Vacation Worship

Today I worshipped.  In the midst of strangers.  And loved it.

Once or twice a year, while on vacation, I have an opportunity to worship at a church where I am a stranger.  I cannot express how much I look forward to these opportunities to sit and breathe, soak in the Word and in Grace and in the fellowship of believers, without the need to assess, and evaluate, and anticipate.

As one would expect at an 8:30 a.m. service, the historic sanctuary deep in the Bible Belt and full of stained glass and natural light and pews, was occupied primarily by senior adults.  These folks were serious about their worship.  A majority of the men wore suits.

The liturgy was rich.  The acolytes led the processional, followed by robed pastors and choir.  Candles were lit.  Hymns were sung.  The congregation stood and recited the Apostles Creed.  By heart.  They sang the Doxology and the Gloria Patri, and my soul rejoiced and breathed.

In spite of my focus on mission and relevance, and my embrace of contemporary worship, times like this make me think that I might be an old soul.

There was a pipe organ.  No screen had ever been installed.  Those who did not know the songs by heart used the hymnal.  The written prayers were beautiful, thoughtful, timely, appropriate.

The people were friendly and welcoming, especially of a stranger in blue jeans who appeared in their midst exactly one week after a horrific church shooting in Texas. 

I sat and soaked.  This church, this worship, which is a comfort to so many, today was a comfort to me.  It was a beginning-of-the-week reminder of a faith and heritage that extends beyond my personal history.  I was reminded of my place in the story of the people of God, of my faith, my hope, and that my family is larger than I often realize.

The sermon from Matthew 25 (The Parable of the Ten Virgins) was prefaced with words something like this: “We’ve become an angry church and don’t realize it.  But the world around us realizes it.  We’ve become angry because our political influence has faded away.  What we don’t realize is that we were never called to political influence, but to spiritual influence…”

The pastor made these significant points:

-       Being prepared is important

-       You can’t borrow time

-       Neither can you borrow someone else’s spirituality

It was the Word of God, for the people of God, thanks be to God.

We need all kinds of churches, for all kinds of people.  Today I needed this kind of church.  Thanks be to God.