Can we have fun in church and still be Anglican?

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Amen.

Why are you looking so glum?  We just heard the good news from the Gospel.  You should be bright and happy!

Well, okay, we did just hear the story of the beheading of John the Baptist.  It isn’t a particularly uplifting story, is it?

Actually, today’s Gospel is very good news.  Our story today is really only five sentences long.  “King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known.  Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’  But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’  And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’”

Jesus was making a name for himself, teaching the people about the Kingdom of God and doing deeds of power in God’s name.  Not only that, but Jesus gave his disciples the same power to do God’s work.  There is the good news.  We are Christ’s disciples.  We have been given the power to do God’s work.

So why aren’t we smiling?  Why aren’t we dancing around wearing just an ephod like David did when he was doing God’s work and praising God?

Well, first of all, we would get arrested.  An ephod is a piece of cloth, either plain or adorned with metal or gems, that is like a breastpiece or mantle.  So it would cover at most from your waist to your neck and only in the front.  Typically, you would not wear only and ephod.

Hah – I just detected some smiles!

It’s hard to get smiles out of Anglicans in church.  I’m sure you smile at home, especially when you get good news like we just got.  So why not here?  Why is it so hard for us to look like we’re having fun in church?

It’s not just you, I have the same problem.  Have you noticed that when I say “we need to move during this hymn” I look kind of like a spastic chicken?

I think that we Anglicans have forgotten most of what the Bible tells us about worshiping God.  We picked one part of worship which we do really well and we left the rest out.  The Bible is big on ritual.  So are we and I think we do that quite well.  It’s the rest of it that we are missing.

Where is the joy?  Where is the dancing?  Where is the noisy music?  Clanging cymbals?  Laughter and smiles?  Fun?

We are supposed to be giving thanks for the abundance that God gives us.  We are supposed to be rejoicing in the Lord.

Instead we sit here and look like we belong in some country song where everyone we love has abandoned us including our dog, and all we have left is a beat up old Chevy pickup that barely runs.

This is how I was brought up to act in church.  You will be quiet.  You will keep your head down, especially when praying.  You will be serious.  You will not laugh.  You will not yell.  You will stay absolutely still and be respectful.

And most of all, you will not have fun!

If God truly loves us, would he want us to act like we are depressed every time we come together in his name?  I seriously doubt that.

As I said earlier, we do some things very well.  I feel God’s presence here with us as we worship.  So how do we bring more life and joy into our worship without losing what we already have? – A little bit at a time.

Changing something that we have been taught all of our lives is not easy.  Changing too quickly is not healthy and probably not helpful.  We need to pick a couple of small things, a little part of our worship, where we can start to be more lively.  We also don’t all need to do the same thing.  I have some possible suggestions.  You can pick one or two or do something completely different.

During prayer, I was taught to either sit or kneel with my head bowed and my eyes closed, hands at my sides.  How could we liven up prayer?  Open your eyes.  Lift your head.  Look out the window at God’s creation.  Lift up your hands.  Wave your hands.  Sway back and forth.  There are lots of possibilities, and every one I just listed is a way that different people regularly pray.

When you go up for communion, think about what a blessing it is and smile.  Stand at the rail instead of kneeling.  Look around you and give thanks for the family that you are sharing with.

When we sing, move around even if you do look like a spastic chicken.  Sing out even if you sound like a clanging cymbal.  If you still won’t sing, read the words aloud with us.  And most of all, smile.

Do any or all of these or something that you come up with, but do something.

For the rest of today’s service, let’s try to respond to God in our midst.  I’d love it if each and every one of you would do this at least once before we leave this church today.  Any time you hear something that you particularly agree with or something that pulls at you, call out “AMEN!”  When you feel God’s presence or just feel like making some noise, call out “HALLELUIA!” or “PRAISE GOD!”

With God’s help, we have been able to be spiritually fed by what we do in this place.  With God’s help we can not only be fed, but we can have fun and be joyful while we are fed.

Thanks be to God!  HALLELUIA! AMEN!