Here are some other ways to
interpret the stations of the cross as an ecumenical experience: • Invite visual artists from each congregation to make a banner depicting each station. Have the banners hung on poles and take your service outdoors. Walk on a path through your commu- nity, stopping at various points to view the banner and read the corresponding Scriptures.
• Provide a meditative experience in your sanctuary, chapel, or multipurpose space. Set up “sta- tions” for each reading. Provide a copy of guided meditations for each station along with the Scripture verse. Include a tactile representation of the text that can be picked up and explored. Include artwork that depicts each station. Provide quiet, med- itative music and allow people to come at their own leisure.
Tenebrae: T e service of darkness lends itself well to an
ecumenical experience. Our United Methodist Book of Worship contains an order of service for Tenebrae based upon the gospel of John. T e service moves from light to darkness. With each successive reading, a candle is extinguished. Clergy or laypersons from each congregation can be assigned to proclaim each passage. Intersperse each reading with an appropriate hymn or anthem. You might con- sider having an ecumenical choir that learns all the anthems or in- viting each church to bring an arts group (choral ensemble, handbell choir, dance group, etc.) to provide an anthem that is appropriate to the text.
Sing the Lord’s Song: If you
review the lectionary readings (for any year), the psalms contain much lament. In fact, the psalm appointed for Good Friday is Psalm 22, a classic lament that includes words Jesus spoke from the cross. A service of worship could be orga- nized around these psalms of lament, invit- ing pastors or laypersons to provide homilies or meditations based on the psalms. One might be able to organize an entire service based on Psalm 22 with the psalm being di- vided into stan- zas for preach- ing, singing, and prayer.
Taizé:
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More and more denominational hymnals are including music
from this community of faith. T e beauty of a service like this is that it lends itself well to ecumenism. Invite instrumentalists from dif- ferent congregations to form the “house band.” Many arrangements of Taizé music include parts for various instruments including guitar, cello, fl ute, and clarinet. Assign a chant to each church, and have their choir learn the optional descants. Invite the choirs from all churches to learn the chants ahead of time so that the rich harmonies speak fully to the soul. Encourage lay and clergy participation in the reading of Scripture and prayer. T e rhythms of silence, prayer, meditation, and singing speak across all denominations.
I hope these ideas help to
spark your creativity. To imple- ment any or all ideas requires the work of clergy, musicians, and all other worship artists. Ecumeni- cal services require sensitivity to denominational practices. When done well and approached with a spirit of ecumenism as well as those things which unite us, these services of worship can be quite powerful and remind us of the power of God in the history of salvation.
Fellowship member THE REV. JAY REGENNITTER is pastor of
Morningstar and
West Olive Faith United Methodist churches, Bloomington-Normal, IL. In addition to his responsibilities of preaching, teaching, and adminis- tration, Jay leads the music min- istry at Morningstar UMC, which includes vocal and handbell choirs for youth and adults and their praise band. He is the Worship Arts Areas Coordinator for The Fellowship.
January-February 2014 • WorshipArts •
www.UMFellowship.org
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