“Pray without ceasing” is that spirit of practicing God’s presence wherever we go, and it is especially highlighted by the character of our corporate worship.  And what does God value most in us when we gather for Mass, but   mouths ready to utter the joy of the heart?  This is why we frequently repeat: “O Lord, open thou our lips.  And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.”  But Christians seem to have a variety of forms to choose from when we offer our voices to God.  What manner is most honoring to Him?  And, how can we most effectively present the wonder of being in His glorious presence?

Since our earliest days, Christians have usually submitted the same answer—chant.  Whether it was used for psalms, Old Testament canticles, or newly-composed hymns, the Church quickly put to simple melody and rhythm their cherished truths and their conversation with God in worship.  Why?  They saw in chant the most reverent and pleasing way to elevate human speech in their new liturgies.  Even the Apostles were quick to recommend its use.  St. Paul writes to the Colossians (3:16): “teach and admonish one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”  St. Paul wanted his churches to use something that would both edify and unite a whole congregation.  Notice that he’s not encouraging this merely for the sake of adornment.  Chant is never viewed as simply a decoration, but as the basis of true religious language.  St. Paul understands these “spiritual songs” as a way for worshippers to communicate in a manner that would separate them from the mundane speech of every day life.  He is exhorting Christians to distinguish the sacredness of their assembling in a vocal form more enlightening and more beautiful.

Today, what we can still hear from St. Paul is a call to magnify our worship in a world becoming as pagan, crude and materialistic as it was in the apostle’s own day.  Plenty of Christians change with the times, making the voice a servant of shifting styles, and they often become indistinguishable from secular entertainers in order to remain relevant in modern culture.  But here at Holy Trinity, our task remains the same: to reveal the Kingdom of God in the majesty of our liturgy, accented by the “song-speech” of chant that evidences through our voices that the Holy Spirit is working among us as we worship.  When we chant, the music we make reveals that our focus is truly on heaven with Christ and His Saints and Angels.  That is what St. John found in his vision of heaven.  Twice (Revelation 1:10 & 4:1) he is beckoned by a voice sounding like a trumpet; and when he enters, he finds the whole company of heaven conversing with one another through chant.

So, evidently chant will be our typical manner of speech in heaven; perhaps we should start practicing now!  I realize that chant may seem unfamiliar or even a little intimidating.  Maybe it’s not how you were raised or what you were accustomed to, and learning a little seems like a lot to ask.  But, then again, might that not be the point?  What has attracted so many Evangelicals to both Episcopal/Anglican and Eastern Orthodox churches over the last three decades is the mystery of worship that doesn’t cater to our whims, and seems very other-worldly.  Chant particularly sounds exotic and demands careful attention, which is why the words sung to it leave such a deep impression.  Chant asks the worshipper (young or old) to come to a strange place and speak a foreign language that requires obedient concentration.  I believe that Holy Trinity, too, can be such a people capable of letting God exalt the words and intentions of our liturgy into a fashion that makes known the splendor of Christ in His Father’s Kingdom; and, besides that, charms all seekers with the Gospel under a guise that will likely seem a little different.  In the end, that’s what matters most.  It’s not about whether we can sound like a trained choir by “dressing up” our message.  No, it’s about whether we value the truth and power of the Good News to celebrate it and proclaim it in its own inherent beauty and dignity.

Because I believe this is something we can and should do, we will be adding (a little at a time) more chant into the Sunday Holy Eucharist.  To make it easy, we’ll start with sections that require as little practice for the congregational responses as possible: simple replies like “Amen” and “And with thy spirit.”  Then, when we’re ready, we’ll move into the slightly more difficult material.  If you would like to get more practice, then please come to the Wednesday Mass at Noon!  You can hear most of the chant in this service to get more accustomed to hearing it and singing it yourself.  As always, I will do my best to help you, relating my own study and experience from the Cathedral as best I can.  And, if you have any other questions about why we will be using more chant and where we get it from, I’ll be happy to answer any and all inquiries.  My goal is to make the worship here at Holy Trinity as pleasing to our Lord and illuminating for you as possible, and I am so pleased that you can all be a part of this new effort.

God bless you all!