Mystery Worship That Fed My Parched Soul

Last updated on: May 18, 2017 at 1:09 pm by Christy Thomas

Mystery Worship That Fed My Parched Soul 2017-05-18T13:09:10-05:00 Christy Thomas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Note: I have been doing “Mystery Worships” for the past year. I write these up for the Denton Record-Chronicle as their weekly religion column. While it has been fun and educational, it has also been a deeply troubling experience.

The last couple of months have been particularly rough on me. I’ve told several people that if I were not well-grounded in my faith, I would have completely lost it by now. I had seen too many male ego-driven, female-ridden, prayerless services, often led by uneducated clergy.

So being in worship this past Sunday at a place like this was particularly meaningful. The column below is slated to run in the Friday, June 19, 2015 edition of the DRC.

On this past steamy Sunday morning in June, I am in worship at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in downtown Denton.

St. Andrew has long housed and sponsored the Our Daily Bread ministry. Hard-working volunteers cook and serve a free hot meal every weekday for all comers, no questions asked. I’ve donated items but have not been at the church for worship.

A gentleman greets me when I walk up. He waits for the handicap van so he can help people into the building. Upon entrance, another greeter shakes my hand and makes introductions.

I am alone. When I walk into a church alone I am often ignored. Immediate greetings come if I am accompanied by a male companion. The greeters swarm all over us if I have young people with me. But we older women aren’t called invisible for nothing.

Not the case at St. Andrew. I am surrounded within moments. Most appear happy to hear that I will write about them.

Several offer to sit with me, but I decline. Sitting alone aids observation and note-taking.

The traditional looking sanctuary with dark wooden floors and pews welcomes me. The space fills rapidly for the one 10:00 am service, their summer schedule. Gentle organ music cradles us as some engage in quiet conversation.

No screens. No “get me excited” countdown timers, no video announcements to capture my attention, no photos of perfectly dressed worshippers or aerial shots of the church to awe me with its fabulousness. Just people, music, and an atmosphere of quiet anticipation.

The blue-robed choir make their procession to the chancel. Alan Baroody, the Interim Pastor, offers a “Good Morning” and gives announcements. I see that the people in this congregation know and care for one another.

We call one another to worship. Strong voices from the choir support the congregation as we sing “Morning has Broken.”

We pray, the pastor leading. Together we say a general confession and then are given time for our own silent and personal confession. Suddenly I am aware that prayer is not media-friendly. Churches web-streaming their services dare not practice silence. Music, movement, words and enthusiasm must fill each millisecond. Yet how much the human soul needs those increasingly rare and healing moments of quietness and contemplation!

We hear the Gospel reading. The congregation sings a welcome to the children for the children’s message. Most of the churches I’ve visited recently do not want children in worship and offer no special time for them. Video and game-filled rooms entice them into age segregated fun. By banning little ones from adult spaces, TV cameras don’t pick up the distractions of their inevitable sounds. But St. Andrew celebrates the presence of children, even when they are few in worship as was the case Sunday. I learn later that many are on a retreat together and that a large contingent of youth have just returned from a trip.

Eight glorious men’s voices then treat us to a rousing rendition of “Down by the Riverside.” Their joy in the music spills from them and infects all of us. We clap along with the beat.The applause that follows seems a natural response to these delightful moments.

Baroody follows the music with the Epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. His message on the “Fresh Air of the Kingdom” flows seamlessly from the passage. He begins with a compelling anecdote about learning to scuba dive. He describes his fear of not being able to breathe. When he learns to relax and trust his equipment, the other-world beauty of the universe under the sea opens to his eyes. The lesson: “In Christ, we’ve taken on a new set of spirit-breathing lungs which allows us to live as a new creation, without anxiety, utterly at ease in the kingdom of God.”

He describes the ministry of reconciliation. He likens it to “tying together the wounded, bonding them to the one Christ who asked no questions about how people came to be diseased or disabled before He reached out to heal.”

After the message, the congregation responds with an affirmation of faith in God who has called us all to be reconcilers. The offering follows as giving takes its rightful place as an act of worship. Ushers dedicate the funds to God. The congregation sings praises to the One from whom all blessings flow.

Again, we go to prayer, both personal and corporate. Again the glory of moments of silence. And again we, as a people of God, sing together and then are sent forth with blessing.

Yes, we are in church. No, it doesn’t look or feel like a performance. Yes, it uses language that fewer and fewer know, the language of liturgy, of awe before a Holy God, of prayer, of confession, of silence, of inclusion, of community and care.

Yes, I needed this.

St Andrew Presbyterian Denton

Previous Post

June 10, 2015

The Pull of the Prosperity "Gospel" and the Subtlety of Evil

Next Post

June 18, 2015 How Megachurches Have Killed the Practice of Prayer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category " obedience abortion accommodation accountability administration adolescence Advent advice an ordinary death anxiety apology apportionments Ash Wednesday ask thoughtfulpastor baptism betrayal Bible bondage calling certainty change character charity children Christianity Christmas church church as garden clergy clergy credentials closure comfort compassion competition compromise Confirmation conservation conservative conspiracy theories consumer conversion coronavirua corruption courage covenant cultural context death Deconstruction discipleship discord divorce doctrine doing good drugs dysfunctional Easter Easter; Resurrection education election entertainment envy escape evaluation evil exclusive church exercise faith faithfulness family fasting fear feast featured film review finances first world problem food forgiveness fundamentalist garden gay marriage General Conference generosity giving thanks GLBT glory good government grace guilt habit happy harmony hateful acts healing health health care heaven hell hello/goodbye heresy hidden agenda holiness homelessness homosexuality humility hymn hypocrisy Imago Dei In training inclusive church indulgence injustice innocents insurance intolerance itinerancy joy Justice kindness Kingdom of Heave kingdom of heaven language laughter laundry lawsuit leadership Lent LGBTQ liberal life Little Things Matter longform meandering thoughts memories mercy metaphor metrics miracle misfortunes morality Mormon Muslim mystery worship natural disasters New Category Name nutrients older adults oppression pain Paleo paperwork partnered pastor peace pension pharmaceutical placebo politics poverty prayer privilege public schools questions quiet racism rain reason reconciliation religion repentance requirements rescue respect rest resurrection retirement Sabbath sacrament sacred salvation same-sex marriage sanctuary schism schooling science SCOTUS secrecy separation of church and state sexism sexuality short cuts silence sin sleep soil spiritual journey stillness suffering surgery sustainable church teacher technology thank you theology therapy thinking tolerance TOS trust truth Uncategorized welcome Why Easter? wisdom women worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 March 2025 February 2025 December 2024 November 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 October 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 July 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz