Sunday Morning - August 15

I went to church on Saturday at Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, so I was a little surprised when I wanted to go to church again on Sunday morning. But I did, so I did. It’s a habit I guess, a pattern that just feels right. Plus, it was a beautiful cool morning, making it a great day for a short drive with the top down.

A friend of mine (Susan Werner) is a singer-songwriter. Check out her song entitled Sunday Morning on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-7N-aUda3E. If you like it, buy it on itunes. If you really like it, buy the whole cd; it’s great! (No, I’m not getting a commission on sales inspired by this blog… but I should.)

So on Sunday I attended worship at Faith Lutheran Church in Clive. The liturgy was traditional and well-done. The sermon (given by a friend) was helpful. Two things were great: the space and the attendance.

Have you been in this church before? It’s beautiful. With lots of windows, it’s sunny and bright and big. Like our church, the pews are arranged in a half circle around the altar. The font is large and located in the narthex as the entry-point to the sanctuary. The altar and pulpit are slightly elevated in the center of the room. I don’t know who designed it, but it’s really just a lovely worship space.

And then there was the attendance, maybe 200 people. The sanctuary felt full, not packed but full. Ask anyone, preacher or parishioner or musician, there is something about a full sanctuary that makes worship better. Of course the singing is better, but there is something more than that too. People are forced to sit a little closer to each other. There is a certain energy in the room. The sharing of the peace is noisier. The sight of people streaming to the altar for communion is more visually compelling. Everything is just better when the sanctuary is full.

When a disciple decides to attend worship, he or she brings their energy to the gathered community and makes it a better experience for everyone. That means that our attendance is a ministry of sorts. Even if an individual got nothing out of a worship experience (which I don’t think is really possible), he or she is making it a better experience for everyone else!

There is my neighbor! I can hear his voice. We heard the same Word proclaimed. She wished me God’s peace. He heard my prayer. She shared the body and blood of Christ with me.

My point is this… if there comes a day when you feel like skipping worship because you doubt you’ll get anything out of it, maybe you should come because of what your presence will mean for others. It means a lot and you might be surprised by what it means for you.

Peace,

Pastor