April 5th, 2009 – Palm Sunday, RIC Certificate & Blog Anniversary

This blog began three years ago on Palm Sunday. In 2006 the entry centered on my feelings about playing guitar for worship and the reason for this blog. This was to be the story of Creator’s good news as a church “to be a ministry that reaches in and reaches out and to tell of the ministry we share in the nitty-gritty details of life”.

A new piece of music was being debuted that Sunday, Kelly’s Peace I Give To You. The song was simple and powerful; highlighting the words of Jesus from John 14:27 “Peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful”

In 2007 the Creator community came into Holy Week with the fresh, community knowledge that Bethany’s bone marrow biopsy showed that she is no longer in remission. Holy Week that year brought us together in unanticipated ways.

Last year the RIC team had just finished national LCNA training.

This year Palm Sunday was an amazing worship experience. The sanctuary was filled to overflowing with members and visitors. There was an explosion of colors in the narthex and sanctuary either rainbows or ribbons of colors suggesting rainbows which had kept the congregation focused on God’s covenant during Lent.

Our whole Lent experience was centered in journey. The configuration of the sanctuary changed from week to week, thanks to Larry, Pastor Dayle and others. On Palm Sunday our worship experience, like the week before, was in the round which concentrated a sense of community and celebration.

This was not a Palm – Passion Sunday. We processed in from the narthex after singing Creator Praise with the Processional Hymn All Glory, Laud and Honor. The atmosphere was one of exhilaration.

One part of a long journey for Creator was officially recognized with the presentation of Creator's RIC Certificate by LCNA Regional Coordinators Karen and Paul Jolly to Susan Nolte.

Pastor Dayle’s sermon highlighted the bittersweet part of this journey; the joy of this moment and the recognition of the long Good Friday that has been experienced around this issue, how long it has taken to get to this moment, and the struggle still ahead.

The past few days have been unprecedented in endorsing the rights of lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals nationally. Last Friday the Iowa Supreme Court found that denying same-sex couples the opportunity to marry violated that state's constitution. Four days later, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto of a law giving same-sex couples the right to marry. Vermont and Iowa now join Massachusetts and Connecticut in providing full marriage equality to same-sex couples.

Back to the worship I had not played guitar for awhile at worship but Janice suggested I write a song for the RIC Certificate presentation. I am glad she did. Investing the energy in writing and performing helped me understand and experience the moment in a way that would not have happened otherwise.

Pastor Dayle liked the song and I performed it just before the presentation with Kelly on piano and David on drums. With minimal rehearsal they helped drive the song in a unique way. Here are the lyrics:

A Coming Welcome

Pressing on, we keep on pressing on
To live out welcome
Holy welcome
A coming welcome.

God's courtship and call
Sets our hearts on fire
When we care for one another
When we lift each other higher

And we carry on
Both borne and bound
Ever stretching
Inspired to astound

While we're pressing on, we keep on pressing on
To live out welcome
Holy welcome
Our coming welcome.

Lord God Creator
We are yours
And though we fall and stumble
Your faith in us endures.

Let us see through your eyes
And may your strength we use
As we learn to act in love
How can we refuse

To be pressing on? We keep on pressing on
To live out welcome
Holy welcome
Your coming welcome.