We're pivoting for the summer to a more casual tone for worship. This means several things.
Come casual. If you're used to wearing a suit and tie, give it up for the summer. If you're comfortable in jeans, or even shorts, it's all good. Basic decency is, of course, still expected. If you can wear it in public to a restaurant, it's acceptable.
Some of our regular activities are being suspended for the summer.
Our Children's Worship program is taking a break for the summer and will resume in the fall. Children are always welcome in the sanctuary.
The choir will not be rehearsing Wednesdays through the summer. Regular members of the choir will sit with the congregation, except on First Sundays, when we serve communion. Because there is no rehearsal Wednesdays, you can come early Sunday mornings to practice with and sing in the choir, even if you don't normally sing in the choir.
No robes. Neither the choir, nor the pastor will be wearing robes. The pastor will wear stoles but will otherwise be contributing to the casual tone of the summer by wearing slacks and a shirt (with no tie).
More participation. We are trying to include more voices in worship. If you've ever been ordained as an officer, we invite you to sign up for a Sunday to be the second person leading worship. You'll read announcements and prayers and liturgy from the bulletin. If you're comfortable writing your own prayers, we can work that in as well. Contact Angela Portwood or sign up in the Narthex.
Showcasing congregational talent. If you or a group you're part of want to sing, read scripture dramatically, dance, paint, juggle, play an instrument--whatever talent you've got--we want to give you an opportunity to give that talent as an offering to God during worship.
Here's how this works:
look at the list of Sundays and scriptures, below
click through the links to read the scripture
listen and pray
if you can see yourself doing something as an offering to God during worship, if you get a song stuck in your head as an earworm, if you start imagining a painting related to the scripture, if you're inspired by how you'd like to read the passage for the congregation, or to recruit your family to enact it, sign up in the Narthex for the Sunday you want to do something
Here's the list of the Sundays this summer and a summary of the story of the day for each. You can click through the hyperlinks on the dates to read the scripture for the day at the Vanderbilt site.
June 11 - a daughter and woman with a hemorrhage - Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
June 18 - compassion on the crowds; calling and sending - Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)
June 25 - more value than sparrows; not peace, but a sword; take up your cross - Matthew 10:24-39
July 2 - who welcomes you welcomes me; water to these little ones - Matthew 10:40-42
July 9 - we played and you did not dance, we wailed and you did not mourn; my yoke is easy - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
July 16 - parable of the sower - Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
July 23 - wheat and tares - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
July 30 - mustard seed; pearl of great price; fish of every kind - Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
August 6 - five loaves, two fishes - Matthew 14:13-21
August 13 - Jesus and Peter walk on water in a storm - Matthew 14:22-33
August 20 - what comes out of the mouth defiles; Canaanite woman - Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28
August 27 - Peter: You are the Messiah! - Matthew 16:13-20
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