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How Do We Learn to Worship Together?
Have you ever wondered how you learned to worship or been curious about why we do what we do as Anglicans when we gather for Sunday worship? Many do wonder from time to time, but feel a little foolish to ask questions about it all when ‘what we do’ has been a part of our Sunday gatherings our whole life and is simply a part of who we are.
Our Mother Tongue – How we worship and express ourselves liturgically has been compared to how we learn to speak. As a child, we learned to speak the language spoken at home by listening to parents, siblings, and others around us. No one sat us down to teach us the proper grammatical rules of speech and sentence structure. No one specifically taught us the right length of time to pause before beginning a new sentence, wait for a reaction to our words, when to speak quietly or to shout. From our earliest days we learned to speak by making sounds that mimic speaking and babbling and there was joy in the home when we said our first word. From that time, we begin to participate in conversations one word at a time, then one phrase and very soon after, we are off and running at the mouth. (Funnily enough we were often told it’s time to be quiet.) We likely speak as our parents, siblings, and other family members speak. We might have the same cadence as our parents when we speak, use similar phrases, and use the similar body language. If we are ever asked to explain the grammatical rules of English by someone whose mother tongue is not English, we would likely have to stop and think back to elementary school and unpack all the lessons we learned about nouns and verbs, and sentence structure. Today, adults are best taught a new language through immersion into speaking it rather than by learning the grammatical rules.
Our worship in the Eucharist is a bit like that. If we have been a part of Sunday worship from the start or very early on in our life, it can be for us like our mother tongue. We know what to do and when to do it by being immersed in it. We learn the prayers. We learn the pauses. We learn the cadence. We know when to sit, when to stand, when to sing, what to do to receive bread and wine and so much more. It is so much a part of us, it just flows. Going to another parish, especially if it is in another country, can be a bit surprising. We think we know the ‘liturgical language’ but can be surprised that the hymns are sung at twice the speed we have been accustomed to sing or people stand rather than kneel etc. It is like listening to a different accent of the same language and we quickly catch on. But generally, we don’t have to think about it much at all. We act as a part of a living, breathing, community of people who are acting together.
Learning to Speak the Language Those who are newcomers to the Christian faith or to the Anglican way of worship, have quite a few questions about what we do and why we do it. Many churches have ‘seekers classes’ that explain much of that and great conversations happen at those times. It is a wonderful way of helping people integrate into a faith community. Much like those of us who try to learn a new language, we learn best by speaking the language and having someone alongside us to whom we can put their questions. Although we can learn something about worship by reading about it, it is best learned experientially, joining our voices and actions together, as we worship with others. The Holy One is mystery, and wholly other, but as we are drawn deeper into worship, with reverence and fascination, we come to know the mercy and grace, love and compassion, that floods into our lives.
Finally, for reflection…
1/Thinking particularly of the Eucharist, where and when did you learn how to worship and pray with others?
2/How would you describe to someone new to St. Cuthbert’s the how’s and why’s of what we do at our Sunday gatherings?
3/Are there elements of worship that are a ‘best fit’ for you and appreciate? Are there elements you avoid, do not like, or struggle with? It’s great to talk about these things for deeper understanding and experiences of our worship in our family here at St. Cuthbert’s. I would love to hear your thoughts, comments, and questions any time.
+Rev. Stephen/Steve
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