What is Liturgy

🌿Sapling 😁Strongly-Agree 🟢Conviction

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Importance: 10%

The Big Idea

Liturgy is Latin for “the work of the people.” They are the wonderful way by which we get to practice our faith together as a community. They are an interesting meeting of embodied Biblical truth and human tradition.

Related Notes: Embodiment of Community Foundations of Discipleship Introduction to Thematic Liturgies Project Thoughts on Liturgy and Rhythm I Heard Them Singing

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What is Liturgy? (Incomplete)

Thesis: liturgy is an outward

The writers of the Book of Concord also outlined a number of valid purposes for observing liturgical traditions:

• Restraining the flesh.
• Disciplining nonliterate people.
• Good order of the Church community.
• Help people focus on the Holy things of God.
• Help instruct people about how to live and what to do when.

Many authors have used the world liturgy in many ways. a foundational use comes from the Lutheran confessions:

Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 24, p. 272-273

The word “liturgy” (leitourgia) in Greek means sacrifice, they say, and the Greek church calls the Mass the liturgy. Why do they omit here the old term “Communion,” which shows that the Mass was formerly the Communion of many? But let us speak about the term “liturgy.” This word does not properly mean a sacrifice but rather public service. Thus, it agrees quite well with our position, namely, that the one minister who consecrates gives the body and blood of the Lord to the rest of the people, just as a minister who preaches sets forth the gospel to the people, as Paul says |1 Cor 4:1], “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries,” that is, of the gospel and the sacraments. And 2 Corinthians 5:20, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God… .” Thus the term “liturgy” fits well with the ministry. It is an old word, ordinarily used in public in law. To the Greeks it meant “public responsibilities” like taxes collected for the equipping of a fleet or similar things. As Demosthenes oration Leptines shows, it is completely taken up with public responsibilities and exemptions: “He will say that some unworthy people have found an exemption to avoid public duties (leitourgia).” They also used it this way during Roman times, as the rescript of Pertinax, concerning the law of immunity, shows. “Even though the number of children does not excuse parents from all public duties (leitourgia) …” A commentary on Demosthenes states that “liturgy” is a kind of tax to pay for the expense of the games, the equipping of naval vessels, the care of the school, and similar public responsibilities. Paul uses the same word for the collection in 2 Corinthians 9:12. Taking of the collection not only supplied what the saints needed but also led them to give thanks to God more abundantly, etc. And in Philippians 2:25, he calls Epaphroditus a leitourgos, a “minister to my need,” where Paul certainly does not mean a sacrificer. But there is no need for more testimonies. Anyone who reads the Greek authors can find examples everywhere of how leitourgia meant public duties or services. Moreover, because of the diphthong, philologists do not derive it from the lite, which means prayers, but from leita, which means public goods; thus the verb leitourgeo means, “I attend to or I administer public goods.”

Book of Concord, Large Catechism, p. 428.

It seems to me that we shall have our hands full to keep these commandments, practicing gentleness, patience, love toward enemies, chastity, kindness, etc., and all that is involved in doing so. But such works are not important or impressive in the eyes of the world. They are not uncommon and showy, reserved to certain special times, places, rites, and ceremonies, but are common, everyday domestic duties of one neighbor to another, with nothing glamorous about them. Those other deeds captivate all eyes and ears. Aided by great splendor, expense, and magnificent buildings, they are so adorned that everything gleams and glitters. There is burning of incense, singing and ringing of bells, lighting of candles and tapers until for all of this nothing else can be seen or heard. For when a priest stands in a golden chasuble, or a layperson spends a whole day in the church on his or her knees, that is considered a precious work that cannot be sufficiently extolled. But when a poor servant girl takes care of a little child or faithfully does what she is told, this is regarded as nothing.¹

Interesting blog post on Walther’s perspective on vestments as well Walther on Vestments (Not his focus)

Dealing in Reality

The centrality of the Gospel, however, is no excuse to foster lazy unengaged believers.  Life is for more than sitting and waiting for the end.  It is also about caring for neighbors as Christ has cared for us.  Yet this deceptively simple purpose for life is fraught with difficulty.  Because of this, the current endeavor seeks to acknowledge and live in the dualities of Sinner-Saint and the-now-and-not-yet.  Real life deals in these dualities constantly.  Therefore, it is only right that our Sunday worship offers life rhythms and patterns that are useful for every day of the week.  Primary emphasis in this regard will be given to the equipping of believers in their vocations to creation, neighbor, and family. 

For this to be successful, these abstract concepts must reach our people.  The Israelites passed on the faith through deeply experiential festivals, rituals and sacrifices.  The Word became flesh to bring salvation.  God promises to be found in the physical means of grace.   Liturgy, in a very real sense, enfleshes the deep things of God for us today.  The shape of our life can be changed dramatically through the practices in which we engage.  In other words, the things we do show, and form within us, what we believe and value.  As such, we misuse these gifts of God when we truncate their expression to rational reasoning or rote meaningless ritual.  

Marriott Definition of doing the redeemed world right² Each of us have been habituated into particular patterns of church embodiment. Whether it’s the memory of a childhood pastor, or the discomfort from visiting a church on vacation, all of us have lived experiences that have taught us what we think a church community should look like.  If we draw on the definition of liturgy as “the performance of faith,” or “‘doing the world rightly,” We can begin to see that these ideas of an ideal church are a liturgy behind our liturgy. They are the lived liturgies that have sunken in and taken root. Collectively, we can call these parts of our social imaginary: rhythms of church embodiment. They are the patterns that make us feel at home in a particular context. The things we notice the most when they lack in other communities, or when things change within our own.

Centrality of the Gospel

At its core, all liturgy should pivot on the delivery of the Gospel: the pinnacle of the story of everything.  The good news of Christ’s death and resurrection is quite literally the life blood of God’s people.  It is a gift and work wrought exclusively by the power of the Trinity apart from human will or works.  It is the ultimate salvation onto which we cling while we wait for its final consummation.

Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 7and 8, p. 179–80.

We did not have trivial reasons for presenting this article. For it is evident that many foolish opinions about traditions have crept into the church. Some thought that human traditions were necessary acts of worship for meriting justification. Later they debated how it came to pass that God was worshiped with such variety, as though, indeed, these observances were true worship rather than outward rules of discipline completely unrelated to the righteousness of heart or the worship of God. These varied for good reasons according to the circumstances, sometimes in one way, and at other times in another. Likewise, some churches excommunicated others on account of such traditions as the observance of Easter, images, and similar things. From this the inexperienced have concluded that faith or righteousness of the heart before God cannot exist without these observances. For about this point there are in existence many foolish writings by the summists and others. But just as the different lengths of day and night do not undermine the unity of the church, so we maintain that different rites instituted by human beings do not undermine the true unity of the church, although it pleases us when universal rites are kept for the sake of tranquility. Thus, in our churches we willingly observe the order of the Mass, the Lord’s day, and other more important festival days. With a very grateful spirit we cherish the useful and ancient ordinances, especially when they contain a discipline by which it is profitable to educate and teach common folk and ignorant. But we are not now discussing the question whether or not it is beneficial to observe them for the sake of tranquility or bodily usefulness. Another issue is involved. The question is whether or not the observances of human traditions are religious worship necessary for righteousness before God. This is the point at issue in this controversy. Once it has been decided, it will be possible to decide whether for the true unity of the church it is necessary to have similar human traditions everywhere. For if human traditions are not acts of worship necessary for righteousness before God, it follows that it is possible to be righteous and children of God even if a person does not observe the traditions that have been maintained elsewhere. Analogously, if the style of German clothing is not an act of devotion to God necessary for righteousness before God, it follows that it is possible to be righteous and children of God and the church of Christ even if they wear not German, but French clothing.¹

Kolb, Robert, et al. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Fortress Press, 2000, p. 180.

Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 15, p. 229

Furthermore, we gladly keep the ancient traditions set up in the church because they are useful and promote tranquility, and we interpret them in the best possible way, by excluding the opinion that they justify. But our enemies falsely charge that we abolish good ordinances and church discipline. We can claim that the public liturgy in the church is more dignified among us than among the opponents. If anyone would look at it in the right way, we keep the ancient canons better than the opponents. Among the opponents, unwilling celebrants and hirelings celebrate the Mass, and very often they do so only for the money. They chant psalms, not in order to learn or pray, but for the sake of the rite, as if this work were a required act of worship, or for the sake of financial reward. Many among us celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s day after they are instructed, examined, and absolved. The children chant the Psalms in order to learn them; the people also sing in order either to learn or to pray. Among our opponents there is no catechesis of children whatever, even though the canons prescribe it. ¹

Book of Concord, Smalcald Articles, Article 1, p. 301–02.

That the Mass under the papacy has to be the greatest and most terrible abomination, as it directly and violently opposes this chief article. In spite of this, it has been the supreme and most precious of all the various papal idolatries. For it is held that this sacrifice or work of the Mass (even when performed by a rotten scoundrel) delivers people from sin both here in this life and beyond in purgatory, even though the Lamb of God alone should and must do this, as mentioned above. Nothing is to be conceded or compromised in this article either, because the first article does not allow it. And wherever there might be reasonable papists, a person would want to speak with them in a friendly way like this: “Why do you cling so tenaciously to the Mass?”

1. After all, it is nothing but a mere human invention, not commanded by God. And we may discard all human inventions, as Christ says in Matthew 15:9: “In vain do they worship me with human precepts.”
2. It is an unnecessary thing that you can easily omit without sin or danger.
3. You can receive the sacrament in a much better and more blessed way (indeed, it is the only blessed way), when you receive it according to Christ’s institution. Why do you want to force the world into misery and destitution for the sake of unnecessary fabrications—especially when the sacrament can be had in another better and more blessed way?

Let it be publicly preached to the people that the Mass, as a human trifle, may be discontinued without sin and that no one will be damned who does not observe it but may in fact be saved in a better way without the Mass. What do you want to bet that the Mass falls of its own accord, not only among the mad mob but also among all upright, Christian, reasonable, and God-fearing hearts? How much more would this be the case were they to hear that the Mass is a dangerous thing, fabricated and invented without God’s Word and will?¹

Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration Article 10, p. 636–637.

useless, foolish spectacles, which are not beneficial for good order, Christian discipline, or evangelical decorum in the church, are not true adiaphora or indifferent things. On the contrary, in regard to true adiaphora or indifferent things (as defined above) we believe, teach, and confess that such ceremonies, in and of themselves, are no worship of God or any part of it. They must instead be distinguished from each other in an appropriate manner, as it is written, “In vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines” (Matt. 15:9). Therefore, we believe, teach, and confess that the community of God in every time and place has the right, power, and authority to change, reduce, or expand such practices according to circumstances in an orderly and appropriate manner, without frivolity or offense, as seems most useful, beneficial, and best for good order, Christian discipline, evangelical decorum, and the building up of the church. Paul teaches how one may yield and make concessions to the weak in faith in such external matters of indifference with good conscience (Rom. 14:1–23), and he demonstrates this with his own example (Acts 16:3 and 21:26; 1 Cor. 9:10).¹

Liturgy as Reflection of Scriptural Rhythms

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. Using the word liturgy in this way has led to many empty debates ending with disagreement over subjective personal taste or selective historical adherence. Martin Luther clearly taught that the core of a Christian life consists not primarily in specific things said in a church but in our daily walk with Jesus:

Book of Concord, Large Catechism, p. 428.

It seems to me that we shall have our hands full to keep these commandments, practicing gentleness, patience, love toward enemies, chastity, kindness, etc., and all that is involved in doing so. But such works are not important or impressive in the eyes of the world. They are not uncommon and showy, reserved to certain special times, places, rites, and ceremonies, but are common, everyday domestic duties of one neighbor to another, with nothing glamorous about them.

This everyday definition of liturgical duty arises out of its Greek origins. As the writers of the Lutheran Confessions observed:

Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 24, p. 273

the verb leitourgeo means, “I attend to or I administer public goods.”

Before its Christian use, the word liturgy originally described the public duties of individuals according to Greek and Roman law. Paul later uses it in 2 Corinthians 9:12 to describe the Corinthian’s generous collection to aid the Macedonians.

As can be seen, liturgy is 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. A public and visible embodiment of Jesus’ promise that believers’ hearts will spill over with “rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

The very first set of liturgical patterns comes to us 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.  

But this sin sick world could not abide such beautiful rhythm. The music of life and creation caused the darkness to scowl. As the destructive cycles of broken bodies, shackled spirits, and lost souls began to experience the renewal of the incarnate Creator’s breath. The disfigured and disordered liturgy of the serpent bared its teeth once again. Bludgeoning and betraying, stripping and stabbing, the obsessive beat of the battle drum seems to drown out the Father’s heartbeat once again.

Until - “It is finished” - and the earth itself heaves a deep and mournful sigh.

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Then everything stops.

The mad frenzy melts away with nothing but stillness in its wake.

The sabbath rest no one expected.

The heartbeat of God silent… cold… dark…

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The eighth day - Easter morning - begins just like the first day of creation. The Spirit of God mysteriously hovers over the dark chaos and the word of God (Jesus) speaks once again: “Let there be light” and there was. The rhythms of Christ burst from the tomb like a flood. The Father’s heart poured out for our redemption. The week itself is reset and reoriented around this most precious creative act. Out of death comes life, out of darkness comes light. The shadows of temple worship give way to the worship of God’s anointed Lamb.

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 celebration of Cana. The security of Zion. 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

Distinction between Human Liturgical Traditions and the Sacraments (Incomplete)

Kolb, Robert, et al. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Fortress Press, 2000, pp. 372–75.

Bear in mind, too, that in baptism the external ceremonies are least important, such as blowing under the eyes, making the sign of the cross, putting salt in the mouth or spit and clay in the ears and nose, anointing the breast and shoulders with oil, smearing the head with chrism, putting on the christening robe, placing a burning candle in the child’s hand, and whatever else has been added by humans to embellish baptism.

Kolb, Robert, et al. The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Fortress Press, 2000, Article 13 pp. 219–20.

But here they insist that we also enumerate seven sacraments. Now, we believe that we have the responsibility not to neglect any of the rites and ceremonies instituted in Scripture, however many there may be. But we do not think that it makes much difference if, for the purpose of teaching, different people have different enumerations, as long as they properly preserve the matters handed down in Scripture. After all, even the ancients did not always number them in the same way.378 [3] If we define the sacraments as rites, which have the command of God and to which the promise of grace has been added, it is easy to determine what the sacraments are, properly speaking. For humanly instituted rites are not sacraments, properly speaking, because human beings do not have the authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without the command of God are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps serve to teach or admonish the common folk. [4] Therefore, the sacraments are actually baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and absolution (the sacrament of repentance). For these rites have the command of God and the promise of grace, which is the essence of the New Testament. For surely our hearts ought to be certain that when we are baptized, when we eat the body of the Lord, and when we are absolved, God truly forgives us on account of Christ. [5] And God moves our hearts through the word and the rite at the same time so that they believe and receive faith just as Paul says [Rom. 10:17*], “So faith comes from what is heard.” For just as the Word enters through the ear in order to strike the heart, so also the rite enters through the eye in order to move the heart. The word and the rite have the same effect. Augustine put it well when he said that the sacrament is a “visible word,” because the rite is received by the eyes and is, as it were, a picture of the Word, signifying the same thing as the Word. Therefore both have the same effect.¹

Connection to the Story of Everything

The common language of the Psalms should shape our stories.  Yet more importantly they should connect us to the grand narrative found in Scripture’s story of everything.[^3]  It is by this story of God’s salvation, and coming recreation, that we seek to pattern our lives.  Our lives have meaning and purpose because we are a part of this story and are heading toward this wonderful and beautiful recreation.  This story connects us to each other and, most importantly, to God and His continued work in our lives.  Sunday morning is a unique opportunity to realize this identity by bringing the all powerful Word of the Word made flesh to our people in engaging and meaningful ways.  Liturgy is a pattern for life into which we seek to habituate our people.[^4]  In other words, the way we live and worship should be shaped and connected to the narrative of salvation history. 

Engaging Worship from Our Place in the Story

Our place in God’s story sits uniquely after His crucifixion and resurrection, yet before His triumphal return.  This position places the church at an interesting cross road between the worship and devotion which has come before and our current worship in the present.  In this place, we would do well to hold to the tension between tradition and translation.  On the one hand, we have traditions passed down to us in the form of art, songs, prayers, and liturgical orders.  These are valuable gifts from our ancestors in the faith.  They are a great treasury from which we can be challenged and consoled by the voices and praise of our ancestors.  

Yet we need to be careful to also hold on to translation.  Our people are a product of their time.  The things of beauty and meaning from tradition do not always land the same way they used to among Christians in a different time dealing with different struggles and life experiences.  Consequently, it is of utmost importance that liturgy be translated into forms that reach our people so that they can actually be formed by it.  This is a pull in two directions.  Striving to proclaim the alien ideas and power of God’s Gospel in its fullness, while also being sensitive to the hearer.   

Ritual Efficacy versus Sacramental Efficacy

Keeping in mind the tension of tradition and translation, we come to the need to differentiate between ritual efficacy and sacramental efficacy.¹   On the one hand, the word of God is always efficacious.  For example, a sermon can be given in the most monotone and dull method, written in the most cliche and boring style, yet it is still God’s living and active word at work among His people.  The word of God will do what the world of God will do by the power of the Holy Spirit apart from, and often in spite of, our human efforts.  The deep reality of the words sacramental efficacy is somewhat at odds, however, with our experience of ritual efficacy.  The sermon described above will be met with eye rolls and sighs as even willing listeners struggle to not fall asleep.  This same idea can be fleshed out in many other examples that all lead to the need to evaluate and work toward ritually effective forms of liturgy.  

To state this distinction another way, all liturgy grounded in the true word of God and the right celebration of God’s gifts (sacramental and other) are without question efficacious (sacramental efficacy).  It makes no difference how engaging, interesting or personally compelling an individual finds it.  Liturgy delivers the goods of God’s promises with 100% assurance.  Ritual efficacy, on the other hand, deals in our human experience of a particular liturgical form’s ability to engage us.  It is no secret that almost every person finds different styles of worship music more or less effective for their personal engagement in meaningful worship.  Not only this but fields such as neuroscience point out the benefits of multisensory engagement for memory and retention of material in sermons and bible reading.  By maintaining the distinction between sacramental efficacy and ritual efficacy we can critically engage our practice of liturgy affirming the value and place for all faithful forms, while also acknowledging the nuances of human engagement.       

Liturgy as Hands on Teaching (Incomplete)

It is ironic that church services often feel like places kids do not belong.

Liturgy is about hands on learning

Book of Concord, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article 15, p. 226

Traditions have the purpose of demonstrating and illustrating things for the people. However, out of some Pharisaical persuasion our adversaries attach to these purposes something different, namely, that such observances merit the forgiveness of sins; that such worship rites are necessary for salvation; that on account of such things human beings are reckoned righteous before God. Clearly, this is “to honor with gold and silver, with precious stones”: to hold that God is conciliated by a variety of clothing, ornaments, and similar things without number in human traditions or that the worship of God consists of things like the distinction between times, foods, vessels, or clothing.¹

The book or concord is clear that the idea of Liturgy falls within the category of human traditions, rites and ceremonies. Being written in a context where church rites had become more like magic incantations (i.e. the phrase “Hocus Pocus” literally coming from the Words of Institution in the Latin mass) it makes sense that the reformers had to reorient the church to the true source of our salvation and faith. Liturgy is not what saves people. Only faith in the saving work of Jesus saves people! What follows is a helpful distinction to keep this balanced.

Our Heart Language

The Psalms can be thought of as the Christian’s handbook for navigating life.¹  In it God’s people of old have expressed their joys and woes, struggles and convictions.  They speak the language of a godly life in all it’s rich beauty and pain.  A language we as God’s people should learn to speak ourselves.  However, “we are often guilty of speaking the strange words of a lament or enthronement Psalm without serious attempts to help worshipers understand what they are saying.”²

Out of this conviction, the Psalms should be an integral part of weekly worship.  Their language and timber should shape our worship from week to week.  This means that every element of the liturgical order should express the full range of emotion, struggle, but ultimately hope and assurance taught by the Psalms.  

Biblical Ways to Engage Worship

 In order to avoid dismembering our expression of liturgy, we must be clear about what worship encompasses.  We do not worship for the sake of God - He needs nothing from us - but because He has created us as worshiping creatures.  Worship is for the sake of God’s people: it is a gift from God in which we participate.  

This participation in worship takes on two main aspects throughout the pages of Scripture.  One is remembrance and connection to story; the second is the creative worship response.  Connection to story is important because we come into God’s story.  He has defined and laid out the course of the salvation narrative.  Therefore, we should not be trying to fit Him into our lives, but humbly entering His.  His story started long before our birth and encompasses many more lives than our own.  Being connected to God’s story is to be connected with His community: the Church.  We read words that are not our words, but become ours.  We sing songs that are not our songs, but become ours.  We do and say and think and act in ways that are not ours, but become ours as we are connected to the heritage of our faith.  Communal worship is a space to encounter, learn, connect, and participate in this grand old story.  

The creative worship response is a related yet distinct way the body of Christ participates in worship.  Whenever God’s people have encountered Him the natural response has always been creative.  After crossing through the Red Sea the Israelites sang a new song.  After Mary encountered the angel and the wonders of the Christmas story she sang a new song.  The giving of the covenant on mount Sinai was followed by the outpouring of God given creative power to build and decorate the tabernacle and its instruments.  Encountering God is an occasion to bring forth the creative expression of praise and wonder.  Not only this, but times of darkness and despair are also times for creative response in lament.  God’s people have always responded to God creatively, whether He feels close or far, this creative impulse should by no means be neglect.  

Liturgy for Good Order and Tranquility (Incomplete)

we often look to other means for good order or operations

role of memorization

Variety versus Regularity 

A practice done regularly makes a habit, and a habit has a way of sticking within a person.  This basic human truth is an important consideration as we seek to grow our people using liturgical forms.  There needs to be a sense of continuity and repetition for things to sink into people.  However, this need to habituate people into a regular pattern of worship and practice, should not exclude the legitimacy and importance of variety.  Scripture alone (not to mention liturgical history) brings to light a huge variety of musical and ritual expression.  We should seek to bring our people into this fullness, not at the expense of regularity, but in concert with it.  One noteworthy example of this is the practice of lament.  Lament comes directly out of the pages of Scripture but is something the church rarely practices.  We possess this very powerful practice to wrestle and deal with grief and brokenness.  Yet we often leave it on the shelf and rob our people of it.   

Real Loss

The Big Idea

No matter how well intentioned or effective.  All translation and change brings loss.

• Tod Bolsinger, Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory (Downer Grove: IVP Books, 2015), 120-122.

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This is most easily seen in the psalms themselves.  No amount of skill can preserve the full poetic quality of each psalm as it is translated into English or any other language.  Things are lost in translation.  Whether these losses are significant or not, it is important that they be carefully ascertained.  This is true on a broader scale with liturgy as well.  Any change, no matter how small, will lose something.

This conviction makes it clear that changing and/or generating liturgical forms is not something to be taken lightly.   In fact, many argue that the risk of loss is too great to allow for variety in liturgical forms.  This project, however, does not agree with this assessment.  While loss is real and needs to be appreciated and acknowledged, it should not bind the church from worshiping God with all the skill and talent He has placed within His body.  

Rather than dismissing loss, or turning it into a crippling fear, this project seeks to engage tradition thoughtfully to bring to life liturgical forms that help pull people into the depths of Christ’s richness and unlock interaction with our scriptural and churchly heritage.

Vital Things to have in Worship

No matter the order, style, music, etc. there are certain foci that should be in every service.  These include:

Focus on the Trinity.[^10]

• Every service should be careful to speak and worship God in His trinitarian fullness as understood from the creeds.   

Focus on Christ.[^11] 

• Jesus is everything.  Consequently, every service should teach and confirm our Christo centricity.  

Focus on Word and Sacramental.[^12]

• Word and Sacrament are our God given delivery system for the grace and salvation of Christ.  It is essential that these means of grace be put in their proper place in every service.

Focus on the Gospel. [^13]

• Every service should proclaim our dependence and faith in the person and work of Christ for our salvation.

Focus on our Creedal Faith.[^14] 

• We have been entrusted with the confession of our common faith as passed down in the creeds.  We should not lose sight of the importance of teaching and regularly confessing these core aspects of our faith. 

Focus on our connection to the Story of Everything. 

• As God’s people we habitate a unique place in God’s grand story of salvation.  It is vital that we teach and experience where we came from, who we are, and where we are going in its fullness as expressed in the narrative of Scripture. 

Focus on the two kinds of righteousness that order our lives.[^15]

• Expressing the uniqueness of our relationship with/before God is vital for understanding the wonderful free gift of salvation.  In addition, clearly articulating our role and responsibility as neighbors in relationship with other humans is important in order to avoid lazy, or extreme, forms of Chrsitian living.

Liturgy as language and Grammar

In grafting of our story into God’s story

Unification of Heaven and earth in Christ. The shadow is gone the real has come

Maybe the amount of life is a reflection of how closely it aligns with heavily reality

Footnotes

1. Marriot, Article on Liturgy and discipleship, 10. link ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. 1. How the Redeemed World Is Done: Charting the Relationship between Liturgy, Discipleship, and Mission, James Marriott, p. 25
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