When they said, “Let’s go to the house of God,” my heart leaped for joy. And now we’re here! (Psalm 122: 1) As I reflect on the theme of pilgrimage and journey while here at G A, I am reading the Psalms of Ascent which pilgrims sang as they went up to Jerusalem. The Ecumenical Service of Worship was held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, just a block away from the convention center, and it felt like going home. Memories of past worship at GA, planning worship for GA in 1995 in Cincinnati, the rich reformed liturgical heritage … And yet so much has changed, and not least, the changes in me.
So I was excited to enter the sanctuary flooded with light through stained glass windows, and a rotunda-like ceiling in the “worship in the round” arrangement. The procession included banners reminiscent of Pentecost: flames of yellow and orange on elegant cloth, swirling banners floating over the congregation from the balcony that brought back memories of the winds of change that rocked the fledgling Christian movement just after Jesus’ ascension. A line from the opening hymn seemed to capture the spirit of worship: “We welcome one world family, we struggle with each choice, that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice.” Hearing the voices of this jammed packed assembly reminded me of the significant role worship plays for me at GA.
I looked about and saw familiar faces and felt the bonds of community that reassured me that I belong. And what a beautiful array of faces: young and old; male and female; every ethnic group you might imagine. Songs and prayers and scripture readings in many tongues. Memories of Pentecost; a foretaste of heaven; images I try to remember when we gather at the Table of the Lord for communion.
The logistics of serving 1,000 people were challenging. I watched as plates filled with cubes of moist, dark bread, with some gluten-free crackers in the middle, were passed down each row. Each congregation; each ecumenical tradition, seems to have a unique twist to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. My friend Eugene Sutton, an Episcopal bishop whom I met at a recent continuing education event, was co-celebrating Eucharist with GA Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons. I noted the Presbyterian style of extending the plate so that one can take and eat. I noted the Episcopal style of placing bread in your hands – two different styles of table manners and hospitality.
As worship ended after about 100 minutes with a foot-stomping postlude led by the Minnesota Boy Choir, we drifted back to the convention center to continue our work. I was reminded not only of God’s inclusive love, but the challenge to work for the common good. Like it or not; like each other or not, we are still family – blood kin because of the redeeming sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. Surrounded by such a rich diversity of dress, tradition, and belief, we were reminded that our rich ecumenical heritage as Presbyterians does not in any way mean we gloss over our ecclesiastical differences. Dull sameness is not God’s purpose. When differences challenge our unity, love trumps purity. Thanks be to God!
I’ll move on to the exciting work in progress next blog. Keep the faith, and let the faith keep you. shalom wayne
