“For no other foundation
can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
I Corinthians 3:11
If you are
joining us today for the first time, I should explain that in the Episcopal
Church it’s our practice to have one, not three sermons, and that after rather
than before the Scripture readings. But
today, my purpose is to provide an instruction about this service we celebrate
week by week, the Holy Eucharist, which is the highest and most ancient form of
Christian worship. Today we explore the
first part of the worship service, the Liturgy of the Word. As Saint Paul reminds us in today’s Epistle,
Christ is the foundation on which all His Church’s work depends. The Liturgy of the Word, above all,
testifies to Him, and places Him at the center of the life we share as His
people.
Our worship
begins with a hymn, hopefully one that announces a theme appropriate to the
season or the particular readings that will be presented later in the
service. Hymns are a relatively new
addition to the Eucharistic liturgy, only becoming popular with Episcopalians
about a hundred and fifty years ago. Their
practical function is to cover the time those leading the service need to get
from place to place. But many of our
hymns teach the faith with power or, like the one we have just sung, are moving
personal prayers. Many of our hymns have
stirring tunes, but the texts are deeply important, and serve as a kind of
supplementary prayer book. We pray that
in all things, we may live as we sing.
Then follows
an acclamation of the One who has brought us together, God whom we praise. In this season, we especially recall that He
is merciful, the forgiver of our sins.
To praise God requires our very best, an uplifted mind, a pure heart—an
answer in kind to His abundant love for us.
