Starting Sunday, Nov. 9, Wilshire will offer a weekly 9 a.m. service in McIver Chapel focused on contemplative practices. The service will last 35 to 40 minutes and will include Scripture, music, a homily and prayer, with a different spiritual practice explored each month.
“This new service,” Senior Pastor Timothy Peoples wrote in an email to congregants, “will provide a sacred space where we can step away from the busyness and noise of daily life to slow down, be still and cultivate a deeper connection with God. … participants will be invited to listen inwardly and engage with the Divine in a way that nourishes the soul and renews the spirit.”
The chapel service will be completely different from Wilshire’s 11 a.m. Sanctuary worship. The ministerial staff conceived the new service after receiving positive feedback from contemplative experiences offered at 9 a.m. in recent years during Advent and Lent.
Timothy and the pastoral residents will share homily duties for the 9 a.m. service, and spiritual practices to be explored include Visio Divina, Lectio Divina and the Examen.
One thing 9 a.m. worship will have in common with 11 a.m. worship: Communion will be offered the first Sunday each month.
Timothy said, “This is an invitation to explore a quieter, more reflective way of worship that meets us where we are and helps us grow in our faith journey. We look forward to seeing how this experiment unfolds and hope it will become a meaningful part of our spiritual life together.”
Childcare for preschoolers will be offered each week during the 9 a.m. service.