God's
Presence
By Dan Hardison
When we gather together to
worship, we are seeking to praise God and to know His presence.
We do so through the different aspects of the worship service,
but we are never sure what part of that service might touch,
inspire, or move an individual in attendance.
Every priest hopes that his or her sermon might reach someone
and make a difference, but the words of a prayer or a lesson
may hold special meaning in our personal lives. I have seen a
man with tears in his eyes as he struggled with the Prayers of
the People because his nephew’s name was among the departed.
Music
during worship can be powerful and “stir the soul”. Lifting our
voices in song is our way of praising God. On a recent Sunday,
my church’s processional hymn was “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God
Almighty”. It is not only a favorite hymn, but also one I
remember well from my youth. This hymn combined with the
procession of the cross provided a powerful personal experience
for me.
Visual objects are not only meant to beautify a church, but also
as inspiration. Ben Long’s altar fresco
The Mystery of Faith
takes on new meaning as the words of the Liturgy are spoken and
as parishioners kneel at the rail for communion. I find comfort
just sitting beside a stained glass window of an angel.
Many congregations have employed poetry readings, visual
presentations, and even dance as part of the worship experience.
Len Wilson and Jason Moore have written that, “Every aspect of
the worship space is part of the worship experience… Each
element is worship in and of itself, with the ability to
proclaim God’s Word and draw believers and seekers alike to an
awareness of God’s presence."
And there lies the key, “an awareness of God’s presence”. Have
you ever simply walked into the nave of a church and felt . . .
something?
In 1943,
The Rev. George W. Jones
told this story:
"A while ago a visiting young man watched the congregation at a
well-attended Mission Mass disband and involuntary tears wet his
checks. 'It simply gets me,' he explained. What had touched him?
He did not know. The Mass had not been a holier Mass. The priest
was the average imperfect priest. The congregation had not been
a more pious congregation. None of these things of themselves
touched him. But what touched him was the Soul of the Mission.
It was God the Life Giver...
"At
Christmas and Easter, when death strikes, in baptism, in need
and succor, some force unseen and inexplicable is powerful and
warming and winning. It is the Soul of the Mission. It is God."
Dan Hardison
Editor, The Episcopal Church and Visual Art
Email:
editor@ecva.org |
ecva.org