DISCOVERING DIFFERENT WORSHIP TRADITIONS
Warren Bird
July 1, 1981
Two years ago our elders established a worship committee. Its purpose was to plan Sunday morning worship services once a month for an eight-month period. Each service was to include Communion and to use a worship tradition different than our own.
One of the elders headed the worship committee, and he asked two women and two men of differing ages and backgrounds to assist him. All said yes, and were eager to begin.
At the first meeting, specific guidelines were given: the church calendar would be used for topic ideas; we'd alternate monthly between formal and lighter liturgies; and to some degree, any liturgy we copied would be adapted to fit the needs, limitations, and doctrinal framework of the fellowship. Worship was defined as a response to God, resulting in service to people. After two hours, the first Sunday was arranged. With a bit of legwork by everyone, such as talking with the musicians and bulletin typists, everything would be fully ready.
A lengthy bulletin announcement and pulpit explanation the week before the first new service prepared the congregation. Both messages said there would be a different format on the first Sunday of each month, September through April, and explained why the elders were introducing these changes. The worship committee's members were named, and the congregation was encouraged to give them feedback during the following months. Then the worshipers were told what to expect in the next week's service.
The first Sunday in September we followed a formal Methodist liturgy for Kingdomtide. It was a breath of fresh air for many members. Most people had never knelt when praying at our church (we don't have kneelers), and the group prayer of repentance, which we read from our bulletins, also was ...
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