WORSHIP, MUSIC, ARTS & STORY Working for Justice Exploration: Discovery About this Setting When we open ourselves to God’s presence and God’s word in worship, we open ourselves to moments of insight and dis- covery. We gather to discover how we are already and will more fully become a community of faith. We gather to discover God’s presence within, among, and around us. We come to see that a central means by which we experience this discovery is in doing the work of justice. We have the opportunity to discover that the longing for freedom, wholeness, and peace we share with all oppressed people is the taproot from which working for justice grows. Activities in this Exploration provide worship planners resources to design services of worship that explore working for justice as an integral part of practicing our faith. These activities are made up of arts—rich, experiential elements in their design—to highlight how the imaginative use of music, arts, and words contributes to the worship life of a congregation. By choosing one or more activities from each category (Exploring & Engaging, Discerning & Deciding, and Sending & Serv- ing), planners will have resources to use for the beginning, middle, and end of a worship service. Many of these activities suggest an interactive style, inviting worshipers to reflect on their experiences of elements of the service (such as visual displays), or on God’s Word, or in sharing when they ask others to pray. This interactive style often engages young adults who prefer to be active participants in worship rather than observers. Not all congregations will find this comfortable at first, so experimenting with ways to create the spiritual space within which people share may be necessary. When these interactive reflections function as “a sermon” in worship, it often works well for the pastor or other theologically sensitive persons to be prepared to summarize and bring reflections to a close. When an interactive reflection 1 Working for Justice WORSHIP, MUSIC, ARTS & STORY does not fit the worship needs of a congregation, preachers and worship leaders are encouraged to take the questions and thought starters in these activities into consideration as they prepare their own reflections. About this Exploration Working for justice is a vital ingredient in the personal and communal lives of God’s faithful people. God desires and re- quires the faithful to work for justice. By working for justice, we creatively level the playing field, break down walls, and nurture environments so that all may experience a whole and holy life free of oppression, degradation, and exclusion. We encounter stories, interpret scriptures, and participate in activities that bring a fuller awareness of how to engage actively in justice work in the home, church, community, and world. BIBLE FOCUS PASSAGES: Exploring & Engaging Activities Isaiah 1:1, 10–18 Luke 4:14–21 Gathering in Vision and Hope (Easy Preparation) Leader preparation: Useful in many worship contexts throughout the church year, the hymn “O for a World,” by Miriam Therese Winter, is an ecumenical expression of vision and hope. It was written for a Presbyterian wom- en’s conference by a Roman Catholic sister who teaches at a nondenominational seminary with Congregational roots, and it has been published in many denomi- Leader Preparation national hymnals. For more information about Miriam Therese Winter, you may view her faculty profile at http://www.hartsem.edu/faculty/wint er.htm. The text of the hymn “The Church of Christ in Ev’ry Age” by mid-20th cen- Supplies: tury writer F. Pratt Green is prophetic • hymn: “O for a World” by Miriam Therese Winter (tune: Azmon); lyrics, http://www.beckleypresby.com/id21.html; music, http://www.ccel.org/ in its scope and focus. This song is cceh/0000/x000069.htm published in many hymnals, and can also be found through this link: h t t p :// This hymn has a remarkable ability to fill a range of spiritual and emotional www.oremus.org/hymnal/t/t089. needs, from expressing celebration of a vision to serving as a lament at the vi- html. It will be a good centering prayer sion’s fragility. Its lyrics point our hearts and minds to a world transformed by with which to begin making choices fulfillment of the Gospel’s priorities of mutuality, respect, and well-being for all, including the poor and vulnerable. for structuring experiences in which people explore what it means to live The emotional and spiritual richness of this hymn make it useful in many ways. faithfully doing the work of justice. Sung at the beginning or end of a service, it can be a celebration of this vision and hope. Sung as part of a time of prayer, it becomes a prayer for the fulfillment of • Find a place and time where you this vision. In the face of a national or international tragedy or crisis, it can take are able to reflect prayerfully. on the function of a lament at the contrast between harsh reality and the vision just beyond our grasp. • Fill your imagination with the ways you are connected to the suf- At a technical/musical level, the tone and style of accompaniment and the liturgi- fering of injustice in your life, con- cal context in which it is sung contribute to and suggest this spiritual and emo- gregation, denomination, commu- tional range. It sings well as a simple hymn. It works well accompanied by guitar, nity, and world. harp, or other “folk” instruments. It swings gently when played in a Gospel style. • Use the hymn as a vehicle for your In planning to use this hymn, consider the following questions: prayer. Speak the words or sing them, but let them fill your heart • What is the emotional tone of the worship service you are planning? and imagination. • How will you accompany this song to complement that tone? 2 Working for Justice WORSHIP, MUSIC, ARTS & STORY Prayer: “We have no mission but to serve Longing for Justice in full obedience to our Lord: to care for Leader preparation: George Tooker’s painting “Embrace of Peace” offers all, without reserve, and spread his liberat- an opportunity for discovery. Before using this image as part of a service of wor- ing word.” Amen. (v. 5, “The Church of ship, please take time to engage the painting in some detail and to read about the artist’s life and work. The more we know of this artist’s journey, the more we Christ in Ev’ry Age,” verse 5) understand his evocative images, which are in themselves witnesses for justice in an unjust world. This artist lived at the edges of his world, always somewhat the outsider looking in. His shyness, his mixed Cuban-French heritage, his gayness, his participation in 1960s Civil Rights actions (such as Dr. King’s Selma-to-Montgomery march), and his reliance on centuries-old artistic techniques, when others were push- ing the expressionist limits of technique and imagination all, set him apart from his times. His life partner, artist William Christopher, was raised by an African American family after the death of his parents. It was Christopher that led Tooker more deeply into exploring themes of working for justice. • How might a life story such as Tooker’s help him identify with people’s longing for freedom, equality, and justice? • What in your own story helps you experience longing for freedom, equality, and justice? • How does this longing inspire you to participate in advocacy and action for justice? Supplies: • artwork: “Embrace of Peace” by George Tooker, https://secure3.convio. net/ucc/site/Ecommerce/1801449515?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_ id=15626&store_id=1401 • hymn: “O for a World” (see Activity 1) • small pieces of paper for writing prayer bids/reflections, to be distributed to worshipers along with bulletin • pencils or pens Invite worshipers to view George Tooker’s “Embrace of Peace” and to take note of emotions communicated in and stirred by this painting. Tell them of Tooker’s background. A musician playing a verse or two of “O for a World” would make a good background for this time of reflection. Then invite worshippers to consider these questions: • For what are you longing? • When you hear of the longings of oppressed people, what personal connections do you sense to those longings? Provide paper and writing instruments, and invite folks to write a sentence or two to express their longing or their connection to the longings of others. Collect these papers and use them as part of a time of prayer later in the service. Live in the Light Leader preparation: Print the congregation’s response in this reading in the bulletin, or prepare to project it. Alternately, plan to teach the response ver- bally. People will catch on quickly and won’t need to see it in print. Supplies: • “Isaiah 1:1, 10–18,” Attachment: Activity 3 3 Working for Justice WORSHIP, MUSIC, ARTS & STORY The reading of Isaiah 1:1, 10–18 from the attachment can function in a service of worship either as a reading of scripture or as a Call to Worship. Invite four people to serve as readers, and provide them with printed scripts in advance so they can prepare. Discerning & Deciding Activities Scripture in a Round (Easy Preparation) Leader preparation: When we hear the account of Jesus reading from scripture at worship, as recorded in Luke 4, we hear him identifying with a voice from the justice-making traditions of his faith community. This dramatic reading of scripture embodies this by presenting the Isaiah 61 text as a background to a reading of Luke 4.