Liturgy & Liturgies

Being the only Messianic Jewish kid at a Baptist middle school had its downsides. It also meant I could say anything about my church, and my classmates would believe it. I remember a friend asking what synagogue was like. I replied, "Well, it starts around 10:30 on Saturday morning. We get there early to say hello to Rabbi Don. I'll put on my yarmulke & sit in our usual spot. Then we'll sing & dance to a few songs and read from the Torah scroll. Rabbi will give a brief message, after which he'll bring out the goat to offer on the altar. When the service is done, we all gather near the kitchen to eat food! They usually serve goat." My friend looked at me with wide eyes & managed to say, "Oh....my church is less.....liturgical I guess."

You see, I am a spiritual mutt. After two decades of describing the various religious contexts I've participated in, the phrase 'spiritual mutt' offers by far the most succinct summary. However, I will give you a brief history of my church backgrounds so you may see what I'm talking about. My parents were non-religious when I was born. My grandmother attended an Episcopal church every Sunday of her life. In fact, I cannot remember a time before midnight Christmas services at her Episcopal church. I was baptized as a child, then again when I was seven at a Baptist church in Denver. From then until early high school I attended a Messianic Jewish synagogue while simultaneously attending a Baptist private school. In high school, I joined a youth group at a Brethren church in Aiken. I even served as a student pastor in a non-denominational church.

My wife & I have found, at last, a home in the Anglican church. Since our confirmation, many have asked me what I find so homey in Anglicanism. The final answer to this question eludes even myself, though the general contours seem apparent. For a surprising number of people my age, at least in the community of which I am a part, we are drawn towards the rich liturgy of the Anglican tradition. Now, a common view in American protestantism holds 'high' church traditions (Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Greek Orthodox, & some strands of Lutheranism) in the category of liturgical. But to see the landscape of Christian denominations divided between liturgical & non-liturgical is to misunderstand liturgy as a part of the Christian faith. So for the remainder of this article, I intend to clarify & magnify the essential characteristics of Christian liturgy

The Roots

A literal interpretation of 'liturgy' renders the greek phrase as "the work of the people." A popular podcast for the spiritually homeless adopted this literal sense as the inspiration for their project, called The Liturgists. In the original Greek context, liturgy functioned as a public service of the wealthy for the benefit of the public. Thus the roots of liturgy grew in the soil of one's relationship to the public polity. For the Greek, liturgy was tied directly to the polis.

In this historic sense we may glean an important insight into liturgy in its present form. Liturgy stands not for the ideas, preferences, & practices of the individual. Rather, liturgy is situated in specific communities. Yes, communities are composed of individuals, just as a church or local parish is filled with its members. Yet liturgy risks unintelligibility when grounded in the individual. It staunchly stands in the public square, the public space. Perhaps a generation born in a postmodern era may see the unique blessing of a public enactment of the Christian faith, rather than relegating religious practice to the 'private' sphere of life.

Big L, little l

Up to this point I still have not properly defined liturgy. Before I appeal to a far more qualified individual for the definitive task, I must explain my first insight into the false liturgical & non-liturgical divide. If liturgy concerns the work of the people, a kind of public enactment of the Christian faith, then why must the defining features of liturgy include call & response, structured readings, incense, & robes? The answer is apparent: none of these things are essential features of Christian liturgy. So then I concluded that every church which involves a public form of structured worship is liturgical. One liturgy may include an opening collect written over 500 years ago; another may include the most popular Chris Tomlin song, announcements, two Hillsong songs, a bumper video, sermon, & a closing song. Both are liturgical. Therefore we err to divide churches into liturgical & non-liturgical, which may be why some use the terms 'high' & 'low' liturgy.

So, what is Christian liturgy? One of my priests, the very one who mentored & married my wife & I, once told me that the Liturgy is Christian worship. Liturgy with a capital 'L' is Christian worship, our enactment of the faith & offering to God. Liturgies, with a lowercase 'l', are the particular variations of this worship among churches & parishes. If my priest is correct, the divide between non-liturgical & liturgical churches completely falls apart, for then to be a non-liturgical church belongs in the same category as a non-feline lion or a Nickelback fan with discerned musical taste.

If the Liturgy is Christian worship, what distinguishes liturgies from one another? Why have I found a home in Anglicanism as opposed to another denomination? I believe there are two possible reasons for this. First, I know many Anglicans who joined their parishes because a 'high' liturgy is a better practice of Christianity. So, this first group finds in their particular denomination's way of liturgy a practical excellence when compared to other churches. I see a similar appeal across Christian denominations, especially in the rise of non-denominational churches where many aim to "do church well." Yet if we are not careful, we may fall into a kind of spiritual pragmatism which imposes a metric on the Liturgy for success & failure, skill & lack thereof.

The second reason concerns not only the wisdom of church practice, but also a particular view of the Church. In classical theological terms, this relates to a particular kind of ecclesiology. So, it is one thing to be an Anglican because their liturgy is a wonderful way to fulfill the Liturgy. It is another reason altogether because one identifies an ecclesiological necessity in Anglicanism not apparent in other denominations. For me, the liturgy of the Anglican tradition appeals & reaches back towards that of the historic Christian faith, finding its roots in church practice over the last 2,000 years. This is thus an enactment of the one, holy, catholic, & apostolic faith we confess. In addition, Anglican liturgy centers around two related movements: the Word & the Sacraments. The Sunday liturgy enacts the drawing near to God's presence through His Word, both in Scripture & in participation of Christ's incarnation. Then we respond in confession & the Sacrament of holy communion, not thought of only as a symbol which points to a deeper truth, but as an active sign which in some way participates in that which it points to. The Anglican path, from what I have seen, holds the historic practices of faith while presently enacting the wonderful gift to participate in the Word & Sacraments each Sunday, a communal enactment of the people of God as the pattern of our daily reality as members of the Kingdom of God.

Parish Life

In the end, I suppose it is fitting for a self-named spiritual mutt to find a home in the Anglican tradition. Each individual church is referred to as a parish. I recently learned that the word parish stems from the words for sojourner, a reminder that the life of the Church is one of sojourning in a foreign land, patiently anticipating the fullness of the Kingdom of God on earth. I have indeed journeyed from church to church, denomination to denomination. I am only beginning to understand the Liturgy as I consider the various liturgies I participated in. I count myself among a blessed company in the Anglican church, for here I have found the grace of God in the preaching of the Word & the Sacraments, a rich liturgy as a pattern for the true Liturgy of the Church.

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, & from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you & worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ our Lord.

Amen.