, bible reading, hymn, sermon, offertory, hymn, blessing, recessional. Sometimes we mix it up a bit and pass the peace. Very comforting traditional rhythm. We use the "old" hymnal
I live far away now and attend services at a church that has always been simply UCC. It has a little more variety in the service and also has a very informal saturday evening service. Cultural differences between the midwest rural and SW urban setting are apparent in languages used in the service and some traditions. They use the "old" hymnal, the "new" hymnal, and one written by a pastor emeritus! I can dig it and the rhythm is comfortable to me.
Because I want to be involved in the social justice outreach it provides, I am thinking of transferring to another UCC. It is very non-traditional and less than 25 years old. The wandering greeting tickles me. The small combo that plays all the music surprises me. They don't use either hymnal but just photocopy whtever hymns they use into the bulletin. They trespass instead of debt. The very informal dress of the congregants discomforts me. But maybe that's all to the good. Ya gotta take a spiritual journey to get to where you're going, right? |
|
|
|
|
RuralUCC
Posts:27
|
| 05/23/2006 7:29 AM |
|
| I appreciate all of the responses. Has anyone ever participated in a UCC healing service? I went to a workshop on one at the NY conference annual meeting a year ago. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The only "healing service" I attended was at a Free Methodist church; it was about the same except at the UCC version, there was a CD playing in the background with soothing nature sounds. I find these services to be wonderful, but with instantaneous stuff seen on T.V. (not to say that this doesn't happen even in the UCC every once in a great while) people tend to be frightened when they hear the term healing service. I would like to see the stereotype changed. What does everyone else think? |
|
|
|
|
WWJD
Posts:40
|
| 05/26/2006 1:21 AM |
|
Growing up in a Pentecostal church "healing service" scares the heck out of me! *shivers*
[QUOTE]RuralUCC wrote
I appreciate all of the responses. Has anyone ever participated in a UCC healing service? I went to a workshop on one at the NY conference annual meeting a year ago. It was a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The only "healing service" I attended was at a Free Methodist church; it was about the same except at the UCC version, there was a CD playing in the background with soothing nature sounds. I find these services to be wonderful, but with instantaneous stuff seen on T.V. (not to say that this doesn't happen even in the UCC every once in a great while) people tend to be frightened when they hear the term healing service. I would like to see the stereotype changed. What does everyone else think? [/QUOTE] |
|
|
|
|
baronsabato
Posts:78
|
| 05/26/2006 1:38 PM |
|
| My church, a Congregational UCC, has had healing services in the past. It was something that I was not used to at all, and I will admit I approached it with some apprehension. However, it was actually really wonderful, very dignified and not at all like those charismatic televangelists. We had laying on of hands with intense prayer, but it wasn't flashy or showy- just some caring people making sure they were there for you if you needed them. I do hope that we continue to have these, and that the stereotype changes, simply because it was a great thing to do. |
|
"the whole irreducible point of the faith,
God thrown in human waste, submerged and shining.
We have grown used to beauty without horror.
We have grown used to useless beauty." |
|
|
RuralUCC
Posts:27
|
| 05/30/2006 11:11 AM |
|
| Thanks to all for your comments. I was happy to hear about the many diverse experiences of worship. What do your congregations do outside? My church has services 2 times a year at a state park. It is a great experience. |
|
|
|
|
Posts:0
|
| 05/30/2006 5:18 PM |
|
We've had just a few outdoor services over the past couple of years -- it's been a little bit of "It's too hot" and a little bit more of a fear of west nile . . .
When we've done them we've gathered in our large backyard with speakers and a really long extension chord. Bring your own lawn chair.
We've also had outdoor services in the shade of a tree in our front yard. Music was pretty much a guitar and a loud singer -- the service was very informal and very small. |
|
|
|
|
|