Center for Arts, Liturgy, and Music

Schedule of Services

The Committee on Worship Life

The Committee plans, designs, and organizes the worship life of the community and assists in the preparation and conduct of worship. It is constituted by student representatives from all class levels (MDiv 1, MDiv 2, MDiv 4, BTh), from the organization of international students, representatives from the faculty of Liturgy and Music, the Center for Pastoral and Spiritual Formation and Center for the Arts, Liturgy, and Music, and the Office of Student Affairs.

1. BTh Rep
2. MDiv 1 Rep
3. MDiv 2 Rep
4. MDiv Senior Rep
5. Postgrad Rep
6. International Students Rep
7. Office of Student Affairs
8. Center for Pastoral and Spiritual Formation
9. Center for the Arts, Liturgy and Music

*the convenor is elected by and from among members

The Liturgical Calendar

Worship at Union observes the liturgical calendar of the church ecumenical, and those of the sponsoring churches. It celebrates and commemorates significant events in the lives and journeys, struggles and triumphs of the peoples of Asia and the world. The use of denominational and common lectionaries is also basic in the shaping of the themes and thrusts of the worship services.

The Shape of Liturgical Assemblies

Worship at Union is ecumenical and contextual. Proceeding from its denominational and free church traditions, worship at Union is accommodating to and integrative of other liturgical traditions, expressions and ritualizations, especially those coming from the high/liturgical churches. The ecumenical agenda, i.e., advocacy for peace, justice, human rights, and the integrity of creation is translated into texts and forms of celebration. Worship at Union promotes contextualization and indigenization – it draws from the literature, rites, and the arts of ‘marginal communities’ and indigenous faith traditions. It is also creative and experimental in that it brings in new ways and technologies of worship.

Inclusive Worship

Inclusive worship means our worship should include everyone and exludes no one. This includes attending to the inclusivity of language, symbols, and images used in our worship. We normally start with the woman question, racial, people with disabilities (PWD) and others, but others also sense exclusion when worship are done in languages that are beyond their comprehension. In this case, inclusion may mean that ethnic-based worship need to have some prepared translations or guides or commentaries especially when international students and guests are around.

Resources for Worship

Center for the Arts, Liturgy and Music (CALM). The center provides resources and guidance in the preparation of worship services. It holds the regular Creative Worship Workshop, and other workshop programs upon request by student/faculty/staff groups. Its libraries and music room are also open on request.

Union Theological Seminary Choir. The UTS choir conducts audition in June and organizes within the same month. The UTS choir serves as (1) music leader and animator for chapel services and other liturgical assemblies, (2) as ambassadors of theological education through Union Theological Seminary, and (3) as ecumenical accompaniers-through-music to peoples and communities. The Choir, in the past, also had opportunities to travel around the country and abroad to promote our programs, minister through music, help establish and celebrate partnerships and linkages with theological institutions and church agencies.

Spaces for Worship and Liturgical Gatherings

Salakot Chapel

The chapel, situated at the center of the campus complex, is the center of the seminary’s life and work. It is primarily a space for liturgical gatherings but it also serves non-liturgical purposes and other activities of the community. Designed like the traditional Filipino peasant hat, the structure signifies the seminary’s commitment to the ‘critical Asian principle’ in theological education.

Labyrinth

The labyrinth is a tool for meditation. It is a single path designed to allow participants to recharge from daily routines and stress. By following the one path into the center, lingering for a time, and then moving back to the starting point, participants can quiet the mind and find peace at the center of their being.

Grace Open Chapel

Worship requiring more movements and rites with the bare earth are held in this space. The chapel walls are the trees, its canopy the sky, and floors the green grass. The altar is inspired by traditional Korean architecture.

Dap-ay

The Dap-ay or Dap-ayan is the traditional assembly place for most indigenous communities in northern Philippines. Appropriated for theological education, The UTS Dap-ay serves as a liturgical space where spirituality expresses itself in and through the arts, where prayerful encounters in theology, liturgy, and the arts among theologians, liturgists, peace activists, and artists take place.

Prayer Garden

Maintained inside the Salakot complex, the prayer garden is a small space for meditation prayer. Installations in the garden shift from theme to theme as the garden serves as laboratory space of the Center for the Arts, Liturgy & Music for installation arts.

Laksamba

Laksamba (lakbay=journey + samba=worship) is a meditative walk around the 94-hectare campus. It has, at least, six themed prayer stations (Guansing Memorial, Pinagpala Gardens, Goshen Farm, Grace Open Air Chapel, Mango Grove, Kanlungan Farm). The activity is designed to make participants experience an integrative-spirituality-in-motion.