Liturgy! (Please read on)
Written by Alan Vink
Dear Pastors
I can almost guess what you are thinking………Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Methodists. And you’d be right so far. Your next thought may well be something like this, ‘thank God, we are not like them or how boring can you get or liturgy equates to no spontaneity, the service is all pre planned from go to whoa, surely the Holy Spirit can’t be in a liturgy?
Liturgy literally means a form or formula by which public religious worship, especially Christian worship, is conducted.
Over the last two years I have visited some 18 different churches on Sunday mornings in the Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal stream(s) around NZ. No surprises really but they all followed an identical format (give or take a little), otherwise known as a liturgy. Sure it wasn’t a hymn sandwich but they all had the same form with only minor variations. And here it is:-
- Upbeat opening songs (we call this praise).
- Welcome, greet one another and sit down.
- Announcements and offering (children go to their programmes).
- Slower songs (we call this worship).
- Sermon
- Closing song
Friends that’s a liturgy and what’s more we all stand for the song times, usually about 25-30mins in total (for some reason sitting seems unspiritual. I’ve never quite figured that out). It’s a set form that probably 66% of NZ’s churches use week in and week out and I did for 25 years. Now before you shoot the messenger I want to be quick to add that I am not saying this is wrong or bad. All I’m saying is that it is a liturgy.
As such it is prescribed, it is predictable, and it’s formulaic.
The Holy Spirit can be and I believe wants to be in a liturgy whatever that might look like. So whether it be a traditional churches liturgy or a contemporary churches liturgy as above the Holy Spirit is well able to be present in and through carefully crafted public services of worship. And beside there is only so much you can do in 75 minutes with people sitting in rows.
I know all too well that Sunday comes around very fast and to come up with something creative and a bit different is not always easy. But I do wonder if we could work on this a little harder. Components like, short and fun children’s talks, intercessory prayer, pastoral prayer, thoughtful communion words, testimonies, interviews, music items and other creative art forms etc.
Most nights dinner at my house and probably at yours is simple, easy and no fuss. It’s tasty and healthy for sure but shall we say……..ordinary. However from time to time it is special and flash, even exotic. This may be a helpful way to think of Sunday Services.
Could you put together a ‘creative team’ charged with the responsibility of adding in a little flavour, a little creativity and a little bit of surprise? You may be amazed at the unusual expressions of gratitude.
Blessings
Alan
From now till Christmas I want to add into this weekly blog a quote and a song selection about Christmas.
Quote: “The idea that there’s a force of love and logic behind the universe is overwhelming to start with, if you believe it. Actually, maybe even far-fetched to start with, but the idea that that same love and logic would choose to describe itself as a baby born in straw and poverty is genius, and brings me to my knees, literally. To me, as a poet, I am just in awe of that. It makes some sort of poetic sense. It’s the thing that makes me a believer, though it didn’t dawn on me for many years. " Bono
Song Suggestion. Pentatonix singing, “Mary Did You Know”.
Announcement
Raising Resilient Kids with Kathryn Berkett M.Ed.Psyc. in Hamilton and Cambridge on 27th and 28th November. Click here for details. Everyone is welcome.
Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.
