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Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Worship Walk Script January 1997
The "Worship Walk" was developed at Gloria Dei as a way to celebrate the completion of our new worship facility and to educate people of all ages about worship. Tour guides were trained to take small groups of church school children, their parents, and other members through the walk. It was very well received and the children asked lots of good questions and showed a great interest in the physical and spiritual aspects of the worship space. If you have questions regarding this event please call our church at (605)371-3737. "To a Christian, worship of God never really ends. We go to church to worship together and we carry our worship with us throughout the week." Introduction Welcome to the Worship Walk! Together we are going to walk through our church and learn more about the special places in God's house. Each place has a different purpose and a different feeling. Are you ready to walk? Station 1 We want everyone to hear the service wherever they are seated. Our new system of microphones and speakers helps to do that. This is the sound board that controls the volume and balance. Dave Ellison, our music director, will be training some of our members to use the sound board. You will notice there is an elevator to get to the second floor. We ask that this elevator only be used by those who are unable to use the stairs. We'll walk down the bell tower steps to the chapel now. 'Mere isn't a bell in the tower, but there is the shape of the cross. You can see it from a long ways away! It tells people that this is a church and that they are welcome here. Station 2 Station 3 Whenever you are in the narthex, try to greet someone you haven't met yet. Let's try it. Turn and shake hands and say, "Hi, I'm name." Station 4 The sanctuary is the main room in God's house here at Gloria Dei. This is the quieter part of the house. We should enter this room quietly and be respectful to God and to this house. An example of being respectful is that we don't put our feet on the pews or the hymn rack or wear our caps in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a very special place to be with God. In this place we have all the time we need. So we don't need to hurry. We can walk more slowly. And we can talk more softly, because someone might be talking with God, and we don't want to disturb them. This is a special place to be with God, to talk with God, to listen to God and to hear the stories of God. It's helpful to get ready to worship God. We can sit quietly, listen to the music, and ask God to open our ears and eyes to worship. We come here to worship so that we may praise God together as one big family. Worship is a time to recharge our spiritual batteries so we can go out from here and do God's work. Station 5 Sometimes you will see the pastors speaking to the cross. They are talking to God. Sometimes they will face the congregation. They are talking to you, God's people. You'll notice the ramp leading up to the chancel. This is for people who might have difficulty using the steps. Station 6 Altar clothes or paraments are changed from one church season to the next, there is a message in the colors. There is white on the altar now. What do you think tile message is with this white cloth? (The purity of our Lord--it will be white again on Easter) You notice that the altar is the highest point of the sanctuary. This helps remind us that the altar is the "high place" of worship, standing between heaven and earth. Station 7 The pulpit is the place where God's word is read and the story of God's love is told. When someone speaks from the pulpit, our job is to listen to what is said, so that we might hear what God is telling us. We will hear stories from the Bible and one of the pastors, or sometimes someone else, will tell us what this means for us today. We will hear up to three readings from the Bible. One reading may be from the Old Testament--how God spoke to the Hebrew people, our relatives in faith. The second reading is one written to the first Christians. It may be from a letter, written by Paul or another first Christian teacher, which teaches us about living together as a Church in everyday life. We then will hear a reading from one of the Gospels--the stories of Jesus' life. We then hear one the pastors preach. The sermon tells us how the Good News of Jesus is also for us and our lives. Station 8 What happens here? (Baptisms) At baptism, people are adopted into the family of God. When the water is poured over their heads in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, their sins are washed away and they are reborn children of God. They receive the promise that they will be a part of God's fan-lily forever. In the service, when we hear the words, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," we remember that we are baptized, the people of God. We usually hear this phrase when we have a confession, the time when we tell God we are sorry for the things we have done wrong. We are reminded that because of our baptism we are forgiven and our sins are washed away. If you would like, dip your fingers in the water and make the sign of the cross on your forehead while saying the words, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Station 9 This room is called the sacristy. It is a room for preparations. Here is where people get everything ready for worship--the bread and wine for communion, the banners and altar clothes, the lighting of candles by the acolytes. This is also where the pastors get ready for worship. The offices are the places where the staff work each week. If you need information, come to the window and Bernice, Pat, or Julie will help you. The pastors have the offices right across from the secretaries. There is a conference or meeting room--the youth room--and Susan's office. Susan is the youth and parish life director. Dave, the music director, has his office in the music room near the coatroom. Station 10 This is the everyday place. A place to play, eats, drink, and visit. This is where coffee fellowship is held. Food and drink will be sold by the youth group as a fundraiser. To show that you have been on the worship walk and to show that we all walk with Christ, you are invited to trace your footprints on this poster. (Proceed to Station 1, etc. if you are not finished with the tour.) |
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