SOMETHING SPECIAL AND UNIQUE
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote in my weekly message about how our tradition of worship is so meaningful to me. This past Sunday, I was able to witness just how meaningful it is to someone who has never experienced it. Our guest musician, violinist Ava Shedd, commented on how very inspiring our form and tradition of worship was to her, having never attended an Episcopal church.
Ava grew up in a Christian household, her father being an associate pastor of an Assemblies of God church and her mother being a devoted Christian raising her children in a spiritual manner. Being a music instructor and singer, she would often sing the psalms to them, which she believed would be a great way for them to remember the words. As we know, lyrics set to music is always the best way to learn texts.
On Sunday, Ava found the singing of the psalm extremely powerful which reminded her of when her mom sang them to her as a child. She told her mother, “Mom, they sang the scriptures, just like we used to do at home!” She found the entire worship service to be incredibly inspiring and emotional as she had never experienced singing hymns with the support and power of an organ, seeing the cross carried in a processional, or witnessing the beauty of a service such as ours with all its dignity and ceremony, coupled with a realism rooted in genuine love for one another and for God, bringing us ever closer to communion with the Divine. Ava had this to say, “I really enjoyed the service and the incorporation of so much music. The main thing that struck me, which I was very touched by, was the intentionality with how they did communion. At most churches it can be a very impersonal thing and only done once a month if that. Usually, the elements are passed out and are taken all at the same time. But something I appreciated with this specific service was how the priest took the time to personally hand the bread to every person and how the congregation came up one by one to the altar to partake in such a holy moment. That was something I haven’t seen in a long time and it really touched me.”
When we reflect on who and what we are as a congregation and as an Episcopal church, we realize that sometimes we can take worship for granted. I hope that we can all have a renewed sense of devotion as we come together to worship each week, from our noon-day Eucharistic services, our Choral Eucharists and Evensongs, and everything in between. We have something special and unique here at St. Gregory’s. Worship at St. Gregory’s truly MAKES A DIFFERENCE in our community and in the lives of all who experience it.
Tim Brumfield
Director of Music Ministries, Organist, and Choirmaster
Please click the video link below to view last Sunday's beautiful Communion Meditation on an Appalachian Folk Tune by Tim Brumfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSxR12-1WEo&feature=youtu.be