Retreat helps Christians worship in difficult times

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This article was published 26/09/2019 (2553 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Climate change, natural disasters, millions of people fleeing their homes as refugees, the threat of war with Iran, and unsettled political situations in the U.S. and the U.K. are only a few of the things challenging Christians today.

They are also a challenge for church musicians and worship leaders.

How can they lead a congregation in worship when people feel unsettled and troubled by events around them, or if the leaders are feeling the weight of the world themselves?

Helping people lead worship in difficult times is the goal of a retreat happening at St. Benedict’s Retreat & Conference Centre, in the Rural Municipality of West St. Paul, this Friday and Saturday.

“We want to offer encouragement to musicians and worship leaders” in times like these, said Mary Coswin of St. Benedict’s. 

Through the retreat, which is open to members of all denominations, participants will come away with inspiration to continue the important ministry of leading worship, along with new songs they can take back to their churches, she said.

Because musicians and worship leaders can sometimes feel overwhelmed by practical challenges such as finding enough choir members or people to play instruments, the retreat will help them see “they aren’t alone,” Coswin said. 

Marty Haugen, a well-known American church musician and composer for both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, said the situation facing churches today isn’t unusual.

“Christians have always worshipped in difficult times,” he said. “This isn’t new.”

Worship, Haugen said, “is always about integrity and talking about the truth,” no matter what’s going on in the world.

This “has been true in all of human history, especially in the midst of challenging times,” he added, including times “when Canadians and Americans are both wrestling with how we can worship and live faithfully.”

Worship is more important when times are challenging, Haugen said, because it “is the primary way we are formed in our understanding of our faith, of God, and how we are part of God’s plan for creation.”

Haugen said he hopes the retreat leads to a “lively and productive conversation about how each of us can respond to our call to be servants of the Gospel.”

The retreat is from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The cost is $85 for both days, $25 for Friday night only or $60 for Saturday only. For more information, or to register, call 204-339-1705 or go to wfp.to/dD9.

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