Grace Episcopal Church: News

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98% Music: 2% Church

Grace Episcopal Church

On the Corner of Sixth & Court Streets

In the Bixby Chapel on Court Street

Wednesdays 6-7:00 PM

www.GraceMuskogee.org

918.687.5416

Grace To You - Newsletter

Friday, January 13, 2012 at 1:56pm

Grace to You Monthly Newsletter

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January 2012 (Acrobat Document)

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New Worship Experience at Grace

While attendance and giving at our traditional Sunday services at 8 and 10:30 am have been growing modestly since the arrival of our new rector, The Rev. Bob Wickizer, a desire to do something totally new has been simmering for a long time. By chance Wickizer encountered local guitarist Harley Hamm and the idea of an evolving, “emerging” worship service took shape. At some point the service was born and a guitar logo reflecting Muskogee’s musical heritage was used in the promotional material.

“Emerging worship is not your grandmother’s church” says Wickizer. With roots in the 1970s, people who were disenchanted with the organized and institutional church began to experiment with new ways to worship God in a Christian framework. Emerging worship crosses a number of theological boundaries. It is neither evangelical nor protestant nor catholic. It is neither liberal nor conservative. The service is rooted in dialogues between diverse groups of people and dialogue with God. Sermons will be conversational where the congregation is expected to respond in some way. Ancient practices of inserting silence into the service will be employed as well as use of video clips and a great deal of computer-projected images.

The style of music Hamm and Wickizer envisioned is neither typical “praise music” common to many churches nor is it “Cum Ba Ya” camp music. The music embraces many genres including rock, country, blues, jazz and blue grass. The framework of the worship service takes ancient worship concepts and brings them into the present day.

Grace Episcopal Church’s new rector worked as a physicist and entrepreneur in Silicon Valley before becoming ordained as an Episcopal priest. Before being called to serve at Grace, Fr. Wickizer served at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Wickizer notes that too often traditional forms fail to challenge people including the clergy. “I want to provide a worship experience that touches people’s hearts” says Wickizer. “An emerging worship service will send people home with a variety of emotions and a healthy dose of questions to ponder. A good church should never be in the business of providing answers. We intend to touch their hearts and help them live into their own questions.”

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