say what?

Since I last blogged here, I have become a member of the previously mentioned "default church". They determinedly have no "bells and smells", they do not yet have an organ (tho supposedly one will be shortly forthcoming), the pastor's wife is their de facto church musician[!!!] and as the [almost] deal breaker they offer "traditional", "less traditional" and [evening] "contemporary" services. But they don't seem to be afraid of new or old hymns and liturgical settings, they're enthusiastic singers, their musical worship leaders are discreet and exist to lead rather than to perform (and include a bass recorder), worship times feature short and to-the-point sermons, celebrate eucharist at each and every service and offer the option of the common cup.

One of my pet peeves at my new church is a bit of what I call "dishonest liturgy". I've encountered this same churchly faux pas elsewhere too, but had found it merely amusing until I started hearing it every week. It goes like this: we're sailing along swimmingly through LBW Setting II, right up through the Our Father (and they recite the moldy old version every single week!), when the presider strongly and graciously proclaims "The feast has been prepared! Come to the table! PLEASE BE SEATED!" While this is not quite as perplexing a variant I once observed at a Phila UCC church ("The feast is for you! Come to the table and partake! Please be seated and the ushers will serve you in your seats."), this peculiar quirk ranks right up there on the dishonest liturgy charts with (and I've seen this one quite a few times too) ending the services with the presider saying "Go in peace! Serve the Lord! PLEASE BE SEATED FOR THE PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTS", after which the momentum to go peacefully to serve, supposedly enhanced by a rousing sending hymn is most likely lost.

These two examples are really rather funny, and certainly there is no intention to mislead. But it does give some ammunition to the pooh-poohers of liturgical tradition who say that the ritualized forms of worship are "mumbo-jumbo", meaningless rote, going-through-the-motion activities, and ought to remind those of us who treasure the gifts handed down to us that they should be used with great care. If we are not doing exactly what we say we are doing (and I mean 'say' in any way, not just verbally), we are being not only careless, but dishonest and off-putting to those not already in the know. In the case of "the feast has been prepared", this bit of text is not even in the published version of Setting II, but might be a nice and welcoming touch at a gathering small enough for all to commune together, or at one in which members of the congregation commune when they feel like wandering up to the chancel. And as for the "go in peace" boo boo, those pesky announcements just don't fit well anywhere, and perhaps we should simply recognize that most parishioners can read and make an extra effort to ensure that the "Doings at St Somebody's this Week" that is usually included in the worship folder is current, and assume that if Mrs Grace Hope has died on Saturday night word will get around quickly enough.