Leading Congregations in Mission - Community of Christ

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High Priests Newsletter 2 Used by permission. To make any further copies of the words for congregational use (printed in a church bulletin, an overhead slide, or computerized projection, etc.) you must get permission from Hope Publishing Company (www.hopepublishing.com) or belong to and report the copying activity to CCLI, LincenSing, or OneLicense.
You Might Think It’s Strange By Jane M. Gardner, Quorum of High Priests president You might think it is strange for the newsletter of the Quorum of High Priests to print a hymn text and tune. What does this have to do with high priests? First, the title of the text may provide a clue. As Ministers of Vision it is refreshing to find a poet who can help us articulate the type of ministry to which we are called. At times we might feel satisfied with our ability to vision possibilities, yet this text reminds us that the God of vision surveys a scope “greater than all human scheming.” Second, the author specifically talks about many themes that are important to high priests (and the church at-large) like diversity, perseverance, hope, sacrament, all are called, and generously offering ourselves. As we consider the year ahead leading to the 2013 World Conference, I am especially drawn to the text of the third stanza. It is a prayer for vision at a time of decision making. Here’s a suggestion: Use this text as devotional material between now and next World Conference. Pray it. Sing it. Breathe it. Ponder it. Share it. Third, when I was asked to lead the Hymnal Steering Team, I hesitated because of the enormous time commitment the project would entail. I was concerned that it would detract from my work in the quorum. However, in truth, this is what I have found: The messages of the songs we sing provide a principal vehicle for the vision of the church. We will sing difficult and challenging concepts well before we will attempt to live them. When we sing in this manner we are “visioning” what might be. So, there is a marvelous, important connection between being a Minister of Vision and the next song resource for the church. I was struck that this is not the first time such a connection has been made between the Quorum of High Priests and the denomination’s hymnal. Hymnody Here is a historical reference provided by High Priest Richard Clothier in a draft of his paper, “Hymnody in Community of Christ,” written for inclusion in the Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology, Carlton Young, editor, to be published by Canterbury Press in London and Eerdmans in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Geoffrey Spencer, cited in the article, was a former president of the Quorum of High Priests. One of the members of the committee for Hymns of the Saints [1981] discovered a latent talent for hymn writing, and as a result contributed 13 texts to that collection. Geoffrey Spencer was a native of Australia, and spent his life in ministry to the church, including ten years as a member of the Council of Twelve Apostles. As with most denominations, the hymnody of Community of Christ has included its share of hymns that tend to appeal more to the emotions (the “heart”) than to the intellect (the “head”). Since human beings are whole persons, both passion and substance are important. Spencer’s texts are both poetic and thoughtful, and one of them is particularly appropriate to include in this essay because of its significant content, beautifully expressed. Spencer said he wrote this hymn in response to questions from members about the Basic Beliefs of the church. The idea was to encapsulate in a few stanzas some of the important beliefs of the church; he said that he would have liked to have included more items, but did not want to make the hymn any longer. Those that are incorporated in the five stanzas are the concepts of: restoration, and the living presence of divine power for the task (stanza 1); the sacredness of all things and the unity of spirit and element (stanza 3); the power of our heritage, and the experience of the God who calls us into the future (stanza 5). The two stanzas not reproduced here refer to the worth of all persons, stewardship of the earth’s resources, the ongoing search for truth, men and women together in ministry, and the role of the church as sin-bearer. Three of the verses, set to Lowell Mason’s tune, WESLEY, are: 1. Let us give praise to the God of creation, Lord of all history and source of all power, Calling us now to the world’s restoration; Granting us strength for the needs of this hour. 3 High Priests Newsletter
Page 1: Leading Congregations in Mission By
Page 5 and 6: Creating Cultures of Innovation, Co
Page 7 and 8: High Priests: Called to Be Bridge B
Page 9 and 10: More Languages for New Priesthood M
Page 11 and 12: Fais de moi Seigneur ton Disciple !
Page 13 and 14: Translation teams are creating new

Leading Congregations in Mission - Community of Christ

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