|
Toward A Postmodern Liturgy |
|
|
|
|
Written by Frank Emanuel
|
|
Sunday, 23 November 2008 |
Frank Emanuel welcomes us to "try new things" with "old things" in worship.
About six years ago my journey tookone of those twists that leads into uncharted territory. At a NaturalChurch Development conference, Christian Schwarz challenged me to seethe need for balance between the Evangelical, Charismatic andTraditional Christian influences in my life. After having been aVineyard pastor, Pentecostal preacher, and since moving to work withthe Convention Baptists, I needed something traditional to round myexperience out. That was when God opened the doors for me to study atSt. Paul University. St. Paul is primarily a Roman Catholicinstitution, but inside there is a wonderful diversity of Christianexpressions. It was there that I also made a profound discovery:liturgy, that thing I dreaded and made fun of, was not at all what Ithought it was.
We All Do It
For most of us, the word liturgy evokes images of robes and ritualswell beyond our mere mortal understanding. Some might even think thatliturgy is the ball and chain that keeps the Church from reallyfulfilling the mission Jesus gave us -- to make disciples. In reality,liturgy is exactly the opposite. Liturgy is the structure through whichour communities encounter the Living God. Liturgy is the plans we makeand the procedures we take to prepare a service that insures a solidconnection with God, each other and the family of faith. Even though wemight be uncomfortable with the term, liturgy is what all of us do whenwe come together in a corporate setting to worship God.
The Goal Of Good Liturgy
The goal of good liturgy is to create a safe space where creativity andspontaneity can be effectively released. Really. Worship leaders knowthat there is a rapport or trust that exists between them and thecongregation. For the congregation this trust means that they feel theleader is going in the direction they want to go, and for the worshipleader it means that these people are willing to follow provided theleader does not veer off that course too wildly. The liturgy does forthe whole service what a good worship leader does: maintains that trustand taking the congregation into the presence of God. The liturgy notonly gives the congregation a structure to trust, but it also allows usto create spaces for spontaneity and creativity that the congregationcan embrace.
Structure That Serves
If good liturgy is such a key part of great church, then it is veryimportant that we examine our liturgical structures. Gary Best oftenreminds the Vineyard churches in Canada that structures must serve thecommunity -- not the other way around. We have the opportunity to tweakand enhance the service so that our community can grow deeper in itsexperience with God. This adaptability is what keeps church life freshand relevant, and able to actually fulfill the mission Jesus left uswith.
In our community we have experimented with liturgical forms. Our goalis always to find the appropriate liturgy for each service or smallgroup we run. If this talk about liturgy has inspired you, then I willshare some of the practical tips we have learned along the way:
1) Do Not Be Afraid Of Diversity
Every community is different, and this is a very good thing. The trickhere is not to try to come up with all the differences yourself, but tolet each group within your community find ways to express its own voicein worship. It is comforting to know that in the very early Churchthere was a great deal of liturgical diversity. For the liturgy toserve the community it has to be the liturgy that your community reallywants to participate in.
2) Find Community Affinity
Discovering the unique voice of worship for a community isexciting. In our community, a number of people have Roman Catholic andother traditional backgrounds. Borrowing elements from the Romanliturgy connects them to the things they appreciate about their past.There are great elements in all Christian traditions, but the ones thatwill resonate the strongest are those that have played a significantrole in the community’s spiritual formation.
3) Be Lifelong Learners
During the early 1800s a number of monks began digging into earlyChurch liturgy. They made many wonderful discoveries, including arediscovery of the Gregorian chant. This investigation sparkedwidespread liturgical reform, which is a dry way of saying that theChurch recaptured its fire. Digging into Church history you findancient expressions just longing for an opportunity to enhance yourcommunity’s worship. These treasures not only breathe new life into ourworship services, they also provide us with a profound sense ofconnection to those who have gone on ahead of us.
4) Unabashedly Adapt Other’s Ideas
Liturgy arises in unique historical settings, so trying to reproducewhat was done in the past is rarely authentic. Throughout history, theChurch has re-adapted spiritual and liturgical practices to newsettings, breathing fresh life into Christian worship. Many in ourcommunity really connect with Celtic spirituality. By taking elementsof Celtic spirituality, such as ancient prayers and blessings, andintegrating them into our liturgy, we enhance our voice of worship. Wealso encourage those having an affinity to Celtic expressions tocontinue them in their private worship.
5) Enjoy the Journey, Even the Failures
Developing good liturgy takes time. Do not be afraid of coming tochurch or small group with a great new idea only to receive stares ofdisbelief. Although it might feel awkward at first, the reality is thatthere will be times when you will hit on just that right note, wherethe community really gets it and is drawn deeper into their love affairwith Jesus. Change is a gradual process to be taken with great care andpatience. Remember that liturgy is the structure of our worship;drastically changing this structure will unnerve most of your people.When we began working with our communion service, it took a year beforethings were significantly different, but at that point, it was hard toimagine doing communion any other way.
In The Spirit Of Exploration
I hope that I have succeeded in encouraging you to explore thepossibilities, or at the very least, given you a new appreciation forthe term liturgy. As we grow in our relationship with God, we also growin our relationships with each other. When we try new things, evenancient things, we stand in the tradition of those who started thiswhole thing we call the Church. Let us never cease to dream of morewhen we come together to worship.
|
