Liturgy
The work of the people, the order of worship. The list of things that happen on a Sunday morning. Every church has a liturgy, some simply call it something else. Have you ever thought about what should be included in this list? What should not be included in this list? What does the Bible say about Christian worship? What elements have been included in that “list” since God’s people got together to worship Him in the time of Moses? David? Solomon? Nehemiah? Jesus? Peter? Paul? Augustine? Luther? Calvin? King James the First? John Wesley? Pretty much any Christian worship service until around 1900 when the revival meeting paradigm of preachers like Billy Sunday started to become adopted on Sunday morning, stripping the elements down to music, prayer and preaching. Up until then, there was more to it.
Are we starving our people? Are we careful to articulate the historical, Biblical faith? Are we providing every opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work through our services to build up the believers and reach out to the lost?
Something to Think About
In looking at the liturgies going all the way back through history, it seems to me that there are 15 essential components. 15 elements that have not only been included historically, but should be included for the ongoing health and foundation of any body of believers. I’m going to list them with a brief explanation, I’ll be interested in your comments.
15 Essential Elements:
1. Introit (entrance) - Opening song. Music helps draw us into an attitude of prayer and praise. (Psalm 100:4, Colossians 3:16)
2. Invocation - A call for God to be present with us, specifically the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt 28:19, 18:20, Eph 2:18) Side note: how long can a person attend your church before they know for sure that you believe in the Trinity?
3. Confession/Absolution - We acknowledge that in spite of our sins we are loved and accepted by God, in turn we love and accept each other. (John 1:8-10, Rom 7::14-8:4) We are reminded that if we confess our sins that God is faithful to forgive us and make us clean. (John 20:23) These are words of comfort and hope.
4. Praise songs, hymns, spiritual songs - We sing together as God’s people, thanking Him and giving Him honor. What we sing, we know and believe. Side note: What are we teaching our people through the songs we teach them?
5. Salutation - We greet one another.
6. Reading of Scripture - We are to devote ourselves to the public reading of the Bible, all of the Bible. Law, Prophets, Psalms, History, Gospels, Epistles, OT and NT. (1 Tim 4:13)
7. Hymn or Song of the Day - A song that is specifically tied into the day’s teaching and readings.
8. Sermon - The teaching and application of the scriptures. What God demands of us (Law) and what God does for us through Christ (Gospel).
9. The Creed - The people proclaim their confession of faith and belief with the words of the Nicene or Apostles Creed. (1 Cor 15:1, 1 Pet 3:18, 1 Tim 3:16)
10. Prayers of the People - A time for prayer requests, intercession, and thanksgiving for the congregation, community and nation as well as the whole church. (1 Tim 2:1-2)
11. Offering/Offertory - Gifts, tithes and offerings are a response to God’s blessings. (1 Cor 16:2, Ps 116:12, Ps 51)
12. The Lord’s Prayer - We say the prayer that our Lord taught us to pray. (Matt 6:9, Luke 11:2)
13. The Lord’s Supper - We received the grace and blessing of our Lord through the meal that He instituted on the night of His betrayal. It is a time of thanksgiving, remembrance and examination. (1 Cor 11:23-26, Matt 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20, John 1:29)
14. Benediction - The Aaronic blessing, given to Moses to be said to the people as they left worship, through Christ we have been blessed and now we are to be a blessing to the world as we go. (Numbers 6:23-27)
15. Baptism - Any reading of the Great Commission shows us that this is a vital work of the church.
AMEN
With God’s help and blessing we intend to make sure that these elements are included at CrossPoint on a weekly (or monthly) basis. We are asking Him to help us incorporate these important components in ways that are creative, missional, attractional, incarnational, and a natural out-flowing of the mission He has entrusted us with.What are your thoughts? Am I missing anything?
Discussion
- What elements do you think you should add to your church service?
- What elements are not needed?
August 17th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
nice work frank. liturgy in practice always seems to allow for laziness or lack of creativity. but in their essence they (the elements you describe) have nothing to do with style, only substance. bringing in additional (or emphasizing greater) elements Could actually allow for greater creativity and more depth.
Personally, I like the idea of rotating the emphasis on particular elements. In American churches we always emphasize the sermon, and once a month we emphasize communion. It would be interesting to think about what it would look like to alternate the focus on different elements
September 1st, 2009 at 5:17 pm
There is a certain comfort that comes from rituals, as I realized again while watching the funeral of Ted Kennedy the other day. I knew exactly what the priest was going to say, and there was a comfort in that. (I personally miss the offering of peace to one another, instead of just “salutations.”) People generally like to know what to expect, and when the unexpected comes along, it makes them uncomfortable.
That said, we don’t learn and grow from doing the same old thing all the time, and I think that that’s what refreshing about CrossPoint, and that comes through the music and the message. You don’t quite know what to expect, and that creates a sense of curiosity; “What’s the pastor going to say about —–?… How will this help us learn and grow?… How can we apply this to our lives? etc.”
I think a balance of comforting essential traditional elements (as you outlined) and contemporary original ones (even if they may be disconcerting at times) are what works for CrossPoint Community.