As if on cue, I found this article on the matter. Writing from a Catholic perspective provides a unique viewpoint. I have been in enough Catholic churches over the years to know the image of folks returning to their seats after communing, and kneeling in prayer, and remaining knelt in prayer for the concluding words of worship and remaining knelt in prayer through the organ postlude. I wonder if kneeling were part of our tradition if we might find more people remaining for the conclusion of worship. For a few, no doubt, once they got down in a kneeling position, getting back up would take most of the time that is the length of the average postlude!
Catholic theology has a keen awareness of the sacred nature of the assembled body, the congregation. The theology is honed to such a degree that when part of the body leaves before it is time, the implication is that the rest of the body is injured. We Presbyterians would do well to re-examine our understanding of ourselves as a gathered community and the change in our nature which takes place as we become the body of Christ gathered for worship. (Gordon Lathrop's book, Holy People goes a giant step in helping Protestants discover this theological truth.) It's heady stuff but it could lead to a development of an understanding of what happens even at the end of worship as we leave.
I'm all for fellowship and hospitality. But can it not wait just a few moments while Christ's body, the church, puts a little bit of closure on the worship experience? I will gladly commit to playing very, very short postludes in order to help us move in a direction that sees the postlude as part of the service (no applause needed, please), and that sees these last few moments as the perfect time for a last few moments of prayer reflecting on the Word read and proclaimed or in preparation for the week ahead.
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