Reflections

The % Factor

Greetings, friends!  Lately I’ve been talking with churches in my one-on-one consulting sessions about “the percentage factor.”  I begin with a question, “What percentage of worshipers at your church are ‘pew sitters?’”  In other words, what percentage of people come to worship and this is their only connection to the life of the church–that brief time on Sunday morning (or whenever your worship is)?  The answer is consistently over 50% and often in the over 75% range.  My next question then, is this, “What are the implications of this for the time, energy and resources that we spend on making worship vital, meaningful, well-done and disciple-forming?”  The conversation that follows is usually what I call a “come-to-Jesus-moment” of truth-realization about how we spend our ministry time and effort. 

As many of you know, one of my main messages is moving from “plug-n-play” worship planning (weekly, last-minute, thrown-together, stress-producing) to “intentional design” that makes the effort to offer sensory-rich worship where the message can be seen, heard, touched and experienced in every part of the worship experience.  Yes, this takes a plan-ahead strategy that requires staff and teams to carve out time to devote to a creative and collaborative process.  It means that we might spend more study, reflection, resource-gathering and preparation for our leadership of worship.  But when you realize that worship has such a high impact in terms of the percentage of people it touches, spending more time and energy not only makes total sense, it is, I believe, a faithful response to the commission to transform lives and transform the world.

The Fall is often a time of revisiting our priorities and strategies for ministry.  I encourage you to talk with your staff and worship team about “the % factor.”  Does worship planning feel rushed? Do you just hope things fall together and run smoothly on Sunday morning?  Do you wish you could feel more spiritually grounded as a leader, rather than feeling like you are managing last-minute details before worship begins?  

How much time do you spend making "special" services of the liturgical year (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Christmas Eve, etc) creative and meaningful?  My guess is that you spend more time on those than on any one weekly worship experience.  And yet, every week is when visitors may appear, wondering if they will find meaning and connection at your church.  Every week is when people decide whether or not to come back next week or to get more involved in other ministries of the church.  Consider the number of opportunities that 52 weeks in the year provides, and again the percentage factor comes into play.  Are we making the necessary effort to provide life-changing experiences throughout the year?  

No matter whether you are a small, medium or large church with a staff of one or 25, explore ways to hold worship planning time as sacred (not to be constantly rescheduled when other things come up), make it a priority to set regular dates to retreat away from daily duties in order to contemplate the directions for worship ahead of time, find ways to share ministry tasks with empowered and trained lay persons so that worship/sermon preparation can gain more focus and time, and find ways to get regular support, inspiration, continued education, resources and ideas (one easy way is to subscribe to the Worship Design Studio online).  You CAN have more ease and creativity around worship planning.  

If you take "the % factor" seriously, you can change your congregation's culture of thought about the priority of worship planning on the list of things the staff must care for.  You CAN get excited again about your worship tasks and leadership. You CAN actually get to worship when you are leading worship... really. Your church CAN begin to "buzz" about the Spirit that is moving in and through vital worship where you are!  My prayers are always with you on this journey.

radiate. initiate. cocreate!

 My second United Methodist annual conference of the year was with the good folks of the California-Nevada conference and we had a wonderful time of radiating joy, initiating relationships outside our comfortable boundaries and reclaiming our belief in our inherent creativity so needed in building right relationships and a just society.  This theme was a provocative one and rich fodder for creating worship for this conference.  

This conference, which covers Northern California and Northern Nevada, is the most diverse conference in the United Methodist connection.  One of my favorite moments of worship was the Great Thanksgiving with eight languages resonating throughout as we gathered around a round table in the midst of the body.  It was truly the incarnation of "one body, many members" and was called "an ecstatic experience of inclusion and diversity" by the Commission on Religion and Race at the monitoring report the next day.  Throughout the conference, the sounds of Taize met with sounds of Latin American folk music, woven with strong Fijian singing, accented with trumpet ringing out 19th century hymnody, and spiced with "Fill My Cup, Lord" in a jazzy swing feel.  

Most importantly, these things weren't just a "show and tell" parade of nations.  It wasn't what I call "smorgasbord" worship where we include a diversity of things simply to fulfill our duty to be "inclusive."  As a global church, worship planners have a dizzying array of repertoire to work with.  And that's a good thing.  Rather than ask myself, "who do we need to include?" I ask, "what spirit, or energy, does this moment in our spiritual journey called worship require?"  How blessed we are to be able to answer that question from a deep well of worship expression from around the globe.

As promised to the attendees of this conference, I am including the scripts of the worship for download here.  You will find references to all the liturgy and music we used.  Remember, you must have your own licenses and permissions to utilize the music found here in your place of worship.  I pray many blessings on your continued work of "radiate!  initiate!  co-create!"

Download Cal-Nev AC worship scripts for web

"Awed" and "Odd" with Minnesota UM's!

 What an amazing time of worshiping and conferencing we had in Minnesota last week!  Collaborating with Bishop Sally Dyck and a team of talented people from that conference to plan and implement the worship was so rich!  Our worship theme was "On Earth As In Heaven" and we utilized the Prayer of Jesus as our "thread" and "frame" throughout.  Our anchor image that we played with on screens was images of earth from the Hubble space telescope.  This image came about as the team was inspired by Bishop Sally's message for the first night about reclaiming "awe" for worship and our call to be "odd" as Christians... praising in the midst of suffering, proclaiming hope in the midst of despair, daring to offer what we can, where we can, as often as we can.  I've been a big fan of this Bishop for a long time, having worked with her on many occasions outside of her own conference.  But it was a special treat to work alongside her here where she is doing inspiring work with United Methodists all over the "land of lakes."  

The theme of the conference was a focus on "re-think worship" and so I was invited to bring two plenaries to the body based on that theme.  It struck me that we in the church have no trouble "thinking" about things so, with this quote from Parker Palmer, "You don't think your way into a new kind of acting, you act your way into a new kind of thinking," I offered "five nitty-gritty PRACTICES for transforming worship."  You can read a well-done story by the Communications folks at MNAC about those plenaries by clicking on the link below.  The picture with that story (the one above) is of my opening story when I was describing my ecstatic Pentecost experience with REO Speedwagon's "Roll with the Changes" song.  Yes, those Minnesotans DID rock out with me!!!

And speaking of rocking out, one of my favorite moments was at the Ordination service, the last song of the communion set.  I had told the house band we were going to end with "Fill My Cup, Lord" but didn't tell them what we would do with it.  We started out mellow a couple of times and then I looked at the pianist, drummer and the brass sextet and said, "We're heading to Dixieland!"  Having heard these brass players earlier practicing "When the Saints Go Marching In" for the Postlude, I knew they could roll with it on short notice.  Their eyes got big and the smiles crept onto their faces and we "went to town," ending the communion time with the whole congregation jammin' and celebrating the way God calls us to joyful witness!  

I know many of you are in the midst of conferences this time of year.  I'll be honored to lead worship at another one just next week as well.  May you feel a renewed sense of "awe" in all that you do and may you find the courage to be "oddly" jubilant in the knowledge that through the work of the Spirit, all things are possible!

Article on "Rethink Worship" presentation

Article on Bishop Dyck's "awe" inspiring message

"Here We Go Again..." GC 2012

 Call me crazy (actually I have been called that), but I'm really excited about designing worship for the General Conference of the United Methodist Church... again.  It was announced last month that the General Commission had chosen me to take on the task of preparing worship for this 1000+ body of worshipers/legislators for a second time.  My buddy Mark Miller won't be co-directing this time but I've gotten a promise from him that he will still be part of (at least) the creation of the opening worship.  

Many of you have heard me talk about what I understand myself (and other worship designers) to be... "a ritual artist."  Designing conference worship is actually not local church worship–only bigger.  It is a ritual art form unto itself.  It takes a special sensibility to the dynamics of this kind of body together and a real desire to help facilitate deep experiences in a setting that offers all kinds of distractions from real listening to the Spirit.  Living in the midst of diversity (and celebrating that) takes on heightened form in conference worship.  We'll get it right only some of the time.  It takes being on a spiritual path that holds encounter with God above all else... even and especially above the politics of who-gets-to-do-what and above the temptation to give over to what I call "exhibition" or "smorgasbord" worship in an well-intentioned but ill-fated effort to be all-inclusive.

At any rate, as I begin to prepare for GC 2012 (and start packing for the two annual conferences I am guesting at this year), I feel so humbled and ultimately excited (really!) about the opportunity to practice my ritual art, my ministry, with faithful people who are trying to make this a better world in partnership with the ever-present Holy Living God.  Stay tuned... I'll keep you updated about plans over the next two years here in these Reflections.

Read the UMC.org press release:  McFee Named Worship and Music Director for 2012 General Conference

"Keep on rollin'!"

 Be careful what you pray for.  My pre-Pentecost post ("Church on Fire") asked you to think about what you are on fire about.  For so many of us in the ministry, we try to ask the important questions of other people, but we can too often ignore those very same questions for ourselves.  But not so this year.  As I sit here in a church parking lot after a festival of Pentecost worship, I feel a fire, a warmth, a hope, a passion being renewed in me for this work I am blessed to do, for this life, for God's people.  It is a culmination, really, of a few things.  I felt a rush of fiery energy when I was driving the highway this morning with the radio cranked and REO Speedwagon blasting "Keep on rollin'! Keep on rollin'!  Rollin' with the changes" and felt like this is a message I needed to hear–not to mention the church.  I felt a sense of utter gratitude as I watched 10 confirmands surrounded by peers, sponsors, parents and pastors laying hands on them and praying for them.  I listened with tears as I heard the affirmation of the preacher proclaiming that Pentecost happens whenever the church is willing to cross boundaries that seem to divide us.

Earlier this week I spent time talking to an old friend from high school.  Thirty years of experience - mostly quite different it seemed - spanned the time since I last saw him.  We talked about life and we talked about God.  His was a pentecostal church upbringing and it is his current practice after having spent some time away from it.  We found that whenever we started to talk religious doctrine, we would move into what felt like vastly different worlds.  But whenever we were sharing stories of life, we kept finding surprisingly similar hopes, dreams and pain woven through our histories.   The common thread was reliance on God and a firm belief in what the Spirit was doing in our lives now, no matter how much we diverge on our spiritual paths.

Indeed, Pentecost truly happens whenever we are willing to cross what feels like divides.  When we share from the heart, we speak each other's languages, just as those early Christians felt a common fire, a common bond, a common language.  When we share stories from the deep core of our humanity, we find that this amazing Spirit of God is working in all things - wherever we are in our spiritual journeys.  This is cause for hope and it is confirmation that together we can turn a world of despair into the possibility of joy.  "Keep on rollin'... rollin' with the changes!"

"Church on Fire" - Pentecost reflections

 There is a song for everything, as you probably know.  Whenever I recall near-disastrous events involving candles and acolyte-robe sleeves (and I’ve seen a few in my day), the song “This is a Church on Fire” pops into my head.   Not so funny when it involves a real fire, but the metaphor is a good one for the day of Pentecost, which is right around the corner.  It is a wonderful Sunday that is an ending as well as a beginning:  the end of the “Great Fifty Days” of the Easter Season (Pentecost means “the 50^th day” in Greek) and the beginning of the commemoration of the beginnings of the church.  But it is also an opportunity to ask ourselves the question, “What is this community ‘on fire’ about?”

Read more of this article: Download Summer newsletter

Thank God for Mentors!

  I am so grateful for mentors.  Where would we be without the amazing people that come along and teach us–either in formal education or by just being who they are.  And then there are those who do both.  

When I was in seminary at Saint Paul School of Theology, I traveled just about every summer and January interterm to Pacific School of Religion to take their elective courses in worship and arts.  I would be there for a week taking one courses in the morning and afternoon.  One year a course title caught my eye:  “Liberating Liturgy.”  Was it liturgy that needed to be liberated or was it liturgy that liberated us?  YES!  Turns out this course was being taught by one of the masters of verbal play, hymn writer and liturgist Brian Wren.  Well friends, it was the beginning of what would turn into a close friendship and a deep passion for me–the connection of liturgy and ethics–which I eventually put together for my PhD years after Brian’s course.  

If you’ve read any of Brian’s books on language, you know that he takes a special interest in the power of words to shape and form us.  And certainly if you’ve sung one of his copious gifts to our Christian hymnody, you know that his way with words can be surprisingly profound (not surprising that it comes from him, but surprising in the ways it is, as friends of mine say, “sneaky deep”).  

It is always a pleasure when you get to say, in front of a bunch of people, how deeply you have been shaped and formed by a mentor.  I got to do that during my latest “Elevation!” retreat when Brian attended with his partner-in-marriage and collaborator in music, Susan.  When he wrote and told me that he would be there, I e-mailed my friend Dan Damon right away (pictured above with Brian and I).  What an amazing movement of the Spirit that I had already asked Dan to be my musician for the event.  He and Brian have collaborated on many hymns together.  And Brian has been for Dan, as well, a mentor for a long time.

So one snowy (yes!) afternoon in April here at my retreat in Tahoe, the 35 of us sat down with Brian and Dan and listened to them share about their experiences of creating songs for the church to sing at important times of their spiritual lives.  One moment I’ll never forget... someone asked Brian what it was like to hear music put to his words for the first time.  His quiet tears spoke volumes.  Thank you, Brian.

Be sure to check out Brian's resources at Hope Publishing and don't miss his must-read "What Language Shall I Borrow?" here.

Winter Newsletter

Greetings to you in the midst of this beautiful winter season. From snow labyrinths to colliding ice flows, I've had the pleasure of experiencing some of the most dramatic winter landscapes this year. It has deepened my love for winter and the way the longer nights invite us to reflection and slowing down a bit. And with Lent coming up soon, I pray you will find ways to deepen your spiritual journey as leaders.

Download Winter newsletter

"Recycled" in Lent

 I have heard about so many churches that did my theme, “Holy Vessels” for worship during Lent.  It was posted as part of the Worship Design Studio last year. So I’m “recycling” this document and giving you access to it here this year.  The theme utilizes beach glass (recycled glass) as a symbol throughout the season of our journey toward healing and wholeness.  So if you are still grasping at what to do for Lent coming up, check it out.  

Download Marcias Doorway for Lent

Powerful Symbols

 

 My grandmother made quilts.  Lots of them.  One for every family member and God only knows how many others for the people that were part of her life.  So when I had the task of preparing something for her funeral yesterday, it was her quilts that provided what good symbols provide–a tangible way to express a deep emotion that often eludes mere words.  Here is the poem:

There was another thing present at her funeral that had been made with her hands.  Sock monkeys.  She created these sock dolls, each with its own personality, for grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Except for me.  I don’t have a sock monkey from my grandmother.  My mother and I were talking about this and she thinks that she didn’t learn to do these until after I had moved on from the “doll” stage (I’m the oldest grandchild).  After the funeral, I had to get back on a plane right away and head for Minneapolis where I was scheduled to do a worship workshop for a large crowd the next day.  I got there late that night and was hosted in the episcopal residence guest quarters.  I walked into my bedroom for the night and guess who was sitting there waiting for me?  “Willhemina,” the sock monkey.  So I tucked her under my chin when I went to bed and realized that when you bury your grandmother, you are never past the stage to hang onto a doll–to hang onto another tangible symbol as a way to mourn the blessings and regrets of complex family relationships.

Thank God for symbols.  How else could we access the depth of our souls in such an expedient, and healing, way.  Every time you use a symbol in worship (especially the “ordinary” ones of life), there exists surprising possibilities for connection in ways you may never know.