Defining some terms

Here are a few notes from the seminar I have presented on the Selah service –

What does it mean to Wait for the Lord?
The Biblical idea of “waiting for the Lord” can be summed up in the phrase: “Surely to God only is my soul dumb.” This idea conveys that I am subject to God Almighty. He has a right to lay on me what he pleases; and what he lays on me is much less than I deserve: therefore am I dumb before God. The Vulgate, and almost all the Versions, have understood it in this sense: Nonne Deo subjecta erit anima mea? Shall not my soul be subject to God? In other words, God alone has a right to dispose of my life as he pleases.

God anticipates us, and Himself arranges the words and form of prayer for us, and places them upon our lips as to how and what we should pray, that we may see how heartily he pities us in our distress. . . Therefore God also requires that you lament and plead such necessities and wants, not because He does not know them, but that you may kindle your heart to stronger and greater desires, and make wide and open your cloak to receive much.
– Martin Luther (1483–1546)

What is Contemplation?
To contemplate is to consider with continued attention; to ponder or meditate on. Part of its Latin origination is com – templum – which is where we also get our word for temple, the ‘sacred precinct’ or space marked out for the observation of auguries – the prophetic divining of the future by observing birds and other animals and their entrails and other parts.

“Finding God” means much more than just abandoning all things that are not God, and emptying oneself of images and desires.

If you succeed in emptying your mind of every thought and every desire, you may indeed withdraw into the center of yourself and concentrate everything within you upon the imaginary point where your life springs out of God:  yet you will not really find God. No natural exercise can bring you into vital contact with Him. Unless he utters Himself in you, speaks His own name in the center of your soul, you will no more know Him than a stone knows the ground upon which it rests in its inertia.

Our discovery of God is, in a way, God’s discovery of us. We cannot go to heaven to find Him because we have no way of knowing where heaven is or what it is. He comes down from heaven and finds us. He looks at us from the depths of His own infinite actuality, which is everywhere, and His seeing us gives us a new being and a new mind in which we also discover Him. We only know Him in so far as we are known by Him, and our contemplation of Him is a participation in His contemplation of Himself.
– From “New Seeds of Contemplation” by Thomas Merton

What is Meditation?
To meditate is to enter a process of organizing one’s thoughts on a particular subject. The word has its origins in the same words that spawned medicine or medical. There are two streams of meditation – similar, yet subtle in their differences. One form emphasizes the intuition and trusts that what one is seeking can be found within themselves. The other emphasizes a process of ordering one’s thoughts on the basis of that which is already known through reading and learning. The Biblical form of meditation seems to combine the two through a process that considers and ponders (“waiting on the Lord”) based on that which has been revealed to us by God in direct and natural revelation.

While both contemplation and meditation are often practiced individually and in private, there is much to be gained and nurtured when they are encouraged corporately in worship with others. One of the major components of Selah and approaches like it is providing ample time for silence and prayer.

What is Prayer?
Prayer is the natural outcome of contemplation and meditation. Its origins imply to entreat or implore. It is the logical response of adoration, confession, supplication and thanksgiving that results from a true consideration of the true reality of God, the creator and author of all.

So when we use the term “contemplative worship,” we are not suggesting a practice that is new to our Christian tradition. Indeed, while many of the acts of worship found in Scripture are celebratory in content and tone, there are many more examples that focus on the contemplation of the heart – as reflected in a pondering of our own standing before a Holy Creator, the contrition of the heart, a faltering of our spirit all leading to the cry of supplication and mercy. To arrive at this true view of reality, is to arrive at what it is to worship.

What is Worship?
Worship, which originates from words meaning to revere that which is worthy of our most true and genuine respect. It is not just singing praises or reciting a creed or ritual but rather a description of the complete process of contemplation, meditation and prayer, as previously defined. In this understanding of the term, true worship is not limited to a period of time set aside during the week, but rather a moment to moment, faith and life-sustaining activity of our minds, hearts and souls.

 

Seminar Selah service & notes

When I talk about the Selah service, it’s always best for people to experience it for themselves. As part of the seminars that I lead on Selah, I include a short service as an example of this expression of worship. Some observations about this service follow.

Quiet is the New Loud:
Using Selah Contemplative Worship in Your Ministry

Introduction –
The word “selah” is found inserted throughout the Psalms. It was most likely a musical term delineating a pause or rest. It is the intention of this service to offer the opportunity to pause and rest together in prayer, song, reflection and worship before God. The silent prayer towards the end of the service is a time to reflect on the songs and readings that have preceded it, to bring our concerns and petitions to the Lord and to rest in God’s mercy and grace towards us as the Body of Christ.

INSTRUMENTAL PRELUDE

RESPONSIVE READING
Leader: For the blessing of our vows and the crowning of our years with goodness,
All: We thank you, Lord.

Leader: For the faith of those who have gone before us and for our encouragement by their perseverance,
All: We thank you, Lord.

Leader: For the fellowship of all your Saints,
All: We thank you, Lord.

SILENCE

Leader: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty;
All: For everything in heaven and on earth is yours.

Leader: Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom;
All: And you are exalted as head over all.
Amen.

BLESS THE LORD
Taizé chorus
Bless the Lord, my soul,
And bless God’s holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul,
Who leads us into life.

PSALM 95: 1 – 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.

COME, THOU FOUNT OF EVERY BLESSING
Hymn (Wyeth / Robinson)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above.

PRAYER
J. Philip Newell
O God of life, of all life, of each life,
I offer you my prayers
In the love of Christ
In the affection of Christ
In the company of Christ
As your own household
desires in heaven
So may I desire on earth this day.

SILENT PRAYER
followed by reciting together THE LORD’S PRAYER

DOXOLOGY
Traditional chorus
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen

CLOSING PRAYER
St. Columba
My dearest Lord.
Be Thou a bright flame before me.
Be Thou a guiding star above me.
Be Thou a smooth path beneath me.
Be Thou a kindly shepherd behind me.
Today and evermore.
Amen.

LIVE IN CHARITY (Ubi Caritas)
Taizé chorus
Live in charity and steadfast love,
Live in charity;
God will dwell with you.

Ubi caritas et amor,
Ubi caritas,
Deus ibi est.

Some notes –
-If possible, present the service in a circle.
-Assign the readings to different people in the group and have them read from where they’re sitting or standing.
-It’s not necessary to use instruments in leading the songs. I often lead with just my voice. But an instrumental prelude can really set the tone of the service.
-Don’t be afraid of pauses in the transitions from readings to songs, etc.
-In the Responsive Reading, the Silence should be at least a couple of minutes long.
-Make the Silent Prayer at least 5 – 6 minutes long. Then begin the Lord’s Prayer so people will know to join you. You may want to specify what version of the prayer that you’ll be reciting (ie. “Forgive us of our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”) before the service begins.
-The Taizé choruses used here can be found in Songs & Prayers from Taizé” from GIA Publishing.
-If the Latin verse of “Live In Charity” intimidates you, don’t worry about singing it.
-I will often close a smaller Selah service by saying “The peace of the Lord be with you.” and inviting the congregation to offer the peace of Christ to one other.

Finally, it’s fairly clear to see that the structure of the Selah service is pretty simple. In creating your own services, I suggest that you try to include the following elements:

-Some sort of Call to Worship, whether it be an opening song or, like here, a responsive reading.
-Several well-placed, simple choruses and/or hymns that lend themselves to this kind of service.
-A reading from the Psalms.
-A period of silent prayer.
-A prayer from the Church tradition or one that someone in your group has written.
-Some sort of closing prayer or benediction.

If possible, do this in a circle.
Assign the readings to different people in the group and have them read from where they’re sitting or standing.
It’s not necessary to use instruments in leading the songs. I often lead with just my voice.
Don’t be afraid of pauses in the transitions from readings to songs, etc.
In the Responsive Reading, the Silence should be at least a couple of minutes long.
Make the Silent Prayer at least 5 – 6 minutes long. Then just begin the Lord’s Prayer so people will know to join you. You may want to specify what version of the prayer that you’ll be reciting (ie. “Forgive us of our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”) before the service begins.
If you are not familiar with the Taizé choruses listed here, you may want to order the book, “Songs & Prayers from Taizé” from GIA Publishing.
If the Latin verse of “Live In Charity” intimidates you, don’t worry about singing it.
I will often close one of these smaller Selah services by saying “The peace of the Lord be with you.” and inviting one another to offer Christ’s peace to each other.

 

Some Selah service nuts & bolts

Creating and presenting your own Selah service needn’t be a complicated process and affair. Keeping your offering of music and readings simple with an emphasis on silent prayer should be your priority. In this article, I’d like to write about some of the ‘nuts and bolts’ in setting up and leading a Selah service.

To project or to print
Once a program sequence is determined, I suggest that you create a program sheet similar to what we’ve included in this book. There are three ways in which you can approach creating this:

1) Create a sheet that contains all of the lyrics and responsive readings that will be included in multiple services. It’s fairly easy for a congregation to find the reference once the song or reading has begun. Choosing songs and readings that are often done in your Selah service allows you to reuse the same sheet.

2) This is the option that I use the most. Put together the music, readings and other prompts such as when silent prayer will be into a two column, double-sided 8.5 x 11” sheet. We’ve used this format in the samples of Selah services included with this book. This allows people to easily follow along and gives them something to take with them after the service.

3) If you have someone in your congregation who is particularly adept at graphics and printing techniques, a Selah program booklet can be created that also includes appropriate artwork. Kathy Hastings used to do this in our original Selah services. People loved having them, but it was a significant amount of work and was costly.

Many churches have elaborate projection systems in their sanctuaries. This obviously allows a Selah service’s contents to be projected in lieu of a printed program. Yet, I’ve found the printed piece to be the more effective course. It will often make more sense to present your Selah in a smaller venue where seating can be set up in a circular configuration (more on this later). Also, having to focus one’s attention on a screen all of the time takes away from other important aspects of Selah worship. I’ve been in several “projected Selahs” where people came up to me afterwards saying that they were afraid to keep their eyes closed and heads bowed because they were afraid of missing something on the screen.

Yet, a projected system does afford the chance to help create an ambience in a Selah service. One church that I have led several Selahs at has two screens that they use to project appropriate images and art that relate to the theme of the particular service. Sometimes, even just one strong image shown during the entire service can add much to a room’s ambience.

Setup & ambience
And, having said that, let’s talk about the ‘room’s ambience’ some more. I mentioned earlier about circular seating. Since Selah’s emphasis is on prayer and contemplation, one’s focus should not be on the people leading music and readings, if at all possible. I recommend a circular seating set up where the musicians and readers are all part of the circle and therefore participants rather than performers. I suggest that the people leading the service think of themselves as worship “prompters” rather than “leaders.” Yes, people do need to know what’s going on, but in this kind of service, a simple prompt is all that necessary. If their attention is constantly on the leader, then material selected is probably not appropriate for a Selah service.

A circle-like seating arrangement also contributes to the idea that we are offering our prayer and worship as a community of believers.

It’s appropriate to create a “focal point” in the inside space created by the circle where a simple alter containing a cross or other appropriate symbol is displayed. Those groups who include religious icons in their form of worship might this to be an opportunity to display a single image of Christ, the Pantocrator (Lord of Creation). Yet, in most cases a simple candle will do.

A side note about chairs, make sure they don’t squeak too much! Also, circular rows can be employed for larger groups. Just make sure that there are not so many chairs set up that no one decides to sit in the first row!

This brings up another logistical suggestion. It’s often appropriate to have a couple of people serve as ushers to hand out programs and encourage people to sit on the inside rows. These ushers can really set an important tone of respecting the silence as people gather for the service. But there is an art in effectively doing this. I remember one Pastor friend of mine asked me to help him establish a Selah service at his church during Lent. He and his wife had done a wonderful job of setting up the space. He felt that he should welcome folks as they came in since this was to be the first time they had ever done anything like this. At that point, his pastor persona took over and there was so much banter at the entry point that the beautiful ambience that he had originally established with the room was undermined by the talking at the doorway.

Paying attention
We are so used to coming into church unprepared for meeting and listening to God. The goal of Selah is to afford people an opportunity to be still with one another before God. Whatever you can do to protect that stillness will be critical to nurturing people’s readiness for prayer and quiet. And, did we mention cell phones? Either in the program or on a sign, ask people to turn these off.

While a Selah service should be a simple affair, the attitude and preparation that the leader (prompter!) brings to it is critical. Let’s talk now about some of the issues involved with musicians and readers.

Music & reading
When I lead the music for Selah, I try to go with the congregation’s strengths. I look for other musicians to include that are not only motivated and competent, but who are willing and able to adapt to the necessary ebb and flow of a Selah service. Many of the choruses we use in Selah are designed to be sung multiple times. What happens in this process is that the simple words of the song begin to penetrate our minds and interact with our silent prayer. Take for example, the phrase spoken by the thief on the cross to Christ, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” As we sing this phrase over and over, these words can have profound meaning to us in our own confession and inner cry for God’s mercy. As a musician playing the accompaniment for this, I must make sure that I don’t get in the way of this process. I have a good friend who is a world-renowned jazz musician. We have often discussed how, for a jazz musician improvising, it is more about what one chooses not to play that is important. He also tells me that the older he gets, the less notes he plays in his solos since it’s more about bringing his life experience (he is a Christian) to the notes that he does play.

I often describe the process of playing a song to other musicians that I’m working with as discovering the shape of the song together. In Selah, the shape is often one of an elongated bump as we begin with simple accompaniment with more development in the middle and then coming back to simple accompaniment or a capella singing at the end. In Selah, musicians must learn to serve the song rather than let the song serve them as it might in a more performance-oriented setting. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can’t bring a high level of musicianship to playing this music. But, like my jazz musician friend, we must express our skill in a more subtle and deeper form.

Readers, too, must bring this kind of approach to reading the scriptures and prayers. Since readings are usually done from wherever the person is seated, it’s important to read clearly, loudly and slowly.

At this point, let me back up a bit on this subject and state clearly that, while we always want to strive for quality in our music and readings, we do perform these tasks to the best of our ability. When I’m leading a Selah service for several thousand people at a Youth Specialties convention, I’m grateful to be doing so with other world-class musicians. But Selah is not dependent on this. For most congregations or small groups, a simple set up of a keyboard, piano or guitar with a few people within the congregation who have been asked to read will be just the thing. Most of time, none of these people are professional musicians or actors. So be it. Yet, the same principles relate to these as they do to professionals – serve the song or reading by playing or speaking in a way that communicates and enhances the words and spirit of the moment.

One more word about choosing readers. When I’m with a group that I’ve never been with before and I haven’t had a chance to meet many of it’s members, I will often stand at the entrance to the Selah room and just ask quietly if a person would like to read one of the prayers or passages of scripture. A person usually has just enough time to read through the passage for themselves once or twice before the service begins and, because they haven’t practiced it to death, will often read with a very natural and spontaneous affect.

With music, it’s different. Be prepared. Don’t be practicing the songs right before the service begins. The more you know the song, the better chance you have of entering into the contemplative nature of Selah as a participant.

Leading by participating
This brings up an observation that I’ve had in my experiences of performing at various churches. I often observe that the “worship group” leading worship in the service is completely disconnected from the congregation itself. They come on stage and “lead worship” and then go back to the green room and wait for the next section or service for their cue often never sitting through an entire service.

One of the reasons that I suggest we musicians be part of the circular seating in a Selah service is that it keeps us participants rather than performers. Yes, we’re indeed performing, but in that respect, everyone is to be “performing” when it comes to worshiping God. The difference is subtle, but there’s a fine line that seems to be quite easy to cross when it comes to leading worship in a church.

Now that I’ve made you completely paranoid about leading, let’s talk about leading. It’s really a fine art, isn’t it? We’ve all been part of services that for one reason or the other, we found ourselves distracted by the person leading.

I’ve already suggested that the Selah leader think of themselves as a prompter. Over time, what you will find is that people will need less and less of this, if you’ve done your job well. We’ve stressed in this book that any speaking during the service should be limited to the readings. Yet, it is not unreasonable to ask people to join you in the singing so that they know to do so. In time, you’ll find that they join you as soon as they think they recognize the song or chorus.

With the nature of utilizing repeating choruses in Selah, the leader has the challenge of discerning when to end. Again, if you think of the shape of the song as an elongated hill, most groups will understand that things are coming to an end by the way the accompaniment is winding down. Yet, if you’re part of a group that loves to sing, don’t be afraid to let a few more verses go by without the instruments. The effect can be quite moving.

Everybody, now!
I was once asked to say the blessing over a dinner we were sharing with about a dozen other folks. I decided to sing the doxology (Praise God from whom all blessings flow…). Little did I know before I began that I many of these folks came from a church background that only sang songs a cappela. These people not only sang the doxology with heart, but also sang it with parts! This little story brings up something that can really enhance a Selah service. If your church has any kind of choral group and, even better, you or someone else is the choral director, working with singers to sing parts and descants with the choruses can really add to the music. Many of the Taizé songs have corresponding descants with the simple, repeating choruses. In the church where we initially developed the Selah service, there was a small group that participated in each rehearsal and learned many of these parts. Of course, singers have to be as flexible as the instrumentalists and they must take the same attitude as being participants as well as performers if you’re going to maintain the communal nature of Selah. But because Selah is so communal, the more people who participate in the various elements of the service, the better.

In fact, there are so many ways for people to participate in the creation of a service like this at your church. One church that I work with here in the Seattle area has a Selah once a month on a Friday evening. Traffic in the Seattle area on Friday is horrendous and for those who work, driving home, eating dinner and then getting over to the church by 7 PM is simply not possible. So, this group provides a simple soup and salad meal prior to the service that is supported by donation. This allows people to drive directly from work and then eat, visit and then prepare to sing and pray together. Of course, this involves a number of willing people to take care of the food and cleanup. Yet, for many of these folks, it’s my observation that they see it as their way to help allow the Selah service to thrive.

Every church and group is different, though, and the rule of thumb with a Selah service is to keep things as simple as possible. As the person or group responsible for presenting the Selah at your church, come prepared, be creative, include as many folks as you can, but never let the service become such a burden to present that you no longer can enter in as a true participant.

 

Remembering – notes on using the Christian calendar.

In all church traditions, weekly worship is determined by following some form of the Christian calendar. Yet, many of us are unaware of the rich tapestry of story and hope that the Christian calendar truly offers us. Aside from celebrating Christmas and Easter, many us miss out on many of the other significant remembrances that give meaning and form to our faith in Christ.

Many of the Selah services that I lead follow the themes and observances of the Christian calendar. When we observe some of these ‘feasts’ and celebrations together, we are remembering with all our brothers and sisters in Christ not just in present times, but also those who make up the “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12).

The following notes I’ve compiled for my own use in designing Selah services and are offered as a resource. I utilized many sources, yet they are not exhaustive and several of the feasts and observances I have left out, with respect to my brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Feel free to post your own ideas and suggestions in the “Christian Calendar” section of the Selahservice blog.

Ash Wednesday
This is one of the most important observances in church traditions since it marks the beginning of the Lenten season (see more on Lent below). It is a day of repentance and confession before God culminating with worshippers being marked on the forehead with a cross made from the ashes symbolizing death and the sorrow for our sin. The tradition draws from the Old Testament practice of covering one’s head with ashes and wearing sackcloth such as Daniel when he prays before God in the midst of Jerusalem’s great suffering (Daniel 9).

The ashes are traditionally made from the remains of the pervious year’s burned palm crosses used for Palm Sunday (note the powerful symbolism of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is followed by his crucifixion). The ashes are usually mixed with a small amount of anointing oil. Both of these are readily available at a church supply store (or online: www.cokesbury.com).

The symbolism in the Ash Wednesday observance is powerful. The ashes remind us that death will come to each one of us and is the direct result of our great sin and unrighteousness. Yet, the mark of the cross made with these same ashes counters this great sorrow with the hope that Christ’s sacrifice will atone for all that we lack resulting in true righteousness and eternal life.

For many believers who have not grown up in a Roman Catholic or Episcopalian tradition, Ash Wednesday may be something completely new. Therefore it’s important that the symbolism is properly explained. There are a couple of simple ways to present this service using few words. A short homily can begin the service explaining the background of its observance. Also, a brief paragraph or two could also suffice in the printed service bulletin or projected on the screen as people enter. Finally, the Minister or worship leader could integrate brief comments during the part of the service when participants are marked on the forehead.

We wholeheartedly encourage you to try to observe this meaningful service to help prepare your church for Holy Week and Easter.

Language to use in the service…

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality.

The minister or priest marks each worshipper on the forehead, and says, “remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” or a similar phrase based on God’s sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19.

The Season of Lent
Lent, (from the old English word “to lengthen” corresponding with Spring days becoming longer), is the period of forty days leading up to the culmination of the Easter. For many in the Christian tradition, Lent is a significant time of personal reflection, repentance and fasting. The most important days of observance during this season happen during the final week leading up to the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection. They are Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Historically, both the Western and Eastern traditions observe Lent but they count the forty days differently (the West excludes Sundays while the Eastern tradition includes them). Western churches start Lent on the 7th (Ash) Wednesday before Easter Day while the Easter churches mark what they call “Great Lent’ beginning on the Monday of the 7th week prior to Easter and end it on the Friday 9 days before Easter.

No matter how your own church chooses to observe the Lenten season, it’s a wonderful time to offer more contemplative based services to prepare ourselves for Easter. One idea for a unique service that occurs during Lent is to create a service based on the ministry of St. Patrick (March 17).

While Palm Sunday begins Holy Week on a celebratory note, the rest of the week leading up to the joy of Easter day is quite solemn. A Selah-type service is most conducive for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We’ve noted that both of these days are gaining ever-growing attention from Christian traditions that in the past rarely emphasized their observance.

Maundy Thursday
A Selah service observing Maundy Thursday (also known as “Holy Thursday”) is another rich opportunity for your church to ‘remember’ the significant details of Christ’s great sacrifice for our sin. The word “maundy” comes from Jesus’ command to love one another on the evening of the last Passover supper that he would celebrate with his disciples. It was also that night in which Christ was to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Often a Maundy service culminates with a symbolic washing of the feet imitating the act of humility Christ made in washing the disciples feet. We have seen this ceremony done with great symbolic effect as ministers and other Christians who are leaders wash the feet of others signifying that we are all equal and of value in God’s kingdom.

Good Friday
The day when true “goodness” was given to mankind was the day when God suffered great pain and humility. And while there has always been much discussion and dissension in the church’s long history on displaying an image of our Lord hanging on the cross, on this afternoon (typically between Noon and 3pm) if not literally displayed, it must be so at least in our mind’s eye.

Again, a simple service without many words, lends itself wonderfully to this observance of the Creator’s great sacrifice for his created. The seven last “words” of Jesus usually provide the form of this somber, yet terribly “good” observance. They are as follows:

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
(Luke 23:34)

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:43)

“Woman, here is your son…. Here is your mother”
(John 19:26)

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
(My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?) (Mark 15:34)

“I am thirsty”
(John 19:28)

“It is finished”
(John 19:30)

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”
(Luke 23:46)

We have observed Good Friday services where too much was attempted. However you arrange this, keep it simple, quiet and let the power of the ultimate good in Christ’s sacrifice carry the day.

The Feast of the Annunciation
Many of us who have grown up in the American Protestant tradition don’t know what to do with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Obviously, there are great differences on this subject in the theological traditions of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Be that as it may, there is no excuse for any believer to disregard the significance of the story of the annunciation for it marks the actual incarnation – nine months before His birth – of Christ.

This festival, it’s origins dating back to the 5th century AD, also retells one of the most extraordinary exchanges between heaven and earth represented in the exchange between the angel, Gabriel and the virgin Mary. Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message that she will bear the “Son of the Most High” (Lu. 1:32) is one of the great proclamations of faith in the Scriptures:

“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Lu. 1:38)

Later in the narrative, upon being prophetically greeted by her relative Elizabeth (herself pregnant with John the Baptist), Mary responds with what is often referred to as “the magnificat (the exalting)”:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to His offspring forever. (Lu. 1:46b-55)

This story should inspire all believers as they grapple with the daily experience of life with the personal calling that Christ has given each one of us. Integrating the text from the first chapter of the gospel of Luke with other contemplative elements, particularly silent prayer signifying our need to wait for the Lord, can offer a rich opportunity for a congregation to experience God’s design and purpose in each of our lives.

Pentecost
Celebrated on the Sunday fifty days after Easter, Pentecost marks the birth of the Christian church. There is a rich tradition of music and symbols that has been handed down to all believers that hearken the coming of the Holy Spirit. The occasion is one for celebration but humility as well, as we gratefully acknowledge God’s true presence in our lives through His Spirit.

A Sunday evening Selah-type Pentecost service is an effective way to remember this significant event in our history with the Lord.

All Souls’ Day
Our Western contemporary culture has a tragically confused understanding of death. Our many movies and newscasts attest to the fact that we’re obviously fascinated by it. But when the reality of death touches our lives, most of us are simply unprepared to deal with it.

Yet, the message of the Gospel is that death is the doorway to true life. Add to this great reality the rich Christian tradition of those “cloud of witnesses” that have lived and believed before us and you begin to understand and appreciate the feast day of All Souls.

All Saints Day (also known as All Hallows’ Day) celebrated on November 1st, traditionally was when many church traditions remembered the saints and martyrs. All Souls Day, which was celebrated on the day after All Saints, commemorated the faithful departed. The two days were combined with the traditional pagan New Year celebration of Samhain (more popularly known as Halloween, October 31st) into Hallowmass.

The word hallow means “to bless” and for the past several years, I have been blessed to be part of a Selah that combines the All Souls and All Saints celebrations into a single service. Scriptural passages and familiar texts attesting to God’s testimony of faith in those believers who have lived before us are combined with music, prayer and the chance to light a candle representing the life of someone we have known that God used to hearten us in our own belief and faith.

An All Souls’ Selah service will give your group or congregation an opportunity to not only remember God’s faithfulness but the faithfulness of others as they lived out their lives. It also allows us to properly acknowledge death but to see it in it’s redemptive and hopeful context as people of faith.

The Season of Advent & Christmas
For most of human history, darkness and the contrasting light of the sun have held great significance for people who spent most of their time outdoors and thus greatly affected by the seasons. Thus, for many who revered and even worshipped the sun, the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21st) marking the beginning of days growing longer in the dead of winter, was truly something to celebrate. For the Norsemen of Northern Europe, the sun was a great wheel that changed the seasons. Their word for it was “houl” which is probably where the word “yule” comes from. The Romans marked this “yuletime” by celebrating for seven days in honor of their god Saturnalia (from the sun god, Saturn). Many of the decorations and customs that we associate with Christmas originated from these early cultures’ midwinter celebrations.

Because of the association with pagan celebrations, the church as always had mixed feelings about this time of year. Indeed, it was not until Pope Julius 1 in the 4th century AD even set the date for Christ’s birth at December 25th largely as an attempt to Christianize the many pagan celebrations during this time of year. Just over 200 years later, December 25th became a civil holiday along with the 12 days following leading up to Epiphany (see below). It was also around this time that the tradition of the nativity scene began when Pope Sixtus III had a crib built in Rome.

How Christians have observed Christmas over the centuries has greatly ebbed and flowed. Much of our modern day celebration with it’s materialistic emphasis is devoid of even an understanding of the original pre-Christian symbols that we decorate our homes, stores and churches with. Yet the fact remains that Christmas represents the great fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah. The representation of a great light dawning into our world of darkness is a powerful metaphor for Christ’s birth into human history. It is this story – with all of its richness, significance, wonder and joy – that we must proclaim and represent in our churches during this time.

The Advent season (“coming” in Latin) is not unlike the Lenten season leading up to Easter with it’s emphasis on preparation and personal reflection leading up to Christmas. The Selah format lends itself well to the observance of Advent which begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30th and continues with each Sunday leading up to December 25th. Songs, carols, readings and silent prayer all focusing on the Christmas story and symbolized each week with the lighting of the Advent candle make for a simple, yet profound and meaningful opportunity to prepare ourselves for Christmas day.

Epiphany
The ‘twelfth night’ of the twelve days of Christmas, Epiphany (from the Greek word “to show”), celebrates the revealing of Jesus to the world. The Eastern church tradition celebrates Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist as well as His birth while the Western tradition associates it with the visit of the Magi (wise men) to Christ when He was two years old. For some, Epiphany completes the Christmas cycle, but several Protestant traditions use Epiphany (January 6th) as a transition to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

Candlemas
Traditionally the highly ritualistic observance of Candlemas (February 2nd) has connections with pre-Christian observances marking the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In some church traditions, this ‘festival of light’ commemorates the ritual presentation of Jesus to God in the temple of Bethlehem where He was met with his parents by the prophetic voices of Anna and Simeon who would call him “a light of revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:21-40). A Candlemas Selah service offers your congregation or small group an opportunity to remember the light of Christ in the physical darkness of the late winter and to revel in His offer of salvation to all people.