THE
LITURGY AND THE CHURCH
However much Episcopalians may differ in their opinions, they share
a common liturgy.
But what is a
liturgy, and why do we have it? Why is it so central to the churchÕs life? Why,
in short, is knowing something about the liturgy so
central to understanding the church itself?
WHAT IS LITURGY?
In its origins,
the Greek word leitourgia
meant ÒpeopleÕs work,Ó better translated as something like Òpublic serviceÓ or
Òpublic duty.Ó
Today, the word
ÒliturgyÓ is used in two senses. Generally, it means following a set form of
words, actions and rituals, as opposed to a free-form,
open-ended kind of worship. This does not mean that non-liturgical churches are
totally disorganized – they often plan their services according to familiar
patterns and models. But they do not follow the precise sequence of texts,
passages, actions, etc, which they regard as too
formal and constricting. Often, a liturgy includes not just precise words but
words that have become somewhat old-fashioned, and there is a temptation to
modernize them to make them more understandable.
Specifically,
the word also refers to THE liturgy, namely the particular service that
culminates in the Eucharist or Holy Communion. As in many churches, the
Episcopal liturgy includes various parts that together form a logical sequence
and a unified whole, like a symphony. These include for instance such set-pieces as the Kyrie
Eleison, the Gloria,
the Creed, the Sanctus, and the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
WHY DOES LITURGY MATTER?
Two answers come
to mind.
One is that,
whatever we think in the US, liturgical churches are overwhelmingly the
Christian norm today, never mind in the historic past. Once we take account of
Catholics, Orthodox, Anglicans and Lutherans, that
could be 65-70 percent of all Christians worldwide. (The proportion in the past
would have been much higher).
Second,
ÒliturgyÓ broadly defined is essential to understanding the roots of Western
culture! This accounts for a huge amount of western art before 1400 or so. The
main reason or educational systems developed was the need for literate people
to copy music books, gospel books, sacramentaries,
lectionaries, service books etc.
WHAT DO WE DO IN OUR LITURGY?
Liturgy takes us out and it puts us in
It takes us out
of the regular world and tries to re-enact and return to a sacred moment or
sacred time. It is a way of putting us in touch with a particular reality, of
converging and conforming our world with the
supernatural.
Paths cross
here.
Liturgy explains why we are here but also
places us somewhere else.
Liturgy uses particular forms of
language.
Language speaks
us. When we speak in certain ways, it puts us in certain frames of mind. Proper
form and language are used to consecrate time. Formality is especially appropriate
to solemn things.
Liturgy makes many one
The liturgy
organizes and moves people through a common sense of participation, of shared
action. It unites us and makes us a common body. We say and do things in the
same way, we hear the same things and express
agreement to them. It is communal action. It is Common (ie
communal) Prayer.
Liturgy uses action to declare and
reinforce common belief
The old phrase
says lex orandi, lex credendi, "the law of prayer is the law of belief" -roughly, show me how you worship and
IÕll know what you believe. Not just in its verbal statements, a Eucharist
proclaims the ChurchÕs basic teachings through what the participants say and
do. Every moment, it teaches the idea of Incarnation.
Liturgy is a complex performance
Do note the
theatrical word Òperformance!Ó
Note also how,
as in any theatrical performance, there are cues to move to different phases -
some moments and events signify beginnings and endings, calling you to be on
stage. Like any play, too, there are ups and downs, an ascent to a climax and
then a return to something like normal.
In a Eucharist
particularly, we share different actions and experiences appropriate to
different phases of the event. And there are two very clearly distinct
portions. In the first part, we meet, we pray for
mercy, we glorify God. In the second, we participate in a story. You should be
able to see the clear division between the stages, the Òacts.Ó
Liturgy tells stories in ways that make
us live them
People make
sense of the world through story-telling.
We tell stories
in different ways, sometimes through words but also through action.
Ritual and
behavior can be ways of telling a story.
A liturgy like
the Christian Eucharist also tells a story, but itÕs not just a single story.
It is trying to tell us a story and educate us.
Liturgy is the churchÕs memory
Liturgy unites material and spiritual
Liturgy is a
classic example of the sacramental, in that it uses many different kinds of
material symbol and object to carry spiritual truths.
Liturgy unites mind and senses
It is not just rational
and book-centered. It uses physical beauty as a means of presenting and
reinforcing truth. Note how the readings are integrated into the larger
ÒperformanceÓ, with its moods and lessons.
Liturgy consecrates time – or else,
time consecrates liturgy
Liturgical
actions depend wholly on the cycles of the church year. Participating in
liturgy means we share in this cycle, we join its beginnings and share the
route to its end. Much of this journey involves non-literate means, including
colors and lights.
That unity crosses boundaries of time and
space
The fact that
liturgy is fixed means that anywhere you go, you will
hear the same words and the same patterns. Services are not ÒdealerÕs choiceÓ
and they donÕt depend on the whims of particular leaders. When you hear a
liturgy today, you are doing essentially the same thing that countless others
were doing a hundred or a thousand years ago.
Liturgy creates
community with past and present, proclaiming a link with past and future. We
see this for example when we use ancient terms like Kyrie Eleison.
Liturgy unites the worlds
It breaks down
divisions between natural and supernatural. At the Sanctus, humans celebrate with angels.
Liturgy allows earth to become heaven
The Bible
repeatedly describes liturgical actions, on earth and in heaven, at GodÕs
court. We see this especially in books like Isaiah and Revelation. In turn,
those scriptural passages have had a huge impact on the actual practice and
language of earthly churches.