Why We Incorporate Historic Liturgy at new life DOWNTOWN

[EDITOR'S NOTE: I originally wrote this post to explain our services at newlifesundaynight...Now that the nucleus of that congregation has launched our Sunday morning downtown congregation, called new lfie DOWNTOWN, I thought it may be good to re-post this, as it still applies to our services at new life DOWNTOWN, and it may be helpful to those who are new to it.]

Over the last several months, as we have said the Nicene Creed, participate in both silent confession and corporate confession (using Psalm 51 and the Book of Common Prayer), taken communion, and listened to Old Testament and New Testament readings, I have had a few people ask why we integrated liturgy in our "non-denominational" church. Many have appreciated it as a welcome change to what they describe as "rootless Evangelicalism". A few have wondered if we're "going Catholic". In an effort to keep communication clear, I thought I write a short post on it.

First off, let me say that a liturgy is simply a corporate expression of worship. Israel had one in both their Psalm-singing and praying and in their sacrificial system. The early church, shaped by Jewish worship, also used Psalm-singing and praying along with hymns to Christ as they gathered to celebrate "the Lord's Supper". You see, having a regular rhythm to our worship expression is quite helpful. A rhythm is how we reinforce a desire. For example, because we have a desire to have healthy teeth and gums, we have developed a rhythm of brushing our teeth daily. Or because a husband and wife have a desire to keep their relationship strong they might develop a rhythm of “date nights”. So, in a similar way, because we have a desire to grow up in our faith, we develop rhythms in our worship that helps us pay attention to God and His work in us. 

Secondly, regardless of our faith tradition-- or avowed lack of it-- we all have a liturgy, a rhythm to our corporate worship expression. Here are some specific ways a historic liturgical rhythm can help us grow:   

1. It Challenges Our Desire for Novelty
Not everything new is better than the old; conversely, not everything old is richer than the new. It seems that the prevailing belief in our culture of consumerism, however, is that the latest, newest thing is the best thing. In our fervor for “modern worship”, we have left many of the practices and expressions that have grounded the Church for centuries.   While God desires to renew our hearts and our love for Him each day, the journey of being in relationship with God is not new. It is as old as time. From the beginning God called men and women into relationship with Him. By using historic expressions of worship, we remember that we are not the first to experience hardship or doubt or fear or joy or thanksgiving in our walk with God. Nor are we the first people attempting to worship Him in the midst of it. We learn that every experience, every emotion, every circumstance can be an occasion to worship God. These ancient words and practices and expressions can form a path for us, a path that keeps us from pride and spiritual narcissism, and leads us to humility, surrender, and worship.   

2. It Confronts Our Obsession with Originality
Deep down, we tend to think that if we didn’t come up with a prayer on our own, it’s not as authentic. But we have forgotten that the first people of God, Old Testament Israel, learned to pray by praying words that were written for them. The Psalms are the ancient prayer book that taught God’s people how to respond to Him. Not only did all the prophets and kings and priests and farmers and women and children in Old Testament times learn to pray by praying the Psalms, Jesus, Paul, and many of the disciples did as well. Praying the Psalms was the way every Jew learned how to pray.   In the same way, praying words that are centuries old, borrowed from the Psalms and written by others who have gone before us, is how our language of prayer can be shaped. Left to our own devices our prayers often devolve into selfishness and anxiety-ridden requests. Shaped by the Psalms and by liturgical prayers, we can learn how to “answer” the God who has spoken to us.   

3. It Breaks Our Addiction to Activity
Quite simply, the liturgy makes us slow down. It is not like the voices we hear from commercials and online news sites, pleading with us in urgent language. The liturgy is quiet, gentle, full of room for the Holy Spirit. But it requires that we stop, that we focus our mind and heart on Christ. It refuses to pep us up or hype us into action. It is not a program or a plan for more activity or busyness “for God”. It is not a campaign or a cause. It is a way of slowing down. It teaches us to rest in God’s presence; it trains us to fix our eyes on the living Christ.

Comments

[thirsty]

You Rock man! Keep up the good work. I hope to attend your service next time I am in the states.

[Justin McNeil]

I love your point about our obsession with originality. Sometimes we spend so much energy trying to do something that no one has ever done before that we don't appreciate the history of people serving God before us. Liturgy often humbles me and reminds me that I am a small part of a much bigger picture. Great stuff man!

[Arron Vickery]

Well said. When I was studying this at ORU I learned to really appreciate the litugy and how God used it through the years to bring life.

[Joel Gonzaga]

Although I have pretty much parted ways with evangelicalism, I attended your Sunday evening service last night with some friends from undergraduate. I appreciate the work you are doing there and think the assessment/apology of high church liturgy is spot on.