Leading worship

With most of the clergy still away on holiday, I was again called upon to lead the two morning services today.

The 9:30 went generally well, except that I made the congregation stand for the confession and forgot to lead them in the rsponses to the creed.

The 11:00 was more of a muddle. I wasn't sufficiently prepared, spent to much time chatting between the services so I didn't have time to check everything was in place, and ad-libbed too much without knowning what I was really trying to say, so it came out as a mumble.

But I am still alive, and the clergy will be back soon!

Heavy Sunday

Not posted for a while - too busy.

Being unemployed:

• Church thinks I can prepare sermons and servises 24 hours per day
• Jobcentre thinks I can hunt for jobs 24 hours per day
• Mrs thinks I can be super-house-husband 24 hours per day
• Mrs thinks I can babysit 24 hours per day
• Mrs thinks that I can talk to her 24 hours per day

...plus, I'd like a bit of time to myself please, to do all the things I've wantd to do but not had the time!

Anyway - today the bulk of the church is at New Wine. Guess who get's to man the fort?

9:30 service - lead the service and preached (If 'speak' goes to 'spoke' why doesn't 'preach' go to 'proach'?)

11:00 service - lead the service and preached

6:30 service - lead the service and stood in for the duty warden, who has gone to New Wine without arranging anyone to swap duties. Well, it would have been me anyway!

Great Sunday

Today has been a day of God's blessing.

I thought it was going to go horribly wrong. I was double booked, being on warden duty as well as leading the 9:30 service. Half the welcome team didn't turn up, so I had to recruit a spare sidesperson to stand in as steward and rearrange the communion adminsitrators. But once I was on the patform things fell into place more, and the service ran very smoothly. THe assistant mininster preached prophetically. Outstanding.

She preached the same sermon in the seocnd service, which turned out to be exactly the right message for one visitor - the daiughter of one of our members who has been praying for her to come for 12 years, and today was the answer to that prayer. (PS - the sermon was on perseverence in prayer)

The evening service took the form of 'extended worship' - cynically, a sing-song which requires little preparation. But the cynic rarely speaks for God - and every song was directly relevant to my situation - thanks for provision, learning to trust, obeying, etc. Yes - even that order was significant.

So praise the Lord, who dug me out of an awkward position this morning, and who spoke to me in the evening confirming his calling to ordination.

Church duties

Last sunday was my turn to lead the prayers at our 9:30 service. It was OK, but rather dry, and no one commented afterwards.

This week, since the vicar is away, I have been dumped with leading the 9:30 service, which being a communion one this time will be different and I don't know what I am supposed to be doing at all. Heeelllppp!

Then on Monday, I am speaking at or Bible Study - so I have to speak for 1 hour on the detail in James chapter 5. As usual, you learn more by dong the study for the sermon than just by listening to other people's contributions on other nights.

James has given rise to an almighty row brewing between the clergy at the church, some of whom believe in 'the assurance of salvation' while others believe that you can lose your salvation if you don't persevere to the end. So the next Bible Study session (after mine) looks likely to be a presidential style debate between the two main protagonists. I'm not sure this is a helpful format! I've told both sides to read 'Justification' by Tom Wright, whihc explains how the two views can be brought together.

Tight schedule

This Sunday - lead 9:30 service (Technically 'Lead worship', which we rightly take to mean the whole service, but I omit the word 'worship' to avoid you thinking I am running a singalong, as some peolpe seem to think worship is limited to)

Next Sunday - lead intercessions at 9:30 service.

Following Sunday - lead 9:30 service, distribute comunion at 11:00 service, preach at 6:30 service.

Have I done enough preparation? No

The sermon is on Phillipians 4 v 1-9.....ie think of something original to say about Euodia and Syntyche for the regulars, while covering the basics for new people, and while not getting too focused on the famous bits of the passage since there is other stuff there too. Plus, make it lively enough for the youth targeted by the service without losing the older people who come.

Leading Worship 9:30 service on 18th

I have to lead the 9:30 service on Sunday. I'm not too worried about leading it in general terms, but it is my first time leading at this church and its not my normal service and so there is always the worry that I will do something tahat upsets one of the regulars. Plus, it is mothers' day and there will be an extra bit to give flowers to all the ladies, and ladies will be asked to do some of the bits to make it a more feminine oriented service. All good stuff, except that i am of the testosterone variety.

I like the way the role is called "Leading Worship" ... so often people think this just means playing the guitar during the songs or running the music group, but really it should be the whole service that is 'worship'.