Minister's Musing

Rev. Mark Ward
Unitarian Universalist Church of Asheville

February 2009

People who don’t know much about how churches run sometimes marvel that ministers have the cushiest job there is: they only work one day a week, Sundays. While it’s true that that’s the only day that most of you see me, I can assure you that I keep busy enough with church administration, meetings with committees and church members and work in the community, not to mention the research and reading that goes into preparing Sunday worship, to keep myself busy the rest of the week.

Still, when it comes to the duties that this job demands, I consider leading Sunday worship to be number one. It is the center of our church life, the place where our whole community gathers to celebrate and explore our values, the challenges life presents us, many sources of wisdom, the sense of awe that living gives us and the connections among us of fellowship, caring and concern.

I think carefully about each element in our Sunday worship and work closely with other staff, including Music Director Lenora Thom and Religious Education Director Taryn Strauss, in developing what we present. With the new year I made some minor changes in what goes on Sunday in response to feedback I’ve received and my own sense of what would enhance the experience. So, for example, I now offer a reading to accompany the lighting of our chalice and ask the congregation to sit for the postlude, so we can all enjoy the music that was prepared for us.

Later this year I will be developing a new program that I hope to implement in September called worship associates. I see it as a way to involve church members more deeply in what goes on Sunday. Worship associates will work with me on developing worship services and serve as readers and coordinators. I’ll have more details to share on this program later on. As our congregation evolves our worship life evolves, and as always I invite you to share your thoughts with me on what you feel works in our Sunday experience, or what doesn’t work, and what might make it more meaningful for you and for us all.