Christianity for the Rest of Us

Index	Chapter Summary	Commentary	Discussion Notes
Summary Notes - Mike Trew
Diane Butler Bass and I. Jesus in the House. Looking for 'vital worship', the 'frozen chosen'. Mainline churches have been seen as 'boring'. We are looking for 'awe and wonder'. We are to invite people to sense of openess and attentiveness; be centred around expereience, not just the message; assume everything is sacred, and can be used within the service. 'Head vs Heart' is difficult to maintain over longer period of time and difficult to pass on. It is an experence of God we seek and not one about God. We look for celebration. She raises the question of ritual in liturgy. Preaching she says needs spiritual as well as practical emphasis.
Commentary - Worship and Reflection at St. David's - Mike Trew (powerpoint presentation)
My Journey. From childhood in church, sunday school and music Mike grew up as many do in a church family in Westminster UC in Regina. Later while living in Saskatoon, he decided he was not ready for confirmation. He was looking for something within himself. He left the United Church to join a young peoples group in the Anglican Church. He found in the Anglican church he learned about liturgy. In the United Church liturgy is more in the background and hard to see. He became a licensed lay reader while in his 20's. Music has always touched him as nothing else. Mike came to the United Church in 84. He has been involved in the music, drama, worship committee, in obtaining the projector and other aspects. What then is worship? It involves Approach/Invocation, The Word, Sermon/Proclamation, Offering (money talents music), Prayers, Benediction/Sending into the World. There is a flow, an energy of experience. It has aspects of visual, auditory and voice, mind (teaching, interpretation, discussion), heart and spirit and body, observation, engagement, experience of god-with-us, response and action. What I think I'm looking for. Engagement of my whole self (mind, voice, singing, eyes), sense of wholeness in experience - of one part connecting with the rest. Sense of Wholeness in experience - of one part connecting with the rest. Help me understand the connections between the different parts. We don't do this so well... Invitation to recognize Sacred Space moment of Quiet, moment of joyful celbration, regret and regret and forgiveness, knowing i am not alone, and honest place with myself, community to share this with, community for my children to return and share. Reflection - Thinking Theologically Honor the experience of God by finding a different way to live my life. Reading the bible - not a strength in UCC - seriously but not literally. looking for the big answer, knowing it ain't that simple - looking to see life differently talking about hot button issues - intellectual liveliness spiritual inquisitiveness head, heart, spirit, intellect, tradition, questioning don't pit our minds against our hearts. liberal protestantism - able to question need biblical literacy important to connect thoughts - words, action. My Reflections. This group is what this is about - coal to newcastle. I need: god to love metaphor, to be able to live with "i don't know', God to be relevant to my life, for glimpses of God to make some sense, to carry this into the week. United Church has not been good for me in areas of: bible study, focus on what is written, setting expectations, discipline, prayer work, reaching out ot youth in their 20's and 30's. United Church has been good for me in areas of: accepting people, accepting our minds as gifts of god, giving me a spiritual home, leaving the guilt behind in my searching - be it learning to meditate or reading Depak Chopra and the Dali Lama.
Summary of Discussion Notes after Small Groups
There was a lot of "I feel that way too" from the group after Mike's presentation. Wayne having come from a Lutheran liturgical background found that Mike's talk hit all the points. Peter from an Anglican background finds the UCC too casual, yet Anglicans are perhaps too solemn. Georgiana was from a Catholic background. She found communion a high point of the service when the priest gave the host to you. But she finds the UCC gives acceptance and the right to explore. Bonnae, from a Baptist background, remembers the Baptist communion as being a lot of reverent silence. She remembers the moment of eating the bread together. Solemn is nice. UCC offers silence only infrequently. Mike. We are good at accepting, but not good at expecting. Dianne. Also from UCC to Anglicans to UCC. While with Evangelicals, she enjoyed bible study. For them, the bible was a place of answers. Deb. From Catholic to UCC. We value the ability to question. Larry appreciated the presentation. UCC was "nothing" for him. He had experience with the Pentacostals and Fundamentalists as neighbours and when he had TB and was confined to the sanitorium, the pressing visits of the religious right - all very sure of the 'answers". The bible was a door of understanding for him. He found himself getting a B of Divinity to learn more. Like Mike he likes the spiritual voices of our time - like the Delai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. Mike. Part of the trouble is that "seriously not literally" is subtle. A wee testimony. Becoming a psychiatrist was a steady opening of doors he considers in retrospect as God's guidance. He actually planned to be a marine biologist! Faith expresses itself in work. "Called or Uncalled - God is here" - a latin plaque in Mikes office. Wayne. a word of testimony. In 18 years he has never spoken publicly of this, but he'd like to thank Mike. In 1988, Wayne needed help and Mike broke through. Wayne is very grateful. Deb asks Dianne respecting the worship theme. Dianne left Anglicans to the UCC because of marriage and because of music. Music is always the focus. Music and Message need to be coordinated in worship. Sometimes it is not well done. It's rare that both music and words match. The UCC seems afraid of silence. The young don't participate much in worship. Parkdale United had 2 sessions and provided worship on other nights. Wayne remembered the 2 service era with "traditional" and "modern" music, and how the general lesson was to integrate, not separate.

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