Lift Up Your Hearts, Even at Home: A Sermon for Ordinary Time, Proper 11

Last week, my sermon addressed the worship-related survey that the Vestry sent out to the parish. If you missed it, you can watch it online or read the manuscript – which I updated and posted on my blog at fatherproc.com. This week, we will continue to examine the topic of worship, since it is, as I mentioned last week, the “essential service” that the church provides.

But the covid-19 pandemic has changed a lot about how we worship. Our familiar routines have been altered. Things feel different even for those of us who are here in person. In the fitness world, trainers will say that it is a good thing to confuse your muscles. That is what allows them to grow. Well, worshipping from our homes via a computer screen, or wearing a mask in church while we are humming along with the hymns is certainly confusing our worship muscles. This confusion is frustrating and for some, even demoralizing. But if we allow it to be, this new experience can also be an opportunity for growth in our worship muscles.

The vestry and I are extremely pleased with the fact that we have received 95 responses to the worship survey that went out on Saturday, July 11. Thank you to everybody who took the time to respond. For those of you who have not responded yet, it is not too late. The average amount of time taken to complete the survey was 3 ½ minutes, so it is quick and easy to do. Check your email for the link, or ask Stephanie in the church office to re-send it to you.

We were also pleased with the overall spirit of the responses. Early on during the pandemic, I sent a letter to the parish inviting us to navigate all of the setbacks and frustrations related to our disoriented life together as a parish with a spirit of gratitude and grace. And the vast majority of the survey responses communicated feedback that was grounded in gratitude and grace. And for that, the vestry and I couldn’t be more grateful.

I will send the details of the results of the survey to you via tomorrow’s Weekly Herald, but the Cliff Notes are that the vast majority of us will continue to stay away from in-person worship at CtK until the covid-19 pandemic drastically declines in our area and/or a vaccine is developed and made available. So, what that tells us is that what we are experiencing right now – whether here in person or via livestream – is what we can expect for the next few months. 

One thing to remember – for those of you who are not yet comfortable to return to Sunday worship as we have it right now, you have 10 other options for in-person worship that are much smaller in attendance and shorter in duration. Every weekday at 9:30 we have Morning Prayer and at 4:30 we have Evening Prayer. Each service lasts about 25 minutes, and bread from the Reserved Sacrament is served if you desire it. There are typically 2-3 people at these services, so it is easy to spread out. This service is livestreamed every Monday morning and Friday evening as well. 

One bit of hopeful news is that the vast majority of respondents of the survey said that their livestream experience has been positive to very positive. So, while worshipping via livestream is not ideal, it has become a viable option. But as I said before, our new way of worshipping is different, and our well-developed worship muscles should be confused by the change. So, I think the best response to our new in-person and livestream reality is to take responsibility for it. This is not how we would ideally want to offer our sacrifice or praise and thanksgiving to God. But it is what it is for now. And the faithful response is to embrace it and make the most of it. We must take responsibility for making the most of our current situation.

One example that comes to mind is from one of our parishioners, Jean Ward. She has chosen to remain home and worship via livestream. But she still gets dressed for church in her Sunday best, even though she’s worshipping from her living room. She prays the prayers aloud, just as if she were here with us in person. When her husband Ben isn’t here with us, he participates with Jean at home. They pass the peace to one another. They respond to “The Lord be with you” by audibly saying, “and also with you.” They say “Amen” at the end of prayers. This may seem odd that they would be speaking back to their computer screen in their living room. But what Ben and Jean are doing is critically important. They are participating in worship as opposed to watching it. I try to be very careful not to use the word watching when referring to the livestream. I try to use the word participating, so that we can be reminded that though we may not be in the church building, we can and should participateas members of one body. If you have found yourself watching the livestream, I encourage you to experiment with participating in the service. That is the difference between worshipping God and watching others worship God. How might it be to kneel for the prayers – particularly the prayer of confession? What might it feel like to audibly pray the prayers, and to stand for the Nicene Creed and say it aloud? It may seem weird at first, but watching us confess our sins to God isn’t the same as joining us in that prayer of confession. 

The word “liturgy” is derived from the Greek word that is roughly translated as “public work and worship.” Thus, liturgy is meant to be public, active work directed towards God. For those of you at home, you may not be in the public, but we are joined together by the power of the Holy Spirit as members of Christ’s one Body. So, you are working with us as you pray with us. Worship and liturgy are not meant to be a passive endeavor. It is active…indeed, it is work!

For those of you who are familiar with Episcopal worship, you shouldn’t need a bulletin or a prayer book. But for those of you who are relative newcomers, first and foremost, welcome! Each week our worship bulletin is available on the livestream tab of our website. And pandemic or no pandemic, all of us should have a Book of Common Prayer in our homes. If you do not, please come by the church office this week and we will be happy to give you one. It is also available online and there is an easy-to-use Book of Common Prayer app. So, if you feel a little bit lost while you are participating via livestream, take the time to find these resources on the CtK website ahead of time so you can more comfortably participate.

Essentially, what I am inviting us all to do is to grow in our Christian faith. The covid-19 pandemic has stalled growth in many ways – our health, the economy, morale, you name it. And churches are feeling the negative effects of the pandemic as much as any institution. Much of these setbacks are things that we simply cannot control. But when I begin feeling like I am losing control, I try to think about the things that I can control. And one thing that we can control during this pandemic is how intentionally we engage in the act of worship, whether we are here or at home. 

In the Book of Common Prayer’s preface for the commemoration of the dead, it says, “For to your faithful people, O Lord, life is changed, not ended…”. In our context now, it could be said that “worship is changed, not ended.” Worship is the essential service of the Church, and as such, no pandemic will bring it to an end. But it has changed. The goal for us during this challenging time is to allow our confused worship muscles to grow so that we can grow in our faith. Yes, worship has changed. But worship can still change us…it can change our hearts as we lift them up to the Lord. It can remind us of Who the Ground of all Being is…it can remind us Who is in charge. It with our changed hearts, we can be grateful and we can be hopeful. And with our changed hearts, we can change the world.