St. George's Episcopal Church

Give Online
  • Welcome
    • Welcome from the Rector
    • Get Involved
    • Visitor Form
  • Worship
    • This Sunday at St. George’s
    • Services
      • Live Stream Worship Archive
    • Baptisms
    • Servers
    • Weddings
    • Funerals
  • Music
    • St. George’s Choral School
    • Choirs
    • Instrumental Ensembles
    • Concerts
    • The St. George’s Organ
  • News
    • News Blog
    • The St. Georgian E-Newsletter
  • Parish Life
    • 300th Anniversary Celebration
    • Growing and Learning
      • For Adults
      • For Youth
        • Youth Formation
        • Youth Group
        • Youth in Global Community
      • For Children and Families
      • Education for Ministry
    • Fellowship
      • Shrine Mont
      • Saturday Night Supper
      • Episcopal Church Women
    • Pastoral Care
  • Grace in Action
    • The Table at St. George’s
    • Other Feeding Ministries
  • Community
    • Racial Justice and Healing
    • St. George’s Episcopal Preschool
    • Environmental Stewardship
    • World Mission
      • Afghan Allies
      • Port-au-Prince, Haiti
    • Resources
  • Giving
    • Donate to St. George’s
    • Stewardship and Giving
      • 2023 Generosity Campaign
      • The Story of the Budget
      • Ministry List
      • Frequently Asked Questions About Stewardship
    • New to Giving?
    • Planned Giving
      • Giving Money to Save Money
      • Donating Securities
      • Trustees, Trusts and Endowments
    • Donate to the Organ Fund
  • About Us
    • St. George’s Mission
    • St. George’s History
    • St. George’s Library
    • Contact Church Staff
    • Vestry
    • Other Lay Leadership
    • Building Use
  • Quick Links
    • Church Calendar
    • Server Schedule
    • This Sunday at St. George’s
    • Links and Resources
    • Submit a Prayer Request
    • Server Substitution Request
    • Altar Flowers
You are here: Home / Archives for way of love

way of love

Falling Down in Worship – March 2020, St. Georgian

March 12, 2020 by St. George's Leave a Comment

The following is Rector Joe Hensley’s monthly opening message from our weekly e-newsletter the St. Georgian. If you’d like to receive our weekly e-newsletter, sign-up here.

Greetings beloved St. Georgians,

Continuing the “Way of Love” (https://episcopalchurch.org/way-of-love) with this month’s newsletter message, I invite us to reflect on our “worship.” According to the description in the Way of Love: “we gather in community weekly to thank, praise, and dwell with God” as followers of Jesus in the Episcopal Church.

Some Biblical terms for “worship” originally meant to physically fall down in a posture of submission such as kneeling or prostration. We stand more often these days (although kneeling is still a fine option), but worship is still about humbly submitting to God’s authority and love. Our gathering is not just for peace and comfort. We gather to collectively offer ourselves to God as a “sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,” that God might make us holy.

Ancient worship involved the literal sacrifice of animals. Today we make other sacrifices to be in church, and it is work. We may feel like falling down by the time we find a parking spot, walk across streets, up the church steps or elevator and get situated for an opening hymn which we may struggle to sing. We listen to sometimes difficult Bible readings. We offer the first fruits of our hard-earned money. Why go to all this trouble?

When we fall down before God in community, we stumble into grace. We accept that God is God and we are not. By listening to ancient stories that are not about us (but which connect with our stories) and singing songs that we would not have chosen, praying words that we did not write, gathering with strangers, we move from being self-centered to God-centered. That opens our hearts and possibilities for new life.

During Lent, you may notice that when I preside at the altar, I am not lifting up my hands as I usually do. Priests have many options for what to do with their hands at the altar. I encourage our clergy to do what feels meaningful to them. The different hand motions add to the celebration. During Lent, though, I am doing less with my hands (some actions are required in the Book of Common Prayer) as a sign that it is God grace and not my doing which makes the sacrament holy. Why? In a season when we simplify our worship in many ways, I felt an invitation to still my hands and open my heart.

How might God be inviting you to “fall down” in worship this Lent as a way to open your heart? As we stumble into grace together, may God make us holy in service to the larger story of God’s saving and redeeming love.

Your rector and brother in Christ,
Joe+

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, Pastoral Care, Rector's Blog, Sermon Blog, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: enewsletter, st. georgian, way of love, worship

Recent Posts

  • Holy Week and Easter Worship – 2023
  • Harry Wilson in Concert
  • The BST Band Featuring Becky Y Slam in Concert

YOU ARE WELCOME AT ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, or tradition.
© 2023 St. George's Episcopal Church · Physical Address: 905 Princess Anne Street · Fredericksburg, VA 22401 · Mailing Address: P. O. Box 7127 · Fredericksburg, VA 22404
Main Office: 540.373.4133 · Pastoral Emergencies: (call or text) 540.361.8573 · Email [email protected]