Call and Response

Call and response, where the congregation verbally responds to the preacher with ‘amens’, ‘preach it’, ‘that’s right’, clapping, laughter, whoops and shouts and spontaneous singing, responses  mostly from the charismatic traditions, contains lots of repetition, because it is a rhythmic thing – it is more a dance than a speech or even a song – and in dance, steps are repeated – there is beauty in the repetition, in the pattern –
      And so it is with worship –
           So it is . . .
      That every Sunday we sing the same hymns . . .
      Say the same prayers . . .
      Listen to the same message . . .
      Repeat the same words . . .
      Fold hands and bow heads in the same ways . . .
      See the same faces . . .
      Stand in the same places . . .
And so it is that every Sunday, we enact the Word of God, waiting to be surprised. . . and often we may not even know what we’re waiting for or even that we are waiting . . .