We've done a bunch of work here at St. Paul's reflecting in thought, prayer, conversation, and study on what a gathered community must do in order to worship together. As part of our planning and dreaming for our new ministry twentytwentyone we've followed the pendulum from it requiring a collect, a lesson, a sermon, the peace, and the eucharist TO just showing up at a habitat build. Right now we feel fairly settled with the Acts 2.42 model of apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers. But once again today God is reminding me to "let it happen, not make it happen." Maybe even Acts 2.42 is prescribing too much. What about Romans 12.1-2?
Seems here that worship is two things - offering ourselves (souls and bodies) and renewing our minds toward God's will. I sorta get how we can renew our minds, but what does that look like? How does a community gathered offer themselves (souls and bodies)? To be honest, I'm not sure, but I think it means that we gather as open people - open to God and to one another - completely vulnerable to the everlasting Word and to the Christ we see in the face of another. Still it seems hard to ask a group of people to come together to do this without a structure - without a plan for openness - without something... more worshippy.
Hmm. More drawing board material.
2 comments:
OK- this is just a weird math thing my brain does when I look at things- but have noticed that your new logo looks almost like 2 X 21 (the resulting sum would incidentaly be the verse from Acts you have chosen v. 42) I don't think it means anything. Just another insight into a bizarrely distracted brain.
The question between the Romans ideal and the Acts ideal is an interesting one. I don't think they are ultimately too dissimilar. Especially if you believe, as our church does and I do, the ancient saying "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" (lit: the law of prayer is the law of belief- typically used liturgically for - your prayer shapes your belief or as you pray so you believe) In that case, the prayers, the breaking of the bread are essentially doing that work of preparing us to be a holy sacrifice to God. Interesting stuff . . .
thanks bill -
we actually found that too. in the midst of a discussion on the basics of worship we did this.
primary
prime
factors
2_21
2:42
wow
thanks for bringing Lex, Orandi, Lex Credendi into the conversation. It was such a part of my pre-seminary life that I sometimes forget it had validity now that seminary beat most of my old self to death. I think you are very right, but would add that especially in the breaking of the bread that we are offering ourselves (souls and bodies) along with the bread, wine, and other gifts that make up the offertory.
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