Have you ever noticed the details of your denomination's logo or emblem? Have you ever wondered about the significance of the shapes or symbols included or the colors used?
If so, this post is for you.
First, a little back-story: Last year, I did some research on the history of several mainstream Protestant denominations and what sets them apart in terms of beliefs and organizational structure. Read it here, in case you missed it.
Have you ever wondered what those letters on the altar stand for? What is the significance of the symbols in the stained glass windows? Why is a fish a symbol of our Christian faith, and what does a peacock have to do with anything?
Yes, the church is full of sacred signs and symbols that tell us about our past - our history - and inform our faith. Each one has some significance and connection to our faith, and each one represents a time in history, a story, a body of believers.
When I was in high school, I heard a pastor explain grace in the form of an acronym: God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.
Grace is a gift, an invitation to receive God’s riches and become heirs of God’s kingdom.
I grew up in a United Methodist church, and the more I learned about what it means to be Methodist, the more I learned about grace.
You see, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, considered grace the cornerstone of the Christian faith. He described God's grace as having three different forms: Prevenient Grace, Justifying Grace, and Sanctifying Grace.
“A lectionary is a collection of readings or selections from the Scriptures, arranged and intended for proclamation during worship of the people of God.” (source)
Used as a guide in services of worship across denominations, the lectionary is a useful tool for choosing and sequencing Scripture readings and related music and liturgy for weekly worship.
Today, I’m writing about the Revised Common Lectionary - its history, benefits, how it's organized, and how to use it to guide your worship planning from week to week.
Let's get started!
What does it mean to have good flow in worship?
For me, flow means:
In contrast, a worship experience without flow may feel:
Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, marks the end of the Christmas season (commonly referred to as the 12 days of Christmas).
It’s a time in the liturgical year when we remember the magi’s journey and Jesus being revealed as the Savior of the world. In fact, the word “Epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation” or "striking appearance.” (source)
In some churches, Epiphany is considered the start of a new season that runs through the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. In other churches, Epiphany is celebrated as a single day, and the period that follows is considered Ordinary Time. (source)
I don’t know about you, but I love taking a look behind the scenes.
Maybe it’s all the second-guessing that goes on in my head on a daily basis (Am I doing this right? Is this the best way? Is this how other people do it? etc.) or maybe it’s my curiosity for learning about other people’s processes, creative approaches, and perspectives on the everyday things that I spend some of my time doing, too.
I find there’s always something to learn from watching others work through a problem or task - their step-by-step process, their insight, their strategies - I find it fascinating and informative. Next time that I sit down to work on a similar task, I have a few different options and ideas of ways to go about it.
Advent.
A time of waiting, watching, listening.
A time of remembering, anticipating.
A time of renewal and wonder.
The beginning of a new year.
Each year, we celebrate the season of Advent in the weeks leading up to Christmas. We read the words of the prophets, we tell the stories of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, the magi.
We put ourselves back in that time and place of watching and waiting for the Savior of the world, expectant and hopeful. And then, we find ourselves here, in the 21st century, watching and waiting for the return of our Savior, expectant and hopeful.
Often times, our worship services during Advent have a particular sequence to them: We begin with the prophetic words of hope and faith; then, the promise of peace in the world; the joy of God’s fulfilled promises; and the gift of love into the world.
The arts - whether it's music or dance or drama or visual - are a wonderful way to enhance the worship experience, engage the congregation, bring stories to life in new ways, and create meaningful, memorable experiences for all involved.
Related post: Integrating Visual Arts in Worship
The term "worship arts" means different things at different churches, but often times, it includes things like:
There's been an effort at my current church to incorporate more of these things into our worship services on a regular basis, so last year, I started a worship arts team.
What's in a name?
Most of us, if asked, probably have some sense of denominational affiliation, or at least partiality. Perhaps you grew up with close ties to a certain denomination. For some of you, maybe you've been able to work within that same denomination throughout your career. For others of us, our work experience is varied - based on jobs that become available, places we live, worship styles, family decisions, etc.
I know, for me, my experience includes Episcopal and United Methodist (growing up) and United Methodist, Disciples of Christ, UCC, Presbyterian, and American Baptist/United Methodist throughout my career.
If you’ve ever been in a position where you’re considering a move to a new-to-you denomination, you’ve probably found yourself asking/googling questions like:
What do Episcopalians believe?
How are Methodists different from Lutherans?
What sets PCUSA churches apart from PCA?
What does it mean to be congregational?
To delve into some answers to these questions, we need to step back in time for a little history lesson.
