Events

This article appeared in the October 2002 issue of The Advocate, a publication of the Office of Social Justice and Hunger Action of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.  Reprinted with permission.

Sing! A New Creation workshop kicks off in Illinois
–Elizabeth Vander Haagen

What do justice and worship have to do with one another? How can we best integrate worship and justice? About 50 people gathered together at Peace Church in South Holland, IL to be introduced to the new songbook, Sing! A New Creation and to explore these questions. Those who attended were from several different churches and denominations and brought both questions and ideas to the event. In addition to two worship services introducing new songs and exploring prayers for justice, there were three break out sessions: one dealing with congregational change, one specifically dealing with integrating worship and justice, and one introducing the new songbook. Participants sang together of God’s justice, learned about changes in worship and patient, adaptive leadership, and developed prayers of lament, confession, intercession and praise around issues of justice.

A particular emphasis through the event was on prayer as a place where worship and the struggle for justice meet. In sung and spoken prayers of praise, thanksgiving, lament, confession and intercession, God reminded us of the vision for a just world that is presented in scripture. We explored ways God’s vision for justice can be communicated through the mechanics, style, form and deep meaning of worship. Sing! A New Creation has many songs and spoken prayers that include God’s vision for justice, and participants also received sample resources from A Wee Worship Book, the Book of Common Worship, and Living Micah’s Call for the different sections of a worship service. Musicians and others from different denominations discussed how best to communicate God’s vision for justice in our culture with its clutter of words and images and the importance of meaningful words and music. We left with new questions and ideas for our congregations as well as new songs to sing on the way home.

See some photos of this event.