The Rhythm of Life

Liturgy is a very churchy word. To many liturgy, or liturgical practices, are a very specific set of prayers, and words said every Sunday over and over. In this context, liturgy is either dearly beloved or apathetically repeated.

Liturgy is however so much more than a set of practices or a few pages in a hymnal. It brings together a tapestry of meaning from across the whole story of Scripture. It voices patterns and rhythms that flow from God and His grace into every corner of our lives. Liturgy does not happen only on Sundays. It is the heartbeat of every Christian life.

Liturgy comes out of the Greek language and means “work for the people.” It describes the intricate interweaving of God and His good gifts being worked out for us by Jesus. While also describing the work of God’s people in mission.

The very first set of liturgical patterns comes to use out of the opening pages of Scripture. God creates a world that blooms and grows to a rhythm. Morning and evening come and go. God works for six days and then rests. A living vibrant world dancing to the beat of the Father’s heart. These foundational patterns are meant to define our lives. They take the chaos of our days and give us purpose.

Yet humans did not abide within the created rhythms. After taking hold of the fruit, we hear the beauty of God’s liturgy as it slips away. In the cool of the day, what should have been a time of connection and communion is lost because of sin’s rupture. And so humans are forced to live in a world screaming with our own greed and pride. Voices so loud that the heartbeat of the Father seems to all but fade away from Human awareness.

Even so, as the Scripture unfolds the story of God’s people, the created liturgical patterns begin to regrow. We see Israelites gathered around a Tabernacle on the day God set aside for rest. In the Psalms, we join King David praying in the morning and evening. The patterns of liturgy begin to come into clearer and clearer focus as we read the stories of faithful people.

Until finally - we meet Jesus. He lives a perfect liturgical life. He rests and works. He prays quietly and speaks to crowds. He cares for the oppressed and challenges the self-righteous. He lives, breathes, and eats. Every moment perfectly in harmony with the patterns of God.

Then Jesus leaves. He ascends into heaven, but leaves His church on earth. He calls His disciples to live lives after the pattern. The pattern He spoke into existence at the dawn of time, and restored through His death and resurrection. A liturgy that beats in step with the Father’s heart.

As we seek to live lives shaped by the liturgy of Scripture, we enter into these patterns. We gather on the day of rest as a community. We pray and care. We eat together and cry together. All seeking to dance with the rhythm of Jesus’ heart. As you enter into worship, or get out of bed. Keep an eye peeled for the liturgies of God. His patterns have shaped the very fabric of the universe. A liturgy that calls us into a reality not yet fully realized. The return to Eden. The coming of Heaven on earth. The day we see Him face to face. Liturgy is a window through which we catch glimpses of eternity.

May His liturgy grab your heart and imagination. May it call you into new life each and every morning.

“He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens. Man goes out to his work and to his labor until the evening.”

Psalm 104:19-13

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Patterns of Liturgy-The Rhythm of Life

The Rhythm of Life

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