APC Vital Worship Grant 2014: MOVING OUT OF SCARE CITY ~ ALL SAINTS DAY (week 1)

The month of November is the beginning of our stewardship season and we are doing a sermon series called "Moving Out of ScareCity". For the first week of the series, the art team decided to design 2 banners with birds drawn on them, the birds represent a loved one that has gone to the Church Triumphant. We asked the congregation to write the name of your loved one inside the bird. Those who have gone before have made our lives richer in many ways.

The technique that was stenciling. Our own Nancy Tribolet cut out 4 bird patterns and taught each person on our committee how to stencil the birds on the fabric. It was a very successful technique for what we were doing... it was soft, ethereal, but effective in its appearance. The paint is an acrylic blue color with a hint of gray to it. She provided brushes, transparencies and her expertise. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn a new painting technique, and I know that the other members of our committee did to... everyone was very open minded about the process and we spent about 4 hours working on stenciling birds to banners.

After the birds were finished, we placed them in the narthex, inviting members of the congregation to sign the banners. I love the way we involved the congregation in this process, everyone responded favorable to the idea. The banners remained on the tables for about 2 Sundays, and then off to final production. The banners themselves measured 9 feet each, and then I added a blue band to either side. The committee felt this would add some contrast to the harsh wall color, and give them banners some pop. I added about 10 feet of sheer fabric to the bottom of the banners giving them an appearance of floating in the clouds, very angelic. These would be the longest banners ever hung on the walls! I found them to be such a beautiful tribute to those we have said goodbye too.

Along with the Banners, Marcia advised Jackie, the committee and other important people on the rest of the service. It was like we were "film makers" as Marcia discusses in her workshop. We tried to make sure everything flowed together and had a purpose. The birds on the banners gave us an opportunity to make our communion Sunday special by offering each person a feather as they received communion by intinction. We also looked ahead in the sermon series "Moving out of ScareCity" and decided to create an anchor image that would be constant in our month of this series, and that is when the lanterns were introduced into the service. On All Saints Day Sunday, we would have one youth member bring in the "Light of Christ" as an Acolyte. The song "I Will Follow You" would be sung by the congregation and choir, as the Acolyte begin her walk down the center aisles, up the stairs to the staged area under the cross. This song would be part of the worship for the entire series. The details in the service were beautiful and special... Joe Weir sang "You Raised Me UP" and brought the congregation to tears. This song was used as inspiration for the banners, and the names and comments written on the birds proved that these people were inspiring!

All Saints Day seemed very easy with all the imagery that the birds provided, the words preached, and the songs sang... just moving

GOSPEL READING: Mark 12: 28-34
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Hebrews 12: 1-3
SERMON: "Never the Last Word!" by Rev. Jackie Hannan

What next for the weeks to come? Marcia provided an image that would keep it moving. The image below created all sorts of possibilties... Lanterns, wood, brick, paper. This image was used on our screens and also on the front of our Sunday bulletin. So, this image, the song, the lanterns, the addition of Acolytes as the series continued, would add a host of new things to our worship!