Being a student at an all-party college (that’s not a college where all we do is party, but rather a Training Seminary, where all traditions (Catholic/Evangelical, etc) train side-by-side) has it’s advantages and disadvantages. When I first arrived I thought that the chance to experience worship in many different forms would better allow me to feed the sheep. Different people from different backgrounds and different ages all thirst in different ways for different forms of worship. The question then becomes is it necessary for us to be trained in all of these different styles?
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”
John 21:15-18, NIV
In this passage, Jesus commands Peter twice to feed the flock, the flock of sheep, and the flock of Lambs. As people who are called to serve a flock, this means that this is our charge also.
With the growth of different styles in the Church, this means that there are now many ways to feed the spiritual hunger of our flocks. We could feed them with Worship Songs, with an exposition of the Word, and with a personal response to God as one would in the Evangelical/Charismatic style, or we could feed them with the Sacraments of Absolution, with the visible signs of the rising of prayers in the incense, and the very real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and everything in between. We could also help people reach a gentle meditative state which transports people to the love of Christ through Taize, or we could let them get lost in the beauty and simpleness of one of the types of Celtic service.
As the shepherds, we are called to be those that feed the sheep. We are the ones who are charged with ensuring that all those under our charge actually achieve some spiritual nourishment. If we were to have a mixed congregation, with some of the members hungering for a style of worship that is not our style that we are responsible for ensuring that they are fed, too?
To counter this argument is the very strongly held idea that no-one gets fed if a service is done badly. That is, a service is that is not quite fully evangelical, or not quite fully Catholic doesn’t feed anyone at all, and everyone goes away hungry for what they seek. So does that mean, then, that we should simply stick to what we are good at, what we know, and let someone else feed those of our flock who hunger in a different way? or do we, rather, ensure that if every service so far this month has been evangelical then we are duty bound, despite our dislike of the service, to ensure ours is fully Catholic to ensure that everyone is fed?
Some might feel that this a wholey fictitious situation, but we are facing the reality where we might be the head of a parish of 3 or more churches, and it is possible that one of them might have a slightly Evangelical style of worship. Does this mean that we would be failing the charge of Peter if we were unable to feed these members of our flocks too?
Just a few thoughts,
~BX
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