Ceremony, or casualness?

Catholic, or Evangelical?

Some say there's ritual in one but not in the other, or structure in one but not in the other.  I don't think so.  Both churches have ritual and structure.  In the Evangelical church there are certain ways you do things, patterns that you follow.  We wouldn't *call* them rituals or structures, but they are.

The application of those terms (ritual, structure) to how we "do church" on Sundays (or even to "informal" midweek activities, like study groups) is kind of embarrassing.  We like to think of ourselves as not bound to ritual or tradition.  

Bosh.  We have them.  They're patterns and forms, no less than those in the liturgical churches.

What they aren't... are ceremonies.  In the Catholic church there is an embracing of ritual, a celebrating of ceremony, an honoring of tradition.  That lends a formality to the patterns and forms of worship and fellowship.  But that doesn't mean they're necessarily stiff, unchanging  and inflexible.

This weekend was a good example.  I had a chance to compare and contrast the two by serving "up front" in both settings.  I was a lector (read the Scripture and led the Prayers of the Faithful) for the first time at St. Rose's on Saturday, and was on worship team (helping to lead the singing) at EnCompass on Sunday.

In both, I had to pay attention.  Neither was casual.  Outwardly, I looked more casual at EnCompass, wearing a black t-shirt & jeans.  At St. Rose's, I wore dress pants & shoes, polo shirt and blazer.  But in both settings I had to concentrate on what to do and when.

And although the liturgy at St. Rose's specified when I got up, sat down, and the very words I uttered, it's not like there was no deviation.  It was "celebrating summer" day, and the servers & priest all wore hawaiian shirts (or robe) and leis.  Me, too (matched my shirt, even.)  :)  

Then the weekly liturgy guide (with the songs for the week in it) had a misprinted page, so.. the priest and the cantor just... made stuff up!  Improvisation - it was almost Evangelical.  ;)  Plus, we vary things (liturgy, colors, songs) by where we are in the church calendar.  There's change.

At EnCompass, while the songs and prayers are never done the same way twice, yet we rehearse it to a pulp beforehand, so that we all know *exactly* who does what part and what our cues are.  We really leave nothing to chance, even though it seems very informal.

There is something wonderfully majestic about processing into the sanctuary at St. Rose's, holding the Gospel high, placing it on the altar, stepping back, bowing..   I felt honored to carry the Word, to speak it, and to lead prayer.  :)

And there is something wonderfully intimate about creating a fresh harmony of voices, and seeing people's faces glowing in worship when the vocals swell from quiet unison to soaring parts..  I felt honored to assist in worship, to point toward God in song.  :)

Time-honored ceremony.  Studied casualness.  

Both are good.  And I'm honored to help.  Really.