another canary in the coal mine

I was away at a national conference of episcopal liturgists and musicians in Philadelphia. In many ways it was frustrating for me because much of the conversation seemed to be at a level that was not going to address the true state of liturgy in the Episcopal church. It's not simply that our liturgical life is not what it could be (that this is very true-- most parishes lack anything smacking of creativity in their worship life). It's that our worship is not really worship. Too often it has become a lowest common denominator, read the book, did we follow the rubrics, event that has completely lost touch with the people of God and seems to be constructed precisely to keep God's people from any real, human, emotion rich experience of God in community.

Here's a snapshot of a seminal exchange following a really cool presentation on ambient worship that's happening in the UK. A priest was telling me the story of how he had to "discipline" [his word] his congregation to begin the worship service each Sunday. He said the people just get together and love to talk and drink coffee and don't want to stop so the liturgy was beginning later and later. He said that now she goes into the church and "shsh's" the people and tells them to be quiet and to pray so they can begin. Then in a few minutes, a procession with cross, candles and clergy walk down the aisle. I told him that his story was intriguing and so I asked what that experience had taught him about how his community actually gathered itself.

He didn't understand the question. I tried to be more didactic but to no avail. So what does that say to you about how your community's liturgy actually begins? He still didn't understand. He said, "well our liturgy begins in silence," to which I could only reply, "apparently not."

And we wonder why our denomination is shrinking? Unfortunately, liturgy is just one more of the symptoms... the canary in the coal mine, so to speak.

pax [+]