“One worship service at 9:00! I thought the Sabbath was for resting and sleeping in?” “9:00 worship? But that doesn’t fit with my regular Sunday routine!”
I can hear the negative comments already as we prepare in July and August to only hold one worship service at 9:00 on Sundays rather than the two at 8:00 and 9:30. But it wasn’t always this way. Following the memorial service for Lynn Boyle, who I believe was the last child charter member of the congregation, I started thinking about what it was like to worship at Our Savior back in 1927. I can’t imagine there were multiple service times for worship on Sundays. Even with a smaller sanctuary the entire congregation could easily worship in the space even if everyone attended, which I’m sure they did not every Sunday. What were the advantages of worshiping as one congregation at one time on Sundays?
The first was, the members and visitors got to know everyone in the congregation, and not just those attending “their” service time for worship. Pastors often say, “I serve multiple congregations who all just happen to worship in the same sanctuary, just at different times.” I’ve discovered that to be true in the congregations I’ve served. It is not uncommon for a member of several decades to be surprised that a person who works with them, or meets someone at a party or event, is also a member of Our Savior but worships at a different time. The dialogue might go like this if the topic of religion comes up and someone identifies as a Lutheran.
“Lutheran? I’m Lutheran too. What church do you go to?”
“Our Savior in Haddonfield.”
“That’s my church! I don’t remember seeing you on Sundays. Are you a newer member?” “New! I’ve been attending the 8:00 worship for twenty five years.”
“That explains it. I attend the late service because we still have children in Sunday school.”
All congregations start out as one congregation with one worship time. This July and August we will in some ways be “getting back to our roots” and I hope the experience is embraced more for the advantages it offers than the inconvenience it may create in one’s Sunday worship routine. We might try using name tags with one color for 8:00 and another for 9:30 and a third for those who switch off depending on Sunday’s schedule. We might even have a fourth for visitors. I encourage you to get to know the people whom you don’t recognize sitting around or in your pew. Introduce yourself. During the sharing of the peace feel free to leave your pew and share the Peace of Christ with those across the aisle. You might even consider making arrangements to enjoy brunch after worship with new and long-time worshippers. You’ll likely beat the rush from those coming from later worship times around town!
Personally, I’m looking forward to the blended congregation that will be worshiping this July and August. It will be interesting to witness the dynamics of regular worshippers discovering who sits in “their” pew at the other service during the year and I hope they share the reasons why with each other (without arguing of course!) I hope in the end it is considered by many to have been a blessing in disguise and worth any inconvenience it may have created. Most of all I hope to see you as we worship our risen Lord Jesus together as one congregation at one worship time.
