Living the Christian life involves approaching God through prayer, praise and worship. On this site, we can find different ways people have and can enter into his presence.
We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday, September 28 and Sunday, October 4, we'll lay before God the needs listed below.
Monday- That we take time to honor those who died in service to our country.
Tuesday - That we listen to both presidential candidates and consider which will lead the United States toward the ideal expressed in Matthew 25.
Wednesday - That the government discuss ways to address the violence and hatred present within our society
Thursday - That schools and universities would teach the truth.
Friday - That those in business, government and media would report and reflect the goodness of God to our nation.
Saturday - That all Americans would be prepared to give an account to Almighty God for their political and economic practices.
Sunday - That those in positions of power might exercise their authority with humility and love.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. (NRSV)
Reflection: One of my most cherished memories from my childhood is standing at the piano, singing with my grandmother. Usually my uncle would be at the piano while my “Nanni” would pick the songs and dance around the room, prodding each of us to sing along. She loved show tunes, but her favorite song was “Let There Be Peace on Earth” written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955. It is a powerful song with a beautiful crescendo of commitment to “take each moment, and live each moment, in peace eternally.” It still gives me goosebumps when I remember belting out that refrain as a young boy.
While I still appreciate the song for its beauty and its inspiration to seek peace, the line “let peace begin with me” now rings somewhat hollow for me. Although peace includes transforming our own minds and hearts, too often the work for peace ends there. It isn’t enough for us to think about peace or sing about peace. As we see in Psalm 85:10, building a “Just Peace” involves relationship and connection. We are called to engage the other and unite peace with justice (“righteousness” and “justice” both come from the Greek word δικαιοσύνη) not at arm’s length, but closely. Building peace is not a solo act. It begins in relationship, and it cannot be sought independently from the struggle for justice in community. Peace must be active, applied, engaged — we must wage peace. Peace begins with us, and it begins through justice.
Through the years, I have interacted with some incredible people and organizations working to build peace. I have met with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Hebron, Justapaz staff in Colombia, and Nonviolent Peaceforce Unarmed Protectors in Iraq. What inspires me most about their work is their engagement — the relationships they have cultivated, in communities and with people experiencing conflict, as they step into the fray. These peace builders risk experiencing violence by drawing close in order to expose the injustice, address trauma and seek reconciliation through the vision of Just Peace.
Although not all of us are called to work in these settings, I do believe that we all must be willing to more closely connect our hope for peace to deeper engagement with one another and our communities.
Practice for Peacemakers: Take time today to learn more about the many organizations working to build peace in conflict areas around the world. Look for their stories of engagement and accompaniment. See how you can get involved directly and support their work financially. Further, see how you can build peace in your own relationships and community through deeper connections.
Prayer: God, help us live into our vow to be peacemakers. Let us be drawn toward one another and be willing to risk for peace. Let your Just Peace reign on Earth. Let it begin now. Let it start here. Let it begin with us. Amen.
Rev. Michael Neuroth serves as the United Church of Christ’s policy advocate for international issues in the Washington, D.C. office. An ordained minister, Michael advocates on a wide range of international peace, human rights and economic justice issues reflected in UCC policy. Michael holds master’s degrees in divinity, theology and social work from Princeton Seminary and Rutgers University. He lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Amber, and their two boys.
This year’s Season of Peace Resources are designed to help participants explore practices for building peace on every scale. From the personal level to global issues, these reflections and prayers will help grow the faith and witness of the whole church. Throughout the 29 days of the 2020 Season of Peace, we are invited to reflect upon:
Week 1 September 6–12: Peace Within Week 2 September 13–19: Peace in Relationships Week 3 September 20–26: Peace in Community Week 4 September 27–October 3: Peace in the World Final Day October 4: Holistic Peacemaking
Here's a copy of the order and the podcast of the worship service I led in the Richmond United Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Ohio on Sunday, September 27, 2020.
Prelude
Welcome and Greeting
Opening Sentences
One: Let every tongue
confess the good news:
All: Jesus Chrst is Lord; glory to God!
One: The grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ
be with you all.
All:And also with
you.
One: Let us worship God.
Gathering Prayer
*Hymn“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”#20
*Call to Confession
*Prayer of Confession
Holy and merciful
God, in your presence we confess our failure to be what you created us to be. You
alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting
your gifts, in forgetting your love. By your loving mercy, help us to live in
your light and abide in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. (silent prayer) And let all the people
say, Amen.
Here's the order of worship and the podcast of the worship service I led in Brilliant (Ohio) United Presbyterian Church on Sunday, September 27, 2020.
PRELUDE Maestro Ron
Retzer
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS
*OUR CALL FOR WORSHIP: Psalm 25:1-10
Leader: To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be
put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
People: Do not let
those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly
treacherous.
Leader: Make me to know your
ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
People: Lead me in your
truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all
day long.
Leader: Be mindful of your
mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
People: Do not remember
the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love
remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
Leader: Good and upright is
the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and
teaches the humble his way.
People: All the paths
of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his
covenant and his decrees.
*HYMN
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Gracious God, we confess that we’ve sinned
against you. Although we understand that you value concrete action more than
words and promises, we still talk rather than act. And even when our words are
reflected our sincere faith, we ignore the very tangible needs that surround us
and your clear call to love our neighbors as our ourselves. Merciful Lord,
forgive us, and help us communicate our faith through the lives that we live. Amen.
*MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*GLORIA
PATRI
JOYS
& CONCERNS
GIVING OF
TITHES, OFFERINGS & GIFTS
**In lieu of passing
the collection plate, please place your offering in the basket provided at the
back of the sanctuary.**
Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in First Presbyterian Church, Brilliant, Ohio and First United Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Ohio, on Sunday, September 27, 2020.
Matthew 21:23-32 (Contemporary English Version)
Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
They thought it over and said to each other, “We can’t say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn’t believe John. On the other hand, these people think that John was a prophet, and we are afraid of what they might do to us. That’s why we can’t say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.” So they told Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”
Jesus said:
I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, “Go work in the vineyard today!” His son told him that he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. The man then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn’t go. Which one of the sons obeyed his father?
“The older one,” the chief priests and leaders answered.
Then Jesus told them:
You can be sure that tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe.
Speak Louder
There’s an old joke about a guy who’s looking to buy a hearing aid. And when he goes into the store, the salesman says, “We’ve got three models you might be interested in. The first one is like the Ferrari of hearing aids. It’s powerful, almost impossible to detect and it even has a racing stripe on the side.” The guy says, “That’s great. How much?” “Well, it’s $5,000.” The guy immediately says, “There’s no way I can handle that. Do you have anything that’s more like a Honda?” The salesman says, “Well, for $700 I can sell you one that’s weaker, detectable and unstriped.” The guy says, “Well at least we’re moving in the right direction. What about the third model?” The salesman says, “Well, we do have one that’s only $39.95. It’s just an empty box that you carry in your shirt pocket, connected to a black wire and an ear plug. It doesn’t really do anything, but when people see you have it, they’ll speak louder.”
Of course, there’s a reason I shared this story today. You see, when it comes to living the Christian life, that’s sort of what we do. We try to speak louder, you know, louder when we talk about those great promises we’ve made to God and louder when we tell others about all stuff we’ve given to him, particularly those things that we really don’t own ourselves or that we know God won’t be collecting anytime soon, you know, like our lives and our hearts and our hands. I mean, often when we talk about our faith, we just turn up the volume to eleven, and even though doing this kind of thing often gets us a lot of praise, it really shows that we’ve actually forgotten one of the first lessons we learned as kids, that “actions speak louder than words.” Put another way, what we actually do says a whole more about who we are and what we believe than all the stuff we say.
And you know, since I think that’s also the focus of the passage we just read from Matthew, that’s what we’re going to consider this morning, you know, how we can get to the point in our Christian living where our actions really do speak louder than our words. And you know, when we really think about what went on in this little exchange between Jesus and the chief priests and the leaders of the people, I believe we can find a pretty clear and simple three step plan that will enable our actions to do our talking for us.
And in my opinion, it all starts with something really simple. You see, if we’re serious about having our actions speak louder than our words, I believe it takes a willingness to listen. Now, for me that’s the first step. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s something we can see right at the beginning of the story. I mean, here we’ve got Jesus in the Temple, teaching the people. And along came some of the high and mighty, but did they care about what he was saying? Did they care that he was offering something that might be profound or meaningful? Man, did they even care enough to listen to what he’s teaching? Of course not, why listen when you’ve already got all the answers? My gosh, they didn’t listen to John the Baptist, why listen to this guy? No, instead they came to set what you could call a rhetorical trap, didn’t they? And even when Jesus crossed them up, they still weren’t picking up on what Jesus was saying in his counter questions. Instead, they were so fixated on what they thought and what they wanted to hear, not only did they assume that Jesus was playing their game, which I don’t believe he was, they refused to give any answer at all. You see, they just wouldn’t open their ears and their minds and listen. And what happened to them? They just stood there looking stupid.
And I’m telling you, right here and now, the same thing can happen to us. Man, we can become so absorbed in ourselves and what we want and what we think that we shut down and tune out. But you know, we don’t have to do that. You see, if we want to take up that cross and to follow him, and if we want to do the kind of things Jesus wants us to do, and if we want the faith we claim to be shown by lives we live, then we can make the conscious decision to listen and to do it with an open mind. And I’ll tell you, if we decide to do that, do y’all know what we’re going to hear? Man, we’re going to hear Jesus say this:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. [Matthew 22:37-40, CEV]
Now that’s something we’re going to hear. We’re also going to hear him say this to his disciples:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all of his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.” [Matthew 25:31-40,CEV]
You see, if we’re serious about having our actions speak louder than our words, I think we’ve got to be open and to listen. For me, that’s the first step.
And step two, man, we have got to be honest, and I’m talking about honest with others, but maybe more important, honest with ourselves. And isn’t that the point of the parable Jesus offered. And since, it’s been a while since I read it, let me read it again:
Jesus said:
I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, “Go work in the vineyard today!” His son told him that he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. The man then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn't go. Which one of the sons obeyed his father? [Matthew 21:28-31, CEV]
Now that’s what Jesus said. And even though the guys who wanted to trap him said it was the second son, personally, I think that’s only half right. You see, even though the one who actually did something was head and shoulders above the guy who didn’t, I really don’t think that either son pleased their old man. Instead, I believe he wanted his sons to hear his request and then say “yes” and then do it. I mean, dah. You see, to be obedient, the words and the actions need to go together.
And for that to happen, we really need to be honest in what we say and do. In other words, on one hand, we certainly shouldn’t say one thing and do something else. On the other hand, though, we really shouldn’t shoot from the hip and speak until we’ve thought through want we’re saying. And to avoid either hands, we really need to be honest with ourselves, you know, about what we’re actually willing to do and not do. And I’ll tell you, although this may surprise you a little bit, I think a good example of someone who actually did this was that rich young man who came up to Jesus a couple of chapters ago. Remember, he wanted to know how to inherit eternal life and he came to Jesus because he must have assumed that Jesus knew. And after Jesus talked about obeying some of the Ten Commandments and the young man said that he had, “Jesus replied, ‘If you want to be perfect, go sell everything you own! Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and be my follower.’ When the young man heard this, he was sad, because he was very rich.” [Matthew 19:21-22, CEV] Now, I’ve got to tell you, I have a lot of respect for that guy, because he could have made all kinds of promises and then done squat, but he didn’t do it. He was honest with Jesus and himself, and I think that’s important, because we can apply it to ourselves. You know, in my opinion, the real question of faith isn’t “Will we give our lives to Jesus?” Man, let’s get real; we can do that every day and twice on Sunday. For me, the real question is “Will we give our cell phones or will we give our cars or will we give our televisions to Jesus?” Giving our lives involve words. Packing up our televisions and giving them to the Salvation Army involves action. And sadly, if I’m honest with myself, for me, the answer has been “no.” And I know that because I haven’t done it. Man, I haven’t even given Jesus my Comcast cable. You see, if we want what we believe to be shown in how we live, maybe we should stop talking and start doing. But that’s only going to happen when we’re painfully clear about what we’re willing to give. You see, for our actions to speak louder than our words, man, we’ve got to honest with ourselves, and that’s the second step.
And step three, I think we’ve got to be willing to be accountable, and I’m talking about accountable for both what we say and do. In other words, in my opinion, we need to be willing to hear Jesus say to us what he said to those Jewish leaders:
You can be sure that tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe. [Matthew 21:31b-32, CEV]
Now don’t get me wrong, I sure as heck wouldn’t want Jesus saying that kind of thing to me, although I have said more than once that, if you happen to be behind me on Judgement Day, I really hope you’re wearing comfortable shoe and brought a lunch, because I believe that there are plenty of things which I’ve done or left undone that God will probably mention. Now, in the end, I believe I’m saved by grace, but that doesn’t mean God will let me completely off the hook.
And personally, I think that applies to everybody. We’re going to be accountable to God whether we want to be or not. But I’m not just talking about being accountable to him. We need to make ourselves accountable to others. You see, maybe I’m not the best person to determine whether I’m actually denying myself, taking up my cross and following Jesus. And even though God will be our ultimate judge, maybe this is something we might want to know right now. Therefore, we might want to lean on the opinions and observations of folks we really trust. And let me give you an example of what I’m talking about. There’s a story about a young man, filled with the Spirit and ready to share the gospel to anyone who’ll listen. Man, he is fired up. And when he goes in this small dinner, he notices an old farmer, just sitting all by himself in the back. And so the young man goes up to him and says, “Brother, are you a Christian?” The old farmer smiles and says, “Son, you’re asking the wrong person. Ask my wife or my children or that waitress over there if I’m a Christian. They should be able to answer it far better than me.” Now that my friends is what I mean by accountability, something we will never know, if we’re not also willing to listen and to be honest about what we hear. Being accountable, that’s step three.
Now, I think it’ll always be tempting to spend more time talking about what it means to follow Jesus then actually living it. And that just makes sense, because words are incredibly easy to say and that’s probably why they’ve been called cheap. Of course, I don’t think faith should ever be cheap. In fact, based on what he said in our passage, I think Jesus actually believed that our actions speak louder than our words. And if we’re interested in showing that we think this applies to us, in my opinion, there are three things we can do. Step one, we can be open and listen. Step two, we can be honest with ourselves and others. And step three, we can intentionally hold ourselves accountable. And I’ll tell you, if this is what we decide to do, folks won’t need a hearing aid to recognize the one we follow.
A brief thought based on 1 Corinthians 2:14 - That's why only someone who has God's Spirit can understand spiritual blessings. Anyone who doesn't have God's Spirit thinks these blessings are foolish.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Reflection: The peace of God is nothing like the peace that the world understands and gives. Jesus told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27). The peace that comes from the world, to pull from a Tracy Chapman song, calls “missiles — peacekeepers.” In crises, to some, police and military presence may provide a sense of comfort far more than the presence of a priest.
The world is dangerous. Our conflicting and competing loyalties keep us mired in combat, fighting to the death over our little pools, puddles and ponds. We guard them ferociously, lest anyone deign to believe they are entitled to any piece of them. Yeah, Tracy Chapman’s question is right: “Why are missiles called peacekeepers when they are aimed to kill?” That is “peace” as the world gives it; like the era of Pax Romana, “Roman peace,” where order was maintained by the vigilant efforts of a heavy military and police presence. It is in contrast with all this military might that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9a).
Practicing peace in the world has absolutely nothing to do with having the strongest army, the most aggressive police force, or the bully brand name of superpower. God’s peace has nothing to do with ammunition or the manipulation and fabrication used to control creation. We are too finite to even attempt to comprehend God’s peace.
But we can learn to practice peace in a number of ways. One such practice comes from my mother, the late Mother Dovetta Wilson, who taught her nine children to “lend a hand whenever and wherever you can.” Another comes from my father, the late Deacon David Wilson, Sr., who taught us to “always give something back, to build health and strong people and communities.” A third practice for peace in the world is to remember that love is a verb. I believe the King James translators got it right when they translated the Greek word ἀγάπη (agape) as “charity” (1 Corinthians 13).
Love is not only something to feel. Practicing peace in the world through acts of charity, mercy and grace are all expressions of the love called for by our God. In a world full of domination and violence, these acts of love are radical. But oh, how sweet the loving communion when we are made right with God and have made peace with others! There is nothing that can compare.
Practice for Peacemakers:Listen to Tracy Chapman’s “Why?” and consider the radical changes in perspective that are needed to build peace. This week, be conscious of the times in which your language plays into the assumptions of military dominance and violent, so-called justice.
Prayer:Dear God, we know that our practicing of peace means a willingness to be made vulnerable by loving and being compassionate toward one another. We know that your peace surpasses our understanding of how the world works. Instead of violence and the supremacy of power, you offer love. Help us to cast away the worship of power, to keep ourselves from being polluted by the violence of the world, and instead to accept the religion to which you call us: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, to extend mercy and love to our “enemies,” and to acknowledge the grace that you extend to all. Amen
The Rev. Dr. Ruby Wilson is senior pastor of Safe Haven UCC, and was recently elected president of the UCC N.Y. Conference’s Metro Association. She serves on the New York Conference UCC Commission on Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, and is also the founder and executive director of JasD’Jor: Emerging Philanthropists, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families of special needs children and training children to use their gifts and talents for service to the world.
This year’s Season of Peace Resources are designed to help participants explore practices for building peace on every scale. From the personal level to global issues, these reflections and prayers will help grow the faith and witness of the whole church. Throughout the 29 days of the 2020 Season of Peace, we are invited to reflect upon:
Week 1 September 6–12: Peace Within Week 2 September 13–19: Peace in Relationships Week 3 September 20–26: Peace in Community Week 4 September 27–October 3: Peace in the World Final Day October 4: Holistic Peacemaking
On Sunday, September 27, I officiated the marriage of Karen Davis and Clementine LeFlore in the Mahoning Country Club, Girard, Ohio. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
On Saturday, September 26, I officiated the marriage of Austin Long and Kayla Badini in J & D Cellars, Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
On Friday, September 25, I officiated the marriage of Matthew Hull and Doniece Reed in Quail Hollow Park, Hartville, Ohio. If you're planning your wedding and need an officiant, please give me a call at 304-479-3402.
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it.
Reflection:In the 1990s I was the director of a small nonprofit organization that supported asylum seekers who were detained by the immigration authorities. Before the era of Homeland Security, it was known as the “INS,” but many of its practices were the same as those of ICE today. Asylum seekers could be released to the care of our organization once they had legal representation. In practice, that meant that an INS officer would call me to say that “Ahmed,” “Henry” or “Emmanuel” would be on the sidewalk outside the detention center in 30 minutes. Usually I had met them a few weeks earlier through visits to the detention center for Bible Study or worship.
These young men came from the conflict zones and dictatorships of the world: Iran, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zaire. They were often minorities in their countries and had harrowing tales to tell of persecution and escape. They came to live at our house until they had work permits and could survive in the larger community.
The above verse from Hebrews was my guide in this ministry, and indeed we entertained many angels. There were risks involved. I had to make decisions about treatment for mental illness, involve the police in a stabbing, and confront my own inability to help in some situations. But the love, joy knowledge that were brought to me far outweighed those risks. I was taken into the hearts and lives of people from many different cultures and religions, and they were given a peaceful introduction to the country that would become their new home.
Peacemaking involves trusting the stranger, sometimes on the basis of very little knowledge, and sometimes at the risk of both personal and national security. Peacemaking involves heart-opening curiosity about the lives and beliefs of others. It involves shedding the mentality of exceptionalism to which we Americans are so prone. But it brings messages of wisdom, love and gratitude that are lasting.
Practice for Peacemakers: Make the courageous choice to welcome the stranger. Your church can help host an asylum-seeking family, or you can connect with a local organization that does refugee placements yourself. There are many ways to extend grace to those who are finding their way in a strange land for the first time.
Prayer: Great Being, who has created all of us humans, open our hearts to each other that we may dare to risk the peacemaking to which you call us. Amen.
Gay Harter is a retired social worker. She spent the last years of her career as director of the Refugee Immigration Ministry in Boston, MA. She is a member of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Guilford,CT, and co-founder of the UCC Palestine Israel Network.
This year’s Season of Peace Resources are designed to help participants explore practices for building peace on every scale. From the personal level to global issues, these reflections and prayers will help grow the faith and witness of the whole church. Throughout the 29 days of the 2020 Season of Peace, we are invited to reflect upon:
Week 1 September 6–12: Peace Within Week 2 September 13–19: Peace in Relationships Week 3 September 20–26: Peace in Community Week 4 September 27–October 3: Peace in the World Final Day October 4: Holistic Peacemaking
Presbyterian Association of Musicians’ online conference material is now available
by Sally Scherer for the Presbyterian Foundation | Special to Presbyterian News Service
A wealth of materials from the 50th anniversary celebration and conference of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians is now available. (Contributed photo)
JEFFERSONVILLE, Indiana — This year’s global pandemic canceled conferences all across the globe, but the most creative and inventive groups figured out ways to turn those gatherings virtual.
That’s what the Presbyterian Association of Musicians chose to do, and now a wealth of resources are available for Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) music and worship leaders as many contemplate how to go back to in-person worship this fall, winter and in 2021.
“Churches have been calling us and looking for resources. People are thinking in a different way now,” said Kelly Abraham, executive director of PAM. “By the grace of God, we were able to be at Montreat and now we can offer this content for people to use in their churches.”
The conference
The group had spent three years planning the 2020 Montreat Worship and Music Conference, which was also a 50th anniversary celebration. About 1,200 participates were registered by March 1. But when business as usual came to a screeching halt in mid-March because of the COVID-19 virus, those number dropped significantly.
“We were already in love with the conference plans, and very excited about celebrating our 50th anniversary at Montreat,” said Mary Ibis, a PAM member and associate director of music at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. “It is the Year of Jubilee. What would it say if we took the year off? We decided to embrace our situation, to honor where we’re doing ministry and to offer churches something.”
That “something” is a full Worship and Music Conference, recorded mostly at North Carolina’s Montreat Conference Center between June 21-26, and now available on 96 videos on the PAM website. Viewers will also find curricula, devotionals, anthems and manuals.
Video content includes handbell classes, lectures, worship services in Anderson Auditorium, yoga on Lookout Mountain, musical performances, the PAM annual meeting, Bible studies, art workshops and morning and evening prayer.
For those who love the experience of being at Montreat, (and who doesn’t?) there are videos from the Sally Jones Pottery and Currie Craft Center, Lake Susan, “conversations at The Huck” and the Assembly Inn’s Galax Dining Room.
Ninety-six videos from PAM’s 50th anniversary celebration have been posted online. (Contributed photo)
Normally, the conference takes place in two back-to-back weeks in June with about 1,600 registered participants from 500 churches around the country. This summer, it was the only conference that took place at Montreat, Abraham said.
“We had people spaced out. Anyone who was off camera was wearing a mask. We (a conference team of about 40 including leaders, vocalists and musicians) were all quarantined before so we could give this gift and provide this material to our churches,” she said.
During the pandemic — when many churches are worshipping virally and looking for new ideas — PAM is providing help, she said.
Conference supports PAM
In prior years, conference proceeds accounted for about 65 percent of the association’s operating budget. PAM leaders say that factor was part of their consideration to proceed with the conference, also.
“We prayed that some people who had registered but couldn’t attend would donate their registration fee. And many did. We asked for other donations to PAM. We applied for grants. We sent lots of emails and made lots of phone calls. We communicated with all groups of five or more about needing their help,” she explained. More than $50,000 was donated.
Here’s what you’ll find online from the 2020 conference:
For children, youth and their leaders: Five children’s art classes with Chandler Guess; five children’s Bible classes with Julie Hester; five children’s music classes with Anne McNair; five youth photography classes with Scott Neely; and five youth Bible studies that include a youth leader guide, student journals and an additional instruction video for youth leaders. In addition, from the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, you’ll find “Growing in God’s Love: A Story Bible” and “Big God, Big Questions,” confirmation curriculum instruction videos.
Worship and worship reflections: Four conference worship services; three worship reflections programs with conference worship team; and five morning prayer services and five evening prayer services. Also included are four art workshop sessions led by Anne Laird Jones and Hannah Garrity.
Professional development for church musicians: Three choral masterclasses with Eric Nelson; three choral masterclasses with Mark Patterson; two choral masterclasses with Victor Johnson; one panel discussion with Eric Nelson, Mark Patterson and Anne McNair; and four handbell masterclasses with David Harris. Also, PAM professional concerns seminars led by David VanderMeer.
Christian formation and creative discipleship: four Routley lectures with Mel Bringle, “Singing Here and Hereafter”; four art workshop videos with Anne Laird Jones and Hannah Garrity; two adult Bible study sessions with Suzie Park, “Witnesses in the Old Testament”; four Matthew 25 mission videos with Alonzo Johnson; and the conference hymn festival led by Mel Bringle, “Surrounded by Story and Song.”
Viewers can sign up to view the full conference for $175. Or the virtual content is divided into four content packages and each can be viewed for $60.
Each evening during the week of the livestream conference, Breytspraak’s group would get together via Zoom, around a Zoom-provided faux campfire background, to discuss what they’d seen that day.
“Part of the magic of the conference is the relational part. I wondered how we’d get that, and so I invited folks to get together around the campfire,” Breytspraak said with a laugh.
By attending the livestream, “We found we went to more types of different sessions than if we’d have gone to the conference,” he said.
Breytspraak’s plans for his church’s fall musical programming were transformed after the conference.
“There’s such a hunger out there. And there are so many ideas. While this (pandemic) stinks, we have no excuse not to connect, grow and serve,” he said.
For example, the Worship Reflection from Montreat provided inspiration for a monthly Tuesday night Taizé service on the church’s website and YouTube page. On what the church is calling “Musicianship Mondays,” church staff is offering 15-minute classes through October via Zoom on musical skills such as sight reading, musical terms and key signatures.
A class “Black Music Matters: Scriptures and Music of Slavery and Freedom” is being offered each Monday evening and weekly virtual choir rehearsals will focus on the texts and musical elements of pieces and will include singing or listening to musical works.
For Ibis, the virtual conference provides many blessings, one of which is that it can be enjoyed not just once, but over and over again.
“We go to Montreat for professional and spiritual development but also to have something to take home with us. Now it’s available and out there to use. It keeps on giving,” she said.
Media company provided support
The “ambitious” PAM event was a “new model” for GNTV Media Ministry, said Josh Thompson, a production manager at the Georgia Company, which was hired to provide all the video for the Worship and Music Conference. The company normally produces church conferences over Zoom and helps church with video systems, he said.
“But the creative staff with PAM provided a lot of good content,” he said, adding that livestreaming from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days proved the biggest challenge for his eight-member team.
“We brought in a lot of cameras and used the Montreat sound system. And, without participants, we didn’t have to worry about getting in anybody’s way,” he added with a laugh.
Abraham hopes more churches will continue to take advantage of all the resources the conference offers.
She doubts the annual Worship and Music Conference will ever be the same.
“We’ll never go back,” she said. “We’ve had to adjust, make changes. But with our focus on God and worship we can do so many things. “
Ibis agreed: “We’ve been able to give people in tiny churches an incredible resource,” she said. “The coronavirus pushed us to do things differently — and gave us so many unexpected blessings.”
Sally Scherer is a writer and communications consultant based in Lexington, Kentucky. She is a member of Second Presbyterian Church, where she is an elder, deacon and a member of the choir.
