Date: September 16, 2026
In February 2024, I had the privilege of attending the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation in Seoul, South Korea. Liturgical scholars from across the Anglican Communion gathered at the Cathedral Church of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Nicholas for scholarship, conversation, fellowship, and worship.
I remember the worship especially fondly. Familiar Anglican liturgies sounded and felt different as communities from across the Communion expressed them. One feature in particular stood out to me: the Lord’s Prayer.
The worship services were officiated in a primary language, with the congregation following along mostly in English. But at the Lord’s Prayer, everyone was invited to pray in the language of their heart. Suddenly, no one language dominated. Korean, English, Japanese, Portuguese, Taiwanese, Swahili, and others sounded together. It produced what I can only describe as a Holy Rumble.
It gave me a small glimpse of Pentecost—a community united not by a single language, but amid many languages.
Here at Immanuel Chapel, I encourage our presiders to add “in the language of your heart” to the bidding for the Lord’s Prayer. Some people whom I respect greatly disagree with this practice. They value the Lord’s Prayer as one of the places in the liturgy where the congregation literally speaks with one voice—a sonic expression of our unity in Christ. We respond to our Lord’s command to “Pray then like this…” I appreciate the theological and pastoral insight in that position. But I disagree.
Here at Immanuel Chapel, we are a community well formed in the liturgical practices of The Episcopal Church, particularly as expressed in English. We are also privileged to welcome students and faculty from many language and cultural groups around the globe. I wonder, though, whether speaking with one voice necessarily means speaking in one language. Our unity is found in the prayer Christ has given us, not in the language in which we speak it.
The invitation to pray “in the language of your heart” opens a space for members of our community to pray the prayer Jesus taught us in the language that reaches most deeply into their hearts.
I dream of a day when the many languages and cultures already present among us—and still more that we hope will join us—continue to grow until our worship truly becomes a Holy Rumble!
The Rev. Shawn Strout, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Chapel Associate Professor of Worship