SPC Worship Team Meeting Notes

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Participants: Julie Carlson, Marty Hartrick, Robin Sinclair, Rev. Paul Mowry and Ralph Hooper, Chair

  1. Rev. Paul Mowry opened the meeting with a prayer at 7:10 PM.
  1. Discussion of Worship Services since the Last Worship Team Meeting
  1. All members observed that people are getting back to their seats more quickly from the Passing of the Peace than before. This is good.
  2. All had very positive feelings about Volunteer Appreciation Sunday and the Veterans’ Day service, particularly the appreciation given for the heroic sacrifice of flight attendants during the Viet Nam war flying in and out of the battle zone to take soldiers to treatment centers in the US.
  3. All observed that the dialogs after the message have been very effective and powerful on many Sundays.
  1. Thoughts on Meditation

The team conducted a rich discussion on the possibility of adding more guided meditations during the service. Robin mentioned that Paul’s recent guided meditation was very effective. The team agreed that we could add more meditations during prayer time on occasion, but not as a regular practice. It should be a special event.

  1. Liturgical Planning

The team took a comprehensive look at Lent, Easter and the Easter Season leading to Pentecost.

  1. The group decided that the church should have a spare look during Lent, hence, no flowers until Easter Sunday. Ralph indicated that the Lenten preludes and choral music will be more reflective.
  2. The team discussed various possibilities for a special Holy Week service, including a Holy Thursday Seder or Agape or a Good Friday service. We also discussed Passion plays, including Nikos Kazantzakis’The Greek Passion. In the end the team came up with a novel Holy Thursday evening approach: a symbolic meal, a kind of first communion. We will move the pews in the sanctuary to the side and set up a long table in the center aisle. All participants will sit at the table. There could be poetry that addresses or references Peter and Judas or other apostles. This is the germ of a creative idea that will be fleshed out in the coming days by all team members, emailing ideas and further comments to Paul and each other.
  3. Joan Carter will be here the entire month of April. She will participate in the Easter Sunday service and be the Guest Preacher on April 8. We will celebrate poetry Sunday on April 22. Robin mentioned Joan’s wonderful reworking of Psalm 23 – all agreed that we should consider including it in the April 22nd service. In the spring we will also have another kid’s service.
  1. Other New Ideas and Inspirations
  1. Marty mentioned that the deacons are responsible for preparing the wine for communion. She wondered if there is a Worship Team budget that could cover the cost of wine. The deacons feel that the Worship Team should pay for the wine and other non-flower visuals. Ralph will discuss with the Finance Committeeand report back to the team.
  2. The team discussed adapting other sung doxologies for the Offering rather than continuing to use the same one (Hymnal #708) we have been using for years and years. We agreed to start by using the familiar Old Hundredth doxology for the remainder of Lent.
  3. Paul discussed taking three Sundays off in the coming months – the team discussed guest preachers, recommending Sherwood Cummins, Laura East and George McClaird.
  1. Next Meeting

The next meeting will be in May.

7.Rev. Paul Mowry closed the meeting with a prayer at 8:45 PM.