I have been thinking and praying a lot about how to make the gospel message relevant for this world we find ourselves in – you may have noticed that from my last sermons… The message of God’s love for and intimate involvement with humanity is vast and unchanging. But I am aware that the language we use to tell others about it, and the way that it is expressed in our lives does change. So how do we see today’s happenings, the events of our lives in the ancient stories? What language do we use to connect God’s truth of life with our lives?
Last year in one of the classes I took in seminary, I helped plan a worship service that aimed to connect to people who were new to the church. A service that had to assume that most of the people attending did not understand the jargon used in most churches. My task was to prepare the communion meditation. It was difficult to explain the significance of the Last Supper, disciples, bread, cup, salvation… without using words that we’ve “always” used. I found that I had to re-write the meditation several times. That exercise has helped me be a little more aware of what I say and how I say it. Liturgy is wonderful, but only when it holds meaning for the people participating.
What holds meaning for you in worship? How do the ancient stories, the history of God’s involvement in the lives of people – how do these things connect to you today? How do you share with other people your understanding of the truth of God’s love? I’d love to hear about it.
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