Tag Archives: order

An Order for Missional Living

Posted on by

0

(Inspired by The Earlier Rule of St. Francis)

  • Prologue
    Blessed be the Holy Trinity, God of relational connectedness: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Amen. This is a way to live on mission for God. It is designed for those who have discerned both an inward and outward call to serve God in rostered ministry. It may be useful to others as well.

 

  • Chapter 1 – Start with Why
    God’s mission is our mission. We are created anew in our baptism and are born into a new mission. Being joined to God in baptism, we are called to help others be joined to God (2 Cor 5:17-21). In reality, all people are already joined to God, even though they may not realize it. Even in small, unnoticeable ways, all people bear the image of their Creator (Gen 1:26). Our mission becomes to help people wake up to their preexistent connection to a God that loves them (Rom 8:38-39). Every thought and action should start with a purpose or mission. Every thought and action should find its origin in God’s mission. God’s mission and purpose is best observed in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

 

  • Chapter 2 – Word and Sacrament
    The words that we share with all people are rooted in the Word, Jesus Christ (John 1:1-2). The message that we preach to people is Jesus, the Living Word. The actions that accompany this message are baptism and Eucharist, the means of grace. These are the tangible signs of God’s proximity to all people. In baptism and Eucharist, we enter into the pattern of Jesus’ life (Mark 1:9-11, 14:22-25). Word and Sacrament are the center of our assembling together. They are the elements necessary to make us church.

 

  • Chapter 3 – Neighbor Ethic
    Because we are Christian, following Christ in word and deed, living out our baptismal vocations as citizens under God’s reign (Eph 2:19-20), we are bound by a neighbor ethic. That neighbor ethic says that we should always seek that which is best for our neighbor, just like Jesus taught and did (John 13:34-35). We show our love for God by loving our neighbors (Matt 22:37-40). “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). This ethic is the central concern of all missional living. Other ideologies like consumerism, colonialism, nationalism, sexism, and racism run counter to this ethic. To have a neighbor ethic is to genuinely wants the best for your neighbor. Either Jesus is King, and what’s best for our neighbor matters. Or the Emperor is King, and what’s best for yourself is all that matters. All people are our neighbor, especially those whom we might find most offensive (Luke 10:25-37). You can’t force anyone into having a relationship with God.

 

  • Chapter 4 – Your Wellbeing
    You will not get rich off of living a missional life. Nor should you endeavor to try to get rich by serving God’s mission. However, you should look out for your own wellbeing. Try to live a simple life, not acquiring an endless amount of possessions. Stay away from debt and predatory lenders. Advocate for a comfortable salary, benefits, and retirement. Be generous with your income, sharing with those who have need. Invest some of your income for the future. Try to maintain healthy boundaries in your ministry. Do not sacrifice the wellbeing of you or your family for the purpose of ministry. Your life does not belong to the church, or other people. It belongs to God and God wants you to be well.

 

  • Chapter 5 – Conclusion and Blessing
    “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:1-2). Living a missional life is above all about living in love. Love is the highest ideal and who God is (1 John 4:8). Glory to the Triune God, who was, is, and is to come. Amen.

Narrative Worship Script

Posted on by

2

Some Assembly RequiredDuring the month of August at Faith Lutheran Church, we are in a message series called “Some Assembly Required” (borrowed from the Synod Assembly title that I jokingly came up with). It is a four week series on worship, with each week taking up a different fold of the service:

  • August 5 – “Gathering: Worship and the Stranger”
  • August 12 – “Word: The Narrative of Worship”
  • August 19 – “Meal: The Down to Earth God”
  • August 26 – “Sending: Worship on the Way”

As part of the series, we decided to include a “narrative” script during each service that describes the significance of each action of worship. It works as a running commentary of the “whys” of the worship service. We printed the narration into the worship bulletins, and had a person read the narration aloud during the service.

Sources for the script include Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pg. 91-93), Musicians Guide to Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pg. 8-13), and original material.

Download Narrative Worship Script PDF

(before the Welcome/Announcements)
The basic pattern of this service – gathering, word, meal, sending – is a structure that originates from the earliest documented Christian liturgies. It is also a pattern we can observe in how God interacts with people throughout the Bible. As the people of God, we are joined together by the gifts of God’s grace, for the sake of the gospel, into the life of the one triune God.

(before the Confession and Forgiveness)
As we gather together as the body of Christ, we are reminded that Sunday is the day of Christ’s resurrection. We are assembled, brought together from different places, as a witness to the risen of body of Christ, active and moving in the world today. We begin in humility, confessing our sin and hearing God’s word of forgiveness.

(before the Gathering Hymn)
Singing during our gathering includes both hymns old and new. The songs that gather us together surround and support a people who come to worship with different frames of reference and different emotions. The gathering song moves each individual into the communal experience and purpose of worship.

(before the Greeting and Prayer of the Day)
During the gathering, the presiding minister and the assembly greet each other in the name of the triune God. The presiding minister gathers the assembly into prayer. All of worship is based on the foundation of prayer and can be understood as dialogue with God.

(before the First Reading)
The word of God is proclaimed within and by the gathered assembly. The first Bible reading, usually from the Old Testament, is followed by a psalm sung in response. This pattern of proclaiming the word is as ancient as the synagogue worship of the Jewish people.

(before the Psalm)
From their origin, the psalms were intended to be sung. Certainly the meaning of the text can be communicated when spoken, but the quality of this ancient poetry is inherently musical.

(before the Second Reading)
The second reading, usually from the New Testament letters, bears the witness of the early church. After the second reading, we stand to greet the gospel and sing an acclamation.

(before the Gospel Acclamation and Reading)
Christians have inherited the practice of publicly reciting the appointed biblical texts and responding to the recitation with singing. The read-sing-read-sing sequence continues. The gospel acclamation consists of two parts, alleluia and a verse of scripture, which acclaim the living Word, Jesus Christ, present in the gospel reading.

(before the Message)
Preaching brings God’s word of law and gospel into our time and place to awaken and nourish faith.

(before the Hymn of the Day)
God’s word is further proclaimed as we sing our faith aloud. The hymn of the day is the principal hymn of the service and is a distinctively Lutheran element in the liturgy. The assembly participates in proclaiming and responding to the word of God with a common voice.  The hymn of the day typically relates directly to the season or day, the lectionary readings, or the preaching.

(before the Prayers of Intercession)
As the assembly prays for the whole world, we remember we have a high priest who continually intercedes for us. The prayers follow a pattern that encourages us to turn our hearts and eyes outward to the world. We pray for the needs of the church, for all of creation and the people of the world, for those in need, and for the local community. We also give thanks for the lives of the saints who inspire us in our pilgrimage.

(before Sharing Christ’s Peace)
Passing the peace of Christ is an ancient component of Christian worship and liturgy. Our modern day version of peace passing is descended from an earlier act of worship known as “the kiss of peace.” The practice of verbally and physically sharing Christ’s peace trains ours hearts, hands, and tongues in the ways of peace.

(before the Offering, Choral Offering, Offertory Response, and Offering Prayer)
A collection of material goods for the church’s mission, including the care of those in need, is a sign of the giving of our whole selves in grateful response for all God’s gifts. The table is set with bread and wine, also part of the gifts we offer to God. The choir provides an offering of music, a sacrifice of praise.

(before the Dialogue, Preface, and Holy, Holy, Holy)
Before the Lord’s supper is shared, the presiding minister leads us into thanksgiving. The words of the opening dialogue are known as the “Sursum Corda,” which is Latin for “hearts lifted.” This dialogue is found in the most ancient of Christian liturgies, dating all the way to the third century. The presiding minister and assembly exchange a formal greeting. Then the assembly is invited to lift their hearts to God. The final exchange indicates the assembly’s agreement to the presiding minister continuing to offer the remainder of the Eucharistic Prayer on their behalf. The proper preface follows, which relates to the liturgical season or day. The assembly then joins with the whole creation in singing the angels’ song: “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.”

(before the Words of Institution and Lord’s Prayer)
The grace of God’s gift is always proclaimed in Jesus’ own words of command and promise at the table. The term “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” The service of Holy Communion is connected to every meal in which Jesus gave thanks before breaking bread. The thanksgiving concludes with the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us.

(before Sharing the Meal and Prayer after Communion)
In Christ’s body and blood given to us, God forgives us and nourishes us for mission. We sing as the bread is broken and as the meal is shared. After sharing the meal, we pray, asking God to send us in witness to the world.

(before the Benediction, Sending Hymn, and Dismissal)
God’s mission sends us out. God’s mission includes the gifts of grace that we share in worship. Now, we are sent to continue our participation in God’s mission by sharing these gifts of grace with the world. With the blessing of God, we go out to live as Christ’s body in the world.

Worship @ Synod Assembly 2012

Posted on by

0

462225_381368481908998_143418169037365_1104031_1159348582_o

This year I had the honor and privilege of being part of the team that designed and led worship for Synod Assembly. Every year the Gulf Coast Synod of the ELCA (gulfcoastsynod.org) gathers for business, worship, andfellowship. The Assembly was May 11-12, 2012 and it was hosted at Lakewood United Methodist Church in northwest Houston. The team that planned worship met for several months working on all the details that go into planning an event for the whole synod. We had to design the services (including selecting the Bible readings, songs, prayers, and other elements), create and edit the worship folders (which we can proudly say were all printed onsite in the Faith office), and recruit and instruct all the worship leaders and assistants for the services.

The Synod Assembly this year was a huge success! The worship services were joyful celebrations of who God is and what God has done. It can be a challenge and stretch to create worship services for people coming from such a broad geographic context. How do you create a worship service for rural farmers in Brenham, suburban Houstonians, and urban folks from New Orleans, all assembled together at the same time? As the team discussed designing worship for such a diverse crowd, we found the Assembly to be the perfect place to celebrate what makes us each unique. As we sang each other’s songs, we realized we have much more in common than different.

One of the highlights was the Holy Communion service on Friday evening. All of the worship services were designed in a convergent style: many diverse languages, music, and ritual actions converging together in a prayerful way. Friday’s service used the service music from Setting 7 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, all sung in Spanish and led by a Mariachi Band! After the Hymn of the Day (using the organ), we participated in a Thomas Mass, which is a form of Lutheran worship originating from Helsinki, Finland. During the Thomas Mass, the people assembled were invited to move freely around the room and interact with several stations. They could serve and be served using a basin and towel for foot and hand washing, write intercessions for the world on a banner, create mosaic artwork for a communion paten, offer prayers of confession and receive forgiveness, receive anointing for healing, and leave an offering for the ELCA Malaria Campaign. We then celebrated the holy meal together around God’s table. This service was a beautiful picture of diversity and unity and I’m sure it will have a profound impact on me for years to come.

Pictures from the Holy Communion service taken by Larry Bose. A complete sketch of the order of worship is below.

456903_381360738576439_143418169037365_1103943_1194963067_o413524_381358701909976_143418169037365_1103855_1075820430_o

579638_381356641910182_143418169037365_1103796_1176553941_n

479203_381360645243115_143418169037365_1103937_117449097_o

477039_381357365243443_143418169037365_1103810_100449478_o

476350_381356508576862_143418169037365_1103794_1070010822_o

475733_381367545242425_143418169037365_1104022_1982321443_o

475166_381356305243549_143418169037365_1103791_339746420_o

475090_381360275243152_143418169037365_1103917_1259894948_o

474910_381360428576470_143418169037365_1103926_791013435_o

473071_381360811909765_143418169037365_1103946_468045949_o

472203_381356575243522_143418169037365_1103795_1905152527_o

469425_381356245243555_143418169037365_1103790_1747114342_o

469056_381356695243510_143418169037365_1103797_129050769_o

469015_381360575243122_143418169037365_1103934_465622510_o

463566_381356458576867_143418169037365_1103793_1529143190_o

Order of Service
GATHERING

Prelude from Mariachis

Recognition of First Call Theological Education Pastors

Kyrie & Gloria – Setting 7 (Mariachis)

Prayer of the Day
WORD

First Reading – 1 Kings 19:4-8

Psalm 34:1-8 (chanted with shruti box)

Second Reading – Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Gospel Acclamation – Setting 7 (Mariachis)

Gospel Reading – John 6:35, 41-51

Sermon

Hymn of the Day 480 O Bread of Life from Heaven (Organ)

St. Thomas Mass Stations

Sharing Christ’s Peace
MEAL

Dialogue/Preface

Santo, santo, santo – Setting 7 (Mariachis)

Thanksgiving at the Table

Lord’s Prayer

Invitation to the Table

Cordero de Dios – Setting 7 (Mariachis)

Communion Song 485 I Am the Bread of Life (Piano/guitars)

Communion Song 472 Eat This Bread (Guitar/Taize)

Prayer after Communion
SENDING

Blessing

Sending Song 618 Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer (Organ)

Dismissal

Postlude (Mariachis)

Worship Breathes

Posted on by

1

One could picture the fourfold model of worship as a pattern of inhalation and exhalation. As we gather together as the people of God and then hear the Word we are taking in the breath of God. As we give thanks at the Table and are sent out into the world we exhale (share) the breath of the God with the rest of the world. I like the imagery of our worship “breathing” for three biblically rooted reasons.

First, breathing reminds us that the Holy Spirit enables everything we do, especially our worship. Genesis 1:2 tells us that in the beginning when God created heaven and earth there was a divine wind sweeping over the waters. The Holy Spirit was the divine breath that activated the words that spoke everything into being. The most ancient recorded liturgies of the church describe how the priest would breathe on the baptismal waters in blessing, recalling the Holy Spirit’s presence at creation. Just as God breathed life into Adam and Eve, the Holy Spirit breathes life into the words and actions of our confession and thanksgiving to God.

Second, every living, breathing thing was created for the purpose of praising God. Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that breathes praise God.” Every day we wake up because God graciously gives us the breath for another spin around the earth. Every breath, therefore, is an opportunity to return praise and adoration to God for who he is and what he has done. No one flawlessly seizes every available breath to praise God, and some people ignore God their whole life. But we have confidence that every breathing thing will acknowledge Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11).

Third, as believers we offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” The idea of a “living sacrifice” is an oxymoron. Something that is sacrificed is killed. In God’s original design for worship, death was synonymous with sacrifice. Something always died in a sacrifice. The paradox of a “living sacrifice” is created through the reality that in Jesus we are new creatures. Death has been defeated in Jesus, and now our worship is a living sacrifice of praise. In other words, the breath isn’t taken out of our worship. Our worship is left alive, to breathe.

Benediction

Posted on by

0

You are sent out into the world.
Each of us carry God’s love, Christ’s light, and the Spirit’s breath.
Go in peace, and live the church.
Amen.

This is a benediction I composed that we have been using at Theophilus the last few weeks. I like it for several reasons. It captures the “sending” component of the benediction, which is important because every service ends with the final “sending” fold of the fourfold order. The Gospel and Meal propel us outward into the world. I also like it because it’s Trinitarian. As we exit a service we are stewards of the Father’s love (1 John 3:1 “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”), the Son’s light (Philippians 2:15 “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”), and the Holy Spirit’s breath (John 20:22 “Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”).

Reformation Day Resources

Posted on by

0

ReformationReformation Day is October 25. Here is an order of worship from Reformed Worship that contains a lot of Reformation-era texts:

This order of service was prepared for Reformation Sunday 2003 at First Presbyterian Church, Royal Oak, Michigan. It includes several liturgical elements from the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, including contributions from Luther in Germany, Bucer in Strassbourg, Calvin in Geneva, Zwingli in Zurich, Knox in Scotland, and from the English Reformation. The songs include a psalm, canticle, and hymns from these traditions; they can be found in the Presbyterian Hymnal as well as in many other hymnals.