Joy in Worship

There is a natural progression from the soul searching and habit formation discussed earlier to complementary group practices. Preeminent among these for many Christians, is worship. Even done poorly, worship provides opportunities for reflection, consideration of a message and prayer, while many services also provide music and ritual. While these characteristics meet deep, fundamental needs for many, they aren't sufficient to produce a vibrant community.

To see this, consider the standard Protestant order of worship. It typically includes a Prelude, during which the congregation takes their places with muted conversation and mouthed hellos. There is an opening song, a call to worship, which may include a responsive reading, and a unison or silent confession of sin or similar preparatory activity. Welcoming remarks and announcements may or may not include a period for worshippers to greet their neighbors, after which congregants settle into a scripted sequence that includes Biblical readings, anthems, a sermon and alms collection. A pastoral prayer lifts general concerns to God and may mention specific persons with known needs. Communion, if observed, may include a practice known as passing the peace, but is otherwise an individual experience. After a benediction, the congregation typically is encouraged to attend a period of fellowship, but an attendee could just as easily leave. In all, the one hour service could contain as little as 3 or 4 minutes of face-to-face interactions with other worshippers. Some Sundays, in some parts of America, it would not be hard to arrive at church, go through the service without speaking or singing and leave, without attracting attention or raising an eyebrow.

To be certain, such passivity is far from the norm, even in the most respectful of worship settings. But the focus is clearly on a one-way transfer of ideas and information, from the clergy and lay leaders to the congregation. And there is little room for spiritual joy, much less spontaneity. So it is easy to understand that this is unappealing to many people. Especially during Lent, the mood can be somber and the subject matter serious. In these cases, taking a break from Lenten practices, in order to attend Sunday worship, is like a TV show on the best Superbowl commercials pausing for a word from sponsors. It's like an accountant taking time off to do his taxes or a sanitation worker taking out his own trash. Without fellowship and joy, worship can become drudgery and routine.

Is this what God desires? That His children approach Him devoid of gaiety and mirth? Surely not. The purpose of Lenten observances cannot be to impose a straightjacket of discipline and procedure. Rather, it must be to create balance, to ensure that Christians have a full life, one that reserves enough time for internal reflection, for speaking with God and for celebration with each other. It is difficult to know whether on the whole, more people pursue increased worship participation during Lent believing it to be a route to a better individual relationship with God, or anticipating that regular attendance will produce stronger relations with other Christians. It would seem that the former is more often promoted; it would be nice if the latter resulted at least as frequently.

May the God of all life bring you joy this Lenten season.