Idea Exchange
On the second Sunday evening of each month, September through May, the Fellowship Hall at Central United Methodist Church, Spartanburg, is transformed into a unique worship space for Sacred Traditions And Rituals – or, as it has become affectionately known, STAR.
Generally, chairs are arranged in a circle surrounding a star-shaped altar with space provided for musicians in the ring of chairs. In this way, everyone who gathers benefits from a “front row seat” and is able to look across the circle to greet the faces of others and have space to participate in the movement of the service.
It is a service that might, at first glance, appear to be contemporary, but on second glance, isn’t really contemporary. It is a service that might seem traditional, but isn’t really traditional; a service that might be considered blended, but really isn’t.
Instead, it is a service that calls to connection all who seek the holy and sacred through the wisdom of other faith and spiritual traditions, while celebrating one’s own faith and spirituality. All are welcome regardless of faith background, spiritual preference, involvement in another denomination or not.
Woven into each service are prayers, reflections, music and movement from Christian tradition as well as Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish and Native American spirituality. Whether walking the labyrinth (individually or in community); blessing the animals and those who love them; honoring prophets, mystics, good souls or heretics; journeying the stations of the nativity; drumming in the heartbeat of life; recognizing our divine spark or the divine feminine – one encounters time for quiet prayerfulness, for joyful vigorousness and numerous ways to celebrate the creative energy of aliveness in life and in the world.
As Act 17:28 reveals, “It is in God that we live, and move, and have our being.”
STAR was created after the Rev. Susan Bennett – first Minister of Ritual for STAR – along with several others, attended a seminar presented by theologian Matthew Fox. His writing regarding creation spirituality (a tradition he acknowledges as the universe being experienced as God’s original blessing, “God is in everything and everything is in God”) influenced their desire to provide an opportunity for others to experience the delight and blessing of God’s creation through music, song, dance, art, drama, poetry and prose.
Currently, the Rev. Sue Perrin serves as Minister of Ritual for STAR. In September, STAR will mark its 15th anniversary.
What began as a monthly service has developed into a community of caring and compassionate folks – one that is engaged in not only planning and leadership of monthly gatherings, but in addressing concerns by reaching out, through service and mission efforts to the local and broader community.
Gatherings for STAR are held the second Sunday of the month, September through May, at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at Central UMC, 233 North Church Street, Spartanburg.
For more information, call 864-582-7263 or visit www.centralumcspartanburg.org.
