This week I found myself noodling around the Episcopal Cafe website and came across a video about the Nicene Creed. In the opening seconds of the video it read, "When you recite the creed are you being real? Or are you being a robot? Do you even know what your saying?"
The questions posed by the video are true not only for the creed, but for many things we recite in church. For many of us, the words of our liturgy are so much a part of the fabric of our being we can skip through them with little or no thought. But in doing so, are we being real or robots?
This was a welcomed and well overdue reminder for me. I need to remind myself to be intentional and mindful in worship -- no matter how many times I've said the words, no matter how many times I've heard them. There is transformational truth in the words of our liturgy, in the words of the collects, the Psalms, the confession, the offertory, the eucharistic prayer, the Lord's prayer, and the post communion prayer. Far too often, we engage them rather mindlessly, lifelessly -- but they are the words of our faith. The words of our common worship experience that we share with our sisters and brothers throughout the ages. Whether or not you "agree" with every word or "believe" every word -- say every word and pray every word with mindfulness and soulfulness, and let the Holy Spirit work.
The video closes by saying, "So the next time you proclaim the Creed...don't be a robot. Make it real. Don't just say it...pray it. Love it. Live it." We may just be surprised how these old and very familiar words find new life and refresh us in a new and wonderful way.
Peace,
Paul+
