This isn’t a theological issue: I served under a Humanist senior minister for two years who opened every service with a stirring Call to Celebration that never invoked God specifically, so I know this is possible and even common among us. Nothing stomps my anticipation for a worship service like being informed by a pleasant minister what’s on today’s agenda. Huh? Are you a flight attendant or a worship leader? “Hi, welcome to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of East Overshoe. Too informal is off-putting and confusing. Revise Opening Words that make ridiculous claims for what one hour together in a church sanctuary can do (see: triumphalism, humility).Ħ. Don’t make dramatically impossible claims. Certain phrases (“Circle of caring” is one - it sounds cutesy and even culty to me, and I don’t like the image of a circle, which is closed) need to be jettisoned from our language of invocation to public worship.ĥ. Need I say more? I cringe at Calls to Celebration that make it sound as though the ushers might come around any minute and cuddle everyone in a big blankie. Fair enough! I am grateful to her to this day for sensitizing me to the fact that most folks do not speak “theological.” Make it accessible. I thought it was the theology that she had a problem with, but it turns out that she didn’t know what the word “doctrine” or “sacrament” really meant. This point was brought poignantly home for me when I was discussing a covenant affirmation (the old Griswold covenant) that I loved with a Unitarian Universalist woman who did not like it: High-falutin’ vocab that means nothing to the too many worshipers. The Opening Words shouldn’t differentiate us from the rest of the religious world but articulate and crystallize our most beautiful and cherished values.ģ.
I want them to point us toward something in the spirit of reverence and awe, not to be a Pepsi commercial for Unitarian Universalism. I want the opening words to be beautiful, stirring and hopeful. No more “we’re AWESOME” Invocations for me. How about “we strive to _?” Or better yet, “May we be led here together to _ (works of love/grow compassionate hearts/ receive healing and wholeness)? “Ours is THE FAITH that _ (fill in “saves the world,” “cares about justice,” “rocks the Casbah,” etc.). Oh, how I repent of the times I repeated triumphalist words written by illustrious predecessors now deceased, whose assessment of the gloriousness of our tradition I once agreed with (until I got some experience, ecumenical perspective and humility). Get it said, get it lifted up to God (the Highest) and get on with it!Ģ. Opening Words should have a rhythm and energy to them that draw the gathered community into something. Spare me the kitchen sink Invocation, with its endless, droning phrases and promises.
#Opening prayer for worship archive
I am looking for new selections for my worship archive and hope you will provide some of that inspiration! Here I will enumerate some of those reasons, with the hope that you will contribute your own favorite Invocations or Opening Words in the comment section.
I never use them without serious critical reflection about what they communicate, and over the years have collected, revised and jettisoned opening words for a variety of reasons. Call them what you will: Invocation, Call To Celebration, Call To Worship. I am liturgy geek and deeply despair of the lack of attention to our (sparse) Unitarian Universalist liturgical tradition,* and therefore obsess about the words I use to call the community to worship.
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