Dear Readers, Last week, two young sisters in my congregation showed me books that they had made from cloth and cardboard. One book was about Noah and the ark, and the other was Christ on the cross. The five-year-old created Christ on the cross, and when she opened her book, the left side showed four wavy lines representing words, while the right side read “Jesus [heart] you as you know.” She pointed to the left-hand side and said, “This is blah blah blah. Then over here it says Jesus loves you. I didn’t trust myself to write ‘love’ so I drew the heart.” Then she sang “Jesus loves me this I know.” When she finished, I winked at her mom and pointed to the “blah blah blah” side and said, “Tell me again what this says?”
Been an Episcopalian since I was baptised in our tradition at one month old. The liturgy is deep in my bones. Other than a couple of select communities of believers, the liturgy is why I still come to church.
If I could have achieved one thing during my time in youth ministry, it would have been to have the children in church for the service, everywhere. (There was one church that trotted them in to receive then immediately trotted them back out. Their next clergy person changed that, thank god) I've watched small children mime the consecration along with the priest, children (4 years old!) passing the plate with the ushers and then carrying it up to the altar. Little jugs have big ears is the saying. Why wouldn't we want them to hear this?
So I an Episcopalian who is a cultural Baptist! There are certain Bible verses that I still think of in KJV (John 3:16) and also love the Baptist hymnal.
I was raised in a Baptist church that was proudly non-liturgical, but the Bible itself has passages that I still here sometimes in my head I the peculiar King James language of my childhood. Since I was an adult, I’ve been a part of Presbyterian churches with large numbers of others who didn’t grow up in that tradition. When I visit a Baptist church now and an old him is sung, in my head I still hear the twang and rhythms. That were common then, but have since been replaced with a more generic sound. I think the architecture of that church I grew up in has shaped my whole life with its simple, sturdy Congregationalist style has influenced both my worship space preference and my preference for an uncluttered home.
I howled at “blah, blah, blah”! It wasn’t until I left for an evangelical church, then returned to the Episcopal church that I could begin to appreciate the beauty and the ritual. Coming home feels wonderful!
Elizabeth, this is wonderful. I love the "blah, blah, blah. As someone who grew up in church, it all seemed like "blah, blah, blah. But like you, the theology is in my bones, even though I gave up on organized religion long ago. I love hearing your thoughts.
Been an Episcopalian since I was baptised in our tradition at one month old. The liturgy is deep in my bones. Other than a couple of select communities of believers, the liturgy is why I still come to church.
If I could have achieved one thing during my time in youth ministry, it would have been to have the children in church for the service, everywhere. (There was one church that trotted them in to receive then immediately trotted them back out. Their next clergy person changed that, thank god) I've watched small children mime the consecration along with the priest, children (4 years old!) passing the plate with the ushers and then carrying it up to the altar. Little jugs have big ears is the saying. Why wouldn't we want them to hear this?
So I an Episcopalian who is a cultural Baptist! There are certain Bible verses that I still think of in KJV (John 3:16) and also love the Baptist hymnal.
I was raised in a Baptist church that was proudly non-liturgical, but the Bible itself has passages that I still here sometimes in my head I the peculiar King James language of my childhood. Since I was an adult, I’ve been a part of Presbyterian churches with large numbers of others who didn’t grow up in that tradition. When I visit a Baptist church now and an old him is sung, in my head I still hear the twang and rhythms. That were common then, but have since been replaced with a more generic sound. I think the architecture of that church I grew up in has shaped my whole life with its simple, sturdy Congregationalist style has influenced both my worship space preference and my preference for an uncluttered home.
I howled at “blah, blah, blah”! It wasn’t until I left for an evangelical church, then returned to the Episcopal church that I could begin to appreciate the beauty and the ritual. Coming home feels wonderful!
Elizabeth, this is wonderful. I love the "blah, blah, blah. As someone who grew up in church, it all seemed like "blah, blah, blah. But like you, the theology is in my bones, even though I gave up on organized religion long ago. I love hearing your thoughts.