wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Easter came early for Iowa congregation

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #7085 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Easter came early for Iowa congregation
11-March-2002
02094

Easter came early for Iowa congregation

Des Moines worshippers don bonnets early for TV appearance

by Alexa Smith

LOUISVILLE - It was much like any other Easter Sunday service, except that it took place in February.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, of Des Moines, IA, wasn't trying to rush the season, but it may have seemed so: Its sanctuary was full of little girls in bonnets flaunting pastel ribbons, taupe shoes (a fashion no-no until Easter morning) and baskets of springtime flowers.

The only thing missing was Easter lilies. They're hard to find in February.

Westminster's 1,800-member congregation wasn't lost in a time warp; it was taping an Easter worship service to be broadcast nationwide on ABC on Easter Sunday, March 31. 
The service was staged and taped at the behest of the National Council of Churches (NCC), whose member denominations take turns recording Easter broadcasts for the nation. This year it was the Presbyterians' turn, and after their videotaped proposal was accepted by a team at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville -  Westminster leaped into the breach.

About 70 Presbyterian churches responded to the initial advertisement. Of those, a handful followed through with the application process.

"It took a while for the congregation to get beyond the idea that this was a 'fake' worship service (and) to move to the idea  that, as a congregation  they're leading worship for the nation," said Westminster's pastor in February, the Rev. Sam Massey, who has since accepted a call to a church in Charlottesville, VA. Massey said it went well, "once they bought into that concept."
"It was a bit extraordinary," he added, noting that the weather was balmy that day, so it didn't feel unnatural to break out the Easter bonnets and shiny spring shoes more than a month ahead of schedule.

A production crew from ABC's Des Moines affiliate, KOI-TV 5, set up its lights and cameras in the sanctuary on Feb. 23, as well as two employees of the Media Services office of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Tammy Joslyn and Joe Williams, who were on hand to tape a profile of Westminster and its ministries.

"I was impressed," Joslyn said of KOI's performance, from an 8:30 a.m. rehearsal through the actual service, which started at 1:10 p.m. "This was really kept an Easter service, and not 'a production.' Everyone involved wanted to make sure the congregation had a worship experience - even though the sanctuary had five cameras, lights not only facing the chancel but facing the congregation as well, and a giant production truck outside."

	When tape started rolling, 424 members of the Westminster congregation were in the pews.

	Massey said it wasn't unusual for his staff to be working on an Easter service in February; they typically start planning for Easter in October. They're just not used to having to be finished by Valentine's Day.

	Massey, preaching to the nation, talked about fear, citing the lectionary text, Matthew 28.

	"Because of 9/11, what the rest of the world deals with has come to us," he said, observing that fear is an "unwelcome guest" in our homes and places of worship these days, but pointed out that new beginnings that come with resurrection bring with a different kind of fear, the "delicious" kind.

	The songs chosen for the service were the Easter standards: The Day of Resurrection, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today and Good Christians All Rejoice and Sing. "It really felt like Easter," said Randy Buikema, the choir director, who found it "mind-boggling" to be leading the whole nation in song.

	He's planning to use the same hymns when Westminster gathers for Easter II with the rest of the non-Orthodox Christian world.

"It's kind of like Christmastime, when you use the carols the whole season," he Buikema said. "We'll be doing the same Easter tunes.  And I don't think that's going to be a problem."
Elder Anne Driscoll, a Westminster congregant since 1951, said its members are honored to have been chosen to host the nation on Easter morning.

	She said she thinks many Westminster worshippers will have their VCRs timed and tuned to ABC when the program is broadcast on Easter morning - but won't be watching their TVs.
"We'll be at the church," she said. "Obviously."
	
Regional listing for the Easter broadcast may found at www.pcusa.org/easter or call PresbyTel at 1-800-872-3283.
------------------------------------------
Send your response to this article to pcusa.news@pcusa.org

------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an 'unsubscribe' request to

pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org