By John Wright, M.Div., Minister
Dear Ones-.
I’ve come across a wonderful little book entitled Designing Contemporary Congregations by Laurene Beth Bowers. Bowers is pastor of the First Congregational Church in Randolph Massachusetts and a graduate of Andover Newton School of Theology (I mention these two items to let you know that she is a “close theological relative”). I’ve not finished the book. In fact I’ve only gotten to the first chapter, but already I’m hooked. In her introduction she says this about “worship”: “Contemporary worship is a transition between celebrating what the congregation has accomplished through its missionary and social justice activities, and praising God for using congregants as the instruments of those activities, and re-energizing those same congregants to go back into the world to engage in ministry again. Without the opportunity to celebrate the ways that God has worked through the servants, to affirm their gifts and talents and to witness to the presence and power of divine intervention, then we are only do-gooders and do not need organized religion. Gathering for worship frames the experience of coming into the church and going out with its cyclical movement that has no beginning and no end.”
While we may take exception to some of her language on theological grounds (we‘re UU‘s- you get to choose which language and on what theological grounds), I believe her basic message is absolutely wonderful.
Wishing you peace and blessings,
John
You can reach John at minister@uufs.net
