Why We Kneel

Dear Friends,

There’s an old saying about Episcopal/Anglican posture in worship: “Stand to praise, kneel to pray, sit to learn.” Our actual practice is a bit more nuanced than this, but it’s long been used as a helpful mnemonic device to teach people the traditional logic behind why we stand, kneel, and sit in church. 

This phrase has been floating through my head the past week as the kneelers throughout the church have been re-padded and graced with new fabric. The blue color was chosen to complement the blues of our dramatic Te Deum window, and the subtle scallop shell picks up the theme found throughout the church. Both details nod to our “by-the-sea” theme.

So, thanks to a generous parishioner who saw a need and envisioned a solution, we have upgraded the “kneeling experience” at Bethesda, for the first time in about 50 years. It was time.

While I was joking with someone about looking forward to a “kinder, gentler Lent,” praying during even the most penitential seasons of the church year should still be a joyful, rather than miserable experience. When the Psalmist prays, “I am a worm and no man” (Psalm 22:6), he is still in relationship with God. 

And that’s what praying is, that’s what kneeling facilitates. When we kneel, we aren’t groveling before an angry God, we are seeking mercy from a loving God. We invite God to “renew a right spirit within us” (Psalm 51:10), so that we may stand firmly in our faith, before going out into the world to love and serve the Lord.

Whether you’re here on Sunday morning, at our Wednesday service, or stop by during the week for a quiet moment with God, let’s collectively plan to wear out these new kneelers with fervent prayer over the next 50 years.

Peace,

Tim+