What is “liturgical” worship? Here is a simple, yet informative video that concludes with this summary by Mark Galli
God gathers people for a great banquet at which he presides, gives us a Word, and offers us the fruit of his labor of love. From there, God sends us out to participate in the great gathering work.
Having been raised Catholic in a very liturgical environment I have over the years associated this as dry and dead. But……….. having reflected on this it was me who was dry and dead. The churches that I have belonged to since my salvation have generally been “non liturgical”. But here again all the elements of the liturgy seem to be present but seemingly less rigid until you try and change the order of worship and you will see this is not true.
I can now worship in “liturgical” churches and see what the “procession” is all about. It does not promote a clergy/laity division but quite the contrary…… it symbolizes us all coming together as workers to worship our God. I can worship at my own church and be blessed by the gathering of the saints even though we do not have a “procession”.
And finally I can be concerned with those who worship in liturgical churches who do not understand the liturgy and those who worship in non liturgical churches who do not understand why they are gathered. Both types have their work ahead of them teaching the body why we gather and exist.
Both groups should be meeting for the same reasons and leaving the gathering for the same reason…… to worship God in our lives and glorify Him.
Good word, Pat. I’m happy to embrace all the streams of the orthodox, historical Christian faith. I am much less rigid in my acceptance of others and their traditions than I once was, recognizing that in my “non-traditional” tribe, we have plenty of our own traditions – some useful and some, well…
Do I have strong convictions? Yes. Do I have an ideal, a paradigm in my head. Of course. Everyone does. But, I am willing to meet all kinds of Christians at the Lord’s table.