Why An Historic and Structured Liturgy?

Please forgive the very rough and cursory nature of the notes which follow, but they summarize a few fundamental thoughts we must keep in mind as we make decisions and commitments regarding our Lord's Day worship.

Blessings,

Fr. Wayne

Four Negative Trends to Overcome

1. Post-Modernism – No view is essentially right or wrong, people create their own realities which may coincide with the realities of others or not. No moral absolutes, no right way to do things.

2. Greek Thinking – The Acropolis: Architecture skewed to look right for the individual. Focus was on the individual and his perception/experience.

3. The Tragedy of the Reformation - Elimination or destruction of beauty, ceremony, and structured liturgy because of its association with bad doctrine and practice.

4. Our Own History and Experience – Shaped by the spirit of the age.

“Traditional” Charismatic vs. Biblical Patterns

1. God visits whom He wills, when He will, and how He wills. We cannot manufacture His presence or His gifts.
2. When we approach God we must do so on His terms.
3. Kings do not come when beckoned by their subjects. We go to Him because He calls us.
4. Kings are not visited according to whimsical patterns established by their subjects.
5. Structured liturgy follows biblical patterns for the ascension rather than trying to “bring God down”.
6. When the Church goes up to God, she enters the presence of God rather than God entering the presence of man. Man goes to God at His invitation.
7. Spontaneity is not the “ultimate” value of good Lord’s Day worship.

John 4:21-24

1. Worshiping in “spirit and in truth”. The question of the woman at the well is one having to do with the location or geography, it is “where” not “how”.
2. It means to worship in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit brings heaven to earth and us to heaven.
3. We enter mystically into the eternal worship of God around the Lamb’s throne.
4. In the environment of the Spirit around the throne of Christ we encounter Him in the Word and the Sacraments.
5. “In truth” means to worship Him according to the God’s patterns prescribed in Scripture.

What is Liturgy?

1. Liturgy organizes the people of God in worship.

We gather in order to meet with Him – together. The people of God, God’s royal priests, assemble in one place and are organized and worship is done in unity. It enables us to fulfill our biblical obligations of worship (covenant renewal, prayer, etc.).

2. Liturgy is the ministry, service, and work of the people.

Worship may serve many purposes in the life of the worshiper: spiritual development, the cultivation of Christian graces, deepening of the understanding, emotional release or catharsis, healing of wounds through the touch of the Divine, mystical experience of His presence, deeply felt communion with God, bring us to a place of great thankfulness and rejoicing in His presence as individuals and corporately. However, these things all focus on the worshiper and his experience. Genuine biblical worship always focuses on the One who is worshipped. God established and originated the concept of worship. God is the One to be worshiped. He is worshiped through the Person of Jesus Christ. We may or may not have some the experiences. The most important consideration is not, “What was my experience?” but rather, “Did I worship God acceptably?”

3. Liturgy should reflect the patterns of worship given us in Scripture.
   As the originator of and the focus of our worship God has established the only acceptable pattern for worship and the only one we may use. It is presumptuous to assume one can originate a more suitable pattern than God; in fact, it is dangerous because man-made patterns for worship will inevitably distract from worship’s true focus, our Trinitarian God.

4. Biblical liturgy is an ascension into heaven.

           God calls us and we gather.
           Liturgy Word and Response
           Ascension (Lift up your hearts)
           Holy Communion
           Descend and Dismiss for Service

5. Biblical liturgy leads us in an affirmation of our creaturehood. Hungry, thirsty, man receives life from God and gives it back to Him. Individual and corporate aspects. It is an opportunity to offer great thanks for who God is and all of the benefits we have received from Him.

6. Biblical liturgy is a response to saving events. Humility, repentance, thanksgiving, joy.

7. Biblical liturgy prepares us for witness. He calls us and we come to Him. He restores us and glorifies us. He speaks to us. He feeds us. He commissions us and sends us into the world to die and live for the life of the world.

8. Biblical liturgy is the re-enthronment of Christ as King.

9. Biblical liturgy enhances our sense of the numinous. When the Lord is encountered in glory (mass, weight, heaviness) and majesty (highness, beauty, brilliance, splendor) – high, holy, and lifted up- the worshiper is filled with a sense of awe and experience abandonment of self in the divine presence. The Holy One is beyond comprehension and our relationship transcends our language, symbols, or concepts.

Why Structured Liturgy?

10. Liturgy employs biblical pedagogy/method. In order to teach Israel God structured life and time with liturgy. It takes into account the forgetfulness of the human heart and the need to impress the human soul again and again with foundational and ultimate truths. It takes into account the waywardness of the human spirit and redirects the man into a biblical manner of worship for the rest of life.

11. Liturgy is a microchron - a miniature of redemptive history. Re-represents God's work in history, sets our current direction, and states His plans for the future. It is a reenactment and a promise. The rhythms of life are reflected in liturgy (day, week, months?, year)

12. Liturgy is a worldview - lex orandi, lex credendi – the rule/law of worship leads to the law/rule of faith. In other words, our actions in worship determine what we believe and by extension, how we live. Worship contextualizes life for us.

14. Liturgy is a blueprint for establishing a biblical worldview. It provides a foundation for cultural transformation. Renewed humanity, in right relationship with God, rightly governed by Him, committed to serving and obeying God in everything, will be blessed of God with life, wisdom, and influence. Christ is enthroned as King, and His rule is more thoroughly extended into our heats and lives, and we extend that rule into the spheres of activity He has given us. God’s people should be distinct in worship, government, and culture.

15. Liturgy is discipleship. It disciples us in Kingdome patterns. The language reinforces biblical thoughts. The motions of thought and body in worship fix and direct our thinking about God, sin, covenant, mercy and forgiveness, death, the church, government, suffering, the faith once delivered to the saints, thanksgiving, betrothal (bride), and corporeity (body), unity, and eschatology, eternity.

Enjoying a Structured Service

16. Liturgy is (like) a dance. Learning to dance takes great attention and effort, you are clumsy with the moves, you must stop and think about what is next, where to step and how to move. Once it becomes "second nature" to you, you are able to enjoy the music, the rhythm, and the pleasure of dancing with your spouse.
17. Liturgy provides us with doorways to walk through, portals through which to see the richness of God, His truth, His redemptive work, and a biblical faith.

18. Worship should be filled with Beauty, Symbol, and Ceremony.

A. He willsH Whose house are we going to?

B. Beauty should surround our worship of the Lord, our King.

1. God is a God of glory and beauty.
2. God indicates in the Bible that His house is to be glorious and beautiful, and
3. In the Scriptures, the worship of God is surrounded by artistic beauty.
4. God has made us to appreciate glory and beauty.
5. The courts of kings are always beautiful.
6. Re-enthronement of Christ the King.

Symbolism

1. The God of Symbol

2. Language is Symbol

3. Symbols Aid our Worship

4. Biblical worship is filled with symbols and symbolism

5. Symbols are never a substitute or replacement for the truth they symbolize.
   However, this is not an excuse to do away with, or neglect the use of symbols. When properly used, symbols (as representations) serve to remind us of a reality (a requirement, necessity, or truth).

Worshiping God with Our Whole Being

• Hearing

1. God speaks, we respond
2. Worshiper's voices – Prayers, Scripture readings, teaching/preaching, responsive readings, affirmations, shouts.
3. Music – Instruments and songs, chants, singing.

• Sight

1. Reading Scripture, songs, creed prayers, confessions
2. Our Dress
3. Vestments
4. Appearance of worship environment. Architecture reflects our ideas of worship

- Sanctuary design and seating arrangement

- Placement of Doorways, aisles.

1. Arrangement of Furniture – podium, pulpit, communion table, baptismal font
2. Art and design – light, color, banners, table and podium covers

• Touch, Taste, Smell

1. Kiss of peace
2. Laying on of hands
3. Anointing with oil
4. Elements of the Lord’s Supper (touch, taste, and smell)
5. Incense (Malachi 1:11; Luke 1:8,9; Revelation 8:3,4)

• Ancient-Future Faith

The Foundations laid in the past are ancient, tried, and true. The issue of using a structured liturgy has never been the problem with denominations being dead or apostate. Bad theology and bad practice lead the way. The traditional liturgy of the Church remains a beautiful and incredibly effective means transmitting kingdom ideas and biblical culture to future generations. The liturgy used throughout the Church's history has served her well. The world has seen the spread of Christianity into most of the world during this time.