REFLECTIONS ON OUR WORSHIP ORDER

How do you like our new order of worship? That seems to be the question of the moment. Well, at least one of the questions of one of the moments. It has now been three weeks since we introduced the revisions in our morning worship service. I thought you might be interested in a few of the responses, at least those that have come my way.

As with any change, especially with something as public as an order of worship, responses have been varied. Some have found objections at some point in the order, such as:

"I miss the silence after the sermon."

"The sermon comes too early and the anthem comes too late."

"At the ‘announcements’ time, can we ask visitors to stand and introduce themselves?"

"The request for silence at the postlude does not allow us to turn and greet neighbors."

"I miss passing the peace."

I think that summarizes most of the negative comments I have heard. As a result of these observations, some small changes have already been made, and others may be made from time to time.

The other side of the coin is that the large majority of people who have offered comments say they really like the new order, which now comes closest to that recommended in the Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The observations are along these lines:

"I like the four-part flow of the service."

"I feel more at ease seated for the Prayer of Confession and Declaration of Pardon."

"It’s good to have the Prayer for Illumination before the Scripture readings."

"I like the concerns and celebrations in connection with the morning prayers."

"I enjoy singing a hymn right after the sermon."

That’s a summary of the responses that have come my way. I’m sure there are others, both pro and con. The Worship Committee will be evaluating the order at its next meeting (January), and if you would like to make any further observations, you may direct them to Kathryn Bunch, who is chairperson of the committee.