Today, we had a prayer service.
As I’ve mentioned before, different people are invited to lead at church each Sunday. Today was my day. After having to speak at chapel (actually, getting to) and having my first Bring Your Own Worship gathering with my worship/music class, I went pretty much back-to-basics. I decided to lean on the great traditions of my own churc during the Lenten season. It was nice to trade in innovation for solid worship tradition.
I know: I sound lazy. But sometimes, it’s better to go simple.
The prayer opened like my church back home probably did this very morning: A prayer of repentance. I like how, during the season of Lent, we start with repentance. It’s a) just a really appropriate thing to do, and b) a way of starting worship that really frees you up and makes you just more prepared to meet with the living God: “I’m forgiven. Wow. Great reminder. Let’s worship this God who has totally washed away our sins!”
After some songs of praise and some clumsy attempts to do corporate reading of scripture (something I really get jazzed over and something that others are just not so accustomed to), we had a “corporate sermon”; that is, we shared our thoughts on the scripture passages (especially Psalm 131, which I really recommend every run off and read, and then come back). The passages were a deviation from the lectionary, and they all focused on prayer. Everyone’s insight on prayer and the struggles we all commonly have really inspired and amazed me. Funny how you go somewhere to minister, and the one who’s blessed is you.
After that, we prayed prayers of the people from the Book of Common Prayer (form V, if you’re keeping score). Each person prayed a line, and then we just paused to let each written prayer be used by the Holy Spirit to, as my good friend and pastor from North Carolina would say, “draw from us the prayers that need to be prayed.” Form V is awesome: four prayers for the Church; six prayers for the community, the lost, the world; and several really personal prayers (some which really hit home, like praying for enemies and those “whom we have offended”. How often do you just pray for people who don’t like you?).
Just an idea: the prayers were punctuated with songs, a’capella. It had a really neat effect. God was just really present in a special way in our prayer time.
I’ve never been in a smaller church. And I’ve never felt like worship has been so personal.
