Donna from PR Lutheran graciously added to our discussions on the last two Sundays. She favorably commented on our "Grace" banner. She said it is a better message than a "dead guy on a cross" to invite newcomers. While she spent some time describing the PRL 9 month catacumen program they call "The WAY," she helped us get some perspective on other aspects of WPPC's ideas.
She also mentioned they're about at the same stage of their capital campaign. They have the same consultant that we have. PRL has also revived testimony (see chapter 9), like we did at WPPC, as a part of their campaign.
She thought it was important to have different types of prayer available to the members of the congregation. While they have some experience with Taize in liturgy, they don't seem to have as much experience with other forms of silence, as with lectio divina.
In a separate posting I'll summarize the classes before Donna arrived.
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4 comments:
It seems to me that we at WPPC are already doing many of the items in the book. It is great to read an outside source that is confirming that we are doing good things! There are many parts of the book that I really like. They generally deal with providing different opportunities for worship. Getting stuck in a rut seems to be common part of each of the churches prior to their "re-births". Having said that I think there is so much more we could do:
-Different music styles, worship styles and prayer can all be wonderfully incorporated into our worship experience. I would love to see other opportunities for taize worship, silence, discernment etc.
-I would love to see more specific things done such as the burning of the sins, testimonies, healing etc that we do at very special times throughout the year and make them normal at WPPC.
-Make the 'joys and concerns' into the 'joys, concerns and healings'. It does not have to be a big special service. Make it normal.
-What if we had incense in the sanctuary?
-Let's mix it up sometimes. We easily get into a rut, specially during 'normal time'. Let's make it anything but normal. Let's make normal time at WPPC not so normal.
-Where is the art in the church? I think you can enter our sanctuary and get board looking at brick and wood. There is nothing to make you think about anything else. Where are the banners that make you think about peace or prayer or resurection or love or forgiveness or struggle?
Phew! - lets get on with it!
Well, I wrote a nice long post in response to Todd but couldn't figure out how to save it while I figured out how to identify myself and send a message. My first blog post, I guess.
I agree we need somemore imagination in worship. Maybe this summer we'll have a worship planning event organized by worship committee with plenty of food and wine to inspire creativity.
During the sunday service last Sunday, I mentioned that the worship c'mtee is interested in repeating many of the prayer celebration features more frequently than annually. If we add incense to Wes' wine event, we should really have some creative juices flowing!
Hopefully, when we remodel our sanctuary we'll facilitate more multi-sensory worship, creating space for kneeling, prayers of healing, drawing, labyrinth walking, smelling incense, candle lighting. If the sermon gets boring, always something to do!
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