The Heart of Worship
I remember a time in my childhood when going to church felt like a guarantee that my sister and I were going to get into an argument. Now, I am unsure how long this went on or how prevalent it really was. However, as a child, it felt like an unavoidable certainty for that season of life. As we went to worship God, we neglected to see and care for the image of God in each other. Now, of course, we were children and probably a little tired, but at least in my own actions, I was missing a greater truth: worship begins before you even go to Church.
From the moment we wake up, we are called to worship God. We worship him through prayer, through how we treat others, and in whatever we do or say. This happens not just on Sunday but every day. However, on Sunday, we join our actions and our words to the worship of God in the body of Christ. On Sunday, we join our personal prayers and our corporate daily prayers to the prayers of the church as the body of Christ. Our prayers are wrapped up in the person of Jesus Christ, who is our High Priest and who intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Not only does he bring our prayers and us into the presence of the Father, through the power of the Spirit, but he offers God to us by giving himself to us in Word and Sacrament.
Holy Communion becomes a foretaste of the New Heavens and New Earth. There, we commune with God and God with us, not just individually but corporately as the body of Christ. We come to Holy Communion because we commune with God and with one another. That is why the Exhortation in the Prayer Book says, “First, to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God’s commandments; and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbours; then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others who have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand: for otherwise the receiving of the holy Communion doth nothing else but increase your condemnation.” Condemnation is brought about because we denigrate the reality that is present in Holy Communion. How can we commune as one body when we have cut each other off? How shall we commune with God when we have denied him or his image in our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?
If we truly comprehended Holy Communion, we would desire it every day because it participates in the fullness of what God created us for. Yes, we are imperfect, and we are poor images of Christ, and so is the person next to you in the pew. And yes, life is messy and busy and rarely goes as planned. All these are true. But the solution is not found in ourselves; it is found in Christ as he is given to us in Word and Sacrament. You might even leave feeling more tired, I know I often do. But, perhaps, we are more tired after church because we have just encountered the climax of the Christian life this side of heaven. Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted because we have participated in something greater than we can perfectly understand as earth and heaven where joined. However, it is from this encounter, exhausting as it may be, that we can go and live the rest of our days and not just live them but worship God in every aspect.
I am not saying ignore mental or physical health, find time to relax, take a nap, these things are important too. But see Holy Communion not as something to help you along the way, see it as what you were created for. And live a life that reflects the person of Jesus Christ as you encounter him in the “breaking of the bread.”
So, when we wake up, especially on Sunday, we begin worshipping. Worship God by crossing yourself and devoting your day to God. Worship God in how you treat others, for they were created in his image. Worship God by choosing to love your spouse well. For it doesn’t make much sense to prepare to encounter God in the Sacrament but choose to treat his image and his children poorly. And in an age where everyone and everything is telling you to hurry and rush, come to the Church and sit, and be still. This is what the time before the service is for. It is a time to pray, to quiet your mind, and be still before the Lord. So, if you find yourself in the nave early, sit and ponder the mystery of the Sacrament, prepare yourselves by confessing your sins and focusing on the saving work of Christ. And seek to love your neighbor by giving them space to do the same. Then we shall come together worshipping the Lord in the beauty of holiness as the body of Christ. And afterwards, during coffee hour, we shall enjoy each other’s company, reflecting the communion we shared as the body of Christ, talk, and rejoice in the goodness of God.
God's Peace,
Fr. Aaron