Worship Aids for the Revised Common Lectionary Advent 2015 Through Reign of Christ 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Worship Aids for the Revised Common Lectionary Advent 2015 through Reign of Christ 2016 Year C Paul Soupiset Introduction to Lectionary Aids Year C (2015–2016) David Gambrell Great Resources at Your Fingertips • Prayers after Communion or more than fifty years, Call to Worship: • Blessings and Charges Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts, a • Seasonal Hymn and Song Suggestions quarterly journal of the Presbyterian Church Again, for tips on using these materials in your F congregation, I encourage you to read the expanded (U.S.A.) Office of Theology and Worship and Presbyterian Association of Musicians, has offered introductions that follow. insight and inspiration for pastors, church musicians, The impulse behind this distinctive combination artists, and other worship leaders. With revised of Sunday/festival and seasonal resources comes and expanded features in the Lectionary Aids and from the conviction that worshipers need a mixture thematic issues, now there’s even more to love. of “new” and “given” information in each service. For each Sunday and festival of the Christian Some elements of worship must change from week year, this Lectionary Aids issue of Call to Worship to week; these elements bring a sharp focus on a (49.1) provides: particular set of scriptural texts or themes for the • Lectionary Summaries day, emphasizing particular aspects of Christian faith • Calls to Worship and life. Other elements of worship should repeat • Prayers of the Day for a period of weeks; these elements work in a • Prayers of Confession cumulative way, immersing worshipers in central • Prayers of the People things and enabling their deeper participation in the • Eucharistic Prayers liturgy. If everything is new each week, worshipers • Hymn and Song Suggestions may be overwhelmed with novelty, struggling to • Anthems for Larger Choirs follow the flow of worship. If everything is the • Anthems for Smaller/Youth Choirs same from week to week, the words and actions • Anthems for Children’s Choirs of worship begin to lose their power to engage the • Handbell Music imagination. • Organ Music Thus the careful blending of these two types of Please take the time to read the expanded materials allows for more full, active, and conscious introductions to each of these elements below, in participation among persons with different learning order to find out how to make better use of these styles and levels of liturgical experience—including materials in worship. children and other new worshipers. The mixture of For each season of the Christian year (e.g., these elements requires much pastoral wisdom and Advent), these additional resources are provided: discretion, of course, since different congregations • Calls to Confession and Declarations will have different tolerances or appetites for change. of Forgiveness As for the other three issues in this volume of • Prayers for Illumination and Statements Call to Worship, watch for these upcoming topics Before/After Readings and themes: • Ascriptions of Praise • Call to Worship 49.2—Time after Epiphany. • Affirmations of Faith While not traditionally acknowledged as a • Invitations to Offering and Prayers season in the liturgical year, the time between of Dedication the Baptism and Transfiguration of the Lord is marked by a distinctive set of themes— David Gambrell, editor, Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts Office of Theology and Worship, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Lectionary Aids for 2015–2016, Year C 3 Introduction to Lectionary Aids vocation, discipleship, community, being Seasonal Resources beloved. This issue of Call to Worship will provide a fresh perspective on this “unsung For the season of Advent, the season of Christmas, the season” in the Christian year. time after Epiphany, the season of Lent, the season of • Call to Worship 49.3—The Work of the People. Easter, and the time after Pentecost (subdivided into Liturgy means “the work of the people.” Too three sections), this issue of Call to Worship provides often, however, the work of a liturgical leader the following sets of texts to be used over a span of can be a solitary endeavor. This issue of Call several weeks—primarily based on key lectionary to Worship illustrates collaborative approaches passages found within that season. to liturgy, music, preaching, and the arts, featuring stories from congregations. Calls to Confession and Declarations of • Call to Worship 49.4—Worship 101. What Forgiveness. These introductory and concluding should every church leader know about statements serve as a kind of envelope, framing preaching, the sacraments, congregational the rite of confession and pardon in each season song, the order of worship, the liturgical with language that highlights the focus of that calendar, pastoral liturgies, and more? This aspect of the Christian year. In keeping with issue of Call to Worship invites experts in a Reformed tradition, the Call to Confession always variety of worship-related disciplines to distill includes an affirmation of God’s mercy (“trusting and share their wisdom. in God’s grace”); we make our confession already In addition to featured articles on the topics described confident in the love of God revealed to us through above, these thematic issues will include columns Jesus Christ. The Declaration of Forgiveness from innovative leaders in local congregations, always ends with a corporate assurance of practical ideas for celebration in worship, reviews pardon in Jesus’ name (“we are forgiven”). of recent books and musical resources, and colorful Here, as elsewhere, consistent congregational contributions from liturgical artists. responses are provided (in this case, “Thanks be Be sure to check out our website (pcusa.org/ to God”); such consistent responses are valuable calltoworship) and Facebook page (facebook.com/ in facilitating congregational participation, calltoworship), where you’ll find additional features especially among young children. and supplementary content related to the themes of these issues. The website now provides complete Prayers for Illumination and Statements Before/ orders of worship for each Sunday and festival in After Readings. Seasonal Prayers for Illumination the Christian year, assembled from the materials in are provided as a way to locate the readings for this issue and arranged according to the Service for each Sunday/festival within the broader context the Lord’s Day (of course, you are encouraged to of the Christian year. These prayers might be edit and adapt as needed for your congregational enlarged, printed, and attached to the lectern or setting). The website gives subscribers access to pulpit for use by deacons, (ruling) elders, or other our archives of past issues of Call to Worship and readers of Scripture. Sentences of Scripture before Reformed Liturgy & Music—a remarkable library of and after the readings help us to prepare our scholarly articles and practical resources. hearts and minds to receive the Word and give us I hope you’ll find much theological insight and direction as we seek to live out the proclamation liturgical inspiration in this Lectionary Aids issue of of the gospel. To the statement after the reading, Call to Worship, as well as the three thematic issues worshipers are invited to respond: “Thanks be to come in this volume. I encourage you to be in to God.” touch about how we can continue to enhance your congregation’s worship and equip you in ministry Ascriptions of Praise. These brief sentences from for years to come. Scripture are intended as conclusions to the Grace and peace, sermon, giving glory to God for the Word David Gambrell we have received. Worshipers are invited to respond: “Amen.” Call to Worship 4 Volume 49.1, 2015 Affirmations of Faith. The Affirmations of Hymn and Song Suggestions. At the beginning Faith provided in this issue of Call to Worship of each season in the Christian year (Advent, are all excerpts from the Study Catechism of Christmas, time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a resource and time after Pentecost), you’ll find ideas for commended by the denomination’s 210th General hymns or songs that may be repeated or rotated Assembly (1998). Often used in confirmation throughout that period of time (for instance, a classes, the Study Catechism offers thoughtful gathering song, a musical response to forgiveness, answers to deep questions of faith, framed in a refrain during communion, or a hymn stanza direct, accessible language. In keeping with doxology). As indicated above, there is spiritual the catechetical question-and-answer formula, and catechetical value in such repetition, as each one begins with a question (voiced by the worshipers enter more deeply into the words and leader), followed by congregational response (in music over time and are more able to sing these the bold print). songs by heart. Invitations to Offering and Prayers of Dedication. The Invitations to Offering (before the collection Sunday/Festival Resources of gifts) are derived from lectionary texts for each For each Sunday and festival in the Christian year, season. The Prayers of Dedication (following this issue of Call to Worship offers the following the collection) draw similarly on scriptural and sets of texts that are distinctive to each day; these seasonal images and themes. Worship planners are based closely on phrases and images from the are encouraged to invite (ruling) elders and/or lectionary readings for the day. A note to preachers: deacons to call for the offering and pray over you may find it helpful to read over these Sunday/ the gifts, as an expression of their respective festival liturgical texts as you begin to work on your ministries of stewardship of the congregation’s sermon, since these resources not only summarize resources and care for those in need. and highlight primary themes in the lectionary, but also demonstrate how the Scriptures relate to Prayers after Communion. Seasonal Prayers one another. after Communion provide another anchor to the Christian year, helping the congregation to Lectionary Summaries.