We are a Worshipping People
Dear Friends,
Ever since our formation – and for hundreds of years before – we’ve been concerned with worship. From 1972 we’ve looked at how to resource worship in a church which has few, if any, set liturgies. We’ve wanted to reflect the contexts we’ve found ourselves in and to ensure that our worship is every new yet reflecting our traditions – fresh yet familiar. We’ve done this through hymnbooks and worship resources, through sharing good practice, and taking ideas from places in our wider Reformed family – the Iona Community in particular has shaped our worship. Week after week we gather to worship – in church, at home around a screen, listening on our phones, or reading an order of service printed off for us. We are a worshipping, yet dispersed, people.
In order to help our dispersed people worship we produce a range of resources which can be downloaded and adapted for local use. Worship Notes assist in the careful preparation of worship. They offer all the prayers needed (and some that might not be!), notes on the readings that could be built into a sermon, and suggestions for hymns (which might be used or might stimulate the thinking of those who lead worship). 600 people a week download these notes; hard pressed Elders who haven’t been trained to lead worship as well as busy Lay Preachers and Ministers. Sometimes they spark thoughts, other times they can be used in their entirety, most often selections from them are used to enhance the worship leader’s own ideas. The notes can be found here https://urc.org.uk/your-faith/prayer-and-worship/worship-notes/ They are always produced at least a month in advance, often longer.
This week our notes have been provided by the Rev’d Jenny Mills, Secretary for Education and Learning. Jenny offers a range of prayers, an all age activity it would be wise to practice beforehand (!), notes on the readings and a wide range of hymns to mark Ascension. Each week we also provide sample prayers of intercession. Worship leaders for the Daily Devotion services prepare their material months in advance and so we like to also offer intercessions which reference the readings but also draw in current events. I have prepared this week’s intercessions which can be found just above the box containing May’s Worship Notes.
I hope you find these resources useful – do let us know your thoughts on these resources as you use them.
with every good wish
Andy
The Rev’d Andy Braunston
Minister for Digital Worship
PS June’s notes are now available too.