By Pam Tinsley, reprinted from Living God’s Mission.
A priest I know recently attended a meeting of local business leaders who were struggling to comprehend the many changes that are being thrust upon our nation. The meeting included an elected official who was also struggling for answers and how to respond in such times. The leaders conveyed a sense of hopelessness, pondering where to find hope. Then, they turned to the priest and said that the church was their only hope. This took place in a blue city in the heart of the “none zone.” Their message was that the church is our only hope.
When we focus on our baptismal promises, as Episcopalians we often focus on the three action-oriented promises – especially in these challenging times as we advocate on behalf of so many who are being increasingly marginalized and ostracized. We are actively striving to proclaim the Good News of the Jesus of the Beatitudes, especially in response to the loud voices of Christian Nationalists.
Yet, our first promise at baptism calls us to continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. This promise is about worship. As Demi Prentiss wrote in her blog last week, this promise points to being rooted in Christ. And we can’t be rooted in Christ if we aren’t engaged in worship.
Communal worship matters because it helps us learn about Jesus. It helps us pattern our lives after him. We encounter Christ in the sacraments and hear the stories of God’s profound love for us in the scriptures. We offer our thanks and praise to God. Our souls respond to the Holy One.
We can’t respond to our second baptismal promise – to persevere in resisting evil and to repent and return to the Lord whenever we fall into sin – without faithful worship in community. Corporate worship inspires us to love and to good deeds – and to become inspired ourselves. It keeps us accountable to God and to one another.
Worship is also a form of resistance that pushes against the status quo. Worship transforms what could be fleeting hope from mere wishful thinking to something concrete and sustaining. And worship transforms us into agents of God’s hope to go forth into the world.
The Green Room 