I’ve been Lutheran for 17 years now, but the reverent silence before worship is one thing of the few things I do miss from my Anglican past. I think pastors would do well to address this, and will need a bit of Solomon’s wisdom to do it well.

The lack of reverence prior to the beginning of Divine Service may well be attributed to modern church architecture, particulary the lack of a clear definition between narthex and sanctuary. I’ve noticed in churches which maintain a “cathedral” style (i.e. Kramer Chapel at CTSFW, Redeemer in Ft. Wayne, Zion in Detroit) parishoners are noticably different upon entering the sanctuary allowing for prayer and meditation prior to the start of service. In the modern structures which lack this clear division, the distinction is lacking as to where greetings (and fellowship apart from worship) should be conducted apart from entry in the house of the Lord. I would be interested in a discussion of how our structure influences our worship (if such exists.)
Peace,
Dennis

I would also extend this to the time spent sitting in the pews during the distribution of the Sacrament. That’s probably not the time to turn around backwards to your neighbor in the pew behind you to discuss lunch plans.

I’m sure it’s small comfort for you to know that we experience the same unhappy “phenomenon” in ELCA congregations! The “roar” is like that within a Jewish temple. Each week in our bulletin the italicized words “Please use this time for quiet reflection” appear under those identifying the prelude and composer. It’s often to little avail.

I recall our pastor’s having told us kids in catechism class many years ago that “Fellowship hour begins after, and not before, The Service. Behave accordingly.” And, we did!

Even on such a simple concept as decorum in the nave during the prelude, it all begins with catechisis! If the faithful are not “catechized” on this subject, the “dull roar” will continue to precede the Trintarian Greeting (or Introit.)

This is most certainly true. I have taken to addressing ti from time to time. People tend to tone it down for a while and then it sounds like a party before Service again. So…I remind them again…and then again. It is an ongoing process!

In the old days, the ushers would move through the fellowship hall and narthex to round these people up so we could start the service. People understood the function of time and place.

While architecture is important, education is even more so – both my present congregation and the congregation I grew up in have distinct separations between the sancuary and the narthex; in my congregation, a reverent quiet is maintained, but in my ‘home’ congregation it’s more like happy hour. In fact, it’s somewhat difficult for the pastor to get everyone bck in their seats to start the service.
In my congregation, the ushers have been instructed to keep the doors from the narthex to the sanctuary closed (opening them for people to come in) in order to maintain quiet. I know this is appreciated by the members in the congregation.

May I push back a bit?

Is reverence exclusively defined by silence?

I too have enjoyed times when I can spend some quiet time before worship. But is it not possible that, when the family of God gathers to receive His gifts and to respond in thanksgiving, it can be a joyful family gathering? I understand and desire appropriate behaviour in worship; is non-silence always irreverent? I have never been convinced that reverence equals silence exclusively; I am less so especially now that I am a parent of three very young children. To be sure, there are times and places to be quiet before, during, and after worship (and to be sure, I teach my children that too). As one example, on Good Friday I think it would be most irreverent to walk out at the end of Divine Service laughing and celebrating. On Easter Sunday? Not so much. Could it actually be irreverent to be silent on that day?

I don’t mean to suggest that one should never be silent, or that all non-silence is always reverent. I just want to make the case that it is not always irreverent to not be silent. Instead of comparisons to a theater, could we not perhaps more accurately describe it as a family gathering? Instead of trying to train people to *always* be silent, could we not instead try to train people to be respectful – to notice the situation (both in terms of the church year and the theme of the Sunday, but also in terms of the space – to be aware if there are people who are in a time of silence and prayer and to give them the time and space they desire) and respect that? I would posit that reverence actually does mean “respectful”, not “silent”, and that it is possible to be reverent without being silent, even though there are certainly times where that silence is an important part of being reverent.

Part of this may be do to the collapse of community in society. People don’t experience it in their daily lives. Those conversations at church may be the closes they come to experience community.

The doors from our narthex to the sanctuary were removed (in fact the whole wall was removed) during a remodel in 1982. The narthex is quite large, and many people hang around in there tiil time for worship. People in the sanctuary talk as well (and not softly). Personally, I wish it were JUST the organ I was hearing. I really miss the quiet from my childhood.

We instituted a minute of silence once I enter the sanctuary and immediately after the opening prayer. I announced that it was time to prepare for worship and the Lord’s coming to give us his gifts. It has helped some, as people do go in early and the talk is somewhat muted. Since we are a small congregation, we have opted to not sing during communion, but the organist will often play something softly. But not the whole time, so there is silence there as well. I am in wholehearted agreement that there needs to be moments of silence.

This is a great post and an important topic. My wife and I are trying to teach our 3-year-old daughter habits of silence and reverence in church. We sit near the front because she can see and hear more of the worship and because, frankly, we all enjoy it more up front. Our daughter does remarkably well, but has good days and bad days. Most all of our congregational brothers and sisters are remarkably tolerant of her occasional outburst.

However, there is a family (all adults) who likes to sit behind us and flirt and play with her the whole service and distract her from worship. They are nice people and have good intentions but don’t they realize that they are distracting our daughter and themselves from worship? They also blab throughout the distribution, as we are attempting silent prayer, reflection and hymn singing. If we move to avoid them, they will situate themselves behind us anyway.

I’m a nice guy, and I think there is no polite way to tell these people to shut up. Therefore, I might have to just say it. If their feelings are hurt (I guarantee they will be) that is their problem. Divine worship is too important to let it be ruined by the rude and mindless.

I think an unknown author in the 4th century has already addressed this topic very well:

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!

“Behind me I heard an ever growing level of chatter and conversation, some of which I could hear. It was not conversation about the worship service about to begin, but chatter about a whole host of wholly irrelevant things.” What you address, Paul, is a routine long in the making. It can’t just be chalked up to architecture and so forth. It has been a steady decline in our “code of conduct” in a socio-cultural context. I had asked that an old sign that had been hidden away be placed in the narthex a few years back. The sign addresses the issue of reverence. Its brief statement is ignored if it is read at all. You mentioned hearing “irrelevant things.” I have heard more than the irrelevant over time to include the most embarrassing of jokes that had no place in the sanctuary or outside of the church. I have sat praying prior to worship to have people come up to the pew and loudly call to others in the pew to have a conversation over my head about jogging, business matters, lunch dates, etc. We also have immature adults who behave like undisciplined children in front of their children setting a marvelous example for them (tongue-in-cheek). I am waiting to see these adults use the provided coloring paper as well. It is difficult to imagine that even public schools once taught basic etiquette and behavior as part of one’s eduction, i.e., walk on the right of the stairs, don’t block passage ways, courtesy to others, etc., etc. Whether it be in the narthex or the sanctuary today one sees mostly discourtesy and lack of concern for others be it before, during, or after worship.

“It is a shame that a long practice in the church of reverent silence before the Divine Service begins has fallen so far out of use. Frankly, in many congregations, the time before the service begins sounds more like what you experience before a live show begins in a theater, conversation and so forth.” It is not just a question of noisy babble, but the fact that many do not understand the concept of reverence and that they should be praying, examining themselves, etc. in order to receive Gottesdienst, what God gives to us, not what we do. A visiting preacher gave a content worthy sermon, but I heard an individual tell said preacher that they wished he could give the sermon every Sunday. That would not have been so bad if their reasoning was based upon sermon content. But, based upon what I heard said it would seem that it was based upon “entertainment value” as coincidentally the preacher was a good public speaker. I was mulling over content while the person who made the comment did not seem to really recall what was said not many minutes before. That begs the question as to the rationale for attending worship — to received God’s gifts or for just social value. “Passing the Peas” has gotten out of hand. The “church bulletin” has gone from something you read to see who needed prayers, congregational events / business to a “worship folder” where you hear a thousand pages being flipped which detracts from concentration on hearing God’s Word. The LSB sits in the pew rack (when used you sometimes find where someone has taken the time to pencil out non-gender neutral language and pencil in words they preferred) with its bounty being ignored.

Our cultural decline has become a powerful force within our congregations instead of our congregations being a positive force in society and reminding us about “Gottesdienst.”

Too many issues and so little time to address them. As long as we require immediate gratification and constant social contact instead of time spent with God, I find it hard to imagine a better situation. We have gone from “Lessons” to “Readings” if that is any hint as to how we do ourselves in in that and other ways.

Just a few words to consider and to think about how we might need to evaluate our behaviors before man and especially before our God.

This is a pet peeve of mine.

I’ve long wondered why folks must enter the nave and continue their conversations begun in the narthex.

We celebrate the Lord’s Supper on all but the 5th Sundays of the month. Fortunately, folks in our congregation enter the nave preparing for the Divine Service. I use this time to read The Sacrament of the Altar in Luther’s Small Catechism beginning on page 326 in LSB. I know that others do the same.

I must admit that our congregation is made up of mostly older folks, though we do have a fine core of young folks.

Maybe congregations have ended up with this disrespect for the Lord’s House because the ‘nave’ also now serves as a gymnasium or auditorium or fellowship hall. The only things missing in the ‘nave’ of some congregations are restrooms.

How can one expect respect for the Lord’s House when we want to appeal to the unbelievers in the community by having our pastors in jeans and acting out of total disrespect of their call to feed the sheep and lambs of their flock?

Shepherds, teach your flocks proper respect for presence in the House of the Lord!

I, personally will not be a member of a congregation where the shepherd will allow such disrespect. I learned this attitude from the pastor who confirmed me waaaaaay back in 1956. I shall be forever grateful to him, Rev. Leonard C. Thaemert, and would encourage every shepherd to emulate him.