Bowling and Worship
Yesterday, I took a 13-year-old bowling. I'm thinking she's a typical 13-year-old. She doesn't expound much when asked a direct question, but if given enough time, she'll tell me things I never would have thought to ask. She's the daughter of a couple that belongs to one of the churches. We had a grand time, I suppose. I won both games we bowled, even though I tried to throw the second game. It's a sad commentary on one's actual skill when you bowl better when you're trying to lose! I tried to bowl badly without being obvious, but I had so little control over where the ball actually went, that I threw one of my best games...ever. It boggles the mind. Another interesting tidbit--bowling alleys smell the same over here as they do at home.
And now for something completely different.
As you might have gathered from my previous posts, ecumenism plays a big role in the ecclesial scene. This afternoon, I went to a service at the Cathedral in the city where the Methodist Chair of District and a Roman Catholic Bishop were installed as ecumenical canons. I'm not really sure what a canon is, but it is used as a title of some sort. I'm going to see some Anglicans tomorrow, so I'll ask them. Anyways, this is a pretty big deal, and is an honor bestowed upon leaders of denominations other than the CofE (Church of England) who have shown a commitment to ecumenism. Anyway, I went to the service today.
I've been to evensong at the Cathedral twice now. Both times a choir sang most of the liturgy. They did a beautiful job. It's a fairly high service, as you might expect, which isn't altogether a bad thing. I thought I liked high church services--and for the most part I do. However, I can't seem to shake the feeling that when I participate in those services, I'm part of a living museum exhibition. I understand the history, I understand the theology, I understand the Tradition of it all...but I can't help feeling like a spectator. I sang two hymns, said the Apostles' Creen and the Lord's Prayer. That was all the congregation did in the whole service. Not to mention the fact that they use the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer. I have no doubt that the prayers and things are beautiful...but what the heck are they saying? Plus, the pray for the queen. And, they use all HE language...for both God and people.
Is it too much to ask that we can combine the rich tradition of worship--with all the high church processions and smells and bells--with the desire of people today to actually participate in worship? Today I watched a bunch of (relatively) old white men in dresses lead worship. There were a few women present, one of which was the Bishop's lackey, but on the whole they did not have a visible role in the service. I had a hard time getting past how out of touch the whole thing seemed.
Nonetheless, it was still cool to see yet another step toward Church unity.
And now for something completely different.
As you might have gathered from my previous posts, ecumenism plays a big role in the ecclesial scene. This afternoon, I went to a service at the Cathedral in the city where the Methodist Chair of District and a Roman Catholic Bishop were installed as ecumenical canons. I'm not really sure what a canon is, but it is used as a title of some sort. I'm going to see some Anglicans tomorrow, so I'll ask them. Anyways, this is a pretty big deal, and is an honor bestowed upon leaders of denominations other than the CofE (Church of England) who have shown a commitment to ecumenism. Anyway, I went to the service today.
I've been to evensong at the Cathedral twice now. Both times a choir sang most of the liturgy. They did a beautiful job. It's a fairly high service, as you might expect, which isn't altogether a bad thing. I thought I liked high church services--and for the most part I do. However, I can't seem to shake the feeling that when I participate in those services, I'm part of a living museum exhibition. I understand the history, I understand the theology, I understand the Tradition of it all...but I can't help feeling like a spectator. I sang two hymns, said the Apostles' Creen and the Lord's Prayer. That was all the congregation did in the whole service. Not to mention the fact that they use the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer. I have no doubt that the prayers and things are beautiful...but what the heck are they saying? Plus, the pray for the queen. And, they use all HE language...for both God and people.
Is it too much to ask that we can combine the rich tradition of worship--with all the high church processions and smells and bells--with the desire of people today to actually participate in worship? Today I watched a bunch of (relatively) old white men in dresses lead worship. There were a few women present, one of which was the Bishop's lackey, but on the whole they did not have a visible role in the service. I had a hard time getting past how out of touch the whole thing seemed.
Nonetheless, it was still cool to see yet another step toward Church unity.
posted by RevSarah at 11:19 PM
1 Comments:
I tend to think that in the Cathedrals there are two very different groups of people to which they cater. On the one hand there are people who come along for the great choral tradition, the majesty of the Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible, and all of that stuff.
However, often you discover that there the cathedrals regular Sunday congregation doing something a bit more up to date. Certainly that was my experience at Wells where as with all the other cathedrals they do daily choral evensong, but their Sunday service is the modern Common Worship order one in contemporary language, even using the contemporary version of the Lord's Prayer.
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