Is Sunday morning worship too much of a good thing?

Why 'whole life discipleship' may be a key to the future of church

photo by Cathie Caimano

The Holy Eucharist, the principal act of Christian worship on the Lord's
Day and other major Feasts, and Daily Morning and Evening Prayer, as
set forth in this Book, are the regular services appointed for public
worship in the Church.

This is the introduction to the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer (1979), ‘Concerning the Service of the Church’ (p. 13).

One thing Episcopalians do very well is liturgy - worship. Specifically, celebrating the Holy Eucharist (Communion) every Sunday. Or as many as we’re able. Sacramental worship is central to our understanding of ourselves as Episcopalians - and as Christians.

I hesitate to even write this - because I am an Episcopal priest, after all - but I’m starting to think that our emphasis on communion every Sunday is part of what’s killing our denomination. And that focusing on worship to the detriment of all the other parts of being a Christian may not be helping us, either.

---

On New Year’s Day, I posted ‘25 prayers for the church in 2025’, and a colleague asked, ‘where is the Eucharist?’

I answered: ‘everywhere’.

It’s true. This is one thing we do really, really well as Episcopalians. And we should.

AND: we also need to look at how our structure - and our very worship-focused communities - are contributing to our decline.

---

1. Eucharist (and worship in general) assumes a Christian community of formed disciples.
   As generations go by where people aren’t raised in the church, those in the pews have less of an idea of how to practice the Christian faith, what’s in the Bible, and what it all means to their lives. The Eucharist - and liturgy itself - are rich with symbolism, meaning, and the power of God’s presence. But unless we make that known specifically, it’s hard to for members to understand.

   ---

2. It creates a math problem.

• We need priests (or bishops) to preside at the Eucharist.

• Fewer and fewer congregations can afford priests’ salaries, or even find supply (substitute) clergy to celebrate the Eucharist with them.

• Our congregations are generally very worship-centric - most of our resources, time, energy goes towards Sunday worship; most of us who spend time in church spend that time on Sunday morning.

• Without the Eucharist, fewer and fewer congregations are equipped to lead worship themselves (for Episcopalians, that’s Morning Prayer).

• Without Sunday worship, there’s less and less holding the life of a congregation together.

It’s a downward spiral of decline that’s been gripping us for decades now.

---

3. People are looking for more.

This is the very good news. There is a rise in ‘evangelical mysticism’, ‘whole life discipleship’, and ‘lived faith’. More and more people who have not been raised in the church are seeking a relationship with God.

And those seeking to follow Jesus want a roadmap and a deep understanding of what that looks like in their everyday lives.

According to Barna research, 7 in 10 Christians want the church to focus on ‘what Jesus intended it to be’, and they want to be an active part of that.

---

In other words, more Christians want more than just Sunday worship.

---

This is fabulous news!

AND - it requires us to take an honest look at how our church life is structured and whether it really offers that.

If most of our time, resources, and energy are focused on Sunday worship, and if most of our concern is about making sure we can celebrate the Eucharist each week, then we may be missing the opportunity to help those in the pews - and beyond them - to truly grow in their faith.

---

The Eucharist nourishes us and strengthens us. AND - our church life needs more than this to flourish.

---

I’m definitely praying for the church in 2025 - and I’m focusing on that ‘something more’ as well. I think it’s crucial to where God is calling us as the Episcopal Church - and the church in general.

I’m starting something new in February - along with my colleague

Carrie Craig

.

Your Life with God is Christian spiritual journey that can be joined online, or followed as a congregation (or both!).

It is not a replacement for Sunday worship - and certainly not for the Eucharist. It is an addition - a way towards ‘whole life discipleship’ that includes sacrament, Scripture, and tradition.

But it is a call to spending more energy, time, attention and resources on supporting a Christian faith that is part of our daily lives, the center of our Monday - Saturday, as well as Sunday.