worship and the new year….
If I am at a place in life, some new plateau or plain of growth, it is one of yearning for some added completeness. I want to know more and teach more and experience a focus as never before. We worshipped with the University Christian Church on Christmas Eve morning, and I was affected.
This church is a “high church.” I was prepared for it by months of attending the liturgies at St. Martins in the Fields, and was open to the overt language of and search for holiness and mystery. I look forward to the Sunday evening worship times and experiencing both a taste of traditional and contemporary worship. Both have a place in the Kingdom and both have a place in my own heart.
The choir sang some of Handel’s Messiah during the offering and I was appropriately reminded that Handel wrote it for worship. In fact, I remarked to Teresa at lunch that it was surprising how the act of offering was made to be worship that morning by the words, the song and the timing.
Isaac went to “childrens’ worship” at one point and I was thrilled by the elements I saw. He was welcomed by a “Granny,” and several other children who were ready to worship. Their time together was focused on the Advent… they experienced liturgy, art and worship. So different than a headlong rush into loud, fast-paced “play-worship.” And I don’t mean “play-worship” in a negative sense, I just don’t have the words to grab hold of the though right now, but you probably know what I mean… celebratory, fast-paced, loud, distracting yet focusing, and all that.
Anyway, we will have some adjusting as a family to this new church family. I only pray that it is all to God’s glory.
Peace, Todd
toddthomas.net 