Anglican Evensong

I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you. Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. - Psalm 141:1-2

One of the great things to experience here in London, in the heart of the Anglican faith, is Evensong. Almost every church offers it, but it is especially amazing to experience at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. Both churches have incredible male choirs complete with young boy choristers who are taught and trained in on-site schools. The hard work certainly pays off. As soon as they open their mouths, you realize what choirs of angels might actually sound like.

Not only am I raised in the Lutheran tradition, but I swear I learned how to read by following hymns and liturgies in the big, green Lutheran Book of Worship. Therefore, I learned my place in a service: respond in the bold type, sing every verse of a hymn, and even if you're not actively vocalizing you should at least follow along. This is not the case in Evensong. In fact, the point of the service seems almost to be complete exclusion of the congregation. There are scripture readings and a sermon, and there's usually at least one hymn that the congregation joins in on, but otherwise the service is performed almost completely by the choir. Sometimes, it almost feels like a concert and not a service.

However, this does not necessarily bother me. Sometimes, I need to simply sit back and allow myself to be filled. Instead of worrying if I've found the right page or am pronouncing words correctly of even if I'm supposed to be speaking at all, I can revel in the gorgeous surroundings and resonant music. It gives worshipers space to pray, meditate, and be inspired to start another week fresh. The inspiration may come from the choir, but the prayers are nonetheless my own.

Even if you don't have access to a historic Anglican worshiping community, you can allow yourself time and space to open up and put everything before God. Too often, our days fly by so quickly that instead of lifting our hands in prayer and sacrifice, we let our heads hit the pillow heavy with worries and frustrations. Perhaps we would all do better if we took a step back, found music or a devotional that inspired us without demanding too much for us, and created a space to allow the Spirit to ease our burdens.

God of mercy, come to us in the evening and grant us rest. We offer you all we have, and ask that you take from us our fears and our frustrations in return. We can give you only our love and devotion, and in return you give us your everlasting grace. Grant that we might be still in your presence and turn to you faithfully in prayer. In Christ's name, Amen.