Worship
While maintaining the fundamentally Lutheran elements of the traditional mass, the community of First United finds richness, vitality and spiritual renewal in using a variety of forms and musical settings in worship celebrations. Musical settings, therefore, often change with the various seasons of the church year. Frequently new or different settings are employed within a season or for special celebrations, including its own setting of Lutheran liturgy, the Mass of a United People. Written by the musicians of First United, the setting uses a variety of elements including the spoken word, flute, organ, drums, guitar, piano, and styles ranging from a cappella plainchant to folk to soft jazz/rock. First used in Advent 2000, the Mass of a United People was dedicated to Reverends Donna Duensing and Robert Smith for their dedicated service to the First United Family.
First United is a community that values inclusion in many aspects, especially forms of worship. Yet, Lutheran tradition and heritage are important, as well. Inclusion, however, is interpreted in expansive terms that provide for the intention of inclusion, even when the chosen forms may appear to contradict this very principle. Traditional hymns composed of language from a different era and seemingly exclusive are sometimes used. The community believes that these hymns hold their own power of inclusion because they connect the worshiper not only to their Christian and Lutheran roots but also to many people across the wide expanse of God's family who have shared and continue to share these same hymns.
Occasionally prayers are offered in which God is addressed as Lord or Lover, Father or Mother, Creator or Spirit, or even Goddess. First United strongly holds to the tenet that God is not limited even though language is; the names change, the truth remains the same. They understand words to be products of time and history, the context in which God is encountered. At the same time, they understand that God is timeless. Worshipers are welcomed to add their own ways and means of calling forth the divine love that unites them.
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Famous quotes containing the word worship:
“The art of government is the organization of idolatry. The bureaucracy consists of functionaries; the aristocracy, of idols; the democracy, of idolaters. The populace cannot understand the bureaucracy: it can only worship the national idols.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
“Escalus. What do you think of the trade, Pompey? Is it a lawful trade?
Pompey. If the law would allow it, sir.
Escalus. But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it shall not be allowed in Vienna.
Pompey. Does your worship mean to geld and spay all the youth of the city?
Escalus. No, Pompey.
Pompey. Truly, sir, in my poor opinion they will to’t then. If your worship will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Among the virtues and vices that make up the British character, we have one vice, at least, that Americans ought to view with sympathy. For they appear to be the only people who share it with us. I mean our worship of the antique. I do not refer to beauty or even historical association. I refer to age, to a quantity of years.”
—William Golding (b. 1911)