What's up with the arm waving? (It's actually sign language)

The Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

I've been at Canterbury just shy of one month now, and some of you must be wondering: "What's up with all the arm waving?"  It started at the altar...now it's beginning to spread...

The arm waving at the altar isn't just arm waving; it's sign language!  You see, prayer is something we do with our whole selves: body, mind, and spirit.  One way we can deepen our prayer is to be intentional about how we use our bodies when we pray.  Jesus, the Incarnation of God in human flesh, reminds us that bodies matter.  Intentionally and actively using our bodies in worship prepares us to intentionally and actively practice our faith in the world.  We already use different body postures (kneeling, bowing, standing), gestures, and movements to express our prayers in the liturgy. Incorporating American Sign Language (ASL)  into our prayers is just another way to experience more deeply the incarnational and sacramental dimensions of our Christian faith.   What's more,  incorporating ASL into our prayers may help visual and kinesthetic learners, pre-literate and pre-verbal children, and people who are hard of hearing participate more fully in the liturgy.

This week as you pray, at home or in worship, I invite you to pay attention to what is happening with your body.  Is there a way you can use your body to deepen your prayer?

You might also begin learning a sign language interpretation of one of three prayers we regularly pray in worship at Canterbury:
The Sanctus (before communion)
The Lord's Prayer
The Gloria (at the opening of the 8:00 service)

Interested in further exploration?  Visit my Sing & Sign Prayers page to learn more sign language interpretations of prayers, songs, and scripture passages that you can incorporate into your prayer practice.

Enjoy!!

PS Heads up!  For each Sunday of  Advent, I'll be inviting members of Canterbury to sign our opening prayer--one of seven traditional "O Antiphons".   Email me if you'd be interested in learning and leading an advent prayer in sign language.  I'll give you plenty of time to practice.  Children and youth, as well as adults, are encouraged to volunteer as leaders!       

Flowers everywhere! Check out our facebook page for the great photos.

Posted by St. Thomas of Canterbury on Sunday, July 19, 2015

What's up with the Silence?

-The Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

Sometimes we listen for God in scriptures, and stories, and songs.  Sometimes we listen for God in the Silence.  The Silence is less about the absence of sound, and more about a quality of attention.  When we enter the Silence, we listen for God not only with our ears, but with our whole bodies, and our hearts.
 
There is silence in every liturgy.  The silence we're observing in our liturgy at Canterbury might seem familiar to you, or it might seem new.  During this season, we are observing two periods of intentional silence during the liturgy: a period of silence immediately following the sermon, and another period of silence immediately before the confession.   We mark the silence with bells.  The deep sound of the ringing bowl bell serves as an invitation to enter the silence.  The bright sound of the hand chimes marks the end of the silence.

Some people find it easy to enter the Silence.  Some people find it difficult to enter the Silence.  The Silence can sometimes make us feel anxious, or restless, or bored, but with practice the Silence can become a place where we find peace, and love, and strength.  When we enter the Silence, we remember that God is within us and around us.  Entering the Silence is a gift we can offer to ourselves and to the people around us. 

Click here for more resources on Silence, including books, articles, and short videos introducing a variety of prayer practices that can help people of all ages "Enter the Silence."  

What's up with the Chanting?

-The Rev. Sylvia Miller-Mutia

It's only my second week at Canterbury, and you're probably already wondering "what's UP with that?"  What's up with the ribbons?  What's up with the bells?  What's up with the waving arms?  What's up with all this singing? 

Bear with me...there really is a method to my madness!   And there is usually a robust theology behind my liturgical choices.  Over time, I'll do my level best to engage our entire congregation in thoughtful reflection about our shared liturgical theology and practice.   In the meantime...I hope you'll bear with me!   Give some new things a shot.  Notice your own experience as you try new things, and notice the experience of the people around you.  Pay special attention to the strangers, newcomers, and children in our midst.  Be gentle with yourselves, with one another, and with me!  Be open to whatever surprises the Holy Spirit might have in store for us!  

This week I want to take an opportunity to consider the very good question, "What's up with all the chanting?"  

There's a saying, "He who sings, prays twice."  You'll notice that I sing (or chant) a lot in the liturgy, and I invite you to do the same.    I do like singing, but that's not the actually the point.  (It is interesting to notice what we like and don't like, but it's not a particular solid foundation on which to base our communal liturgical practice.) Rather, I sing and invite you to join me because I believe that singing and chanting in the liturgy is essential. Among other things, singing and chanting in the liturgy is:

• Historical--From the earliest times, Christian liturgy (and the Jewish liturgy before it) has been sung.  A spoken liturgy is a modern innovation. Sometimes, it is a very useful innovation.  There are occasions when a spoken liturgy makes excellent practical and pastoral sense.  However, as a general  principle I assume that liturgical singing is the norm-- especially when it comes to psalms and canticles (which are, by definition, songs)--and liturgical speaking is the exception.
• Holistic--Sung text invites us to engage our breath, bodies, and brains differently then spoken text does.  Singing text requires us to engage our breath--and by extension our bodies--with more intention.  Hearing sung text engages our affective and imaginative faculties along with our analytical and discursive ones.   
• Communal--Notice how you can hear and feel the vibrations of the people around you when we're singing together.
• Formational- Music sticks with us in a way that nothing else does!   Even very young children can hum or sing along with the music during the Sunday liturgy (and subsequently throughout the week!)   When we sing scripture, it lodges itself in our brains and bodies in wonderful, mysterious, and enduring ways.   The songs of our childhood come back to us in an instant.  Elders with significant memory loss can often recall and participate fully in singing songs from their youth, even when most other language has become inaccessible to them.   

I could go on and on, but I won't.  Instead, I invite you to spend some time this week SINGING!  If you want to learn more (or begin practicing chanting at home) I encourage you to visit the "Chant" page I created at http://sgnsource.weebly.com/chant.html 

The "Chant" page is a great resource, with basic instructions and audio files, if you're new to chanting, or (like me) you want to chant, but you can't really read music. 

Have a great week!  I look forward to singing with you soon!  sylvia+

Highlights of Sunday's 4th of July service and Sylvia's first Sunday.

Wonderful Independence Day Service

We had a wonderful  service today on the 5th of July.  A service full of music, laughter, introductions, and joy.  And food.  Lots of yummy hamburgers and hot dogs!
This was also the Reverend Sylvia Miller-Mutia’s first Sunday at Canterbury. We were all so pleased to join with her in celebrating this special service.  She will bring new life and joy into Canterbury, and we welcome her to our family. Her and her family are a fabulous addition.

Presiding Bishop-Elect

 The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop-Elect

“Now I’ve got one word for you,” the Rt. Rev. Michael Curry of North Carolina, Presiding Bishop-Elect, told the 78th General Convention of The Episcopal Church in his sermon on July 3. “If you don’t remember anything else I say this morning, it’s the first word in the Great Commission: GO!”



Read more of his sermon or watch the video below at the link.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/78th-general-convention-episcopal-church-july-3-sermon-rt-rev-michael-curry

Morning Prayer

Join us for Morning Prayer Monday-Thursday at 8:15AM. Come start your day with a peaceful 20 minute service including chant, scripture, and prayer.

Not a morning person? No problem! Join our rector the Reverend Sylvia Miller-Mutia in praying a slightly abbreviated (10 minute) form of the service online-- anywhere, anytime during the week!

Just click on this youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzQOfL3wh04