Assignment | Lesson Two | How Do We Shape Worship for Our Community
August 20, 2026 7:58 PM
Part One:
POST: Select one of the questions below and post your reflection.
- How do this week’s readings and videos challenge common assumptions about that worship “should” look like? Identify one assumption about worship (structure, space, leadership, participation, music, etc.) that is being reimagined, and explain how the materials invite you to think differently. (at least 200 words in length)
- In light of the meal-based practices in early Christianity and the multicultural/dinner church examples, what does it mean for worship to grow out of a community’s real life? What concrete shift might this require in your own context? (at least 200 words in length)
Part Two:
Respond to the contributions of at least two other class members. Your responses to others may include acknowledgment of helpful insights gained by a fellow student’s entry, further questions raised by another’s comments, or a respectful critique of another’s argument. Each of these response posts should be at least 150 words in length but no more than 350 words.
This assignment is due on Sunday, September 13.
Discussion (21)
Recently I visited the Episcopalian Chicago Suburban church of my nephew and his family. My biggest concern was what do people wear so I would know what to pack. I admit, I had placed a lot of judgements on what worship “should” look like.
The material this week was inspiring to me (anything cultural or sociological geeks me out). The way language and music were used in the Multicultural worship service included everyone in the room. I plowed through Chapter 3 of Black’s Culturally Conscious Worship highlighting the importance of knowledge of cultural differences when interacting with others.
Fourteen years ago, I was hired as the music director at a church and I am still a “newcomer”. Our diversity centers around age, length of attendance and geographical upbringing. My first year was rough. Too many new songs. Too many old hymns. Not singing enough verses. Singing too many verses. Songs are too fast. Songs are too slow.
How do I bring everyone together with the different “shoulds” of worship? One cross-section was church camps, so we began and ended each service with a camp song- We “Do Lord”-ed, “This Little Light of Mine”-ed, and “Shake Another Hand Next To Ya”-ed like our life depended on it… and it did. This seemed to work. I then sprinkled an old standard, a praise song and something new each week. We don’t speak different languages… but we sort of do when it comes to worship. Like the Multicultural Church, we came together in our music.
I ended up wearing a button down shirt borrowed from my nephew over a sundress. My shoes didn’t quite work, but no one seemed to notice or care. This week shows that tossing out the “shoulds” opens up the possibility of being closer to what the Kingdom of Heaven will really look like.
We share similar struggles about music in worship - I feel like I could have written the same paragraphs! And add to that we have a paid accompanist who is often sight reading songs during worship and no other music staff to lead or guide us. We have a volunteer who convenes and leads a choir from time to time (big holidays, usually), but otherwise we struggle.
I do try to cover the bases to help everyone feel included with their favorite music. We usually start with a more traditional hymn, and for the others I try to include something more contemporary. We've done camp songs as well from time to time! One thing I'd really like to do is recruit some additional music leaders (I dream of hiring a music director!) who can help lead in teaching new songs, bringing new things into our repertoire, and giving us confidence (as a small church) to persist in trying some songs that are really great, but more difficult to learn. I'd love for people to feel drawn in by the music and really allow it to bring us closer to God in our worship. Sometimes it's spot on! I'd like to get there more often.
Yesterday, I met with the nominating committee at my church (this is my LAST YEAR CHAIRING THIS, praise the Lord!) and we discussed our worship council. Currently, we have a group of people who have not rotated off in a long time and there are a lot of choir members that are on this council which lends to a very music heavy service. Some people love it, some don't. I've learned that there is no winning with music in worship. I'm really just here to say, that I commend you for this difficult work and I know that the Spirit is there and will be heard in the hearts through your ministry of music.
It sounds like hearing such different opinions from the congregation must have been a challenging experience. I imagine that most leaders who stand in front of a congregation, whether leading music or preaching, have had similar experiences. Sometimes we may even wonder, “Which direction should I go?” when everyone seems to have a different expectation of what worship should be.
That is why I really connected with what you said about how, in a way, “we don’t speak different languages, but we sort of do when it comes to worship.” In the midst of all those differences, I think it was wonderful that you thoughtfully found church camp as a common ground for the congregation.
I think the way you have worked to bring your church together already shows what a wonderful music director and leader you are. Thank you for sharing this story!
The congregation in which I serve has historically been an agricultural community, established by local farming families in the mid-19th century, descendants of whom are still active members in the church. Over the past decades, the employment make-up of the congregation has shifted to consist of more service-oriented careers like teachers, police and fire, and medical workers. We still, however, maintain traditions rooted in our agricultural heritage, like organizing around the planting and harvest seasons. We’re in an interesting position of holding onto a way of life that isn’t directly relevant to the majority of our congregation, but which is still a real way in which we express our heritage. On the other hand, our congregation is divided on many cultural issues and we don’t have a clear consensus on some very important topics like immigration, same-sex relationships, even women clergy–many of these positions are also rooted in the cultural heritage of some members. What I have found challenging is how to respect some parts of the cultural heritage of the congregation while also challenging those that don’t, in my view, clearly align with the gospel message of loving one’s neighbors, welcoming all the table, etc. I guess what I mean is that I am navigating a line between what to rely on as a foundation of our cultural identity and what to work to change as a legacy of exclusion or oppression. I find that it requires a lot of trust, both ways, before this can even be broached. We are discussing whether to become an “open and affirming” congregation and many of these issues are rising to the surface, but this is a way for us to both affirm our own identity as a loving church and to challenge some of the cultural legacies that prevent us from living the gospel fully.
Hi Scott
I find the division you mention interesting… especially against the back ground of how your church came about (the long history and the generations of congregants). There is long church history as well as family history present in everything.
Your post raised some questions for me. How do we navigate the questions of today-immigration, same-sex relationships, women clergy, as you mentioned– when both sides are claiming the Bible as their reference? How also do we maintain that balance between the cultural/social world and who we are as Believers? Same goes with questions around tradition compared to a changing world. What has led you to the discussion about becoming open and affirming?
I would think that the line you are walking on is very thin at times as there could possibly be disappointment or even anger directed at you depending on how you address something. Do you think that your position as someone coming into the congregation from the outside has been helpful in this? (Forgive me if I made an erroneous assumption about your personal history with your congregation- just thinking it all through)
What interesting reflections on the history and dynamics present within your congregation. I imagine that expressing the agricultural heritage is really important to a lot of folks for more than one reason - it's part of how the church was formed and integral to the historical legacy that you all are carrying forward, and it probably symbolizes some piece of a 'lost' era that people are sometimes grieving or trying to better understand. I wonder whether that feels true? Or maybe I'm projecting! There are probably other reasons, too, but you seem to have a good grasp on the interplay of values and history.
It must be really tricky to navigate that line you mention, between "what to rely on as a foundation of our cultural identity and what to work to change." Do you find that the same people are on the same 'sides' of the line over multiple issues? Is there variance where people fall on foundational or in need of change? Are there other issues where people would all stand together and no lines are drawn at all?
Lastly, I wonder how the tensions show up in worship. Maybe its working to celebrate the same things but for different reasons or with different emphases. How do people find they are connected to one another? Who is feeling left out, excluded, or left behind?
I wish you all the luck as you work through loving and guiding your church in these changing times. Of course, I always hope that people are moving toward extravagant welcome and expanded views of love and belonging...it sounds like that's your vision too - may the Spirit continue to be present among you all.
Thank you for sharing this honest and thoughtful reflection. I can imagine how challenging it can be to honor the history and cultural heritage of your congregation while also questioning parts of that heritage that may no longer reflect the gospel you want to live out.
I especially appreciate your recognition that this kind of discernment takes trust. It sounds like you are not simply trying to change your congregation, but are walking with your community through an important process of listening, reflecting, and discerning together. I think that kind of patience and care is so important in ministry.
I hope you will continue to trust the process and the relationships you have built with your congregation. Your willingness to hold both the beauty of your community’s heritage and the need for change is already an important part of your ministry. Thank you for doing meaningful work.
The lesson this week helped me name some things that I’ve come to learn about worship through my own lived experiences as well as some of what has brought me here to this program. I grew up going to Catholic masses which are so different from what I experience and know as a Disciple now. While the church I attend now has probably the same amount of structure to it that the masses I attended as a child, there is a sense of warmth, levity, and comfort at my home church that I didn’t get from the Catholic church where I grew up.
First Christian Church of North Hollywood went through a lot of change during the pandemic. Our pastor of 52 years passed away while our church was still closed. When we reopoened it was with an interim minister who had ideas of what worship should look like that didn’t align with everyone at our church. This brought up some big huge feelings with a lot of people and in the end, really showed that our church family had definite ideas of what was important to them in a worship experience. On the other side of that though, I wonder if these things that we feel absolutely have to happen (even down to singing the same final hymn at the end of the service each week) are preventing us from including people who aren’t familiar. Keeping things the same way for comfort could be stopping us from being inclusive to others.
I absolutely LOVE the idea of the dinner worship service and also to see it happen in two different ways. Breaking bread while worshipping allows us to be in discussion with each other and participate together in ways that we can’t do in a traditional worship service. It allows us to share and be an active part of the experience. I can’t do that in the same way if I’m sitting in a pew in what sometimes feels like as an audience member.
We keep hearing that church is changing, that we need to answer the call to change. One thing that brought me to this program was realizing that we can find ways to worship outside of our traditional spaces and the thought of working towards something like that really inspires and excites me. On a Leadership Fellows retreat with HELM, we were up in Seattle and one of the speakers talked about Church of the Wild and how he takes groups of people into the forest once a month to be outside for worship and to be surrounded by the beauty of nature. It was unlike anything I had heard of before and I could hear myself say in my head, “THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO DO!!”. And now I can bring in the thought of a meal too!
Hi Erin- I am familiar with the Church of the Wild! They were trying to connect with the Gwinwood Retreat Center for a service- which I thought the best idea! We were unable to align, but hope to in the future. Haven’t we all (most all… hopefully most people) had that connection out in nature where we meet God… in creation! During the pandemic. First Christian Olympia met every week at Gwinwood out in nature. I found it to be a true connect with others and with God. It was relaxed and sometimes messy which I actually preferred.
I think there is a thin line around having an order and being led by the spirit in term of a worship service. As I’m in a leadership position, I do want to service to move smoothly yet be real in the moment and sensitive to all in the room. I think we can tell when someone is in “performance” mode which can take us all out of worshipping spirit…. And maybe feel more like an audience member as you were speaking of.
Thank you for your post. I can relate- Sometimes I wish we could toss it all out and ... sit.
I’m glad to hear that this week’s lesson has been helpful in expanding your thinking and connecting with your own ministry journey. I really appreciate how you are thinking about the tension between what feels familiar and comfortable for a congregation and what might help create a more welcoming space for others. I know that moving toward change is not always easy, especially when people have strong feelings about what worship should look like. But if there are new ways that can include more people and help the existing community grow, perhaps one of our roles as leaders is to offer different perspectives and experiences and gently open the door to new possibilities. I hope you will continue to explore those possibilities, including worship around a table or even in nature. Your excitement about these new ways of worship is meaningful, and I’m glad this program is giving you space to imagine what might be possible.
What I’m wrestling with a little bit is the difference in tone and approach between the two different dinner church models. Both focus on strangers becoming friends around a shared meal. Both create the opportunity for people to be nourished in body and soul. Both seem to meet a real need in their communities. Both seem like they could be extensions of the subversive meals happening across the Roman Empire in the first century that challenged notions of power and relationship and hierarchy.
But while one is more structured with candles, time for a ‘lesson’ and intentional ways of the whole community taking responsibility for set-up and clean-up, the other is much more casual and looks more like a server/served model where there is less intentional mutuality and the content is more spontaneous. I wish there was more to see or read about each of the models!
One feels a bit closer to the sense of ‘ordered’ worship that follows a particular pattern of unfolding. The other feels a bit closer to the idea that worship can be just a step beyond the reality of living life in community, without the need to follow a single thread together throughout. For me, it would be harder to just prepare the meal and invite people to come, trusting that ‘worship would happen’ without some particular guidance or pastoral leadership on my part. But clearly it is happening! And upon reflection I can see how for others that could be exactly what they need to feel seen, beloved, and held in community; no songs or scripture required.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection. I really appreciated the way you noticed the differences between the two dinner church models, especially your reflection on how much structure or pastoral leadership might be needed for worship to happen.
I can understand why it might feel difficult to simply prepare a meal, invite people, and trust that “worship would happen.” As pastors and religious leaders, we are often used to planning and guiding worship. At the same time, I appreciate your openness to the possibility that worship can happen in ways we may not expect. Perhaps there is something meaningful about creating a space where people can simply gather, share a meal, and experience being seen, loved, and welcomed into community.
I also think your comparison of the two models raises an important question about what is essential for worship and what we have simply become accustomed to. Maybe exploring these different possibilities can help us think more deeply about what people in our communities actually need. Thank you for being willing to wrestle with that question!
DSF CAW Wk 2
Erin Aylor
September 20th, 2026
I shared with Pastor Zavala, but I literally went on a 1-hour rabbit trail reading all about St. Lucia Church because I was so intrigued! The assumptions that church 1) must occur in a “church” building 2) must be on Sunday morning 3) must be led by men 4) must be of the “standard format” 5) must separated food from function for the sake of sacredness (i.e. No food or drinks in sanctuary…just fellowship hall area only!). Even today, it was my commissioning service with Disciples of Christ, and what a joyous occasion! I had some friends and extended family that had come to help celebrate. Because our sanctuary is so formal and historic, my friend Beth said, “Ummm…are you sure it’s ok if I bring my coffee in here with me?” I had to reassure her that it was indeed ok. In addition to these things mentioned, I also was given pause by this in our reading in Ch 3 of Kin-ship:
“God’s spirit falls on teenagers as well as retired folk, on women as well as men, and on those receiving welfare or those earning minimum wage as well as the middle and upper classes of society. Too often children, teenagers, and those in the last decades of their lives are often overlooked or ignored when it comes to the prophetic task of the church. This is true of women and the economically powerless as well. Yet the Pentecost story places these folk at the center as prophets of God.”
I don’t think our tiny church is making the best use of “younger” members in their 30s and 40s. I’d like to see our Lord’s Supper revamped to involve them. Even as close as 7 years ago before Covid-19 put a kink and halt in services across the US, communion was served up on the stage with 4 people participating who passed it. Now, it’s just grab it at the back, and we partake together with a rote set of words and prayer that is the same each week. We can do better. The Lord deserves better. Even though we are so tiny (12-20 on an average Sunday), we must get these few “younger” people involved before we lose them.
I’ve also got a vision to have a 3rd shift sort-of low-key service in a remodeled library area we have. Several square back sofas, some on acoustic guitar, almost like a small group, but gentle sort of service where those working 3rd shift can keep their same sleep schedule. We adjust the service time to best meet their needs…not vice versa. As professor shared in this week’s first video, “Changing worship isn’t about trendiness but about faithfulness to a particular people for a particular place.” Lord, let First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Russellville, AR lean into that…to become aware…to become burdened…to become determined to act. Amen.
Thank you for sharing your excitement and vision so openly! I love how this week’s lesson seems to have moved you from simply questioning assumptions about worship to imagining concrete possibilities for your own congregation.
Your ideas about involving younger members in communion and creating a service for those who work third shifts are especially meaningful. I really appreciate your desire to shape worship around the actual people in your community and their needs.
I hope you continue to nurture these ideas and have the opportunity to explore them with your congregation. Your reflection makes me excited to see what might grow from these small but meaningful changes!