Closing Worship

Aug 5

It’s been so long since I’ve been a part of meaningful worship. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to feel it deeply enough to make me cry. I was talking to O’Della on our way home from town this afternoon, after having had a lovely time punting on the river Cam past all of the fancy, prestigious colleges. We talked about the service and I realized that part of the reason why it was so meaningful was the community; the people who were assembled singing and praying with and for each other. It’s not only what the ministers say and the grace and love in which they say it that make the worship meaningful (though to be sure, that is important) it’s also the community. Over the past two weeks we have built up a community of friends and people that care for, respect and value each other. I think it’s a partnership. Out of meaningful worship grows meaningful community which creates meaningful worship etc…


We had program time first in the morning which began worship for me. Our closing small group time was special. That’s what got me crying in the first place. The women in my group are so Christ-like, full of grace, love, joy, gentleness and peace. Elaine, who has been a special person to talk to, gave me a beautiful bookmark and card to send me on my continuing journey. After we shared what we’d bring back from this pilgrimage we were to turn to the person to our left and tell them what we are thankful for in them. This reminded me of the time in bible study at St George’s Lutheran when we fed one another with a small bun and kind words. I was happy that Lilian was sitting to my left for she has been a very good friend. She has such a lovely, child-like exuberance to life.

I started the service part of worship by teaching Uyai mose, the English, the African and the step. I had asked Gerald and Lynn if I could do this after yesterday’s program time where we talked about contemporary worship. They talked about the World Council of Churches and how the introduction of global music at the Assembly in the 80s was a great breakthrough. We sang some “global” music (Miren que bueno) but no African. I wanted my new friends and community to experience the meaning and freshness that it can bring to worship. It worked.

The prayers were poignant. The way Lynn and Gerald use words bring a lot of grace and meaning to a service. Between prayers of thanksgiving we sang a Hallelujah that we’ve done at Beaches before maybe from South America. Between the prayers of supplication we sang the Kyrie we’d learned in France.

Communion was holy. After spending a long time passing the peace to everyone we came forward to receive the Eucharist. When we had communion in Strasbourg we all stood around in a circle in the quiet. I was missing the singing and desperately wanted to start a song but wasn’t quite confident enough to break the silence. Here today I played “Eat this bread, drink this cup” on my recorder and everyone joined in after I’d played it through once. It was lovely, strong and sure. Everyone naturally moved along with the swell of the music and the Spirit, sometimes collectively singing louder and other times softer. We sang it through the whole time and it never became tedious.


With my new confidence of leadership amongst a group of theology students and ministers I decided to teach them “We will go out with joy” at the closing party. We were all sitting in a circle and a variety of other people presented serious speeches or hilarious skits and songs celebrating our time together. Pauline and Derek were the absolute most hilarious handing out the Age Grim Pil awards that they had come up with. I taught the song near the end which went very well. Many people commented on my great leadership style. I even got a job offer to be a music leader at a church in Vancouver!!