The Presider's Chair

You may find it odd that I remember this; after all, it was a long time ago. I got just one word wrong on my liturgy vocabulary quiz in seminary. In fact, I thought it was almost inexcusable to get any wrong since it was a take-home assignment. Try as I might, however, I did not find the liturgical definition for one word.

I have taught a generation of confirmation students that there are special “church words” for lots of things. Where else do you hear words such as narthex, nave, alb, cincture, paten and flagon?

The word I got wrong (and I was by no means the only one in our class who got this wrong) was president. I had trouble figuring it out because I had never heard the word used in a liturgical context. The answer was simple. The president is one who presides. In worship, the one who presides is the presiding minister. I think it was a trick question.

In recent years I have noted two contrasting things happening simultaneously. As the roles of the presiding and assisting ministers in Holy Communion have become better defined in LBW and ELW, a number of worship leaders have apparently abdicated their roles as leaders.

I was recently the guest preacher in a congregation outside of our synod. I asked the pastor where he wanted me to sit during worship. “Oh, just sit wherever you want. You can go sit with your wife.” So, I sat in about the fourth pew where my wife was seated. The other pastors sat in different sections. As the worship began I wondered who was in charge.

I understand a pastor’s desire to be part of the congregation. I understand the need to be a worshiper in the assembly. However, I think we too easily diminish the role to which the congregation has called the pastor. I have been left wondering if we (both lay and clergy leaders) are afraid to lead, even in worship.

My personal bias is that worship leaders should be visible and giving direction to the Sunday assembly. The presiding minister (an ordained pastor), assisting minister (a lay person), and the lector should be visible. Communion assistants and acolytes might also have prominent positions. To me, that means using those chairs, sometimes referred to derogatorily as thrones, in the chancel area.

I have found that in some contemporary worship settings, the song leader has a much more prominent role and visible position in the worship than does the presiding minister. Traditional church architecture left little to the imagination. One could tell what was important in worship. Altar, pulpit and font (Word and sacraments) were emphasized. In one church I visited during my sabbatical the most prominent feature in front was a drum set. I had to search to even find a cross. I could immediately identify the song leader, but I did not have a clue as to who the pastor might be. I also could not identify anyone else who might be involved in the morning’s worship.

I am advocating clear leadership roles for all who are involved in leading worship. I encourage you to share your thoughts. Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. Click on comments at the end of this entry. Let’s hear your thoughts! --JC

Take it to the Lord in Prayer

Synod assembly planning is a twelve month process. As soon as an assembly ends, we begin work on the next one. We are fortunate to have a great partner in Augustana College in Rock Island. Their staff works very hard to make sure that all of our needs are accommodated.

The finishing touches are now being applied to this year’s assembly plans. Menus have been chosen and rooms have been assigned. The Bulletin of Reports, all 197 pages of it, is now available on the synod’s Web site (http://www.nisynod.org/assembly/index.html). The worship services have been planned. Calls have been issued by congregations to new seminary graduates, so we will celebrate ordinations. Bishop Mark Hanson, our presiding bishop, is looking forward to being our ELCA representative this year. Dr. Ralph Klein is busy preparing his Bible study and forum materials. Bishop Wollersheim is studying and praying. Conferences and congregations are busy discussing the resolutions. Congregations celebrating significant anniversaries are preparing presentations.

In many ways this year’s assembly will be like every other. But there is a fair amount of anxiety throughout the church, including within our synod, regarding the proposed social statement on human sexuality and the recommendations on ministry policy that our Churchwide Assembly will act upon in August. We have other important business to attend to, but those items do not seem to be generating the same amount of angst.

I have attended every assembly of the Northern Illinois Synod, including the constituting assembly in 1987. We have always grounded ourselves in worship and God’s Word. I have been pleased and proud of the way we conduct business. We have always shared ideas and opinions respectfully. We have treated each other as the brothers and sisters that we are. I do not expect this year to be any different.

Bishop Hanson has called upon the whole ELCA to engage in 50 days of prayer in preparation for this summer’s Churchwide Assembly (http://www.elca.org/50days). I would encourage every congregation to heed this call. I would also ask each of our congregations to pray in preparation for our own synod assembly.

Bishop Wollersheim prepares thoroughly for our assemblies. The most important part of his preparation is engaging in prayer. He prays through the entire agenda, always seeking God’s guidance and the intervention of the Holy Spirit. We are now a little more than a month away from our assembly. I invite you to join me in praying for our work as a synod in the assembly. I am also praying that those who are anxious will find comfort in the knowledge that this is indeed God’s church.

To comment, go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/. --JC

Technological Advances

A recent edition of The Christian Century (“Congregational Snapshot,” by Mark Chaves, April 7, 2009) pointed out what may be obvious to most of us. In the past few years there have been a lot of changes in the church. While we know that, we may not have taken the time to consider what the trends are.

The author, a seminary teacher and researcher, says, “Four trends stand out: congregations now use more computer technology, worship is more informal, clergy are older and, perhaps most important, congregations are more ethnically diverse.”

I was especially interested in congregations’ use of technology as I visited a number of different congregations during the latter half of my sabbatical. To prepare for a visit I first visited the congregation’s Web site. I was disappointed if I found that a congregation does not have one. I was even more disappointed to find a Web site that was months out of date. A Web site can be a great communication tool. It puts a lot of information at the fingertips. I appreciated finding service times, worship service descriptions, staff information and directions to find the church. I also liked finding newsletters and bulletins. Through the Web site I gained a familiarity with the congregation and found that I was entering the doors with greater confidence than if I was coming in cold.

If your congregation does not have a Web site, what would it take for you to get one up and running? If your congregation does have one, is it up-to-date? Is the information accurate? Does it introduce your congregation well? Does it have links to sermons?

Email can be a great communication tool too. I receive weekly announcements from my congregation. A large portion of any congregation can be reached quickly by email. On the other hand, there is a danger with email too. In the synod office we often see conflict in a congregation escalate quickly through the use of email. People share angry words in email that they would rarely use in a face-to-face conversation.

How can email be used effectively in your congregation?

The use of projection equipment in worship also falls into the technology category. Some congregations project the day’s announcements on the screen before worship. Others will show a video clip that relate to the lessons for the day. I have seen video clips used effectively as part of the sermon. Sometimes a single image will be projected throughout the worship to help illustrate the theme of the day. I am personally not too keen on projecting hymns, songs or liturgies. When the computer operator fails to keep up with a song, or there is a computer failure, the congregation is left silent as the band (or organ) plays on.

Another issue exists with the size and location of screens. Sometimes it is difficult, if not impossible, to retrofit a sanctuary to accommodate adequate projection screens, but we have some great examples of successful installations in the synod. Newer buildings (such as Alleluia!, Naperville, which is pictured) have screens that are built-in. Personally, I like the judicious use of projected images and video, but I do not miss it if it is not there.

I just wish every congregation could figure out how to get their microphones to work!

Care to comment or share your thoughts? Go to http://niselcablogspot.com/.