Week 10 – Episcopal Church

I got my Saints messed up.

I looked up the service information for the downtown Episcopal Church, named after one Saint, instead of the one in my neighborhood, named after a totally different spiritual superhero. This meant I showed up on Sunday for a non-existent 9:15 am service. I was a bit frustrated when I sat alone in the sanctuary for 10 minutes without any other participants joining me. The choir director finally strode in and stood in front of the piano rehearsing his arm motions to the non-existent singers. I had never considered that this was a skill that needed to be practiced, like a pastor delivering his message to himself in front of his full length, bedroom mirror.

The website had said that Episcopalians do not talk in church before the service but instead use this time for personal meditation and devotion. I decided to simply follow these instructions, especially when the white-robed staff would walk by me and quietly nod their heads. Now I realize they were trying to give their visitor some quiet space, especially since he apparently arrived so early to pray. After another five minutes passed and no one joined me I checked the bulletin and found that the services were at 8:00 and 10:30. I had missed the first and had another hour to kill for the second.

Not feeling that I could stomach another hour’s worth of kneeling without sustenance, I went to the local bakery to find a maple bar. This is one of the best preparations I know for Sunday worship.

When I returned to the church I found it teeming with people. They apparently hadn’t read the part about not speaking before church as this was a very social and verbally welcoming group of people. Although the majority of them were of retirement age they reminded me of a group of kindergarten students that were supposed to have their heads down on their desk for nap time but they were too busy waving, smiling and whispering to each other to get any rest. It may not have been the reverent description I read about online, yet their pre-service communion still felt very holy.

When it was time for the service to begin a lady moved down the aisle next to me and slid open the back window. She flashed a sign to the person stationed outside and the church bell began ringing. I’ve never been a part of a church where they rang bells, but I like hearing them peal across my neighborhood.

I found it fairly easy to track through the order of the service although I did have four sets of materials to juggle. The usher had handed me a bulletin and an Order of Worship booklet. In the back of the pew in front of me I located a Bible and a Book of Common Prayer with hymns and prayers that we also used during the service. A few times I lost my place and cheated by looking at the answers of the elderly kindergartener sitting next to me.

The Rector’s message came from Matthew 20:25-26 where Jesus instructs his disciples not to lord over, or exercise authority over other people, like the ungodly rulers that oppressed them. Unfortunately I think most people experience the Christian religion as one that tries to dominate and dictate in the very vein that Jesus encouraged his followers to move away from. This gives me much to ponder about how I communicate my own agenda. Do I do it by arguments, power struggles and force, or do I lovingly serve, even as Jesus showed, by example? I’m not sure the Moral Majority movement ever memorized this particular passage, or at least the way it is being taught in this neighborhood church today.

A reader of this blog sent me a message this week, asking me if I’d be visiting an Episcopal Church. She explained that she just started attending one in her neighborhood and shared what she liked about their services:

I like that it's always exactly 1 hour 20 minutes long. I like that the service follows the pre-printed agenda that I have in my hand, almost word for word, and that my son can read along with what is being said. No surprises, no ambushes. I like that most of the service is call and respond with scripture. It's reverent, and peaceful. I like the fuss they make over communion (Jesus said to do this, so by golly we do it every single time, the same way) and the way they have a discussion time for the congregation mid-service, which gives folks a little forum for personal sharing outside of the script. I like the stained glass windows. I like the kneelers in the pews, it reminds me of my time at Catholic school in elementary. I appreciate the chance to pray, worship, and reflect on scripture without being pressured to donate to a building fund or vote against any "anti-family" legislation. I like knowing that no one is going to judge my lifestyle, and I appreciate the good works they do (food bank, help with the local park landscaping) that are positive community efforts. I like that it is small. I want to go walk the labyrinth they keep in the back. It's ancient, respectful, and calm.

That is how I feel when the service is over—calm. I like the spirit in this place. I even check the box on the visitor card that allows the church to include me in their email announcements. I’m not looking to join any specific church, denomination, or group during this project, but I think I’d like to hang out with this group in my neighborhood on occasion.

I think I will start with the Lent services that begin this week.