This Sunday we celebrated creation as a whole congregation, bringing together the Crossings folks and the traditional service worshipers. The music and worship styles were blended. To me, it felt like true celebration of what it means to be a community that reflects God's creation through our own creativity.
The service began with a call and response song "Come let us worship God" which we have traditionally done with the piano. For this service, Mary led the call, I led the response and Don and Jerry play African rhythms on the Djembe.
We then sat down to listen to Leanne lead us through a "Godly Play" creation story. Godly play is our new Sunday school curriculum which is Montessori based and allows children to explore faith through stories and questions.
After our Godly play, we all got up and danced and clapped our hands, as Jerry led us on "Wake up my soul." My seat was in front with the musicians and from that vantage point I could see a see of smiles as people let the music move them.
We then read the creation story one day at a time. Between each of the readings I sang a calypso song to which the congregation responded "It was good, it was good, it was real good.
"In the beginning.. God said let there be light" with this, the alter guild brought forth a lit candle.
"And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." God called the expanse "sky."" The alter guild brought forth blue banners representing the sky.
"And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." Jeff placed small cups of water and the congregation brought the water forward and filled the baptismal font.
"Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." The alter guild brought forth potted plants.
"And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,
" Around the outside of the room were several tables with candles on them. Each person got to go light a candle.
" And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."" Under many of the chairs were placed stuffed animals which people brought forward and placed around the alter.
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."" We joined hands and sang together.
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." Perhaps the most touching of them all. On this day, we raised our hands and sang in celebration of creation... imagine a bunch of Lutherans raising their hands and dancing in church. One Sunday, in Davis California, it really happened.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
