Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

I saw a post on Facebook the other day about a friend’s father who had taken a turn for the worse. Another friend posted, “Prayers heading your way. LOL.”

Wait a minute. I thought LOL meant laughing out loud. I’m guessing (hoping) this person meant lots of love.

But it raises an issue at the heart of Episode II of Undercover Rector: Hospitality in worship.

Imagine your rector going undercover to a worship service with the leader using text-speak. OMG. IMS. TFLMS.

I can only imagine how lost he or she might feel. I suspect visitors to our worship services often feel the same.

We have the Decalogue, litanies and all sorts of rites. We make announcements using our in-house lingo: “The sexton requests parishioners stay after for a meeting in the narthex. Join us for coffee hour in the undercroft. You can reach the undercroft by exiting the north side of the nave, through the ambulatory and down the stairs.” The what? And where?

I’m not suggesting that we dumb down our worship to the lowest common denominator. But let’s make our worship bulletins 2.0 – add a little interaction and information. Next to unfamiliar language in a bulletin, create a box that explains the language or element. For example, what does the Nicene Creed mean? When should I kneel or stand? Why do some people cross themselves? What’s the difference between the Offertory and a collect?

Here are three tips to make your worship more visitor-friendly:

1. Have a non-church-going friend look over your bulletin. Anything that seems confusing should include an explanation. Then don’t be afraid to take 5-6 drafts to find succinct, clear language: often this can be as good of a theological practice for the churched as it as an invitation for the visitor.

2. Do the priest and other worship leaders regularly announce the page numbers – and explain which book? (Not just BCP or LEV, but the red Book of Common Prayer or the Lift Every Voice hymnal).

3. Does all of the congregational singing require an advanced music degree? This is another place where we often succumb to hubris rather than hospitality. Let’s face it: We have some of the best musicians. Period. And I’m all for listening and enjoying complicated and unusual anthems. But within the congregational singing, there should be a good mix of familiar and challenging.

Upcoming episodes of Undercover Rector include hospitality in fellowship and community relations. Send in your ideas and suggestions so we can add to the list.

THX. L8R.