PeaceBang

Union United Methodist Church, Boston

I’ll be worshiping with this congregation tomorrow morning. I visited the church when they hosted the Interfaith Pride Service in June and the pastor invited everyone to come back, so I’m coming back!!

[Update: In the updates of church visits, I will share worship innovations or practices that I think might be of interest to clergy and lay readers. - PB]

1. During the welcome of visitors, the pastor had the drummer play a long riff of welcome as we stood. Then the pianist did a long glissando — it was a fun, jazzy way to say, “we’re glad you’re here.”
2. Music was casually interwoven throughout the entire service, which I loved. Where there weren’t formal songs or hymns, there were amen choruses or short refrains of old classics like, “Great is thy faithfulness.” The praise band was awesome -more jazzy than contemporary.
3. The service started late, but with no anxiety. It was more like, “We’ll get there when we get there.” This felt just right for summer worship, and the community was friendly and engaging so I didn’t feel weird and alone. 4. Immediately after the conclusion of the postlude, a recording of Stevie Wonder singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” came on. It TOTALLY WORKED. It made me laugh, and we all went out in joy.
4. At the sermon, the pastor took a podium into the aisle and preached from there. He started behind the podium and then stepped out, taking only the microphone with him. He preached the politic (inveighing against the war in Iraq at the beginning) and then moved to the personal. He was extremely relational and loving, asking for call and response with ease and humor, and getting it. (It is an African-American congregation)

Overall, this congregation has something that I think would appeal to any visitor: genuine warmth and a spirit of praise and delight in being together in life’s struggles and hardships. I will definitely go back. The congregation lives in an old Universalist church!