Suppose for a moment that on some not so distant future day, we worshipped with our smart phones on. I don’t mean the way some people do it already, waiting for a message from outside, but with intention, as part of the liturgy. (Yes, I know this is already happening in some of the hipper churches, where the preacher sends out tweets during the sermon.) Instead of saying the common, traditional liturgical responses, like the Sursum Corda or the Anamnesis in the Eucharist or the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostle’s Creed, the liturgist and the people send text messages and tweets back and forth. What would some the short forms be? How might the teachings and prayers of the Church be summarized in 140 characters?

Here are some suggestions:

LBWU—The Lord be with you.

AWU—And also with you.

LUYH—Lift up your hearts.

WLTL—We lift them to the Lord.

XP—Jesus Christ.

XDXRXX—Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

YHWH—Yahweh.

Lord’s Prayer tweet (based on Luke’s version):

Holy Father, your kingdom come. Give us today the bread we need. Forgive our sins as we forgive. Do not bring us to the time of trial. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed tweet:

I believe in the Creator and in Jesus his Son, born, judged, dead, risen, coming. And in the Holy Spirit, gathering, forgiving, giving life.

Silly? Maybe. But I’ve heard people complain or simply state that the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed have become rote, that we don’t really listen to the words. Maybe an exercise like this, reducing them and other sacred texts to their essence, is worthwhile, to help us consider exactly what they’re saying.

At least, IMHO.*

© 2010 Tom Cheatham

*In my humble opinion.