This last Sunday was Communion Sunday at FBC Warren.  Probably due to my study under Bob Webber, I tend to use a form of prayer during communion that resembles the liturgical Eucharistic Prayers.  It’s always ad-lib, but there are common elements. 

One of those elements is that of the Sanctus.  The Sanctus is the liturgical spot where, as the Book of Common Prayer so elegantly puts it, we say, “joining our voices with all the angels and archangels, and all the company of Heaven, who forever sing this hymn to the glory of Your name,”

Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty
Heaven and Earth are full of your Glory
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest.

I will often say (in less formal language) the gist of this during my prayer leading in to communion.  This, to me, is part of the common (communing) nature of the event: we are in communion (joined with) Christ, and we are also in unity with all those who call on the Name of the Lord - including all angels, etc., and all other followers of Jesus Christ throughout time and place, both in this age and the age to come. 

This Sunday, for the part of the Sanctus, I was led (on the spot, I may add) to sing the chorus from ”How Great is Our God” by Chris Tomlin, which has become a song we use to celebrate during worship.  And the congregation joined in. 

“How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God, and all will see how great, how great is our God.”

It was quite moving.  Essentially, we all participated in the act of Sanctus, and therefore the act of Communion with Christ and the Body of Christ globally throughout time, through singing, rather than merely calling it to mind by reference. 

In this way, we have experienced Worship Convergence through communion: convergence of our experience in our local congregation with all the Saints who have gone before, those living now throughout the world, and those who will come after.  And with that, we live in the life of the Kingdom in greater measure. 

And that’s why we do it (worship, that is) in the first place: to live in a greater measure of the life of the Kingdom.

Amen.