Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Nolan Williams, Jr., Lectionary Team Liturgist

Lectionary Scripture - Romans 7:14-25 (New Revised Standard Version)

Worship Planning Notes
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent - a forty-day season of prayer, fasting, reflection, and repentance that prepares us for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday. The aim of Ash Wednesday worship is threefold: to cause us to meditate on our mortality, sinfulness, and need of a savior; to renew our commitment to daily repentance; and to remember with confidence and gratitude that Christ has conquered death and sin. Ash Wednesday worship is filled with Gospel truth. It is a witness to the power and beauty of our union with Christ, and to the daily dying and rising with Christ that this entails.

Preparation for Ash Wednesday
In this worship service, our responsibility is to help the congregation closely connect the sacrifice of Christ with those things that they will also sacrifice for Him. The week before Ash Wednesday, distribute small white slips of paper (2.25 x 4.25) to the congregants as they enter the service, and invite them to write down on the slips the areas in their lives in which they seek God's deliverance. The slips could be collected in baskets.

• In a more “spirited” collection approach, during the sharing of the tithes and offerings (the sacrifice of our financial blessings), have the congregation place the slips (the sacrifice of our overt and covert sins) in baskets at the altar, as the choir or praise team leads the congregation in a rousing song (see "Offertory" below) that acknowledges our need for God and offers our thanks to God.
  
• If a more “reflective” collection approach is preferred, the congregants could be invited to bring the slips to the altar during the period of prayer, with the choir or praise team leading the congregation in a song of humble submission (see “Period of Prayer” below).

The ashes used in Ash Wednesday worship services are usually the ashes from the palm leaves of the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration. In preparation for the Ash Wednesday service, a fresh approach would be to burn the congregational “sacrifices” (the slips of paper) with or instead of the previous year’s palm leaves.

Ash Anointing
If desired, the service of ash anointing should take place towards the end of worship, perhaps as an extension of the Invitational Period. In this regard, it becomes a significant part of the message that the people carry with them as they go. The ashes should be placed on foreheads in the shape of the cross signifying our new life in Christ whose work on the cross has conquered death. In preparing the ashes, mix them with a little water or oil in a small metal dish.

Depending upon the size of your congregation, the ash anointing can take place one of two ways:

1. For smaller-sized gatherings, the minister can move freely from person to person, or the people can proceed in line to the minister.
   
2. For medium to larger-sized gatherings, it is important to get the ministerial team involved so that there are multiple stations. The worship planner should assign ministers, giving clear instructions prior to the service. The people should proceed in line toward the station closest to them.

In all settings, the minister dips a finger in the ashes, and forms the sign of a cross on the forehead of each person. Reflective music should be played or sung (see “Invitational Song or Instrumental” below).

Following the anointing, the congregation may sing a song of redemption (see “Benediction Song or Music” below).

The aim of this service is for congregants to leave in confidence and gratitude that Christ has conquered sin and death!

1. Hymns or Anthems
Hymn
(a) Without Him. By Mylon R. LeFevre

Hymn
(b) Renew Thy Church, Her Ministries Restore. By Kenneth L. Cober

Anthem
(c) When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. By Lowell Mason. Arr. Gilbert M. Martin

Anthem
(d) More Love to Thee Medley. Arr. Joseph Joubert

2. Spiritual or Traditional Song
Traditional
Just a Closer Walk with Thee

3. Gospel Songs (for Choirs, Ensembles, and Praise Teams)
(a) Even Me. By Patrick Lundy and The Ministers of Music

(b) Create in Me a Clean Heart. By Donnie McClurkin

(c) Jesus Lover of My Soul. By The Richard Smallwood Singers

4. Liturgical Dance
(a) One Word. By Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers

(b) No Way (the G.A. chant). By Tye Tribbett

5. Congregational Songs
(a) He Looked Beyond My Fault (and Saw My Needs). By Dottie Rambo

(b) He Brought Me Out. By Henry J. Zelley

(c) Jesus Paid It All. By Elvina M. Hall

(d) Jesus Lover of My Soul. By Charles Wesley. Arr. Simeon Marsh

6. Modern Songs
(a) Take My Life. By Micah Stampley

(b) Make Me Over. By Tonéx

7. Offertory Period
(a) Medley: Lord, I Thank You /I’m So Glad That the Lord Saved Me. By the West Angeles Church of God In Christ Mass Choir

(b) We Are An Offering. By Radical for Christ

8. Period of Prayer
(a) Even Me. Traditional (chorus)

(b) We Need You Lord. By Jonathan Butler and Juanita Bynum

(c) We Are an Offering. By Dwight Liles

(d) Standing in the Need of Prayer. Traditional

(e) O Lord Have Mercy. Traditional

9. Sermonic Selection
God Made an Exception. By Nolan Williams, Jr.

10. Invitational Song or Instrumental (this could be used during Ash Anointing)
Song
(a) Just as I Am. By Charlotte Elliott. Tune, William B. Bradbury

Song
(b) Just as I Am. By Charlotte Elliott

Song
(c) Give Me a Clean Heart. By Margaret Douroux

11. Benediction Song or Music
Song
I Am Redeemed by Jesse Dixon

12. Audio-Visual Aids
For screens - Use images of persons praying; a bowl of ashes; 3 crosses

(a) Video Clip: Redemption. By Salt and Light Ministries

(b) PowerPoint Background: Burn Us Up. Find at www.PowerpointSermons.com

(d) Audio: I AM: 365 Names of God. By John Paul Jackson

13. Other Worship Recommendations
During the ash anointing, have audio team play recording of “I AM: 365 Names of God,” specifically the readings on “mercy,” “sacrifice,” “shepherd,” “promise,” “reward,” and “eternity.” These readings have a rich musical accompaniment and could help set the tone and remind persons who God is and the help that God has provided us in ages past and in the present.

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed

African American Heritage Hymnal. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, 2001. #515

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. Chicago, IL: G.I.A. Publications, 1987. #168

African American Heritage Hymnal. #343

Print song lyrics: http://www.hymnscript.com/free-art/wis01.pdf

GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Avenue
Chicago, IL 60638
800-GIA-1358
Online location: www.giamusic.com

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. #156

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. New York: Church Publishing, Inc., 1992. #72

African American Heritage Hymnal. #455

The National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition. Nashville, TN: Triad Publications, 2001. #298

Lundy, Patrick. Standin'. Jacksonville, FL: Allen & Allen Music Group, 2003.

At NTIME MUSIC COMPANY
4913 Albemarle Road #103
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-531-8961
Online location: www.ntimemusic.com

McClurkin, Donnie. Again. New York: Zomba Recording Corp, 2003.

Richard Smallwood Singers. Testimony. Nashville, TN: Sparrow, 1992.

Kurt Carr Project. One Church. New York: Gospo Centric, 2005.

Tribbett, Tye. Life. New York: Sony, 2004.

Rambo, Dottie. Dottie Rambo. Gaither Gospel Series. Alexandria, IN: Gaither Music Group, 2004.

African American Heritage Hymnal. #249

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. #195

African American Heritage Hymnal. #509

African American Heritage Hymnal. #357

The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #89

Gospel Pearls. Nashville, TN: Sunday School Publishing Board, National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., 1921. #96

African Methodist Episcopal Church. African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal. Nashville, TN: African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2006. #271

African American Heritage Hymnal. #453

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. #169

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal. #254

Stampley, Micah. The Songbook of Micah. Brentwood, TN: EMI Gospel, 2005.

Tonéx. Out the Box. New York: Zomba Recording, 2004.

West Angeles Church of God In Christ, and Charles E. Blake. No Limit. Brentwood, TN: EMI Gospel Music, 2007.

African American Heritage Hymnal. #457

Bynum, Juanita, Jonathan Butler, and Henry Panion. Gospel Goes Classical. Portugal: Flow Records and California: Maranatha Records, 2006.

Online location: www.pwarchive.com

Also sung by Radical for Christ (Musical group), and Fred Hammond. Praise in the House. Mobile, AL: Integrity Music, 1996.

Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #177

African American Heritage Hymnal. #441

The National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition. #501

African American Heritage Hymnal. #448

Nolan Williams, Jr. inSpirations, Washington, D.C.: NEWorks, 2006
NEWorks
P.O. Box 4599
Washington, DC 20017
Online location: www.newinspiration.us

The Presbyterian Hymnal Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990. #370

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. #122

The National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition. #145

African American Heritage Hymnal. #345

African American Heritage Hymnal. #344

African American Heritage Hymnal. #461

Lead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal. #279

The National Baptist Hymnal, 21st Century Edition. #349

African American Heritage Hymnal. #512

Online location: www.sermonspice.com (keyword: “Repentance”)

Stream Ministries
P.O. Box 550
North Sutton, NH 03260
Online location: www.streamministries.com