Recently a conversation has developed in a post from last fall, Vespers at the Orthodox Church, on the purpose of liturgy and worship. I know very little about liturgy and barely understand what I do know. So I want to ask some questions and relate a bit of my experience. These questions aren’t meant to condemn, just to relate my confusion. I would love to hear from those who do participate in and love liturgy. Here’s part of the recent conversation –
“I understand in theory how liturgy is meant to feed and fill worshipers”
But that’s just it — liturgy isn’t meant to do that. Expecting to be fed and filled is part of the consumerist mentality.
Liturgy is “the work of the people”. It’s not directed towards the people; it is done by the people, and directed towards God.
And that is the chief difference between liturgical worship and other kinds. Non-liturgical worship may directed towards the people, to instruct them, to edify them, or to entertain them. But liturgical worship is done by the people, and directed towards God. So it’s definitely not “seeker sensitive”.
Now I’ve confessed here before that I am a very low church mutt. I grew up not only thinking denominations were bad, but that Catholics and Orthodox weren’t really Christians. I didn’t even start attending “big church” until I was in 6th grade and instead spent the worship hour hearing stories told by puppets and singing songs with motions. My first liturgical experience was at a Vespers service at Westminster Abbey when I was 12. And, I kid you not, I spent the whole time thinking I was participating in idolatry because of all the kneeling.
At the same time I seriously can’t stand singing songs in church for worship. I liked it back in youth group days when that involved upbeat rhythms that prompted a somewhat uninhibited letting go of the self. But honestly there is much more a sense of that in pagany drum circles than in any church. And while in theory singing songs is a way to worship, thank, or praise God – I generally hear people mention how singing connects them with God. It is a personal relationship issue, using things they like to help them feel close to God.
So it is with this low church “worship as personal experience” lens that I look at liturgy. I know it’s technically the “work of the people” and like low-church worship theoretically directed to God, but I have a hard time really understanding that. In one sense I’m uncomfortable with the system having never participated long enough to become accustomed. Recitation, repetition, kneeling, standing, crossing oneself, putting to the same flat music any number of different hymns or verses – none of it seems done by me. Instead I feel directed to perform and scorned for not knowing the right steps. How exactly is it “my work”? Is it a ritual meant to be done by me but in spite of me?
But beyond my unfamiliarity, my underlying questions are what is the purpose of this work and why do those who abide by various forms of liturgy insist that theirs is the best (or only) way of doing church? I don’t understand how some 17th or 18th century program represents the highest calling of the people. How exactly does chanting verses fulfill our call to serve others? If it’s not meant to “feed” those doing it, how can it be for the benefit of others? Similarly I’ve had Catholics, Orthodox, and Presbyterians quite forcefully tell me how their formulation of the liturgy is the only real way to worship. To an outsider if often seems like they are insisting that the correct incantation and sequence of pew calisthenics is the magical formula that (abracadabra) creates worship. Or that God is too small to be found outside of whatever century’s chosen formulation they happen to settle upon.
So all that to say I’m confused about liturgy. I’m not one of those who want to push some crappy low church model instead, to me insisting on the rightness of any form seems culturally imperialistic and a far cry from worship. So I’m honestly asking those that participate in liturgy why. Why do you do it? How is it the work of the people? What is it’s purpose? Is it the only or best way?