Well, we are in the middle of a week of holidays around here, but we didn't think we wanted to take a holiday from God and his people. So the kids headed off to our church, and Lauralea and I took the rare opportunity to walk up the street a block to Saint George's Anglican. It's pastored by David and Tracy Smith, fine Godly people seeking to be faithful to God.
The service is a humble affair, but the singing is loud considering the 40 or so people in attendance.
We become involved in Worship with the people. Prayer and reading the scripture's together. Singing the songs of Adoration. And the coolest part to me is the kneeling. Any group no matter how large or small, that's willing to kneel together and pray... well that just does it better than the best worship band or powerpoint show or even sermon, because its a statement of humility. It is a fine posture for worship.
We are invited to celebrate communion with them so we move forward, glad that we can participate in this most intimate moment in the life of the church.
The wafer is crunchy but melts quickly into my body. The cup offered me has real wine and it flows into my mouth and down my throat, warming me as it moves down.
I realize that it's the first thing I've eaten today, my first meal of the new year.
May it be a foretaste of a good year to come.
Anyway, we walked home and are now making lunch for the family. Simple.
I wish all Sundays were as simple and restful.
But for now we will continue to enjoy what we have.
May you and your's have a most blessed year; uncluttered with so many demands of life, and more space for worship of a God greater than yourself.
Blessings.
Well Randall, I grew up in an Anglican church. It was St. David's on 24th St.. Just across from King George school. So I know a bit about the Anglican way of doing things in a service. They are more structured meaning they don't just fly the seat of their pants like we do at Gateway. I am not saying that we don't have structure, its just that we are free flowing so to speak. Even though the service is planned, we don't follow it to a T.
ReplyDeleteI remember when St. David's use to use wafers for communion. It wasn't all that long ago that they switched to bread like we use for communion at Gateway. They still use wine for the blood of Jesus at St. David's though.
I think we should trying kneeling at Gateway when we pray. I guess that is the Anglican in me. As you said "and the coolest part to me is the kneeling. Any group no matter how large or small, that's willing to kneel together and pray... well that just does it better than the best worship band or powerpoint show or even sermon, because its a statement of humility. It is a fine posture for worship." That sums it up perfectly. I mean people knelt when the were in the presence of Jesus. So why not encourage people to kneel at Gateway?
Kneeling sounds good to me, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm glad you and Lauralea had such a good start to the New Year.