Fane Downs, former pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Midland, Texas, explains how that congregation combined older and more contemporary styles. “When the Wednesday evening program following our congregational supper needed a makeover, Associate Pastor Mary Beth Anton and I implemented weekly, half-hour evening prayer. The organizing principles were that it would be accessible for all ages, informal, and Reformed. The services were held immediately following supper in our large narthex. We used folding chairs, a small table, the Christ candle, and props to illustrate the readings or season.

“We began with gathering music accompanied by guitar. We used the standard order of worship for evening prayer from the Book of Common Worship with a variety of worship and music resources: Iona, Taize, Presbyterian Association of Musicians worship and music conferences, The Presbyterian Hymnal, and supplemental hymnals. Sing the Faith: New Hymns for Presbyterians includes many of our favorites. We observed the seasons of the liturgical year in liturgy, song, and emphasis. During Lent we used dramatic readings incorporating objects representing Jesus’ Passion (coins, whip, purple cloth, water bowl, crown of thorns) with youth reading the parts of the participants (Judas, Pilate, onlookers, etc.).

“During the first song or hymn, young children serving as acolytes lit the Christ candle, which was followed by a simple prayer of Thanksgiving for light.

“For the psalm, we frequently used portions of Eugene Peterson’s The Message.

“Rather than follow the daily lectionary, we chose Scriptures appropriate to our focus for the evening. Occasionally we dramatized the Scriptures, reading passages from Walter Wangerin’s Book of God, and using youth readers.

“The year we introduced Belonging to God: The First Catechism, we used one or more question and answer each Wednesday night with appropriate Scripture. These were reinforced the following Sunday in both church school and worship.

“We often introduced Prayers of the People with the Taizé song, “O Lord, Hear My Prayer,” and invited those present to offer their petitions aloud. We closed with another song and words of dismissal. All age groups participated as liturgists and song leaders. This service was an island of peace in the middle of a busy week.”

Lenten House Church Groups
“Members of the early church met in homes,” writes Jean Davidson, an associate pastor of Springdale Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. “As a way to help twenty-first-century people live out their faith in their daily lives, Springdale Presbyterian Church met in house church groups once a week during Lent.

“Beginning at the church we self-selected groups of ten to fifteen people, old and young, parents, children, and singles. Every other week each group met in a member’s home. (It was understood that the house didn’t need to be cleaned!) Each week centered on a spiritual practice with a matching simple meal, craft, and Bible story, which the group did together using booklets provided. For instance, when the spiritual practice was community, we read John 15, topped our group pizza, made a prayer weaving, and closed by making a yarn toss web from which pieces of yarn were cut to wear during the week to remind us to pray for our group. The groups also made table runners and candles for the group tables. The spiritual practices chosen could be used at home throughout the year.

“On Maundy Thursday worship was celebrated in a circle of house group tables as groups participated by sharing dramatic readings or preparing for Communion or hand washing.”