This year, we introduced a “new” worship experience at Gator Wesley. In reality, it is nowhere near a “new worship experience”, but rather new to us. We have had mid-week worship for as long as I have been involved at Gator Wesley, and I am now ending my 9th year connected to this community. Every couple of years, we shake it up and try something new. This was one of those years.

What we decided to try was a contemplative worship experience. One where we can control the tone through lighting, music style, use of liturgy, and prayer stations. It was not meant to be full of the same energy we have on Sunday mornings, but rather a restful and rejuvenating experience. I would suspect that it has been that for you at some point, if not many, throughout the year. But there is something that is also peculiar to a contemplative worship experience. In the midst of the calm, perhaps you find yourself more restless than ever.

As we touched on in the iGod series, we have a serious lack of stillness and silence in our lives- unless you’re one of our quiet people like Becca or Mills… While the noise and the energy are often seen as agitators, we also use that noise and energy sometimes to block out what we know we’d hear or think about if we stripped it all away. Hopefully, at least once this semester, in the midst of the quiet reflection, you felt God tugging on our heart. Perhaps you realized the gravity of the decisions we have to make as young adults. Perhaps you became more aware of the ways in which we are faithful or unfaithful to our ever faithful God. While I love the restful moments of worship, I have found those moments of discernment and conviction to be some of the most profound and meaningful moments.

The incredibly creative prayer stations were certainly part of setting that mood and asking the right kinds of questions. Hopefully, through them, we have expanded our understanding of prayer, and in doing so, deepened our relationship with God.

I also love that I get to watch a bunch of college students participate in ancient liturgies and responsive readings. Our knee-jerk reaction is often to say that they’re old, irrelevant, and boring. Yet, I hope through Evensong, we have discovered together the rich truths of faith communicated through psalms and prayers. The content of the church’s traditions will always be relevant. The challenge is presenting them in a way that is meaningful to those participating.

Lastly, I have enjoyed the worship music. It was fun, as the Sunday band leader, to see so many new people lead and participate in worship. I am also a sucker for really chill music. Most meaningful to me, though, was the fact that with this laid back style of music, I was able to hear you all sing! Its very rare for me to hear you on Sundays, but Wednesday nights, I get to truly hear our community lift its voice together in praise.

As far as I know, it is our plan to continue Evensong next year. If you weren’t able to come very often or at all this year, hopefully you can make plans to join us. And if you came regularly this year, hopefully it will continue to be as meaningful, if not more so, next year.

I will close with a liturgical prayer that we didn’t actually use this year at Evensong, but I think fits in nicely with the tone of the service and with the fact that it is the end of the year. This comes from Common Prayer by Shane Claiborne:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Amen

Peace,
Dan Wunderlich