What I didn't know I didn't know.

I feel that this title is the best descriptor for what I expect to learn from seminary. I have been doing the readings for my classes that begin next week and already I have learned things that I had no idea I didn't know. I expect most of these revelations to come from my history classes, but this one came from a book I'm reading for my Christian Public Worship class. The book is called Foundations of Christian Worship. I came across a section entitled "The historical foundations of Christian worship". One part I found particularly interesting was about how knowing the history of worship helps to understand the present. Here is the section that was struck by:

"There have been many decisions taken about worship in the past that still impinge on today's worship, and many historical 'accidents' that have become enshrined in our contemporary common prayer and its environment. Sometimes later generations, having forgotten the original reason something was said or done, have offered quite a different interpretation. One example will suffice. Various explanations are generally given for the presence in most churches of a fence around the Communion Table (called either the 'alter rail' or, more properly, the 'Communion rail'). It is said that this barrier was originally designed to mark out a holy space around the Lord's Table, and to allow parishioners to kneel reverently while receiving the Communion bread and wine. But the original purpose goes back to the late Middle Ages, when churches functioned not only as places for worship, but also as public meeting places, centers for local commerce and social interaction. 

One significant problem, however, was the presence in churches of dogs, who found the gathering a profitable place to scavenge for food. Without suitable barriers, it was likely that the Communion bread would become dog food, and fences with closely set upright posts were put in place in response. Gradually, the problem of canine infestation declined, but the fences remained. As the memory of their original purpose faded, successive generations of worshipers sought more pious explanations for the presence of Communion rails, and those explanations have largely survived to the present day. To suggest that an important feature of our contemporary church architecture is the result of unwelcome invasions of medieval dogs may be distressing to some. But without a knowledge of history we are likely to continue perpetrating sentimental and inaccurate information. Everything that happens in Christian worship has a history, and to learn that history not only equips us for intelligent participation, but also connects us with the faith of our Christian forbears."

I found this to be absolutely fascinating. Some things lose their meaning when you know the whole history, and some gain meaning and significance. For example, when you know how a magician performs an illusion, the trick looses its ability to entertain and mystify the audience. However, I don't think that's what this story has done for me. For me it makes it all more real and genuine. I am very fickle about tradition. I went to Texas A&M University, and so tradition runs deep in my heart and there are some things that you just don't make fun of around me because they are so incredibly important. Muster is one of these things. However, there are also several traditions that A&M has that I don't particularly care for. The yell "Kyle Field" is one of these. If you're not an Aggie, don't worry about it, but if you are, please tell someone that bringing back this yell was a bad idea, and there's a reason we stopped using it.

In the church there are an incredible amount of traditions. I have worked in many churches and over the years I have fought both for and against certain traditions. One of the things that can frustrate me is when I ask why something is being done and the response is, "because that's how we've always done it". That may be true, but if there is no meaning beyond that, then can we accept that there may exist a better way? For other traditions there is immense meaning. These are some of the traditions that I love to fight for. Ones that are right, just and designed to bring people closer to God. I love that we have alter rails because hundreds of years ago, we needed a way to keep dogs away from the bread. To anyone who has ever planed a worship service, this resonates. I have made more changes and additions to worship for logistical concerns than for anything else. For example, don't put candles too low and close to the Communion elements, or the pastor's robe is likely to catch on fire. This happened last month in the church I used to work at. Why they make pastoral robes so flammable is beyond my understanding.

While I love this history, it is also a reason why I'm not afraid to remove alter rails from a worship space if they serve no other purpose than the fact that we've always had alter rails. I love to kneel and pray at the alter, but that's not always a part of every worship service. To build a new sanctuary and construct alter rails and pulpits that cannot be moved or removed is a mistake because it limits your ability to diversify worship to meet the needs of a specific congregation at a specific time.

I love alter rails, but I'm also not afraid to have a worship service without them. At the end of the day, they're dog fences. I pray that you explore the history of things that matter to you. How was your church started? How was your denomination started? How was the Bible put together? It doesn't have to end at religious affairs either, but it has to start somewhere. Don't settle for "I don't know" and don't let our society make you ignorant. At least get a wiki-understanding of things. It's not the best resource but it's a fair start.

You never know what you don't know.