Worship With Us

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When I was in grad school, one of my seminary professors told us to practice entering the sanctuary and experiencing worship like we were first time visitors. This would not only teach us to appreciate things anew every week, but would also help us see what might not register when it’s something we see or hear every week. So often we just take certain things for granted, or don’t notice things that may send the wrong message to someone. I encourage you to try it the next Sunday morning! There are many things that would send a first time visitor a good message, such as walking up to the sanctuary and seeing people enjoying coffee and fellowship together, meeting a greeter and usher and being handed a bulletin that is easy to follow (you may think that’s a given, but some churches have confusing bulletins or don’t use them at all!). Our sanctuary is filled with light and is beautiful. Our sermon is preached in a way to challenge and grow our faith and to make us think. When it is time for the offertory, you see a big choir present beautiful music, and when it is time for communion, which is open to everyone (again, not a given in every church!), you see families with their kids who excitedly and noisily drop off their offering.

There are also often things that go unseen. You don’t see the acolytes peeking out trying to figure out if it’s time to light or extinguish the candles. You may not see the music director and the pastor communicating about cutting a verse in a hymn. You may not see our faithful coffee hour team cleaning up after people have left for worship.

You may also not notice how cramped the front of the church is the first Sunday of the month. As communion at the rail takes longer, that is also the Sunday our handbells play. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sounds of our bells and chimes as you prepare your heart and mind for worship during the prelude, and as you are receiving communion! As you are coming up for communion at the rail the next time, I invite you to take in our chancel and notice all the people and things involved in creating music! We have six bell tables behind the altar, which is often close to the wall with the cross, in fact, the acolytes often avoid lighting the candelabras when the bells are ringing.

It is both a challenge and a blessing to have “maxed out” our space, both in the choir room and in the sanctuary. If you are in one of the choirs, you know that having both the handbells and the adult choir in one space is pretty tight, and if you are in the bell choir, you know the amount of time and effort it takes to move our bell tables and bells (and chimes, and mallets, and stands, etc.) from the choir to the sanctuary and back. If you are not in a choir, it may be part of those “things unseen!” Our poor bell tables can tell you all about it as several are in such poor condition that they have to be replaced!

As a measure to give the bell choirs more space and spare their literal backs from moving everything every month, a proposal has been presented to the council and has been approved unanimously to move the bell tables to the back of the church, removing the last pew as well as the pew on one side of the back wall (window side). This will happen around Thanksgiving and will allow us to start the new church year (which starts with Advent) with our new set up. Our bell music ministry will have a chance to go from “things unseen” to “things seen” as you will be able to see both our bells and bell ringers in the back if you choose to turn around. This will greatly help the sound in the sanctuary and the space in the chancel. Now, a newcomer will see a blossoming and active music ministry as they walk into our sanctuary, and we can make a joyful noise without being cramped! Join me in giving thanks to God through music as we approach this exciting change.