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50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105
Tel: (860) 233-9897 / FAX 233-1333
Email: firstunitarian@ushartford.com
Reverend Barbara Jamestone, PhD
Handouts Associated with Meetings to Discuss Worship Practices
Friday night January 16th at 7 PM, Saturday morning the 17th at 10 AM or Sunday afternoon the 18th at 4 PM. BJ and members of the Worship Sub-Council will be present at all meetings
Handout 1 for congregational conversation
Welcome. We’re glad you’ve come!!
What feelings do you bring into the room today?
What do we most need as persons and a congregation?
Why are we doing this now?
The board is reviewing our 2002 Strategic Plan.
John Jesensky, our music associate, is leaving us.
Our minister wants to have continuous input as WAS restructures worship order of service elements, and their content, in response to Strategic Plan.
What are some examples of this restructuring?
- BJ shares service preparation and moderation with trained and ‘quality assured’ laity. This builds awareness that ours is a shared ministry, sharing the tasks AND the rewards of ministry, and it strengthens community as it gives those in the pews a ‘window’ for getting to know other congregants more fully)
- Congregants have experiential opportunities beyond listening, standing and sitting, and singing a particular genre of hymnody (the embodied rituals like our ‘candles’, and singing of ‘rounds’ or ‘chants’ provides more worship ‘inputs’ for those whose primary receptors include physical senses like movement and the visual
- The sermon ‘slot’ , which traditionally held most of the content and thematic expression of the service, is sometimes dropped into other service ‘slots,’ requiring a more thoughtful and curious listening if ‘content’ (cognitive input) is one’s primary source of ‘input’ during worship.
- The service content is presented more often with examples that are relational and experienced inwardly (psychological, emotional) than with examples which focus on the intellectual manipulation of ‘external’ current events, news, scientific theories, political concerns.
- Instrumentation, which has been primarily the organ, is shared more often with the piano.
- There are more opportunities for untrained voices to be assisted in experiencing singing as the robust and rewarding experience that is now for the chancel choir (having a song leader who encourages congregants during hymns and offering a ‘joyful noise’ or ‘celebration’ choir experience for untrained voices)
- The chancel choir continues to sing selections (usually in the ‘offertory’ slot) chosen by Mattie, the complexity and breadth of which are limited only by the number of congregants who are interested in the discipline of being ‘trained’ by Mattie.
- The content of ‘anthem’ slot, and the ‘offertory’ slots in services when chancel choir is absent, are still much in flux and dependent on our financial and volunteer resources—They have most typically been filled with solos by paid leads, or instrumentation, and remain open for diverse offerings from a ‘joyful noise’ choir or guest musicians among our membership.
- We are more intentional in the planning of multi-generational services so that the interests of children are reflected throughout the service when they are present for the entire service.
What questions will we be addressing in this conversation today?
1. How can we broaden the society’s high standards regarding ‘professional level quality’ of music performed by musicians and singers, such that our reputation for being a performing arts enclave is preserved AND such that the limitations of perceiving ‘quality in music’ in this way are reduced?
An example of ‘limitation’ is that active participation is allowed to only a few select persons, while most of the congregation is limited to a listening role and the singing of a hymnody from the ‘traditional sacred church music’ repertoire.’
2. How can we bring understanding and respect to these equally important ‘qualities’ of music in worship:
A. the participation/performance of singers and musicians (children and adults) who are at beginning or intermediate levels of skill competence—providing place for them to develop their confidence before a loving community, and providing a way for congregants to grow in knowledge and appreciation of the interests and the ‘spirit’ of more congregants.
B The enjoyment of music sung or performed which may be deeply meaningful to some congregants, and which is not in the professional level range of performance and/ or not in the ‘great sacred church music’ tradition before the 20th century? Examples include the screen play composition from the film ‘The Mission’ recently performed by a guest musician, a Beatles song arranged by John at the piano, jazz Christmas music on the piano, simple arrangements for non-trained voices either in a ‘joyful noise’ choir or from the pews, freedom songs from the 60s led by Edith Savage.
3. Can we find resources such that we have one ‘traditional’ service that does not reflect this restructuring?
4. If we COULD offer 2 differently styled services, what would we do about RE for children, such that we avoid becoming 2 separate congregations-one with children and more diverse worship, the other without children or diversity in worship?
Handout 2 for congregational conversations
Adapted From Strategic Task Force Report
Who are we as Unitarian Universalists and where do we see ourselves in the next 5-10 years?
This plan is based on what the Congregation has told us through surveys, discussions, search committees, retreats and focus groups. It represents who we are as a Congregation, how we choose to respect and interact with each other as people and as Unitarian Universalists and how we can evolve –spiritually and intellectually.
Mission Statement of the Unitarian Society of Hartford:
As a growing, evolving, spiritual community inspired by our
denominational values, we will commit ourselves to:o Nurture our needs for inspirational worship and a mutually caring community
o Devote ourselves to religious learning for all ages
o Embrace human diversity by welcoming individuals and families of all kinds, and
o Join with the larger community to promote love, justice and service to society
Toward these ends we pledge our talents, energies and resources.
Though many questions remain, four themes permeate everything we discuss:
• We are a spiritual congregation challenged to grow and explore within our community.
• We look outward to seek worldwide peace, freedom and social justice through responsible relationship with the local and global communities.
• We improve the building to enhance worship, education, and community experiences.
• We foster efficiency and simplicity in governance to be most responsive to our needs.
There will be thematic congruence between all major efforts from education to worship—from our community within to the larger community—from spiritual growth to social action.
To fulfill this plan we need financial contributions, governance implementation, and RE curricula revision.
We need membership growth, and will actively seek out and make our society available to those in the larger community, who need to hear our message and want to share our faith. When they visit, we will welcome them.
# 1 Worship and Music
Vision:
Our worship service and music fosters spiritual renewal and development, and a strong sense of community for our diverse and growing congregation.
We feel challenged to grow spiritually through the exploration of many different cultures and world religions.
We are comforted by the thematic congruence with our Unitarian-Universalist traditions.
Our worship services are thematically consistent, with a high degree of professionalism, and reflect our increased diversity.
Our sanctuary enhances our communal spiritual experience.
Strategic Initiatives:
1. Develop and run a program to increase lay involvement by training members in worship theory and how to plan, conduct, and participate in worship services.
2. Incorporate more diverse forms of worship and music that broaden our experiences, reaching out to incorporate styles and content that speak to many different cultures, while retaining respect for our Unitarian-Universalist traditions and the overarching spiritual purpose of the worship service.
3. Develop a long-range plan for chancel and sanctuary renovation and expansion that is consistent with the growth in our membership and the overarching spiritual purpose of the worship service.
Replaced by:
3. Ensure that the chancel and sanctuary continue to meet the projected needs of our membership and the overarching spiritual purpose of the worship service. (This change keeps the basic thrust of the original objective while not implying that more renovations are imminent.)
BJ’s Definitions of Congregational Growth:1. Numeric -- predicated on successful growth of 3 other systems in USH organism:
2. Spiritual -- ethical, emotional, and relational maturation as persons and a group
3. Organic -- maturation of governance structure, development of organizational methods including lay and staff leadership functions, responsiveness to current climate in larger culture and at USH
4. Incarnational -- maturation in ‘embodying’ our faith in our social responsibility to the larger world and in our behaviors toward each other.
Handout 3 for congregational conversation
Preferences from the Congregational Conversation in April, 2007, arranged for conversation. 30 members and staff were present, and to encourage full participation and transparency, input was received by email as well, and this summary was posted on enews.
WHAT WOULD YOU MISS IN THE MUSIC IF IT WERE ELIMINATED?
- The choir itself, the quality of the old masters, Mattie
- Organ prelude and postlude
- High quality of compositions
- Bach – that is, music of the highest quality, music of substance
- Music that is traditional sacred music
- The repetition of the few ritual elements in the worship
- Certainly, don’t eliminate the rituals we have.
- Children’s Blessing—the ritual of it. Enjoy “Go Now in Peace” as it has become part of our tradition, but primarily the ritual of the Children’s Blessing
- “Spirit of Life” and candles [reminds many of us of Tom S’s improvisation following the “Prayer, Meditation, Reflection” segment
- Brass music at Easter
- Rev BJ’s interest in music and willingness to “let her rip” at the podium
- Singing by the congregation
- Learning new hymns – compared to repetition of Protestant church upbringing
- Wow! Today’s response of the congregation to learning the hymn from the pulpit
- The fun of singing ourselves as members of the congregation during worship
WHAT SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE MUSICAL REPETOIRE?
- Other, “pure” music, for example the Renaissance polyphony – sacred music composed 1350 – 1650 --- made famous by Palestrina [1526-1594]
- Make services be longer again!
- like GA music experiences—resonating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds
- Music to connect to other cultures in a mindful way
- Dynamic music that inspires and lifts those who are not schooled in classical music
- Members should “not just be music auditors but be invited to join in fully”
- Continuing to explore the hymnal’s less familiar music
- Music that would attract and retain younger people [35 years and younger, for example]
- Music with words that would appeal to younger people
WHAT IS GOOD, BUT YOU WOULD OMIT TO MAKE ROOM FOR SOMETHING NEW?
- The second anthem
- One rather than two special music services, freeing the second for something different.
- Musical call to worship
- Postlude
- The length of the candle-lighting for Joys and Concerns
- One hymn
- “The more rarefied the music, say of Brahms, the more some may feel excluded”
- Anything, but not the sermon
Handout 4 for congregational conversations
Charrette Results, organized for discussion
Last Spring 50 of us met and brainstormed about the church of our dreams. The following things were dreams you offered that afternoon, and are listed by “NOW”, “ALMOST NOW”, and ”NOT YET” categories. An asterisk indicates it was mentioned by that many more people.
List 1. NOW -- things already emerging, and thanks for noticing!!!
Have BJ define terms she uses: worship, prayer, spiritual growth, witness, to minister, stewardship, liturgy, grace, benediction, etc.
Invitation to turn off cell phones at beginning of service
No Sunday meetings during worship hours
Communion*
Taize*
Ember Days**
Meditation ********
Tai chi*
Ritual balanced with surprise*
Rites of Passage
More non-hymnal music*
Familiar rituals esp. candle lighting or joys/concerns with candles**
More piano/less organ*
All Sundays: Excellent music**
Poetry service to continue
Celebrate Jewish Holidays***
Joint music with Fern Street
List 2. ALMOST NOW -- things which we are resourced to do, are actively considering, and where you can expect to see movement within the year
Prayer/chalice lighting before all events/meetings/meals
Abundance of forums for worship
UU pagan services
1 PM Sunday communion service, Taize or other format
Small Sunday services with different religious, ethnic/racial traditions recognized
Family Sunday more often*
Yearly recognition of Memorial Garden
Singing spirituals monthly
Choir practice for regular type voices ***
Benediction from Luopa…”For all who see God, may God go with you…#734?
Themes to attract new members
Music around the sanctuary--Choir sings “Amen” at back of sanctuary at end of service*
Everyone rise and sit at the same time during hymns, musical dedication, etc.
No applause at all, or at least at end--Benediction at end of service and everyone walks out after postlude, with no applause at end of service—we can honor the postlude by sitting or leaving but NO applause******
List 3. NOT YET -- great ideas which require further resourcing, or are possible on occasional basis, and are saved on our “YES and not now” list.
Weekly contemplative/Eastern traditions in service*
Weekly spiritual realignment
Ritual chalice lighting words
Sing doxology every Sunday
Vesper service
Midweek evensong service
Open community interfaith dialogue with worship on Sundays at 10AM
Discussion of spiritual practices of world religions at 10AM on Sunday which would be adult and child friendly
Friday night religious/spiritual services*
Lay led services*
evening lay-led services
Drum circle monthly
Woodwind quintet rehearsal monthly
Invite/house other religious traditions to be performed here
Christmas service early in season for those who travel
Summer Sunday services outdoors or in a park, including a picnic June/July/August
( Would more people come to summer services if held in a space not shut off from the outdoors and light?)***
Soulful Sundown—youth/young adult led worship with music
All church sing-along*
Hootenanny*
Sacred harp hymn sing*
Brass
Jazz combo
Barbershop quartet
Let us know of any comments, errors and corrections - thanks (revised 01/15/09)