This morning we did our first church presentation. We were at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, the parish where Stephanie served as rector before we took this job in Lithuania. It was great to be back home and see friends. I showed a short film about LCC and talked a bit about what we are doing. Many of our major supporters are in this parish and it was good to catch up with them.
This was the first time I had been in an Episcopal service in over half a year. I really miss the liturgy. We do a generic Protestant service at the International Christian Fellowship, which is fine, but I prefer the depth of the theology and beauty of the language in a liturgical service. I can’t describe how good it felt to worship in this way. Just to be there and allow the words and music to wash over me, letting myself sink into the spirit of God. Although I am enjoying our time in Lithuania, I am really looking forward to when I can return to worshipping this way on a weekly basis.
Our closing hymn for the day was particularly appropriate, considering that we were talking about our ministry in Eastern Europe.
In Christ there is no East or West,
In Him no South or North;
But one great fellowship of love
Throughout the whole wide earth.In Him shall true hearts everywhere
Their high communion find;
His service is the golden cord,
Close binding humankind.Join hands, then, members of the faith,
Whatever your race may be!
Who serves my Father as His child
Is surely kin to me.In Christ now meet both East and West,
In Him meet North and South;
All Christly souls are one in Him
Throughout the whole wide earth.
May 26th, 2006 at 1:00 am
i think i’m going to try and go to a couple of catholic or orthodox churches this summer and see if i feel at home there. like i’ve mentioned before, i’ve been really appreciative of our worship at the international church and when i go home, i’ll miss it.
June 14th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
I found it interesting when you are describing your experience with the liturgy. We’ve got a fairly new member at All Saints (Sherrill Munn) who was ordained in the Church of the Nazarene and the UCC. But while serving in the military as a priest in Korea, he began attending an Episcopal congregation there. The “word and sacrament” impacted him greatly, and he’s now talking to Bishop’s Rabb and Ihloff from the Maryland Diocese about getting ordained in the Episcopal church…
Sometimes as a “cradle” Episcopalian I think my upbringing is lacking in someways- the experience that many people enjoy is one I’ve always known!
Chip