Dear St. Paul’s Family,
Later this month, my seminary will be celebrating the retirement of Dr. Kendall McCabe, who for over thirty years trained pastors to preach and lead worship. He was the single most important influence in the way I fulfill my Sunday morning duties. I learned how to order a worship service, write a pastoral prayer, and observe the church’s liturgical year. But most of all, he taught me to appreciate the liturgies of the church, those ancient words that deepen our faith, connect us to the saints, and deter an egocentric approach to the work of worship.
On the very first day of his “Work of Worship” class, we learned that the word liturgy means “work of the people” (laos = “people”; urge = “work”). When we gather for worship, we get down to business, performing the most important job God has given us: to give praise to God. Worship is not a spectator sport, nor is it sheer entertainment. It is our primary purpose in life, and the fulfillment of our created being. When we gather to worship, we get right to work.
And the words we use in worship matter. Our liturgies matter. The words of communion, baptism, funerals, weddings, and membership into the church are not fabricated by contemporary committees, nor are they localized expressions that vary from church to church. They are ancient words, inherited from centuries of faith communities prior to our arrival. To cast aside the language of the liturgy would be like chemists creating their own private periodic tables, or physicists inventing their own laws of thermodynamics. The art and artistry of our faith remind us of our grand connections to people past, present, and future. That alone makes them both historic and relevant, for in the context of worship, there is no greater comfort than the knowledge that we are not alone.
If I ever needed a reminder of the power of liturgy to draw us beyond ourselves, I need only look at our journey together over the past few months. On March 4, we moved our worship service to the Cherokee Community Center, as we began the process of recovering and rebuilding from our recent fire. We sat on stackable chairs, rather than pews, facing a stage with a folding table, rather than a chancel with an altar. On the surface, there was little to distinguish what we have been doing on Sunday mornings from what the Cherokee Symphony and the Cherokee Community Theater do throughout the week.
Except on that first Sunday, we also gathered for communion. We spoke the ancient words of the Sursum Corda (“The Lord be with you. And also with you.”) We stood in unison and recited the Sanctus (“Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory…”) We proclaimed together the Memorial Acclamation, the “Mystery of Faith”: (“Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.”) We heard the epiclesis, inviting the Holy Spirit to come down upon us (“Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.”)
And, of course, we relived the actions of the Words of Institution. Jesus took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it to his disciples.
In that moment, when I lifted the bread, and elevated the chalice, it didn’t matter that we were sitting in stackable chairs instead of pews, or that we were in an auditorium instead of a sanctuary. With the communion elements held high in sacred silence, you and I both realized that we were observing a holy moment, on holy ground.
The liturgies of the church are our connection to a God through all the highs and lows of life. Like the wandering Israelites who packed a portable tabernacle to worship in unlikely places, we are led by a God who is guiding us as we recover from recent tragedy. And that’s true for you personally as well. No matter what you are dealing with, the work that you put into corporate worship – which, again, is your most important occupation on this planet – will remind you of God’s intimate connection and inexhaustible love for you.
So in a few days, when we meet in the Community Center for another Sunday morning, let us gather around the communion table and remember our primary task: to worship God. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. For it is right to give our thanks and praise.
Grace and Peace,
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
SUMMER WORSHIP TIME
Because of scheduling conflicts with the Community Center, we will begin our summer worship time on Sunday, May 13. Worship will begin at 9:30am.
GENERAL CONFERENCE UPDATES
Follow the latest developments, plenary sessions, debates, votes, and worship services out of General Conference in Tampa, Florida by visiting gc2012.umc.org. Please continue to keep this quadrennial gathering of United Methodists from around the globe in your prayers.
HOT DOG DAYS
Once again, St. Paul’s will be participating in Cherokee Hot Dog Days, on Thursday, May 10, starting at 5:00. To help out, contact the church office or see Jeff Blum or Darly Gochenour. Your efforts will help promote our exciting upcoming Vacation Bible School.
CELEBRATE MOM ON FACEBOOK
Visit St. Paul’s Facebook site and share your favorite memories and celebrations of your mother, and even upload a favorite picture. You don’t need to be a member of Facebook to visit our page: facebook.com/cherokeespumc.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL JUNE 18-22
This year’s theme is “Sky!” and promises to be the most exciting week ever! VBS is for kids ages 4 through completed 5th grade. Registration will take place on May 13 and 20, and will take place June 18-22, from 9am to 12pm. We are in particular need of volunteer “crew leaders” whose job will be to guide the groups of kids from station to station every morning. Six more crew leaders will fill out all our volunteer needs for this year! Also watch for our VBS donation board in the community center over the next few weeks so that you can provide supplies and food items and help defray costs. To help out, contact Karen Long, at karedlong@yahoo.com.
FIRE RECOVERY UPDATE
Sanctuary - Painting continues in the sanctuary and is progressing well. Champion Electric came in to repair the lighting system, which will involve the replacement and relocation of one of the lighting dimmer packs.
Kitchen and Dining Hall - The Building Committee met last Tuesday with the architect to go over the latest drawings. The committee was pleased with the new layout and equipment, along with initial conversations about finishes (ceiling, floors, cabinetry, doors). The committee will meet again with the architect in two weeks, during which time additional engineers will come to assess mechanical support. We anticipate that toward the end of May, the committee will seek feedback from the congregation regarding the plans thus far.
To view past editions of the Mid-Week Message, visit http://mdevega.blogspot.com
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