It used to be in the South that a good Baptist or Methodist preacher had learn to preach with a big floppy Bible in one hand and a pointing finger in the other. (Wouldn’t hurt if he could grab a handkerchief with his pointing finger every now and wipe the sweat off his brow.) That was preachin’ from the Bible!
The Bible has traditionally been central to worship in Southern culture. Baptists and other Protestants placed a high emphasis on the scriptures in worship. Admittedly, sometimes this was as much prop (the big floppy Bible) as it was substance.
I’ve always thought it odd that some churches that claim to be “Bible-based” hardly read any scripture in worship; whereas a liturgical church, which follows the lectionary, may be reading as many as a half dozen scripture passages throughout worship.
The reading of scripture in worship has a long history in Christianity and Judaism. The Book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, songs and chants to be used in worship. When Jesus attended worship at his hometown synagogue, he was asked to read scripture (the passage was from Isaiah). During the Protestant Reformation Huldrich Zwingli, pastor to the cathedral in Zurich, threw out the artwork, the music and had two-hour long sermons explaining the Bible verse by verse. Within a couple of years the Zurich City Council passed a law that required everyone to attend church at least twice a year. I guess those two-hour, verse-by-verse Bible sermons weren’t too exciting. Protestants have been trying to figure out what to do with the Bible ever since.
How does a congregation worship so that the Bible becomes a conduit of God’s word to all worshipers (pastors included), rather than just the pastor’s private prop to preach at the rest of us?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Sacred Words
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Perhaps by having a parishoner memorize the scripture, and rise from his/her seat to present it as a monologue; or a short drama to enact the scripture passage. An anthem based on the scripture would help us to hear it in a different way, or a piece of art on the altar table?
Do you remember Elisa Doolittle? There is a scene in the play, “My Fair Lady,” in which Elisa belts out, "Words, words, words. I'm so sick of words."
I, too, am sick of words, particularly noisy, trashy words. The words I am referring to are not always found on the walls in public bathrooms or in the muzic played over p.a. systems in department stores. I’m talking about those words that confront us everyday and in every place in our lives. They are so forceful and effective in diverting our attention that they distract us from hearing the sacred words of life.
It’s time for us to allow the words of scripture to be heard. This may require us to hit our mute buttons and open our lives to hear the holy words of life. If we do, I hope we will never tire of hearing them. After all, they are the sacred words.
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