Intergenerational Worship

Dear Friends in Christ,

This Sunday, Saint Anna’s is introducing an intergenerational worship service intended for everyone, regardless of age or ability! This exciting new service will occur on the third Sunday of every month in place of our third Sunday children’s program.

In the Gospels we are told that the disciples tried to stop people bringing their children to Jesus he said,

“Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:16

When we take children out of church to learn about their faith and experience God, we deliver a subtle message that church is only for grown-ups. If young people are raised to believe that church is not intended for them, when they are confirmed, which is often seen as “graduation” from Sunday school, they often stop attending church. In our intergenerational liturgy we hope to offer the same opportunities to learn about our faith and experience God in a way that holds something for everyone and send the message that church is for everyone.

The word “liturgy” derives from a Greek word “Leitourgia” meaning “work of the people.” “Leitourgia” is a derivative of “laos” (people) and “ergon” (work, service). It originated from the word used to describe the gifts wealthy people made in service to the people. It ensured and eventually required the rich to pay money to the state for which they were rewarded with prestige and honors, and eventually became a form of taxation. These “gifts” were not for a specific sum of money but were applied to a ritual that could be performed with as much or as little splendor as the individual chose.

The Episcopal Church is what is called a liturgical church. This is generally understood to mean that we follow an order of service that contains certain elements in an expected order, as opposed to non-liturgical churches whose worship might appear more spontaneous or improvised. It also means that worship is something we do together, not something the clergy get to do on behalf of everyone else. This Sunday we will be engaging together in liturgy that contains all the elements of our regular Sunday worship in pretty much the same order, that will invite everyone – the children Jesus commands us to welcome, the grown-ups, and everyone in between, into full and active participation. I hope you will join us.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Jane+