Worship
I yearn for worship services woven through with soul-moving music, meaningful ritual, and the spoken word. A liturgical artist at heart, the only thing I like better than enjoying these services as a participant is creating them — and collaborating with the poets, musicians, and artists that make up the congregation I serve.
In worship, music and the arts connect us to one another through a shared experience of beauty and awe.
Including embodied experiences in worship — whether through dance, creating art together, playful storytelling, or ritual — allows us to connect with one another in a deep and meaningful ways.
Traditions such as Animal Blessing services and Flower Communion create a rhythm around which we mark time together — they are some of our daughter’s earliest memories.
The image that guides my understanding of worship is that of a warming fire around which we gather as a community. Each of us brings our own unique piece of kindling to the fire, whether we are delivering the day's sermon, reading an original poem, singing in the choir, or humming along with the hymns. The presence of each individual amplifies the warmth of the worship service, and is deeply felt.
Worship contains more than just a message, stories, and songs — it is a vessel for our collective joys and sorrows, a place to grieve our losses and celebrate the milestones of our lives. The medium is the message, and the message is simple: none of us goes through this life alone.
In the video below, we took a moment during a service to send our love and blessings to beloved member Lindsey as she prepared to move to Switzerland to join her husband Tom there.