To Serve as Jesus Did

The recent call to refocus on word and sacrament in church liturgy is explored in these musings about how parish ministers, choir directors, and lay leaders can return to basics in their Sunday services without changing the long-time programs valued by their congregations. The worry that that skillful public speaking and trained musicians may become "entertainment" for a passive audience is discussed, as is the challenge of finding a balanced approach to the "relevance" problem--the result of ministers focusing their sermons on modern social dilemmas at the expense of the more authentic church service of established liturgy and biblical interpretation.