The Task Force on Traditional Worship made a presentation to our 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM congregations yesterday, Sunday August 24. As they made their presentation I was struck by how much I am a grieving the loss of an early morning worshiping opportunity here.

I have always been a morning person. By 8:00 AM I have usually been up for at least three hours. If I wake up at 5:30 I feel like I have overslept.

These early morning hours are important to me. I experience the world waking up. Here in Virginia, the sunrise is often accompanied by dramatic cloud formations that light up with early morning color. It reminds me of how small I am. I realize the world will turn without me. The stillness of the morning reminds me how loud the world sometimes gets with its unending anxiety.

I have always been an early morning worshiper. When away from my Rector responsibilities, I prefer to find an early morning liturgy. My soul responds readily in quiet, subdued environments. Two years ago when the first Task Force recommended music at the 8:00 AM service, I endorsed their recommendation, setting my preferences aside.

In response to the current recommendation I find myself setting aside my own preference once more. The Task Force worked hard in their deliberations. I cannot argue with their conclusions. Our worship space does not support intimate, quiet traditional liturgy with just a handful of people gathered for prayer. We need about 200 people in the room for the space to feel hospitable and warm.

We reach that threshold regularly at the 9:15 AM service. We reach it infrequently at the 10:45 AM liturgy. Combining the 8:00 AM and the 10:45 AM liturgies is the right thing to do.

Although I will miss worship earlier in the morning, my preference in worship time does not take precedence over my support of our covenant community.

I suspect we have two types of worshipers on Sunday morning with us at 8:00 AM.

One type is the person who values early morning worship, and finds this parish a convenient place to practice his or her personal piety. The other type is a the person who is committed to support the people of this parish.

Obviously with the change recommended by the Task Force on Traditional Worship, we will say good-bye to those who find our parish a convenient place to practice their personal piety. I, personally, will be sad to see them go. But I certainly understand their choice. (Autonomy is one of our Root Values after all.)

Those, like me, who prefer an early morning worship service, but are also committed to supporting the people of our parish, will grieve the need to develop a new habit, and will shift their worship practice to either the newly scheduled 9:00 AM or 10:45 AM.

As an early morning worshiper, I appreciate the sacrifice. I really, really do.