Doing Communion Different

I love food. For real. To me, worship and food just go together. Singing praises to God followed by chips and guac for lunch sounds like a piece of heaven! There must be something to this idea, because every time the nation of Israel had a religious celebration- food was involved!  Read through the Old Testament- worship and food are interconnected. The nation of Israel had seven feasts a year!

The Passover,

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread,

The Feast of First Fruits,

The Feast at Pentecost,

The feast of Trumpets,

The Day of Atonement,

The Feast of Booths

All these feasts celebrated God and what he had done, but they also reminded the Israelites of their identity. They were a part of something; something larger than themselves. A group that God had done something with in the past. A group that God is still doing something with today. The feasts and worship were a way to remember who they are.

Do our communion services feel like that to you?

My experience of the Lord’s Supper has been of mostly quiet and personal reflection. There is no speaking; no community- mostly silence. It is about focusing as intently as you can on the cross- on Jesus’ death. Some read scripture to focus; some close their eyes. Others just try their best to avoid eye contact with those seated around them. The only permissible time to interact with another human being is when the server comes by to hand out or pick up the trays of crackers or juice.

We used trays filled with several, small cups filled (ok, only halfway) with grape juice.  It always left you wanting a bit more. And I felt a little guilty taking a second sip from my cup if I didn’t get it all the first time. Why the baby cups!?!

Let me stop here for a moment. Don’t get me wrong, there are many churches who still practice Communion this way. And I still feel that they are honoring God.  But, if I’m being honest, the practice has always felt a bit cold to me. I miss the joy and community I see in scripture!

Now, I don’t have the time or the ink to get into all the theological points of communion.  I for sure won’t get into it here! But I will recommend John Mark Hicks’ book Come To The Table for those wanting to get into deeper study in this subject. His blog has some great resources too! His book has really encouraged me and shaped my thoughts on communion. It has helped me dream a bit about how to celebrate it a bit differently.

So, I want to share a practical idea on how to reclaim the “community” of communion.

We call it “Family Communion.” I have been a part of this at several churches and conferences now and it has become my favorite part of worship! I’m sharing it here because I believe more churches should try it if they haven’t already.

1) Several “Communion Stations” are set up all over the auditorium. These are all prepped before the Worship assembly. The idea is to get people out of the pews and around a table. It’s hard to have community with the back of someone’s head!

2) We announce for elders, shepherds, or church staff to go to one of the stations. They are there to welcome people and/or to pray with them.  I have seen some leaders help lead a small group at the table who are new to this way of doing things. I have seen others who have been pulled aside to pray with people for the entire time. We have had to sing several extra songs because so many people were praying together. If we have to lengthen our services, let’s do it because of prayer!

3) After a prayer of blessing over both elements, people are welcome to get up from their seats and go to one of the stations.  We ask that people go with their family or with their friends.  If they see someone who is sitting alone, invite them to take communion with them!

It is amazing to see what happens during this moment.  I have seen families or friends wait on each other and take it at the same time. Others will use this as a teaching moment for their family. Parents will bring their kids up to the station with them and teach them about the body and blood of Jesus.

4) As people are getting up from their seats and sharing in the Lord’ Supper together, the worship team usually sings several songs in the background.

5) As people finish, they go back to their seats to reflect, to pray, or to continue fellowship until the music is done.

It DOES get a little loud at times. It WILL get a little rambunctious. And that’s OK. Some fear that “Family Communion” pushes to the verge of irreverence. I disagree. Reverence and fellowship can share a room! The people of God always get a bit noisy when they get together, don’t they?

There are several ideas on how to do bring “worship renewal” to the Lord’s Supper. This is just one way I have found that works really well in our context. LRCC did this for the first time at Easter and it was an incredible moment for our church.  I am hoping we can grow into doing it on a regular basis.

Maybe you have done something just like this or similar. What other thoughts or ideas do you have to help communicate the “table” part of Communion? What have you tried that was a meaningful experience for your church?

Please Celebrate Easter!

Over the last week, I’ve been reflecting on Easter. I love it with each year that passes.  There is just something about the season- the anticipation. The excitement.  The family time.

Growing up, my church didn’t celebrate it all that much.   I can remember being told, “we don’t celebrate Easter because we celebrate it EVERY Sunday.” Have you heard that before? I’ve heard it about Christmas too.  It’s simply not true.  Not only did we not celebrate Jesus resurrection, we really didn’t celebrate Jesus at all.

As I’ve have gotten older, I have begun to appreciate the rhythms of the “Christian Calendar” more and more.  I LOVE the season of expectation of a Savior in Advent and the celebration of Jesus’ arrival at Christmas.  I enjoy the sacrificial weeks of Lent that reminds me of the Son of Man’s sacrifice. I love singing “Hosanna” songs on Palm Sunday, thinking and meditating on Jesus’ final days with Holy week, and finally celebrating Jesus’ resurrection at Easter.

There is a cadence to it; a rhythm.  And as I let myself be guided through these seasons of worship, I feel a connectedness to this grassroots movement called the church.  I think of the thousands and thousands of worshippers who lived before us and used the Christian calendar to bring “the beat” into their lives.  When we do this, it’s as if we all nod our head to that beat.  We are changed through these spiritual rhythms of our year.

Robert Webber, in his book Ancient Future Time says that, “… we are shaped and formed spiritually by Christ in the church through worship that continually orders the pattern of our spirituality into a remembrance of God’s saving deeds and the anticipation of the rule of God over all creation.”

Why bring this up now? Because it is vitally important for Christians to celebrate Easter! There are so many churches that do little more than simply reference the resurrection of Jesus.  Is that how churches feel about the event that changed the course of history? We must reclaim and recognize the wonder of that spectacular event! The cross would mean nothing if Jesus had stayed dead.  The symbol of our life in Jesus is an empty tomb! Can we hang that around our necks? Can we tattoo that on our arms?

Now, let me be clear, I am NOT discounting the power of the cross. But I believe that the picture is incomplete without the empty tomb.  And it is something we must rejoice in!

So, whether you are a worship leader, on the praise team, or serving in church leadership; don’t forget to celebrate Easter! Don’t gloss over it. Don’t minimize it. Use that Sunday to do something special in your church services.  Use it as an opportunity to utilize the creative people in your church. Make it special! Remind people of the power of that event!

If you did do something special- AWESOME!  I’d love to hear what creative and special things you did to commemorate Easter.  I hope everyone who was a part of Easter services, whether you sang, played, ran lights, audio, or video, has had a chance to rest and re-cooperate. You have put in extra hours after your REAL job to help make that weekend extraordinary. You’ve listened to Easter music for weeks- enough to drive your families crazy. You all have given so much of your time and talent to make Easter services special and I want to thank you for all that you do!

It’s worth all the effort.

Worship Teams on Stage: Part 3

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A brief rant on church history

I have one more major point in the discussion of a worship team on stage. But first, I want to re-visit the concept of “showy” for just a moment. I’ve reflected more on what it means to be too “showy”. I don’t think the concept starts with a group of people on a stage. I think it starts with the stage itself.

I’ve read a lot about the first century church. I have read how these early churches met in homes, hid in caves, etc.  No stages. No chairs. No suit and ties. Just small groups of people gathered together as a church (a family), eating together, serving the poor, worshiping God, and loving each other.

So, where did the idea of church members sitting in pews all facing toward a “stage” come from? An appointed leader stands on this “stage” facing the “audience” and leads them in a “church service”. Where did this whole concept emerge? Polycarp? Constantine? Peter? Our whole Sunday morning church experience is set up for an audience to “receive” from whomever is standing on the stage. Sounds a bit like “Christian theater”, doesn’t it? If we are going to argue that everything feels too showy, then we have to get at the root of the issue:  The concept of a group of people facing a stage is already set up for people to “expect” a performance. And that doesn’t just go for the praise team, it goes for the preacher as well! If we feel that a performance is a threat, maybe we should eliminate the very surroundings that encourage such an idea. Take out the pews and stage and all sit in a circle!

OK, ok- I digress. Though I agree with the above paragraph (I should, I wrote it!), I also realize that we can too easily become argumentative and reactionary. Those of us pushing for such changes in our churches can’t let Satan get a foothold on us. We can’t let it drive a wedge between those “for” or “against” it. This issue truly does not matter – like so many other issues and concepts. We have inherited this church, with its strengths and weaknesses, from our forefathers.

Now, back to the last group of people I want to aress. We’ve discussed the suppressed voice of women in our churches, but there is another group- equally silenced in my church heritage. This group hits home for me because I’m one of them.

Standing praise teams encourage those with musical gifts to get involved.

I was an extremely musical kid growing up at an extremely conservative church of Christ.  I can remember singing songs on Sunday and hearing music in my head that wasn’t written in the hymnal. I heard Christian songs on the radio and knew that I could come up with an arrangement that we could use in church. I could use the music that God gave me to encourage my church family.  I wanted to be used for Him!

But those ideas were unwelcome. I had more than one meeting with elders telling me that those kinds of gifts weren’t useful in the Lord’s church.  I was literally told I had a “bum gift” and I should become a band director if I wanted to use my gifts. At the same time, I saw some of my friends who were gifted musicians and vocalists (both male and female) leave the church to sing and play in bars.  Some still loved God and ended up at churches that were more “user friendly” to those with musical skills.

Seeing my friends leave killed me. I’ll be honest- I wanted to leave too.  I had a “bum gift” anyway, so what was the point?

But then I went to a church that welcomed such “bum gifts”.  They didn’t alienate the right-brained, creative types… they embraced them! They found ways to use those with musical giftings to bless the church body. My first experience with this was seeing standing praise teams at Woodmont Hills Family of God and Otter Creek Church of Christ in Nashville, TN. I saw people (like me!) who were able to stand on that stage and pour out their praise to God.

I wept.

Then I came across this passage in 1 Corinthians 12 (NIV):

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Paul wasn’t writing the definitive list on gifts. These were examples of giftings and how they all were designed to work together.  I didn’t have a bum gift after all!  God didn’t curse me with a musical ear; The Spirit BLESSED me with it! It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders!

Too often our churches alienate the right-brained, creative types. There is no wiggle room in our liturgical formulas. Can we find ways to incorporate those with gifts in music, painting, pottery, and poetry into our church services? Are there other areas of giftings that we tend to alienate? Good questions to ask ourselves.

Final thoughts

It is because of all these things that I believe that standing worship teams are a good idea. They can be a healthy and encouraging part of the worship experience. They can bring a counter-cultural message of hope through diversity. They can bring an energy and air of excitement to our services. They can bring a variety of previously suppressed but valuable voices to the table.

Are there mistakes made along the way?  Sure. Can we figure out the perfect system?  Never. But we CAN know that God wants us to be one body. His Spirit gave us these gifts and there is nothing better than to give them back to him.

The Lindberg Road Church of Christ has just transitioned over the last few months to a standing praise team. I have shared all these thoughts at some point or another with several of our church members. Our leadership has discussed and prayed over them. Finally, our last piece of the transition was Easter Sunday. It was fantastic!! For those who are working toward this change- don’t give up. It can be done.  Be encouraged and have hope! Why?

Because there is something powerful about the body of Christ when it does what God made it to do!

We Believe in a hymnal!

Ok, we’re going completely switch gears:  The last posts were about Ipads and worship teams.  This one is  about hymnals… sorta.  Not about the hymnal itself, but about what is in one.

If you have or gave purchased a copy of Taylor Publications new hymnal Songs for Worship and Praise, please get it right now and turn to page 48. Sitting  and nestled across from “O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go” is… my song!?! “We Believe” made it into a hymnal! I’m really excited about it.

Join me in a little celebrative dance…. er um… little spontaneous choreography.

Worship Teams on Stage: Part 2

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art 2:  A worship team standing on stage is an inter-generational event.

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” – Psalm 145:4

“…we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:4b

Many of the Psalms paint this grand picture: a powerful vision of unity among believers, both young and old. In this vision, cooperation and love and encouragement are all shared between these generations. Grandparents tell stories that inspire the children to live faithful, godly lives. Parents are inspired by their children’s passion when they speak of what God has done for them. Beautiful ideal, isn’t it? No worship wars, no church splits, just people of all ages uplifting each other and sharing Jesus. The very idea of a multi-generational group sharing in faith and worship seems too good to be true.

It’s funny that, in so many churches, the vision of worship is a divisive one.

Not so for the Psalms. It’s unifying.

Now, let’s switch back to Part 2 of the discussion at hand: standing praise teams.

I believe that the standing praise team is one way to see this vision of the Psalms come to life. When people see several generations on a praise team singing together in worship to God- it’s an awe-inspiring sight to see. A young generation raises their voices to the LORD, crying out “Be Thou My Vision”. In turn, an older generation lifts their hands in prayer and worship to sing “Let God Arise”. It’s not so much about the song style or even how current the song is.  It’s not so much about how poetic the lyrics are or how old it is.  It is more about each other: mutually giving and receiving to the benefit of the other age group.

Inter-generational worship: what an encouraging and beautiful thing to participate in!

This picture goes against the ideals of our society. We are a niche culture that specializes in catering to specific tastes. Too often, these extremely individualized tastes drive us away from each other. TV channels and radio stations all direct their services to a specific market or age bracket. And though I still love my Grande No Fat No Whip Caramel Macchiato, I realize that there is plenty of room for people who simply need a medium coffee.

Now, I realize that not every church has musically gifted people in every generation- that’s OK.  Use who God has given you! The point is: God wants to bring us together…. that we can truly become the body of Christ. If the church is truly a “counter cultural” movement, then what can be more counter cultural than seeing various generations standing together for a common goal, let alone singing together? The standing praise team is an upfront and visual reminder that God calls us to be that “one generation commending God’s work to another.”

Standing praise teams give women an avenue into public ministry in the church.

Hand in hand with the Psalms’ inter-generational vision is a second, but just as powerful, vision. The praise team on the stage is not just made up of young and old, but of men and women.

^“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” – Galatians 3:28-29

The standing praise team gives us a snapshot of this ideal vision from Paul. It gives a public venue for women to actively participate in a worship assembly. I won’t get into all the theology and defense for women in ministry here. (That is for another blog by some other scholar!) What I will say is that I believe we need to see and hear from our women. They are an equal, but stifled, voice in our churches.

For churches that have little or no outlet for women in public ministry, they can take first steps with a praise team! There are many women whose gifting is music and they should be encouraged to use their gifts to bless the church. Whether it is holding down the alto part, singing solos, or even doing a dramatic reading, a standing praise team is one small step to make the change.

With the variety of backgrounds, ages, and sexes on stage, we find a whole new host of opportunities to connect with people in our worship assemblies.

As much as hate to admit it, someone may not connect with me while I am leading on stage. But they may with someone else. I venture a guess that with several people on stage they would find a person that they DO connect with.  Have you ever been encouraged by seeing our teens in the youth group leading worship? Have you ever been surprised to hear that one shy girl has a voice like that? Whoa! Have you ever made eye contact with someone who is older in years, and they return your eye contact with a smile?  It’s uplifting, isn’t it? It puts a smile on your face. You want to sing a bit louder in those moments. There is something that you can’t teach- you can’t really even put your finger on it. It’s this realization that you are a part of something bigger and more powerful than you noticed before. It’s in those moments that you experience the “thin spaces” in our world, where the lines between heaven and earth are a little blurry.

I believe that it’s in those times we catch a glimpse- just a peek- into the kingdom of God. The curtain is peeled back for a second and we see worship the way God’s sees it. One group of people commending and singing God’s work to another. That other group responds by commending and singing God’s work back to them. Unity found in diversity.

There is just something powerful about the Body of Christ, isn’t there?