From the Chaplains
Why Do Gorillas Wear Red Socks?
As a Uniting Church school our girls and staff attend chapel each week. This is a time of where they are encouraged to reflect on their place in the world as those made in the image of God, and invited to think of things beyond themselves that need care and compassion.
Most will have noticed that there is a flow or a similarity between each service. I thought it might be helpful to explain this, using a simple memory verse that I was taught during my Ministry training – ‘Gorillas Wear Red Socks’ or ‘Gather’, ‘Word’, ‘Respond’ and ‘Send’.
In the Uniting Church we use a term called ‘Ordered Liberty’ for all worship services. The idea is that we use a simple structure, inherited and developed since the time of the early church that allows for creative expression that suits the context or audience. This approach allows worship to be offered in many different styles whilst ensuring the essential elements passed down through our tradition since the establishment of the early church are maintained and valued. Though not the same, writing a service of worship is something like arranging a song with the familiar building blocks of intro, verse, chorus, etc. or perhaps even writing an essay with and introduction, body and conclusion.
In each worship service we are invited to:
- Gather in God’s Presence
- Listen for God’s Word
- Respond to God in Love
And at the conclusion of the service we are
- Sent into the world as the People of God to serve
All of these things can be done in unique combinations of many elements including through spoken word, creative expression and music, depending on the preferences and options available to the gathered community. Generally this will be held together with a central theme.
Gathering happens at the very beginning of the service. Formally this may include things such as the ‘Acknowledgement of Country,’ ‘Call to Worship,’ ‘Prayer of Invocation’ and ‘Prayers of Thanksgiving and Confession.’ This is a time for us to settle and to open ourselves up to the presence of God among us. We acknowledge each other as community, we recognize and give thanks for the things that we have been thankful for since the last time we gathered and, we honor and share the sadnesses and regrets that we bring with us into the space, so that burden of these things is shared with God and each other. During this stage of worship we are preparing ourselves to hear what God has to say to us today, by letting go of the week that has been.
Once we are ready, we listen to the Word of God.
During this time someone will read one or more passages from the Scriptures, and this will be followed by a ‘reflection’ which is also sometimes called a ‘message’ or ‘sermon.’ During the reflection the ‘preacher’ or person/s presenting will prayerfully unpack the passage.
To prepare the ‘Preacher’ or person leading this section uses a variety of methods and styles including, but not limited to:
- studies of scholarly sources and interpretations
- prayer
- analysis of current events
- conversation and creative expression
What you hear in your heart during this time may be very different from the message that the preacher intends. We believe that these differences are the beauty of the Holy Spirit breathing the Word of God into the community.
Responding to the Word is the next step in our journey of Worship together. We use this time to begin to think about what we might do as God’s people with the what we have heard.
This may include the prayers of Intercession (also called the prayers of the people) where we pray for the world and our community.
It may also include the sharing of Holy Communion and the collection of a financial or alternative ‘offering’ for the work of the church in the world.
To conclude or worship, we are blessed and Sent into the world to be God’s hands and feet in our community where we respond more fully and actively to the words that we have heard. This may include a benediction that specifically reminds us of our commitment to serve, and/or words of encouragement and love. Sung blessings, where the community sings words of encouragement to one another are common here.
Next time you are in chapel, or perhaps visiting your local church I invite you to take time to see if you can identify the ‘ordered liberty’ that has been used, using the Gorillas Wear Red Socks or Gather Word Respond Send approach to ‘Ordered Liberty.’
If you have any ideas for how we enhance any or all these essential elements to our worship together, please don’t hesitate to share them with the Chaplaincy team.
Cass Blake
College Chaplain