Even when it’s online, worship ‘pulls all the riches of the life of faith together’
October 29, 2020
The Rev. Dr. Ted Wardlaw and Eric Wall were the guests last week of the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty during a Facebook Live event. (Contributed photos)
A recent New York Times story tells of a Catholic priest in Queens who decided not to let the coronavirus-mandated closure of his church keep him from worshiping with, and ministering to, his parish.
“He decided that if people can’t come to church, the church ought to find a way to go to the people,” explained the Rev. Dr. Ted Wardlaw, president of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
As Wardlaw explained it, the priest put on vestments and a light blue surgical mask on a recent Sunday and walked down the streets of Queens, visiting his parishioners, encouraging them, praying with them and blessing people.
Wardlaw described the priest’s act as “a glimmer of grace that surprises the ordinary.”
The story is just one example of how worship and community have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic appeared in the United States earlier this year.
Wardlaw’s shared the story in a recent Facebook Live conversation about worship and community hosted by the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty, senior director for Theological Education Funds Development at the Presbyterian Foundation. They were joined by Eric Wall, assistant professor of sacred music and dean of the chapel at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Worship is taking place at Austin, but primarily virtually and from homes, said Wall, rather than in the seminary’s magnificent chapel that Wardlaw says “demands worship.” The strong community of worship at Austin continues through virtual platforms, Wall said.
And, although he has experienced a sense of dullness and exhaustion during the pandemic, Wall has also experienced moments of “aliveness” — even while using Zoom.
“I have zero training in worship in this medium prior to March 11 or 12,” he said. Yet he finds that his use of Zoom has allowed him to discover “new ideas in unexpected places.”
Both men talked about how worship in the pandemic — no matter which platform is used gives us a sign of divinity in the midst of what can be seen as a bleak time when we’re dulled by the monotony of being sequestered in place.
Wardlaw mentioned bestselling author Barbara Brown Taylor and what she calls being “a detective of divinity.” Be on the lookout for signs of that, Wardlaw said.
Worship remains central to our faith and one of the few things some churches are able to do during the pandemic. Worship is paramount, Wall says, because it pulls all the riches of the life of faith together. It is a wellspring we return to, a place where we recall everything God does, where we listen for what God is saying, where we recommit ourselves to what God is doing and what God might do through us, he said.
Though many of the subtleties of worship — the friendly glances, the hugs, the handshakes — are missing, new ways of being connected are occurring. Wall cited the example of a recent worship service where prayer requests, which were added to the commenting feature on Zoom, were read aloud.
“It was extraordinarily rich. It was a great moment of connection,” he said.
Wardlaw echoed those sentiments. He said he is more of a pew sitter now than someone who stands in the pulpit, but he finds himself being more porous to the impact of worship.
“There’s something about worship that reorients and reminds us where we are appropriately located in the architecture of heaven and earth,” Wardlaw said. “That’s what it does for me.”
Sally Scherer, Writer and Communications Consultant for the Presbyterian Foundation, Special to Presbyterian News Service
Daily Readings
Today’s Focus: Divine Moments During a Pandemic
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Nicole Saunders, Board of Pensions
Ray Scaletti, Office of the General Assembly
Let us pray:
Eternal God, help us to remember that you are always with us to the end of the age. We want to be Christ’s presence to others. Remind us that you are beside us, as we are beside those in need. We ask for the opportunity to share your love with others this day. Amen.