August 27th, 2006 - Sunday Service Worship Celebration

Services at Creator vary greatly from one another in many ways. Intentionally the liturgy settings change from Sunday to Sunday. During Lent we choose to follow a taize-inspired silence between readings using inner silence as a prerequisite for prayer.

Often worship bursts with energy and celebration. This Sunday was one of those worship moments. Creator Praise songs were sturdy, familiar songs the congregation enjoys singing; Come Now Is The Time To Worship and Where Justice Rolls Down. Where Justice Rolls Down also has a series of hand gestures and a line of volunteers is spontaneously formed in front (normally youth and Pastor Dayle) to perform these gestures to this song. Creator Praise set a tone that was picked up in Kelly’s compositions; both in the liturgy and his other music.

We sang You Have Searched Me as the Psalmody today after a long period of not singing it in Creator services. It is a beautiful, humble piece that reminds us of how much God knows about us and in it is a heartfelt prayer:

Look into the shadows of my heart, Lord,
Search every corner of my mind,
Lord, please help me to see all the hurtful things in me
And lead me in Your light.

Once again Pastor Dayle touched on the idea of breaking (actually this time the word was cracking) as not being something to be viewed as wrong or bad but a way for light and truth to shine through who we are and what we build as people, as is described in Leonard Cohen's song Anthem. She also quoted Paul Simon's I Am A Rock as a strong definition of life without community and a part of what Christianity can fight what we wall within us thinking that this keeps us protected.

The cracks, the breaks remind us that as individuals, or what we create by our own work, nothing is God or perfect.

Overall this was a service of music and movement. The joy was palpable. In coming weeks, I'm sure, the services will have different feels and communicate new truths. I anticipate them all.