Hearing Other Voices – Week 2
June 14, 2020
Church of the Servant, Wilmington, NC
June Worship – Hearing Other Voices
This week Church of the Servant used our worship time to hear the voices of St. Stephen A.M.E. church, led by their Pastor, Rev. Thomas Nixon. When I asked Pastor Nixon how they’re doing virtual worship in the midst of COVID-19, he shared the evolution…
It started with a video recording of worship from the sanctuary, providing Rev. Nixon with the familiar pulpit, yet preaching to empty pews. When the A.M.E. Bishops directed their clergy to no longer use the sanctuary, he began recording video-sermons seated in front of his computer camera – not his style. The congregation let him know that it was more important that they hear him preach “as he is” than to see him in a way that didn’t ring-true. So they’ve been worshiping each Sunday by teleconference. No video, just real-time, real Pastor Nixon, worship. Here is the sermon portion of that worship from today. He draws on Exodus 1:8-14.
Hearing Other Voices – Week 1
June 7, 2020
Church of the Servant, Wilmington, NC
June Worship – Hearing Other Voices
Our shared worship on Sunday, June 7, was listening to a sermon given by The Rev. Dr. Traci Blackmon, Sr. Pastor of Christ the King, UCC in Florissant, MO – a suburb of St. Louis, located just 5 miles from Ferguson. This sermon was included with Christ the King’s video-worship offerings for Pentecost Sunday (May 31), but was initially recorded for the Festival of Homiletics, a continuing education program I attended in May. While this prerecorded sermon predates the killing of George Floyd, it was delivered in the shadow of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and so many other Black Lives. I hope you will listen.
jodygreenwood 