Hearts up! Where the Practice comes from
It's the first thing we say - and one of the first Christian acts of worship
The Sursum Corda: 2,000 Years of Christian Worship
The Sursum Corda (Latin for ‘Hearts up!’) is one of the oldest, most universal elements in Christian worship.
It dates back to at least the 3rd century and appears in virtually every Christian tradition: Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Methodist.
For 2,000 years, across cultures, languages, and theologies - this one thing remained constant.
The earliest written records of the church
The Apostolic Tradition (~215 AD) contains the full Eucharistic dialogue:
Priest: Lift up your hearts.
People: We have lifted them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is fitting and right.
Then the priest proceeds with the Eucharistic Prayer.
This structure has remained virtually unchanged for 1,800+ years.
What the early church understood
The Sursum Corda was understood as a spiritual necessity.
Before the community could offer thanksgiving and receive communion, they had to be spiritually prepared.
They had to lift their hearts.
The early Church Fathers understood that the Sursum Corda was effecting something real: the community’s consciousness was being lifted to join the heavenly worship happening around God’s throne.
This wasn’t metaphorical. This was mystical reality.
The Grammar: Sursum Corda
Latin Text (Verona): Sursum corda.
Greek Reconstruction: Ano skomen tas kardias (Ἀνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας) or Ano tas kardias.
Translation: “Lift up your hearts” or “Hearts aloft!”
The Latin Sursum corda is an adverbial phrase without a verb. Literally: “Upwards hearts!”
This brevity is characteristic of the “Roman genius”—sober, concise, and direct. The Greek reconstruction usually supplies a verb: Ano skomen (”Let us hold upwards”).
Theological Meaning: The “heart” (kardia) in biblical anthropology is not merely the seat of emotion but the center of the will, intellect, and moral decision. The command is a call to detach the entire person from earthly concerns and orient them toward the eschaton. It is an “attention call” signaling the shift from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
It’s pre-denominational
What’s remarkable: virtually every Christian tradition retained the Sursum Corda, even when they disagreed on everything else.
Catholic Church: Every Mass, every day
Orthodox Church: Every Divine Liturgy
Anglican/Episcopal: Book of Common Prayer and modern liturgies
Lutheran: Traditional liturgies
Methodist: Many traditions retain it
Reformed: Some Presbyterian churches include it
This is what unites all Christians.
When you say “Hearts up!” you’re not joining a denomination. You’re joining the Church - the living body of Christ across 2,000 years.
And you’re participating in a Practice that fits within your particular tradition.
Want to explore more?
Quick Start - Hearts Up! (How to practice)
Scripture Foundation - Hearts Up! (Biblical grounding)
Meet Your Trainers - Hearts Up! (Ancient coaches)
