Saturday, a couple of our former youth came and stayed the night with us. It was a fun time and we all looked forward to going to church together today. I knew that they would probably enjoy one of the larger churches in town and so we made plans to go there.....but I was going to get up and go to St. Paul's Episcopal Church for their early service. Me and one of the former youth got up and went to St. Paul's first and then to Bethel Temple.
To say that there was a difference in the worship styles would be stating the overly obvious. Of course there would be a difference in the worship styles. But thinking back, I really see the difference is not so much preference per each denomination/church but more philosophically. I would like to think that the goal is the same: leading people into God's presence. It is just funny how they attempt to do that. One through the sacred and holy and the other through praise choruses and "dynamic" preaching.
The difference couldn't be any starker. My preference have always been praise chorus over hymns....dynamic sermons with dynamic personalities over....well anything else.....commuincation and fellowship during worship over silence and reverence.....and well the list could go on. Each preference could be explained pretty simple. But things are so different now. I totally enjoyed the sacred this morning. The "repetitive" prayers/responsive readings are more than words but the echo of hearts from years gone by through today using biblical language.
And there was the "quiet." The quiet pierces the business of the world with internet access and blogging and cable television and touches to where Merton thinks a man truly lives....the solitude. My heart leaped with the silence and reverence as if I was watching a million different TV's - all the excited by the stillness. Instead of my mind wondering off and my thoughts racing, it was captivated by the "sacred" as if I was watching some horrible wreck and just couldn't turn away. No desire to read something else or think about something else or to attempt to fill my time with a million things. No....the stillness and "sacred" was much more captivating. Maybe because it had my mind, heart and soul. Wait....isn't that something in the bible?
Anyways.....there is a big difference for this "southern baptist" who has a desire now to learn the sign of the cross, buy an Anglican rosary, and to sit and talk with the local priest. Yep. There is a big difference.......
Maybe a certain "person" will still think of me as a Christian if I "become" Anglican/Episcopalian......
well....we'll see at least......
until then.......
1 comment:
Drew,
Thanks for the good word.
This morning started our Summer Faith Pilgrimage with the youth. I was amazed that we had twelve young people plus some parents and an elder and his wife attend an 8 AM worship at our local Episcopalian church. It was neat. I forgot to mention to the kids that communion was with real wine. Oops. Next week we'll visit a large, predominantly black charismatic megachurch and a Greek Orthodox Service. That'll be a stark contrast. Please keep blogging.
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