So, this Sunday should be an interesting one at Cullman First UMC. First of all, we're moving the traditional service into Hearin Hall, the Fellowship Hall where we normally have contemporary worship. Normally we have 3 services (traditionals at 8:30 and 11 in the sanctuary and contemporary in Hearin Hall), but now we'll have just the 8:30 traditional and 11 contemporary. The sanctuary is currently filled with scaffolding and such for the installation of the new organ, so everybody will be trying out Hearin Hall.
This wouldn't be such a big deal were it not for the fact that this will be the first Sunday that I'll be flying solo at both services. Bob, the senior pastor, will be in Atlanta helping his daughter move into her dorm at Emory. So, I'll get to try to comfort all the traditional folks who are kind of freaked out by the contemporary setting. We did move a pulpit in and are going to have a more decorated altar than normally. We've also gotten about 10 pews moved into the room that are lining the back walls (they had to be taken out of the choir loft).
I'm looking forward to the chance to see how things go without Bob there, just in case there are some things that he does that I haven't picked up on that change the way the congregation reacts. I'm also looking forward to the next few weeks when I'll be able to watch more and let it be a little more like I'm actually attending a worship service, rather than being nervous about preaching. It's really bizarre when something that you'd do anyway is part of your job and you have to approach it differently. Oh well, I guess that's this growing up crud I've been avoiding for so long.
3 comments:
so how did it go?
Peace,
it went pretty well. i did end up looking like a moron during the contemporary service (what's new) since the remote slide-changer decided it didn't want to play nice, so i got to throw my hand up whenever i wanted to change slides, which worked until the last slide, when the computer just shut down apparently. i just told everyone the last slide wasn't all that good anyway.
it was definitely different knowing that any gaffe or problem would have to be dealt with by me, but we managed to avoid any major meltdowns, and even had a few people say i preached well.
Sounds like a winner. One of the things Gail O'Day taught us in preaching 101 is that the greatest example of grace is that our congregations let us back into the pulpit each week. I remember that and carry it with me each time I enter, and each time I leave.
Peace,
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