Friday, May 04, 2007
Report from visits with grant recipients: Worship Renewal at Work
Report from Betty Grit:
Entering Muskegon Christian School early Friday morning, I sensed a warmth and community that pervades the halls, classrooms and gym where we gathered to worship. Through a 2006 Worship Renewal Grant, staff and students have designed worship and curriculum that emphasizes the unity of the body of Christ and the richness of differing worship styles across racial and cultural lines with a monthly focus on Vertical Habits. Clear acrylic signs hang in the hall, each with a habit such as “Thank you” and “I’m Sorry” in three different languages. (For photos, see Muskegon Christian’s website.) Middle School students, Anneke and Juwan who were greeted by smiles and hugs from young students as they gave us a tour of the school, described the mentoring, tutoring and small groups within the school which have been created to foster relationships across grades, ages and cultures.
Worship was focused on the Vertical Habit of the month – Blessing. Music, prayer and Scripture reminded us of God’s blessings to us and the ways we can share those blessings with others. We give thanks for Tara Macias and Mary Kuiper Vermeulen who have led the project to teach and practice Vertical Habits to help connect worship with life in their classroom and outside of school. Leaving the school, the sign read “Go Vertical” – a reminder to continue our relationship with God outside the school building.
On Sunday morning, the congregation at City Hope Ministries in Grand Rapids welcomed us with smiles, handshakes and hugs. People of many ethnic backgrounds and ages gave evidence that they were truly one in Christ. Pastor Denise Stevenson opened the service with prayer and we joined in congregational singing led by Michael Van Houten and a team of vocalists and instrumentalists. A young man playing the violin caught my attention because of his skill on the instrument but also because of his sensitivity to leading us in worship through the music. Later in the service Pastor Rik Stevenson told us that this young man, Brysien, a student at a local high school, recently placed first in equations in a national competition of Academic Games. Bryson is both a gifted and sensitive musician, worship leader and scholar!
As the congregation brought their tithes and offerings to the front, their commitment to God and to the ministry of the local church was visible. Preaching from Luke 4:14-19, Pastor Rik used the example of Jesus to challenge each of us to preach to those in prison. He reminded us that we come to church not to be fed but to be fueled and empowered to invest our lives in the lives of others. At the conclusion of the service, two women were welcomed into the congregation. One Dr. Rik had met at a turnstile at the airport where she works and the other, a Hispanic young lady, has recently moved into the City Hope neighborhood from Chicago. The congregation warmly embraced them and each of us felt the warmth of this diverse and loving community. We are grateful to Natalie Hart and Dr. Rik Stevenson who have led this year long grant project to explore what it means to encourage the gifts of this diverse congregation in worship.
On Sunday evening we worshiped at Shawnee Park Christian Reformed Church using music created by high school students. Each student had chosen a Scripture text to versify and set to music. Program notes helped us understand the process each young person had used to create melody and harmony that would support and express the words. Earlier in the grant year, this process was used by students in Middle School and soon fourth and fifth graders will be invited into the process. We are grateful for Project Director, Jan Van Kooten, who taught the students and arranged the melodies for instruments and congregational singing. After the service, Pastor Ben Van Arragon told me that they have been surprised by the many connections this project has made within the church. People from various ministries and of diverse ages have come together in creating music for worship and singing the music in worship.
As the 2006 grant year comes to an end, it was encouraging to see the many ways the resources of the grants have been used to deepen worship in these three communities.
Grants • Interdisciplinary Application • Leadership • Liturgical Arts • Worshipers • Worshipping Communities • (0) Comments • Permalink