Categories: uncategorized
Date: 20 October 2002 23:00:00
As I wondered around this fair city at lunch time, I pondered a comment made by Karin earlier today (Hi Karin - are you on rejesus? We have spoken there as well - can you guess who I am? :D )
Karin said: "Glad we don't bother with liturgy at my church, then."
This got me to thinking about whether there are churches without "liturgy".
Now, don't get me wrong - I know there are plenty of places without a written liturgy. My own background is in the Welsh chapel, and we certainly didn't have a book to follow. Neither do the Assemblies of God and Elim that I've attended, or some of the more Evangelical Anglican churches I've been to.
But that's not what "liturgy" is. It's not the written text. "Leitourgia" (literally: people's work) is a Greek word. It hasn't (though you'd be mistaken for thinking so) have a specifically religious meaning. It means, basically, "our work". Paul describes his preaching as "leitourgia" in Romans - it was the thing he was called to do.
God's people are called to worship - offering worship, prayer and all the other aspects of our lives to God is our "work", our "leitourgia". It just happens to be that some Christians have that work codified and some do not. Even those who do not have some basic shape to their worship - prayers to help us approach God, reading of Scriptures, teaching, intercessions, a format for Communion. Just because it isn't written down doesn't stop it being "leitourgia".
I think we should celebrate the fact that, despite everything, there are some things all Christians hold dear - standing before God and worshipping him, listening to his Gospel being read and taught, praying for the world and, as and when, celebrating his work in the sacrament of the table.