Prayer and Worship amazonaws com
The second part of our convention program is devoted to the topic of p p g p Transformation.
1
In our first session last evening, we used the image of the swinging door, g, g g g , the door opening inward. This is how people make their way into the parish. Denny and Blake led your through an exercise which had us all reflecting on people are invited, greeted, oriented, and incorporated into parish communities. Now we’re going to take a look at the process that occurs when the door swings in both directions.
2
Transformation is what happens in that interesting space inside the pp g p parish, outside the parish, and the movement between the two. This is the door that swings inward and outward.
3
As we talk about transformation, we’ll be looking at how we live into our , g baptismal covenant. And we’ll note that this topic that we are calling transformation is about many, many things –actions, and relationships, and culture, and practices. And there are many other topics that we could discuss that influence our transformation: who is present , who is absent, how children fit into the picture, how decisions are made, how conflict is handled, what is being paid attention to. You get it. It’s a big topic. But for our limited time here, we want to focus on just 4 sources of transformation: Prayer and Worship, Study and Learning, Life in Community, and Action. You may notice that the arrows all point toward Prayer and Worship You may notice that the arrows all point toward Prayer and Worship.
4
Prayer and Worship are a central source of transformation. This is where y p we encounter God and respond to God. And this a primary reason for why worship needs to be thoughtful and well‐done—we need to allow room for that encounter and for our response. When you think of prayer and worship in your own parish community, what are some of the experiences of that? (popcorn answers). Are there some worship and prayer experiences that happen in your community that are less public? (popcorn answers) When it comes to worship and prayer, we respond to God with our th thoughts and acts of worship, sometimes with words, and sometimes ht d t f hi ti ith d d ti without words, in silence. We call it liturgy, which is interpreted as “the work of the people.” I used to think of this “work” as getting up to read, or serving at the altar, or leading worship leading worship. Yet, in its original meaning, the work of all of us who gather to worship is prayerful participation. 5
Just a few minutes ago, you mentioned these points of worship: g ,y p p Personal prayer, Holy Eucharist, and the Daily Offices like Morning and Evening Prayer.
6
As Episcopalians, Eucharist is a very important part of our worship. It’s p p , y p p p something that we yearn for, for when we gather together for Eucharist, we participate in that holy mystery which symbolizes our relationship with God and with each other. There is something amazing that happens when we offer ourselves just as we are, all together, and Christ is present in our midst, to heal in places where we didn’t even know we were broken, to bless when we didn’t know we needed it. And we receive that gift. Yes, we yearn for Eucharist, but we know we aren’t entitled to it; it isn’t deserved, or merited. But how we love our Eucharist, don’t we?
7
You would probably say that you are praying people. And so you know p y y y p y gp p y that how we each pray has to do with our personalities, the way in which we live our lives, and our desire to pray. Some are quite disciplined in prayer, some study prayer, others simply pray. I don’t get the sense that a lot of us really talk to each other about our personal prayer time. Yet, it shapes us, it forms us, and it keeps each one of us in right relationship with God.
8
In most of our parishes we experience Morning Prayer frequently, so you are p p g y q y y familiar and skilled with the use of the Daily Office. There is a rhythm to this worship experience and it become clear that our body postures are par t of how we do it. Some of you may remember the first time you had the experience of worshipping in an Episcopal service, and you may remember the stand up, sit down routine that takes place I remember the first time I participated in a down, routine that takes place. I remember the first time I participated in a Morning Prayer service, with the reading/canticle/reading/canticle/reading sequence, and everyone was doing a sit/stand/sit/stand/sit routine like an aerobics class—as Robin Williams described it. But that embodiment of our worship is part and parcel of how we go deeper into the acts of worship. We don’t just sit passively and watch. We worship, with our bodies, minds, and souls. And we know that others around the entire globe are doing the same thing. Right now, somewhere in France, an Anglican congregation is saying Evening Prayer; a parish in India is ending an evening meeting with Compline, while at the same time, a group in Hawaii is beginning their day with Morning Prayer. We pray at all times and in all places, all around the world. We are a world at prayer.
9
So, this is a very cursory look at a deep source of our transformation.
10
Now I turn it over to my colleague, Denny, who will lead us in a y g , y, conversation about another source of transformation: Study and Learning.
11
1
In our first session last evening, we used the image of the swinging door, g, g g g , the door opening inward. This is how people make their way into the parish. Denny and Blake led your through an exercise which had us all reflecting on people are invited, greeted, oriented, and incorporated into parish communities. Now we’re going to take a look at the process that occurs when the door swings in both directions.
2
Transformation is what happens in that interesting space inside the pp g p parish, outside the parish, and the movement between the two. This is the door that swings inward and outward.
3
As we talk about transformation, we’ll be looking at how we live into our , g baptismal covenant. And we’ll note that this topic that we are calling transformation is about many, many things –actions, and relationships, and culture, and practices. And there are many other topics that we could discuss that influence our transformation: who is present , who is absent, how children fit into the picture, how decisions are made, how conflict is handled, what is being paid attention to. You get it. It’s a big topic. But for our limited time here, we want to focus on just 4 sources of transformation: Prayer and Worship, Study and Learning, Life in Community, and Action. You may notice that the arrows all point toward Prayer and Worship You may notice that the arrows all point toward Prayer and Worship.
4
Prayer and Worship are a central source of transformation. This is where y p we encounter God and respond to God. And this a primary reason for why worship needs to be thoughtful and well‐done—we need to allow room for that encounter and for our response. When you think of prayer and worship in your own parish community, what are some of the experiences of that? (popcorn answers). Are there some worship and prayer experiences that happen in your community that are less public? (popcorn answers) When it comes to worship and prayer, we respond to God with our th thoughts and acts of worship, sometimes with words, and sometimes ht d t f hi ti ith d d ti without words, in silence. We call it liturgy, which is interpreted as “the work of the people.” I used to think of this “work” as getting up to read, or serving at the altar, or leading worship leading worship. Yet, in its original meaning, the work of all of us who gather to worship is prayerful participation. 5
Just a few minutes ago, you mentioned these points of worship: g ,y p p Personal prayer, Holy Eucharist, and the Daily Offices like Morning and Evening Prayer.
6
As Episcopalians, Eucharist is a very important part of our worship. It’s p p , y p p p something that we yearn for, for when we gather together for Eucharist, we participate in that holy mystery which symbolizes our relationship with God and with each other. There is something amazing that happens when we offer ourselves just as we are, all together, and Christ is present in our midst, to heal in places where we didn’t even know we were broken, to bless when we didn’t know we needed it. And we receive that gift. Yes, we yearn for Eucharist, but we know we aren’t entitled to it; it isn’t deserved, or merited. But how we love our Eucharist, don’t we?
7
You would probably say that you are praying people. And so you know p y y y p y gp p y that how we each pray has to do with our personalities, the way in which we live our lives, and our desire to pray. Some are quite disciplined in prayer, some study prayer, others simply pray. I don’t get the sense that a lot of us really talk to each other about our personal prayer time. Yet, it shapes us, it forms us, and it keeps each one of us in right relationship with God.
8
In most of our parishes we experience Morning Prayer frequently, so you are p p g y q y y familiar and skilled with the use of the Daily Office. There is a rhythm to this worship experience and it become clear that our body postures are par t of how we do it. Some of you may remember the first time you had the experience of worshipping in an Episcopal service, and you may remember the stand up, sit down routine that takes place I remember the first time I participated in a down, routine that takes place. I remember the first time I participated in a Morning Prayer service, with the reading/canticle/reading/canticle/reading sequence, and everyone was doing a sit/stand/sit/stand/sit routine like an aerobics class—as Robin Williams described it. But that embodiment of our worship is part and parcel of how we go deeper into the acts of worship. We don’t just sit passively and watch. We worship, with our bodies, minds, and souls. And we know that others around the entire globe are doing the same thing. Right now, somewhere in France, an Anglican congregation is saying Evening Prayer; a parish in India is ending an evening meeting with Compline, while at the same time, a group in Hawaii is beginning their day with Morning Prayer. We pray at all times and in all places, all around the world. We are a world at prayer.
9
So, this is a very cursory look at a deep source of our transformation.
10
Now I turn it over to my colleague, Denny, who will lead us in a y g , y, conversation about another source of transformation: Study and Learning.
11
