Worshiping 'Organically and Authentically"
First Congregational in North Attleboro Focuses on Art in their Worship Renewal
 By Edmund Clavette, Moderator & Project Director
What if your sanctuary was stripped of all the furniture, paraments, and memorial items -- and then filled with original artwork from the 'people'? The 'people' means all the people -- young and old, members and friends. And what if every word said and every song sung during worship was original?
That's what happened at First Congregational Church UCC of North Attleboro.
The Holy Spirit was soaring and swooping at First Congregational during their "All for One, God for All" worship celebration.
The service was the culmination of a year-long Worship Renewal initiative funded by a grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.
The whole idea was to craft a creative worship from the gifts God gave to all people. (1 Cor. 12: 4-7)
The Sanctuary was stripped of its usual furniture and accoutrements and filled with homemade things: from an altar crafted by middle school students, and offering plates woven from colorful fabric and sculpted from clay, to hand-dipped candles, and a cross and a statue sculpted from the old wood saved from the steeple that graced the Oldtown church from 1828- 2003. Every song sung was composed by members and friends of the church. Every word spoken was written by members and friends. A Drum Circle called us to worship. A wind-chime chandelier made of 154 pieces of hammered silver-plate spoons and forks danced in the wind creating a most lovely and unique sound. The brass players played, the guitar players strummed, the Orff instruments and hand chimes all rang out. The Scripture lessons were read by one of the oldest members as well as some of the youngest. The Genesis creation story was a duet of spoken word and harmonica.
It was an overwhelming experience of beauty-filled and authentic worship. "What we had hoped for when we wrote the grant proposal was more than fulfilled" said the Rev. Katrina Clinton, pastor and teacher at Oldtown. "We wrote in our grant proposal: 'Poetry, music, dance, visual arts are especially powerful in transmitting the Spirit of God and the praise of the people, as they live in the space beyond literal language. Artistic expressions move from and to our hearts and souls as Spirit engenders spirit. Wonder and awe, imagination and creativity help make the connection between our spiritual hunger and God's extravagant grace. We are renewed and refreshed in the process.' And that's what happened!"
It has been an amazing year of teamwork, sharing and discovery, and what has been revealed will continue well beyond the end of this project. The support and guidance we received from the Calvin Institute was of immense value in preparing us to complete this project.
There are so many of us excited now, eager to keep doing workshops and projects and participating in new expressions of worship. We have discovered new meaning in the gifts of creation given to us by the ultimate Artist.
This is 'Just The Beginning!'
The Oldtown Worship Renewal team is preparing a multi-media package of their year long journey that will be available to other churches interested in discovering God's gifts.
Clavette can be reached at The First Congregational Church UCC office (Oldtown Church) which is located at 675 Old Post Rd, North Attleboro, MA 02760, phone 508-695-1713, website: www.oldtownucc.org/.
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