As a runner,
I'm highly aware of time. I wear a Garmin watch that not only tracks my
time and distance, but also lets me know my pace and my heart rate. I also know that my
Boston Marathon qualifying time is 3:25:00 and that I fell short of that qualifying
time by 2 minutes and 45 seconds. I keep track of my PR's for half-marathon's,
5k's, etc. Time is always in the forefront of the runner's mind. I guess that
is what caught my attention when I read the notes that were scribbled by
someone who attended our 10:30pm Christmas Eve service. This worshiper was
concerned about the length and time of our late service. According to the
notes, I talked too much and the service was much too long for such a late
hour. The notes concluded with a question: "Is communion necessary?"
I assume that the question was not a theologically motivated one, but rather a
rhetorical one in the spirit of expediency. Eliminating that portion of the
liturgy would shorten the service and allow everyone the opportunity to rush
home and get settled down for their long winter's nap, but theology matters. Unfortunately, my
questioner didn't leave a name and remains anonymous. Therefore, I'm left to
respond via this blog post.
Dear Friend,
I'm grateful
that you were able to worship with us on Christmas Eve. Communal worship is
central to our life together as Christians, It defines, shapes, and empowers us
for life in this crazy world. That's why we consider Worship to be one of the four Vital Signs at Holy Cross.
I'm sorry to
hear that the service ran a little long for your taste. I'll concede that I
might have talked a bit longer than usual. It was the fourth service of the night
and I'd had a glass of wine before the late service. Normally, I'm very much
aware of the length of our worship services. If we run long, the parking lot
becomes a mess and our worship leaders have a difficult time getting the
sanctuary ready for the next service. The late service on Christmas Eve,
however, is different.
For
centuries, the church has celebrated holy days on the night before because the
traditional Christian liturgical day follows Hebrew precedent by starting at
sunset. Examples include the Easter Vigil and All Hallow's Eve (Halloween or
Eve of All Saints). Many churches around the world will hold a midnight Mass on
Christmas Eve to commemorate the biblical tradition that Jesus was born at
night and to celebrate the arrival of Christmas Day. It's kind of like the way
we celebrate New Year's Eve when we count down to the New Year at midnight.
Our
congregation follows this ancient worship tradition by offering four services
on Christmas Eve. We have a service at 2:30 for our children and families. The
kid's choirs sing and it is a splendidly joyous celebration. At 4:00, we offer a
traditional service with carols, candles, and the singing of Silent Night. At
6:00, our worship band leads a contemporary worship experience for those that
prefer guitars and drums over the organ. And then there is our 10:30 service.
This traditional service caps off the evening's celebrations and helps us greet
the new morn. It might go longer than an hour, but my experience is that people
who choose to attend this service enjoy the opportunity to celebrate with one
another in a unique and special worship experience.
Now to your
question: "Is communion necessary?" If I understand your question,
you’re making the case that by eliminating the Lord’s Supper, we could shave a
few minutes off the worship time and get people on their way home sooner.
However, it should be noted that the things that we do matter. There is a shape
to Christian worship that includes sharing this meal. As you know, Christmas is
a celebration of the Incarnation: God entering our material world and taking on
flesh. Think "God con carne." When we celebrate Holy Communion, we
believe that Jesus is really present once again. This isn’t mere formality or
ritual. We believe that Jesus is mysteriously present in, with, and under the
bread and wine. The bread might not be the crusty, delicious fare that we enjoy
at a nice restaurant, and the wine isn’t of some excellent vintage. But that
doesn’t matter. In fact, I think it says something quite illustrative about the
way God enters our world of imperfection and our messy lives. But here’s the
really important thing I want you to understand: the promise. Each and every
one of us receives the bread and the wine with Jesus’ promise, “Given for you.”
When that bread is placed in your hands and when you are offered the cup, you
hear that promise: “Given for you.” “Shed
for you.” It is the same promise that
was proclaimed by the angel to the shepherds late one night on the outskirts of
Bethlehem, “to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” I don’t know
about you, but I need to hear that assurance again, and again, and again.
I hope this
answers your questions and raises a few more; enough to keep you coming back and
struggle with the rest of us. May you have a happy and blessed new year.
Pastor Mike
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