Traveling Worship: Worship for Those Who Cannot Come Home For Sunday Morning

     The Welcome and Announcements of this past Sunday morning, March 23, began with something I had not planned to say.  That is not unusual.  What was unusual was how "to the point" it was, like "Holy Spirit to the point" (which it is often not...).  The words were simple: Welcome Home!  

    We come Home to worship.  Our Home is situated in the House of God.  But that is a convenience, because the Home, to quote the deep wisdom, is where the Heart is.  Our Heart is the Heart of the people of the First Presbyterian Church of Merchantville, and our Home is where the hearts of the many gather as one Heart in the Lord.  But if something were ever to happen to the building, the Heart of our church, our people, would not end.  Our Home would still be there.  On Sunday mornings, our Home is blessed to gather in the Sanctuary. 

    So that is piece number 1.

    There are people in our congregation who cannot come to the House.  The first line of thinking when it comes to these folks is that they are our senior members, those homebound, or in rehab or hospital, or in long term care.  So we take the Home to them.  When we gather to worship, we share God's Word, we sing, we pray.  So, to make something available to our care team (it is a more loosely affiliated group of caring folks who do visits than a formal 'team' team).  It is a resource.

    So that is piece number 2.

    When we are taking Home to those who cannot join us, it is more than those who are unable, for reasons of age, illness, or infirmity, to join us.  We compete with a sinful world where the busyness of Sunday has been an intention attempt to drown out the Lord's Day.  We are forced to pick.  And while it would be very easy to judge those who do not "pick" church, where is the Jesus in that?  So, for anyone who cannot come Home, why not prepare a piece of Home in advance?  

    This piece can serve as a sneak peek for next Sunday as well! 

    So that is piece number 3.

    In preparing for worship, taking the Scripture "on the road" with me as Pastor, using it in the moments when Scripture is appropriate to share (in non-critical moments where the power of Psalm 23 might carry God's strength) is something I have tried to do for a number of years.  It is a two-way street, bring the Scripture to those who are not able to come on Sunday, bring back the Spirit's work in the wider community of what the Scripture means, letting the community mold our response to God's Word in the sermon.

    Voila, piece number 4.

    We take all these bits, and we shove them into a de-mystified (to remove idolatrous overtones) "Magic 8" ball, and we shake it up, and we get FPC Merchantville's "Traveling Worship: Bring it to Heart and Home".   It is a two part process:

    1. To assemble as many of us as we can to worship in our Home on Sunday morning.

    2. To bring Home to as many of us as can to worship who are unable to assemble.

    Traveling Worship.

Peace,

Pastor Peter