Music + Worship + Time for Stillness = A fresh start to the week. That’s the magic formula for the newest worship service at Holy Trinity. Geared towards high school youth and older, this monthly, youth-infused service, called Compline, debuts on Sunday, October 16 from 6 – 8 pm in the Sanctuary.
Dating back to the 4th century, Compline (pronounced KOM-plin) is the Night Prayer of the church as it is the final service of the day. Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther ensured the Compline Service remained as he reformed other liturgical formats. However, modern Lutheran churches abandoned the eight services of the Divine Office, and typically hold one type of service per week. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) relies on hymnals to guide worshippers in various service types and liturgies. The Compline service appears on pages 154 – 160 of the Lutheran Book of Worship (green hymnal c.1978) and on pages 320 – 327 in the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (red hymnal c. 2006).
Yep. This “new” Compline service at Holy Trinity isn’t new at all.
Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministry Lauren Petersen explains, “It is very much different from Sunday and Wednesday worship in that it is not really a service, but more of a time to just come and be. No bulletins, no communion, no 15-minute sermon, and no offering. Lights will be dimmed with slides to show lyrics for everyone to sing along if they’d like.” Compline starts at 6 pm, however, the first hour is a time purely for fellowship. Lights will dim at 7 pm as the Compline service begins and attendees are invited to transition to a reflective state of mind. 9th grade confirmation students received a sneak peek at Compline during their retreat last month, which included a short message, beautiful music, and a time for reflection. Lauren continues, “This is majority student-led, and hope it to be inviting for people high school age and older, but of course, all are welcome to come as long as everyone is mindful of the space.” Music will vary month to month as will the student-led message. It will be completely different from sermons heard during Sunday/Wednesday worship.Compline can be a compelling experience as the music affords people time to focus on their relationship with God. Lauren states, “For some people, it is easier to go to that reflective state, and for some people, it just feels weird to be still and see where their thoughts take them. In recognition that not everyone worships in the same way, this service is an invitation to those people who want more of a reflective time with God.” If you have concerns about finding space that works for you during Compline, please contact Lauren at lauren@holytrinityonline.org.
Who is that?
Rumors around New Prague will tell anyone listening that Holy Trinity is the “one with the good music”. There’s no denying Holy Trinity is blessed with talent, and the pandemic brought some new faces to the forefront, including Jackie Mackenthun. Recently, Jackie stepped in for staff musicians to sing a song she covered in 2021. Standing next to Jackie was a teenager, providing harmonies like a skilled professional. Necks craned to see “who is that?”
In front of the congregation, in a country she had entered less than four weeks prior, was German exchange student Marisa Doddo.
“Singing in general has always been a part of my life. [Ever] since I could sing, I did,” Marisa explains. Staying with the Mackenthun family for a year, Marisa was comfortable attending and singing in worship. Host Mom Jackie explains that German schools do not have music or sports as a part of their programming, so one way for people to immerse themselves in music is through the church. However, according to Marisa, most Germans do not attend church. “It’s not a thing out of responsibility or tradition there,” she says. Marisa and her family attend a Baptist church, Credo Kirche, with multiple campuses, and a big focus on music and youth. Jackie adds, “I think she is really missing [her church] right now. They do week-long lock-ins called ‘wohnwoche’ where the kids ‘just be’ at church – live at church, sleep at church, do school from church, and have a lot of fun activities.”
“Singing in general has always been a part of my life. [Ever] since I could sing, I did,” Marisa explains. Staying with the Mackenthun family for a year, Marisa was comfortable attending and singing in worship. Host Mom Jackie explains that German schools do not have music or sports as a part of their programming, so one way for people to immerse themselves in music is through the church. However, according to Marisa, most Germans do not attend church. “It’s not a thing out of responsibility or tradition there,” she says. Marisa and her family attend a Baptist church, Credo Kirche, with multiple campuses, and a big focus on music and youth. Jackie adds, “I think she is really missing [her church] right now. They do week-long lock-ins called ‘wohnwoche’ where the kids ‘just be’ at church – live at church, sleep at church, do school from church, and have a lot of fun activities.”As compared to Holy Trinity, Marisa reports that Credo Kirche has more modern elements in the service and it is more “active” as a whole. (Click here to watch a 30 sec. video of a typical worship service). In general, she thinks that Americans are friendlier than Germans, except for the people at Credo Kirche. “We have about 100 people in our youth church, and it is the place where I feel most at home. It’s the most non-toxic place with open-hearted people and you feel welcome there.”
Just Be
Just be.
In fellowship with others.
With the lyrics to beautiful music.
In a calm, peaceful environment.
Just be.
Letting God work wonders and not requiring an explanation. (Like how does a talented teenager from Martin Luther’s birthplace show up in rural Minnesota in time to help lead a new, youth-inspired, music-filled worship service?)
Yes, Marisa will be one of the students leading Compline through her singing talents, feeling right at home in a new country. A country, in her eyes, filled with overly sweet food that can sit on a shelf for months, closets stuffed with unworn clothes, and houses with rooms dedicated solely to storing more overly sweet food. This Sunday at 6 pm, join in the youth-led worship experience at the first Compline service.
To read more about Marisa and her journey with the Mackenthun family, check out Jackie’s blog, https://beyondgermany.blogspot.com/
Written by Karen Taylor, Communications Manager
October 13, 2022
