Is Liturgy Old, Dusty and Outdated? What is the value of a 2000 year old tradition in our modern society? Ultimately, is it relevant?
For many people, the liturgy is the central constant of our devotional lives, indeed of our lives with Christ and in his church. But for those who are unsure of the present understanding of the liturgy, or the communion table, questions need to be addressed on its understanding and applicability. Instead of starting off with a deep historical and theological treatise on the subject, we will begin our discussion with a brief interview with author Ian Morgan Cron. Ian has some helpful things to say to bring our "modern church" misunderstanding into broader context regarding the liturgy.
Ian Morgan Cron is an author, speaker, Episcopal priest, and retreat facilitator is one of my favorite communicators recently, and we do well to start our discussion with hearing his unique perspective. Again, the purpose of the article is to unearth the issues and to begin talking about it. Please contribute to the discussion, post your thoughts, and get your local church leadership involved. It’s an important issue that church leadership needs to consider.
Let’s listen church, and then let’s talk.
Becoming Liturgy - Ian Morgan Cron (Length 4min 57secs)
This video has been moved by the producers, and you can now view it here, below. Once you have watched the video, return here and let's discuss.
Now, please, contribute your thought below. This topic needs discussion and working out.
Again, many thanks to Ian Morgan Cron for spending time for these interviews. If you get a chance, I strongly encourage you to check out his books Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale, and Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts. I have read Chasing Francis and am now reading Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me- both are excellent! A note of recognition to theworkofthepeople.com who produced this video interview.
in Christ's love,
Kim Gentes
blood,
Reader Comments (4)
Worth listening to (once you get past that awful first sentence), but what about the liturgy as an act of service, or as a sacrifice.
Why do we always go to church seeking to receive, when we are surely primarily there to give. Get over that misconception and the liturgy is rather good!
Andy
Andy, liturgy as sacrifice is interesting, but I would challenge you on finding scriptural basis. I am not saying we shouldn't approach it faithfully- you are exactly right there. But the communion table is itself a remembrance of the great sacrifice of Christ. To which we have no sacrificial reciprocation needed. In fact, Paul warns us that any attempt at sacrifice as a way to initiate a connection with God amounts to a repudiation of Christ's own sacrifice. We can respond, yes. But that response is a grateful reception.
What does the communion table represent then- clearly Christ meant it as a joining in participation with His activity of salvation on the cross. We participate in the table to commune with Christ, and not just Christ but His whole Body. The eucharist is our joining with Him, his initial work of the cross and his ongoing life in the larger body of Christ. We commune with our brothers and sisters when we take the cup and bread.
Is service and sacrifice needed to continue in such participation in faithfulness? No doubt. But regarding it as sacrifice (on our part) does not have biblical grounds, in my opinion.
Regarding the broader liturgy. It is what the very word means- liturgy: the work of the people. What do we participate in liturgy for? The same core element we take the Eucharist- participation. Each and every liturgical act or practice is meant to bring us more entirely into participation with Christ, with his church, through the Holy Spirit. This is the work of the people- to be joined with Him, and his body. This is also why the reformation had to happen- because the liturgy was taken from the people and clutched tightly in the hands of the clergy. It was meant to be for all the people. The work for each of us, to be in participation more fully, each day with Christ.
Just my thoughts that came as I read your post...
Liturgy I agree is the work of the people. Corporate worship is important to "encourage one another" that God is sovereign, present, and good. Scripture and testimony both build our faith and help us see God in our daily lives.
I do understand the feeling that God is a slow moving vine, but the apparent slowness is Him waiting for us.
2 Peter 3 (esp. vs 8-9).
I believe that God is ready to reveal Himself moment by moment if we could bear it, but in His grace He allows us to come to Him. When we are ready, in His mind, He will rock our world and we will be changed. (Isaiah 6:1-8, John 4:7-26, Matt. 14:22-33).
Thanks for the thought provoking!
Blessings,
Jeff
Kim,
I appreciate your thoughts here on worship as primarily a participation - in the grace and work of God through Christ Jesus.
I think that the term "church service" has been misappropriated over time. I agree that God is not in need of our service/sacrifice, as if that would appease or please Him, or as a repayment of sorts. Psalm 51 reminds us that the only appropriate sacrifice we can bring is a "broken spirit" and a "contrite heart." (verse 17, NIV). I assume that a "broken spirit" leaves us with nothing to give, but only the capacity to gratefully receive and participate in His completed work.
In some ways, the term "church service" could be interpreted as the opportunity for the Body of Christ to serve each other, but so often it seems that it becomes the few serving the many as our culture has infiltrated our churches and created a consumer/provider mentality. If liturgy is the "work of the people", then it may appear that many people have a lot less "work" to do in the average worship gathering. Let the 'experts' do the singing, playing and preaching while the rest of you sit there in rows and try to keep up. I'm being a little tongue-in-cheek, but I wonder if I'm not too far from the truth. Obviously, in an ideal situation, gathered worship would reflect a mutual serving between believers, as we have been created for meaningful relationships in which we can serve and love each other as Christ loved us. This side of eternity, this ideal will always be beyond our grasp, but it is certainly something worth aiming for, I believe. If it can happen in the Acts 4, then we can't lose hope that it might have some contemporary expression too.
This is an ongoing internal battle for me as I look at how I can faithfully lead in corporate worship (as I feel called to do so) without inadvertently perpetuating unhealthy models and mindsets. I believe gathered worship is important, but the contemporary expressions I've grown up with do tend to fall into that trap of always having to 'ramp it up' so that the next experience is just a little better than the last (that way, it feels like we're doing a good job, even though we may be getting further and further away from centering our lives around God's story and may end up with worship that is narcissistic and self-glorifying. (Surely, that could never happen!)
I love the significance and simplicity of the Eucharist (beyond just the idea of the cross as the place of atoning sacrifice - as important as that is) but as a primary means of retelling and re-enacting the entire Gospel story. I think that this is the Story that we need to live and breathe as there are so many competing stories that try to drown out the truth of the Gospel as the Story of God and all Humanity.
I want my church to experience this - the regular, consistent embracing of the Story of God - so that I and they may 'become the liturgy' and radiate the likeness of Jesus in our every day living, empowered and led by the Holy Spirit. Realistically, I know that it will be a long and slow process of learning and leading over many years, a process that will require the unravelling of a lot of cultural fluff.
I wonder if maybe the best way of understanding the "church service" is not to discount the fact that our response to God is important (as obviously it is), but to see it (gathered worship) as a time to acknowledge, remember and reflect on the fact that God gave all to SERVE US and to incarnate Himself (through the Holy Spirit) in the life of every believer, and that He now sweeps us up in His might hand to participate honourably and meaningfully in the unfolding of His new creation until His return. It goes against the grain of sensibility to think of God as serving us - I acknowledge that. I don't mean in the sense that we are somehow superior to God: that could never be! But somehow in the abundant and overflowing grace of God, He knows that we cannot help ourselves and He mercifully steps in and acts on our behalf through the saving and redeeming work of Jesus. After all, it was Jesus Himself who said that he who wants to be the greatest must be the SERVANT of all. He's referred to as the "suffering servant". So maybe there's something to this idea that the God of all glory, power and might has acted so profoundly that His greatest expression of love is in the saving redemption of all mankind and the restoration of all creation to rights?
How else could we respond to such a thought but with awe, wonder and worship?