Our Sunday Worship

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HOW WE WORSHIP

OUR SANCTUARY; SUNDAY MORNING
We usually worship in a semi-circle facing the altar. Most Sundays, we have 8 to 20 participants. You can see the bulletin for the day on the chairs. There are drums available for those who would like to drum with the music.

Here is our music director, Lorraine Kardash, setting up the music for worship.

We have drums available during worship.

Lorraine is an ordained interfaith chaplain. She is our Senior Interfaith Chaplain on staff as well as music director.

She has a broad background in music, bringing us music that includes folk music, Western spiritual music, and religious music from all over the world. She has studied chanting, and often brings us chants as part of our prayer.

Susan MeCormack is the Director of the Children's program.
She has been the Director of Odyssey House, a children's
day care center, for many years.

This is Susan's daughter, Ainslee.
Susan and Ainslee are in church every 2nd Sunday, providing a Spirit School program for children during the worship hour.

The children join the adults for the first few minutes of the service, including songs and our opening ritual. Then Susan takes them downstairs to their own room for their own lesson. The children come back for the last few minutes for a circle song with the adults.

Nanci Adair has been a worship leader at our church for many years. She brings a rich spiritual background to worship that is illustrated from real life stories and from her years of being a Mom.
Nanci is our Director of Prayer, and brings us a rich array of prayer styles to fit various times in our lives and in our worship.

Daisy is the Official Dog. She is studying to be a therapy dog. She attends every 2nd Sunday when the children are present. She sleeps during worship, but gets quite attentive during brunch.

OUR WORSHIP STYLES

Our worshippers come from many backgrounds and traditions. Some like the worship to reflect Christian liturgy within a Swedenborgian contex, and like to have a sermon. Others prefer a service that is more contemplative, with meditation, chanting, and communion. Still others prefer a service where there is time for everyone to participate in discussion.

WE ACCOMMODATE EACH OF THESE WORSHIP STYLES!
Here is our monthly worship schedule. Occasionally there is a change for some special event [which is posted here on our web site.[

THE FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: CONTEMPLATIVE WORSHIP

This worship is designed primarily for adults. Children are always welcome; however we rarely have child care on the first Sunday, so we ask them to be really quiet during the meditation and prayer time. Our ordained Interfaith Chaplain on staff, Karen St. Peter, oversees the worship for this service. She brings in an open communion experience, with meditation and a short homily. Lorraine provides chants and other music; Nanci leads us in prayer.

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF THE MONTH: FAMILY AND FRIENDS DAY

Bring the whole family and your friends for a rich and lively worship experience. Children are our special worshippers on this Sunday. They are invited to join the adults for singing at the beginning of the service, and a simple circle dance at the end. In between, Susan takes them downstairs for a fun kid-centered activity with spiritual meaning.

Meanwhile, the adults have a service with music and a sermon. Often, the sermon will reflect themes from a movie, and a scene or two from the film may be projected onto our screen. We have a movie every month that is used as part of the sermon material.

After worship, we have a fun, family-centered potluck brunch.

THE THIRD SUNDAY:
The Portland New Church does not hold a service on the 3rd Sunday. HOWEVER, our very good friends from the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine provide an interfaith service. ChIME is an interfaith seminary, and often the services are provided by students, who are learning a rich array of worship traditions and styles.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY

The 4th Sunday of every month is a service with a homily, followed by a discussion of the spiritual meaning of the message for our everyday lives. Wilma provides the homily, and Nanci leads the discussion and leads the prayer. Lorraine provides songs and chants.

Every month has a theme that is reflected in each service. This Sunday is a time to reflect on the various ways the theme has been experienced during the month.

Children are always welcome to join us. We don't usually have childcare on the 4th Sunday, however. Children are welcome to stay in the sanctuary with their parents, or to color in our kids' color corner.

THE FIFTH SUNDAY?
When there is a 5th Sunday in a month, we use the opportunity for additional meditation and discussion on the theme.