Roots & Wings: Intergenerational Formation Collaborative (R&W) is a grant focused on empowering congregations to practice vibrant intergenerational liturgy, especially in Episcopal contexts. Our grant team defines intergenerational liturgy as liturgy that seeks to intentionally engage and equally value the gifts and needs of two or more generations (or every generation present). You can read more in our article “What Is Intergenerational Worship?” This article series, “Roots & Wings FAQ,” offers responses to frequently asked questions about intergenerational liturgy.

“Indeed, The Body Consists of Many Members”

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. . . The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.
~1 Corinthians 12:14, 21–25 (NRSVA)

Whether eight members of the body of Christ gather for worship at 8:00am on a Wednesday morning, or 400 members of the body gather at 10:30am on a Sunday morning, the assembly will contain a variety of gifts and a variety of needs. This diversity is a gift from God. It is a feature, not “a bug,” as 1 Corinthians 12 explains.

Diversity Can Lead to Competing Needs

Sometimes, or maybe often, our diversity leads to competing needs and desires during corporate worship. Some competing needs are age-related. The preschooler rustling paper while coloring that prevents the nearby older adult from hearing well. Or the movement of a toddler that distracts the teenager sitting next to the aisle.

But there is plenty of diversity within generations, and many competing needs during the liturgy are not age-related at all. For example, the length of silence that feels just right to one middle-aged adult will be too long for another.

Our physical needs during worship are not the same—and sometimes compete. Our musical preferences are not the same—and sometimes compete. Our views of reverence are not the same—and sometimes compete. It is not always easy to be in community, even in the body of Christ.

Addressing Competing Needs in Liturgy

The goal should not be to eliminate competing needs. That would be both impossible and undesirable. After all, competing needs are a byproduct of diversity, and diversity is a gift from God. Neither should we attempt to be all things to all people at all times. That would also be impossible. So how to we adress the inevitable competing needs that arise around liturgy?

There is no “silver bullet,” but here are three practices to consider:

Acknowledgment

A grounded, non-anxious leader can remind the congregation that being part of the body of Christ is challenging. Our needs will be in tension with other members of the worshipping community at some point. Rather than a problem, this is an expected part of doing church together. Acknowledging the challenges while reminding the community that diversity is a gift can set a tone that defuses aggravation rather than allowing it to fester.

Balance and Rotation

It is exceedingly difficult for a single sermon, piece of music, or liturgy to meet the needs and preferences of the whole community. But, over time, we can take turns experiencing liturgical elements that help us join the ongoing, communal work of glorifying God and practicing being the body of Christ. For example, some people love incense and other people cannot be in worship when incense is used due to allergies. One way to address these competing needs is to use incense occasionally over the course of the year with clear communication ahead of time about when it will be offered. We can offer a variety of liturgical elements that help various members of the worshiping community glorify God over the course of time.

Flexibility

In our personal prayer practices, we are able to worship (anything that glorifies God) in ways that feel just right to us. Liturgy (public, communal ritual worship directed toward the sacred) requires flexibility. There is space for individuality: we bring our unique gifts to the worshiping community, we decide where we sit and what gestures we use, and we don’t leave our individual needs at the door. But in liturgy, each person’s personal piety cannot be the priority. In liturgy, we make space for one another. We compromise in the sense that we move toward each other in a posture of grace. We all give a little, compromise a little, so that there is enough room for everyone around the table.

The key here is that everyone is invited to be flexible. We don’t ask one group of people to do all the compromising. For example, the desire of adults to hear well during the entire service is often at odds with the desire of children to speak at their normal volume and move at their normal speed. Moving toward each other might look like adults accepting that having children present in worship means that they will not hear every word while children are asked to whisper and move more slowly during worship (in ways that match their development). People of all ages are asked to accommodate others for the sake of praising God together.

Conclusion

God delights in variation. Consider how many species of flowers God created. Or how each fingerprint and each snowflake is unique. A single liturgy might be able to perfectly meet the needs of a homogeneous assembly, but that assembely does not exist this side of heaven. Instead, we gather together as the body of Christ: a body that consists of many members of many ages, gift-ings, and abilities. And in this body we are called to care for one another, make space for one another, and honor one another in spite of competing needs. This is challenging work, but also holy work that we are assured will bear much good fruit.

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