Go Ye!

The final section of the United Methodist rubric for worship is the Sending Forth. Traditionally, a hymn or song is shared by the congregation before the worship leader bestows upon the community the Dismissal With Blessing, often called the Benediction (from the Latin for good speech). Far from a “hasty exit,” the hymns and actions of the Sending Forth symbolize the faith community’s final acts of preparation to take all they have shared and experienced within the time of worship into the world. Many congregations will follow the acolytes, who bear the light from the altar, as they symbolically take the Light into the world.

It would be easy to dismiss the actions of worship as dry routine prescribed by somebody some time ago. It would be easy to relegate the rituals of worship to the irrelevant habits of people out of touch with today’s world. It would be easy; but it would be wrong. For a world which seeks multisensory experiences, worship feeds the soul through image, through scent, through sound, through taste, and through action. For a world which searches for meaning, each action in worship is purposefully full of symbolism and significance. For a world which seeks to “connect” with other people, worship provides not only connection with our fellow believers but a genuine encounter with Him in Whom we believe.

Instead of viewing worship a an obligation, we can believe it to be a time of celebration. The Guest of Honor will be there. He promised.

Sources:

The United Methodist Book of Worship. 1992. The United Methodist Publishing House: Nashville, TN.

The Sacristy: A Community for Wesleyan Sacristans, found October 19, 2009, .