5 Things I Learned While Worshipping with the Mormons
Salt Lake City, UT - After an inspiring early Sunday morning
march with Episcopal bishops and 1,000+ of their closest friends (Bishops
against Gun Violence) it was time for church. Rather than be treated to yet
another rich Episcopal Eucharistic celebration with our wonderful General
Convention Family, I chose to take seriously this gathering’s call to mission.
So I Googled and found, quite easily, the 9a Mormon Meeting at a ‘church’
nearby, (the Wilford Ward on Highland Avenue) and entered the sanctuary
carrying a stone in each pocket, one called Humility the other, Curiosity.
Here’s what I found inspiring and perhaps helpful to us Episcopalians who have
come together to be sent out.
1. Liberate the Laity – Mormon ‘clergy’ are not only
‘regular’ folk, who are not formally trained at accredited seminaries, but
appear to hold down secular jobs, are unpaid, and rotate regularly from
leadership. During the 70-minute worship service the opening and closing prayers
were led by lay people who walked up from the congregation and appeared to pray
extemporaneously for the congregation. Ushers, preachers, and other
participants engaged in a truly shared, ‘liturgy’ – aka work of the people. How
might we re-think elements of our worship, usually reserved for paid clergy, to
be shared with our wardens and other lay leaders?
2. Let the Children Lead – Not only were children ‘tolerated’
– they were noisy, squirmy, and abundant - but they distributed, in a very
ritualistic manner, Communion (whole wheat Wonder Bread and water (!)), helped
the ushers, and one was featured as the main speaker of the service (more on
that later). How might Episcopalians re-think the presence and participation of
children in our worship services as it relates to the roles we reserve for
their elders?
3. It’s about Love and Connection – The message most repeated
during the service was that God loves you. God is love. God loves you. Heavenly
Father (their term) is gladdened by our own happiness. Families were routinely
commended for their presence and participation. How might we include and
communicate more clearly and often this central message of the Gospel – to
remind people they are precious and loved?
4. It’s About Mission – The highlight of the service, and the
activity which took the most time, was a 19-year-old’s tearful ‘testimony’
about his upcoming mission. He spoke about his apprehension about leaving
family and friends as well as his fear of learning a new language (Japanese!)
and communicating only by weekly letter to his beloved mother for the next two
years. He was mature beyond his years and clearly connecting his theology with
the daunting task ahead. His congregation had challenged him, and he was
accepting the mantle with fear and trembling. How much and how well do we
challenge our youth, and support them in their work?
5. Mission is about Converting You – Following the new
missionary’s testimony, was an older gentleman’s sermon (maybe he was 28) in
which he unpacked what the Mormon missionary endeavor was all about. ‘It’s
clear that sending 19 year olds into the foreign mission field is probably not
the most effective way Heavenly Father can go about mission. That’s why our
mission trips are not about converting others, you probably won’t convert
anyone; it’s about converting you, the missionary.’ Wow. How might mission be
re-imagined through this lens - that conversion is mainly God’s business, God’s
work through our hands? How might
we be more attentive to what God is up to in our lives – and how we are being
converted in the process?
