Worship: New Traditions

New earth there seemed to be.
I saw the Holy City, beside the tideless sea.
The light of God was on its streets, the gates were open wide – 
And all who would might enter – and no one was denied.”

“The Holy City”

Stephen Adams, James Blackwood, and F E Weatherly, 1892

“Keeping the Tradition in a Brand-New Way”.

One of the creative challenges of the Pandemic of 2020-2021 has been to re-discover the richness of new ways to “be church”.

Remembering that: “separation is not isolation, as we are all united by the love of God”  truly to heart, the church has been on a remarkable quest to reach out, support, and gather as the Body of Christ in the last few years.

This journey is not new, as the church has always seen that revitalizing and redefining who we are brings renewed opportunities to engage our mission – and reach out in Christ’s love and service.

For over twenty years the author has worked with digital media to create innovative worship environments on the parish and diocesan level to uplift traditional liturgy in creative and reverent ways. It has brought together the gifts of many volunteers, creating liturgies based on a variety of gifts and callings to ministry.

Each have reverently emphasized inclusion – both of new generations looking to engage for the first time, older generations seeking ways to remain connected, and the “differently-abled” of every generation with their own unique challenges and blessings.

These liturgies have taken the form of “The CORNERSTONE” project (2000-2011) in Dayton, Ohio and the “GENTLE WORSHIP experiment (2015-2016) in Columbus, Ohio.

Blending the liturgical richness of such resources as Enriching Our Worship, New Zealand Prayerbook, Church of England Contemporary Collects, and Praying the Seasons, we have attempted to blend gifts with needs for empowerment of the Gospel: “Keeping the Tradition in a Brand-New Way”.