As we made our way toward Elfreth’s Alley this past Friday I came across a banner which It hung on the wrought-iron fence which surrounds Christ Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Its message, I felt, was profound.

Worship is sharing
the apostles’ teaching
the breaking of bread
the fellowship
the prayers

These notions make my heart sing. While the banner doesn’t get into the entirety of the theological depth of Christian worship ¹, it does offer a succinct description of the actions which make up the service offered when the Church gathers.

If you are a person who is part of a worshiping community I feel the message of this banner is a good starting point for reflection. Which of these actions does your community emphasize? Does it emphasize any to the detriment of others? Does it encourage reflection on the purposes behind our actions in worship, or does it lack this sort of self-awareness?

Though such reflections perhaps we’ll discover our churches is deeper than we knew. Or maybe we’ll be encouraged to help people explore ways to strengthen worship by delving deeper into what it’s supposed to be.