Worship – A Coming Together of Spirit and Details

Glenn Matteson   -  

Prayer, spiritual tutelage, service, benevolence, and fellowship…key ingredients in today’s church experience. Together, these aspects offer an emotional foundation, a balm for the soul. All are pulled together in worship. In my mind, worship is the glue that connects all these.

There’s a comfort level in the familiar rituals we observe in worship. It is an orchestrated production of the Word, sacraments, music, and prayer. Through all the years I have attended White Memorial worship services, I took much of it for granted. Knowing bible readings always precede the sermon, then a hymn, the doxology follows the collection, etc., all themed together to provide comfort. Worship service affords a sense of community to experience together. It strengthens social bonds and offers a sense of security.

Years ago I was recruited onto a now-defunct committee (pre-K…that’s pre-Karl) which focused on the musical aspects of the worship service. While serving on that committee, I had a peek behind the curtains at the planning and execution that goes into a worship service at White Memorial. Besides following the Presbyterian lectionary calendar, we delved into the details that committees often do. Perhaps a little too much, hence, the “now-defunct” status of that particular committee. Nonetheless, it gave me a clue into what is involved with the music planning and hymn selection. I was intrigued.

I then had the privilege of becoming a deacon. My compulsive sense of organization fit well with the usher and deacon scheduling for the services. That role brought me to the all-inclusive worship committee, where all aspects of worship are planned and addressed. I finally understood the structure of a worship service. Have you ever wondered how a worship service usually ends everytime, well, almost everytime, on time? Karl and Kirsten time everything to the second! That includes baptisms, communion, children’s choir, sermons, bible readings, prayers, offering collections, hymns, flowers, paraments and seasonal specialties like Advent and Easter decor. We have dedicated people focusing on all these parts as well as non-worship components like weddings, funerals, concerts and special events.

This preparation makes for a seamless flow of elements that reinforce the theme of the Word and the sermon. We even have two distinct flavors of worship offered in the sanctuary and On-Point. All of it comes together to provide an important aspect of “Church” (capital C). None of it is possible without our continued generosity.

Glenn Matteson, Chair of the 2023 Worship Committee