July 15, 2018 - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - Today's Worship

There was the debut performance of a new piece Matt Weiers and I collaborated on writing called We Congregate. Shirley, Matt and I led the congregation in the music.

We Congregate

Sometimes our hearts are shaky, at times our faith feels strong.

We gather here for worship we congregate and belong.

We congregate! We congregate! We congregate!

We gather here and belong.

We listen when God's silent, and when God's voice is strong.

We gather now to hear and reply to God in our song.

We congregate! We congregate! We congregate!

Reply to God in our song.

Sometimes our hearts are iron, it's hard to sacrifice,

But when we act together, we are the body of Christ.

We congregate! We congregate! We congregate!

We congregate and belong.

This is part of a liturgy that Matt is currently writing for Creator. The title was my homage and nod to a beautiful and plaintive Rocco DeLuca song Congregate released in 2014. I felt like performing DeLuca's song, even with the talent and instruments to do it, would not connect with many Creator members who prefer light, joyous and up-tempo songs with energy.

Like today's Gospel about King Herod, DeLuca's lyrics to Congregate shifts our focus to what should be the importance of our Sundays together. DeLuca's words depict the lights going out, the storms coming, the ground shaking but the refrain offers it's own faith:

And I will help you.
'Cause you will help me through
The trouble at the gates of this heart

The lyrics today hopefully shift their focus as well. Trying to make our purpose in life about the faith we may or may not have in our creeds inevitably leads us to viewing any doubts we may have with guilt. We live our life floating between the first verse, "Sometimes our hearts are shaky" and the last, "Sometimes our hearts are iron." When the lights go out, the storms come, the ground shakes or when a beheading happens there will be trouble at the gates of the heart.  We are very unlikely to avoid every crisis in life will have us encounter but we can help each other through at those times.

For Children's Time the Day Camp Lutherwood leaders taught us a Day Camp song with accompanying motions. Like We Congregate part of the participation was in unison clapping.

Trey put together a photo presentation of this summer's ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston.which included our Creator contingent and what they did.