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Worship lies at the core of our congregational
life. In our worship time we meet God
together. We meet our family and our friends
together. We listen to God's Word, we speak
God's Word, and we go out and proclaim God's word in our life and in
our community in our day-to-day dealings with
others in person, on the phone, on the internet.
Wherever we are God is there. We are renewed with
our worship of God. Our mission statement of the
Worship and Music Committee says:
We believe that worship is central to the life of
the church, supporting and giving reason to all
its functions and activities.
We also believe that worship strengthens commitment to the gospel
of Jesus Christ and to public declarations of
faith.
We
are a diverse congregation, and that diversity is
lived out in two distinct worship services on
Sunday mornings as well as special services
throughout the year. Worship planning is
undertaken by a dynamic interaction between our
talented staff and also includes talented and
committed lay persons. We also come together as a
united body at special times throughout the year
for a single service reflecting our diversity.
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We
call our early, informal Sunday service at 8:30
FirstLight, to capture not only the fact that it
is an early service, but that Jesus Christ is the
Light of the World and that Jesus Christ is the
First-born of all creation. FirstLight uses a
fairly standard format for worship in keeping with
our Reformed tradition, but it develops those
hallmarks of Reformed worship in unique and
experiential ways. The music is an eclectic
mixture of contemporary songs, hymns performed in
new ways, music from the global church and music
in the contemplative traditions of Taize and
Iona. We use projection rather than a printed
worship guide. We worship in the round in our
fellowship hall, which adds a sense of informality
and spontaneity to our worship, without
sacrificing a deep sense of reverence. We are apt
to use visual arts to expand upon and tangibly
explore the meaning of scripture. We seek to use
a variety of voices in worship leadership. We
encourage families to worship together at this
service and strive to make the worship meaningful
and adaptive for children yet also full of depth
for adults. |
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Worship at 11 a.m. is likewise solidly in the
reformed tradition and seeks to embody the
formality of traditional worship with a keen sense
of warmth and hospitality. Worship follows
closely the richness conveyed in the seasons and
special days of the church year and utilizes
liturgy from a wide variety of sources. We
worship in a beautiful mid-century modern
sanctuary. As part of an ongoing renewal of our
worship life, several of the furnishings in the
chancel area are newly designed reflecting our
understanding of worship. Music is led by an
adult choir most often, and the primary instrument
is our pipe organ. Our other music groups
(children, youth and instrumental ensembles) also
regularly participate in leading the music for
worship. Acolytes light a new Christ candle at the
beginning of worship. Children worship with their
families until the "Faith Sharing with Children"
portion of the service at which time they continue
in an age-appropriate worship, learning and play
time. |
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All children are welcomed in
the 11 o'clock morning worship through the “Time
With the Children," after which the younger ones
are dismissed to the extended
worship time in the children's area. In pretty weather they also
enjoy the playground. The nursery is open
for babies and toddlers through age 3 from 8:30
until after the 11 o'clock service. |
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We
celebrate communion 12-13 times yearly on many
special days in the church year and monthly during
ordinary seasons of the year. An important
extension of our celebration of communion is
distribution to our homebound members and members
and friends of our congregation residing at
Highland Farms retirement community.
Our
congregation includes many talented visual artists
in a variety of media.
We seek to include regularly a variety of arts in
both of our worship spaces. We use banners, but
also create special installations at particular
times of the year. We utilize drama including
large-scale ensembles and monologues. We
understand that God's grace is mediated to us in a
variety of means, traditional and innovative. We
seek the Spirit's inspiration in leading us to
help persons gathered for worship experience faith
and live out faith through the arts.
An acolyte lights the Christ Candle
each Sunday. There are now three 4th
and 5th graders trained to do this.
At the beginning of the 11
o'clock
service the Trinity Bell is rung to call us to
worship.
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