Eutychus

Retired preachers are given something at retirement.  A place in the pews.  From that new place, things are surely seen differently.  A few Sundays ago I was sitting there waiting and as I watched the choir members wander in to find their places, I remembered why I liked the processional moment at the beginning of worship.  Practically speaking, it gets the choir members to the choir area in an orderly manner, and secondly, it gets the worship service started.  Not only does it get the worship service started, but it does it with a flourish.

 

While the processional is not something practiced in many churches, it always seemed to be a great way to begin.  In some respects it was like a parade.  A holy parade.  As the musicians up front hit the first notes of the song, voices started singing from the back and then those voices started filling up the space as they moved forward.  Along the way, the rest of the congregation was joining in the singing.  By the time the choir members reached their spots, the sanctuary was filled with singing voices.  This preacher was one of those who loved it!

 

One of the things I liked about the moment was the way it announced that something was happening, maybe even breaking loose in our midst that was out of the ordinary, maybe even extraordinary.  It tended to get the service off on an upbeat and enthusiastic note.  Processional music is not like "In the Garden" but more like "Holy, Holy, Holy."  I was always in favor of those moments which energized  the ritual, the congregation, and the preacher.  Energy is something often missing in many worship services which might account for so many of us wearing the name tag which says, "Eutychus."