During the Easter Vigil Saturday night, I
noticed my heart just was not into it and joyful as in past years. Perhaps, it was because Good Friday
services somewhat exhausted me; I don’t know. But whatever the reason, I did not like being that way.
But then I noticed a turning of my heart during
the renewal of the baptismal vows.
I think the gumption of making so many vows I cannot even come close to
fulfilling without God’s help reminded me that I have purpose in God’s plan . .
. and reminded me to exercise my will and man up.
And then the remaining liturgy and an excellent
sermon reminded me of the glory and numerous benefits of the Resurrection of
our Lord. For the rest of the
service, I was my joyful Easter self.
That reminds me of one benefit of good
liturgy. It appeals to Christian hearts
whether they be joyful or downcast and does so with the basics of the faith and
with beauty. Good liturgy does not
manipulative with emotional appeals.
And that last point is important. If, for some ungodly reason, the
service would have, say, burst into singing “Celebrate Jesus”, I would have
resisted and recoiled into gloom, as indeed I did more than once years ago in
response to that cloying song.
It’s not for nothing that Proverbs warns of singing happy happy songs to
a troubled heart. (Proverbs 25:20)
Manipulative worship often backfires.
On Easter itself, one family attending had just
lost a father and grandfather that very morning. What if our Easter service has been one big
happy-clappyfest? Of course, our
service had extra rejoicing on Easter, but there was still plenty of room to
worship where one was in life, as is always the case with good liturgy. And the rector prayed for and laid hands
on that family. There wasn’t an atmosphere in which one must be happy or else.
So on this Easter Week, in addition to being
thankful for the Resurrection of our Lord, I am thankful for good liturgy that
does not manipulate but lets one get a grip on the glory of that event at one’s
own pace wherever one finds himself in life.
1 comment:
PRAYING the liturgy is what makes the difference. Not "saying" or "reading"...but PRAYING. Then it is powerful, life changing and empowering.
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