Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

On Sunday, we had a new priest. For the day. And our priest made his way to her congregation.

Pulpit exchanges aren’t a new concept, but I’d like to promote a resurgence. Having clergy swap for a day can be an important exercise in understanding a theology of connectedness that is at the heart of the Anglican Communion. There are other benefits too: it can be a refreshing change for the congregation. And for the clergy. It’s also a good opportunity for the leadership of the laity to shine, as they lead and support the visiting priest through the local rhythms of worship.

All too often we get caught up in the life and cycle of our own congregation, forgetting that we are bound by tradition and history to 70 million Anglicans around the world. If these connections seem too big to comprehend, consider how we also lose sight of our connection to the wider Episcopal Church, to our diocese, and even to our deaneries—the congregations nearest in geography. This is a human condition. It happens in all parts of our lives. Our homes are places of refuge that we don’t often leave to meet our neighbors and connect with those around us. In our work, we forget the needs of other departments. It’s a natural tendency to focus on our own needs, our own circles of family and friends. 

But our faith calls us to be more than that, to care for the other, to step outside our comfort zones. To meet Jesus in the marginalized and suffering. To be Jesus for one another. Even to those in another Episcopal church. 

Pulpit exchanges can remind us of these connections. The familiar liturgy led by an unfamiliar priest symbolizes a connection that transcends individuals and spans time and space. The cadences of worship may shift just a bit, pushing us beyond rote recitation. The different delivery of the sermon, the welcome, and prayers, offers an opportunity to hear the Word in a new way, exchanging our routine for deeper engagement and swapping an inward focus with a desire for new connection.  

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