NOTES
Peacemaking Worship Resource
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program in conjunction with the Office of Special Offerings has developed several resources on the theme of social justice. The 1991 Offering for Peacemaking, "Let Justice Roll Down Like Waters," consists of a packet including several worship resources. Single copies of the Promotion Workbook and Packet are available from Distribution Management Service, 100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202-1396; or call 1-800-524-2612.
Music Resource List for Lectionary
Need ideas for choosing hymns and organ music? For the past two years in the November issue of The American Organist, Marilyn Kay Stulken has provided a very helpful list of suggested hymns and organ music correlated to the Scripture lessons in the Common Lectionary. The list for Year C, which begins with Advent in December, 1991, is scheduled for the November, 1991 issue. Single copy price is $4.00, available from AGO National Headquarters, The American Organist Magazine, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, New York, NY 10115; (212) 870-2310.
Reformed Worship Wins Award
At the annual conference of the Associated Church Press (ACP), Reformed Worship received the top 1990 award for General Excellence, one of five top awards among the 715 entries in 29 different categories. The judges, from the pretigious Missouri School of Journalism, described RWas "an extremely useful publication, excellent service journalism." Harry Boonstra, associate editor of RW, was present at the St. Louis conference in April to receive the plaque which is now proudly hanging in our offices. Over two hundred journals are represented at the ACP, an organization that seeks to foster development, growth, and effective communication among Christian publications.
Hymn Writing Competition
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada has announced a search for new hymns dealing with "The Healing of Nations and Peace." Due December, 1991. For details write The Hymn Society HYMN SEARCH, Box 30854, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, (817) 921-7608.
CONFERENCES
>October 4-5, 1991, Grand Rapids, Ml
Master Arts Festival at Calvin College for pastors, drama directors, worship coordinators, and creative church leaders. Guests include Peter Kreeft, Steve Pederson, Michael Stauffer. Contact: Master Arts Company, P.O. Box 9336, Grand Rapids, MI 49509, (616) 531-5020.
October 19, 1991, Evergreen Park, IL
Praise and Worship Conference led by Colleen Reinders and Grace Moes from Toronto. Building a worship team, the role of the worship leader, creative banners, and more. Share in evening worship with mass choir performance. Contact: Park Lane Christian Reformed Church, 3450 W. Maple St., Evergreen Park, IL 60642; (708) 636-4585.
MORE BANNER IDEAS
Thanksgiving Banner:
Circle of Growth
This Thanksgiving banner measures about 4' x 6' and was made with a polyester/cotton twill suiting. Pieces were machine appliqued, then stitched by hand onto the background fabric.
The focus of the banner is a seed surrounded by large protective leaves. The seed, which represents the lives of God's people, is from a plant that once died but now continues to generate new growth. On Thanksgiving our fruits and grains and other vegetation remind us of the circle (cycle) of growth and maturation. For this we give thanks.
The colors in the banner (brown, gold, red, orange, etc.) are representative of ripeness in fruits, grains, and vegetables. The six leaves on either side flow upward in a praising motion. Dark purple cords accentuate the rhythmic motion of the praising leaves.
Advent Banners:
Christmas Story
It is with interest that we, the Banner Group, have seen and read the various articles on banners in your magazine. We plan to make the Advent Light banners (RW13) for our Advent worship this year at Fort St. John.
I've enclosed pictures and descriptions of the Advent banners our group made several years ago in case you'd like to share them with your readers.
All three banners are 2' x 3' and are made primarily of felt. We cut out the figures and shapes from colored felt and glued them onto white felt background. We finished the edges by applying 1" wide gross-grain ribbon (burgundy) with a glue gun.
On the Three Wise Men Banner, a glit tery gold thread (1/8") was braided and is glued around the star to accentuate the star. The hoods of the wise men are outlined with a marker.
The Mary and Joseph Banner has the same braided thread around Jesus' face and halo; around Mary's face, white headcovering and halo; and around Joseph's halo. Their face features and Jesus' blanket outline are drawn with a marker.
The Shepherd's Banner has angora wool glued around each sheep to outline them. We used black. Mary and Joseph's silhouette is detailed with the same braided gold thread used in the other two banners.
Grace Christian Reformed Church, Scarborough, ON. Made by the Banner Committee of 1987. Designed by Jeannette Kogeler-Cook. Color and fabric selection by Tina Batelaan.
Tort St. John Presbyterian Church, Tort St. John, British Columbia. Made by the Banner Group, 1990. Submitted by Ria Lok.
COLAM '91 REPORT
When the 1991 Conference on Liturgy and Music (COLAM) ended on July 5, more than 175 tired and "giddy" (that was an inside joke) people left for home filled with ideas for their local churches. We had worshiped through the entire church year in three and one-half days, heard three keynote addresses, attended up to five workshops, attended an organ recital by Jan Overduin, and been given the opportunity to sing in two choirs.
Conference worship services began and ended with hymn festivals. The opening Advent Festival alternated Scripture with hymns and the excellent solo work of Ronald Greidanus, countertenor. The closing Pentecost Worship service included two choirs: the Festival Choir of conference members blossomed under Anton Armstrong's leadership during the three days, and composer/director John Horman did wonders with a children's choir who had met just the hour before the final service as a "demo" choir in a workshop. The other five services were preaching services, each planned and led by a different congregation with a great deal of liturgical variety. Wayne Brouwer preached for the three morning services, demonstrating vividly the importance of narrative in communicating the gospel.
The contrast in liturgical style was the greatest for the two evening services. On Wednesday night, led by a Praise Team using overheads and singing Praise and Worship music, we celebrated Epiphany. One of the most powerful aspects of that service was the liturgical dance that accompanied several of the songs. As could be expected, reactions to the musical style varied, but surprisingly everyone was enthusiastic and appreciative of the dance interpretations of the songs.
The next night, July 4, when most Americans were celebrating with fireworks, conferees attended an Easter Vigil service. That ancient service, new to almost everyone there, was unforgettable in its beauty and power. As the service proceeded, the salvation story was recounted, culminating in "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today." Again, a surprise: one of the most powerful parts of the service was the "simple" reading of the many Scripture passages. Dr. Beeners had coached the Scripture readers, and the difference between their reading and what most of us hear every Sunday was so profound that several conferees left saying their goal this next year was to prepare readers in their congregation to read more effectively.
Keynote speaker Robert Webber provided very keen observations on the liturgical changes happening in every denomination. He spoke of the shift from the unfolding of ideas to the narration of a story, from pedagogy to celebration, from the pulpit to the pew, and of the strong desire to recover the biblical shape of worship as story, feast, and song. People are longing to experience the presence of God in worship, Webber said. That presence is not first of all intellectual understanding, but a mystery in which God "inhabits the praises of his people" with singing, as well meeting us in the proclamation of the Word and holy communion. Webber had many ideas about relating evangelism and worship and left us with an outline for structuring worship according to the description of the early church in Acts 2:42.
At the first COLAM in 1979, just a handful of ministers joined a group mainly made up of organists and choir directors. Each succeeding conference has grown in denominational and vocational diversity. Now cospon-sored by Reformed Worship and several Christian colleges, the conferences are still primarily Christian Reformed in attendance. However, at COLAM '91 more than eight denominations were represented, and the balance of event offerings drew more ministers than ever before. The conference drew individuals from three provinces, thirteen states, and included one participant from a seminary in Mexico.
Special thanks go to Bert Polman and Christina Ferguson for organizing a very smooth-running conference in the excellent facilities of Redeemer College. The next major COLAM is tentatively scheduled for 1995, although some regional conferences will take place before then.