General Assembly, Ecumenical worship

Opportunities for Bible study and worship are two of the joys of being at General Assembly. This morning we had the ecumenical worship service, which is held each year as a sign of the commitment the Presbyterian Church has to be connected to its ecumenical partners.  Here are some of my thoughts about being a part of that service:

1.  We used music in lots of different places, most of which came from the new hymnal Glory to God.    In most instances, the music enhanced the worship. In fact, I have the bulletin in the General Assembly handbook, so I will probably will be trying out some of these songs in worship in the church I serve.  One of the songs did not work, and I discovered what it was like to be in the congregation when a song floundered (surely congregants from FPC, Troy cannot know this feeling!).  It reminded me how music can add so much to a service, but only if it works!

2.  We sat in our seats at the tables where we also sit for our plenary sessions.  It is a huge space with giant screens in front of us where the responsive parts of the worship service were displayed.  The sound was not a problem, but it was a bit odd to worship in that space.  I found it easier to be distracted when my view of the worship leaders was primarily on the large screen in front of me.

3.  The worship leaders used the ecumenical Lord's Prayer, which tripped me up as I recited it from memory.  Again, I discovered what it is like to be surprised by the unexpected in worship.  As one who sometimes perpetrates surprise on a congregation, I experienced how it can be uncomfortable, but I also realized how it can make us rethink what we sometimes unthinkingly do as rote memory.

4. I heard a powerful sermon by Reginald Jackson, a bishop in the AME church.  I would share with you some highlights form the sermon, except I am going to use some of those highlights in a sermon later this summer.  No sneak preview from this blog!