A great morning of worship

I am so tired tonight – pleasantly exhausted you might say.  Today our youth led worship – planned, organized, and filled the worship leadership roles.  It is much more tiring to help coordinate so many moving parts than it is to simply do it myself… But it’s so much more rewarding to help support them.  And they were fantastic!  Offering prayers, reading scripture, leading children’s moment, giving the sermon, sharing their musical gifts, offering communion…and through it all, rolling with the little changes that seem to happen no matter who is leading (like welcoming a new member!).  And the worship was uplifting and awesome.

Some things were a little different this year – we chose a Sunday during Lent, so their worship planning had to include the Lenten theme and some worship elements that were already picked.  And they worked with that, creating a worship experience that reflected who they are and how they understand God.  In the process, they also decided to ask a few adults to fill roles in both services – so “youth” Sunday had intergenerational leadership.  I think this was a result, at least in part, of their being asked on a pretty regular basis to serve in leadership in worship throughout the year.  How wonderful this congregation is.  And you’re raising some pretty wonderful young people - ones who see themselves as part of and connected to the larger group!

Every year I come away from this Sunday wishing that I had a camera to take snapshots of all the kids - but knowing that taking pictures during worship would make it performing rather than worshipping... And knowing that I don't need a camera to remember the look on Mia's face when she told me she has written the script herself that she wanted to have 2 kids share during children's moment; or to remember the look on Glynis' face when she saw someone coming down the aisle to join following her invitation, followed by the look of seriousness when she extended to him the hand of Christian fellowship and welcomed him into membership; or to remember the faces of the K-2nd grade kids as they sung the Gloria Patri for us; or to remember Glynis as she made herself vulnerable sharing times in her life when she told God "but I neeeed it"; or the look on the congregation's faces as they sang "take me as I am, summon out what I shall be, set your seal upon my heart and live in me"; or... or simply the looks of relief and delight that come following doing something that you know is important, something that stretches you just a little bit, and that is done with people you know love and support and respect you simply because you are God's child.

What a great day!  I hope you were there to be part of it.