Today is my first day back from vacation.  I’ve connected with some folks and got some processes underway for Annual Session in September, so it’s been a productive day so far.  I have to say though, I despise mail.  I spent nearly an hour going over the junk that gets sent to me.  90% ended up in the vertical filing cabinet, talk about wasted time!

Vacation was a nice break, and I tried to keep off the computer as much as possible, I even turned off IM and Twitter for significant portions of my trip so I couldn’t get ambushed while checking weather reports.  That was a good decision that got me further “away.”  I needed that.

This last Sunday I visited All Saints Episcopal Church in Hershey, PA for worship.  My wife and Kids head to her parents church when we’re out in Hershey, but I like to go visiting.  I’ve had a hit and miss with worship experiences out in the Hershey area.  I’ve been to two big “successful” Church and came out fearing for the future of the faith in this country.  One was a Willow Creek wannabe will no substance whatsoever, and the other was a “relevant” Church with poor preaching, unfriendly people, and stupid traditions that filled in the gap left by a profound lack of liturgy.  The latter church also thought that playing a country song where the father of a daughter going on a date warned her boyfriend that he’d be home, cleaning his gun.  This latter church frightened me.

All Saints, by contrast, was a truly refreshing experience of the communion of saints.  The interim rector was casual, friendly, and interacted with the congregation as the liturgy progressed.  On the liturgical scale in the Anglican Communion, it was “low,” but incorporated some elements that I’d expect from a higher liturgy, like the ringing of a bell with prayers.  The rector also pointed out things he wanted the congregation to ponder from the collect and the readings during the announcements, which was a great touch that I might consider doing myself at Central in the near future.  It was the rector’s last Sunday with the congregation, however, which changed the sermon format a bit.  This was a shame because from his short reflections at the opening of worship I would have liked to see the pastor delve in a bit deeper.

The “contemporary” churches I’ve been to all tend to advertise their casual nature and friendliness.  My experiences, however, have led me to believe that if a Church feels the need to advertise such things then chances are that they’re really trying to convince themselves.  All Saints, on the other hand, was extremely welcoming from the moment I stepped in the door.  Greeters were marked by name badges (which, I admit, I think is hokey even if it is effective), and I was invited to sign the churches guest book.  I had a nice chat with the gentleman who welcomed me at the door, and then with a family that was greeting at the back of the pews.  I must admit that I felt a bit nervous showing up at a liturgical church in shorts and sandals (though I did have a collared shirt), but I never felt out of place.  In fact, the dress of the congregation was much like Central, some wore suits (it was air-conditioned) while others were “business casual” or even casual.  I did see some jeans, and several children were in shorts.  I got the feeling that the congregation accepted this ranges of dress style because they had a genuine affection for each other – something that I’ve noticed developing at Central over the years.  I guess the only time my outfit came up was when the main greeter correctly assumed I was on vacation (I didn’t tell him I was wearing my summer preaching attire).

The progression of the liturgy was deliberate but, as I said, casual.  The priest enjoyed bantering with the music director and other members of the vestry during some elements – which helped the congregation to sense a connection with what was going on up front.  I also appreciated the hymns, particularly the first, “Alleluia Sing to Jesus,” which is a song of depth and passion, while also inviting people to the liturgy of the Eucharist.  I wish Baptists hadn’t messed up the understanding of worship as much as we have, a hymn like this is sorely needed in our gathering!  I was also touched by  a whispered “welcome” from the priest while I was at the rail for the Eucharist – it was quiet, subtle, and genuine.

After worship I chatted a bit with some members of the congregation, and was warmly invited to join them for their going away luncheon for the interim priest.  I wish I could have gone, but I did need to get home to be with the family as we made our plans for the afternoon.  All in all, I was blessed to have been part of the communion of the saints in Hershey on Sunday.