WORSHIP FOR WHO? YOU!
“Children bring gifts to worship.” “Children model spirituality to adults.” These are two things I have stated at virtually every religious education workshop I’ve led. This really is one of those cases when the future is now. Adults and kids alike miss out when the worship hour is segregated by age.
What gifts do they bring? How about the gift of spontaneity, like when one of our precious children begins to dance to music during worship that makes us all want to kick up our feet and move to its modulations. Related to this is the gift of little to no self-consciousness, which is foundational for spiritual growth and for bringing our whole selves into the worship experience.
What gifts do they bring? Let’s not forget the gift of being in the now, which encourages us all to be fully present to one another in the context of worship. Only in the moment can we experience the “a-ha experiences” that worship affords. Let’s also remember the gift of curiosity, an antidote to the cynicism that looses a spirit of judgment among us.
Related to this is the gift of inquiry, of not being afraid to ask the questions that make our liberal religious faith come alive. In UU congregations, your answers will be questioned in the search for truth. Perhaps the best gift of all is the gift of imagination, which helps us believe in the magic we’ve often written off as we accumulate degrees and lean into reason.
With and through these gifts our youngest UUs model the kind of spirituality to which we should all aspire. To this end, we’re doing a little experiment at the 9:15 a.m. worship service. We’re calling it “Worship For All Ages,” although the nursery will always remain open. This service will focus on stories rather than sermons, on experiential worship rather than cognitive inquiry.
We will be involving children of all ages for parts of the liturgy and in music making. Eventually they will be co-creators of worship services designed to last forty-five minutes at most. Of course, we’ll evaluate these changes in the weeks and months ahead to determine if this is the right fit (or not).
Please remember that the interim period is a time of experimentation and transition. We hope this will help even out attendance between the two services on Sundays. It may. It may not. One thing we know for sure: if we don’t change anything, we can expect only the same results.
In Carolyn Brown’s work, Forbid Them Not: Involving Children in Sunday Worship, we learn, “Worship planners are responsible for creating worship experiences that are meaningful to all who come to the sanctuary, including children, youth and adults. This does not require that all worshipers find all parts of worship equally meaningful, but that each worshiper has some appreciation for the whole, and special appreciation for certain parts within the whole.”
As you probably know, children, youth and families are always welcome at all worship services here at UCE. This won’t change. Neither will our commitment to excellence. I invite you to experience “Worship for All Ages.” Then please let me know what you think. My ears are wide open!