Paul writes – John Hebenton asks some good questions about liturgy, specifically Anglican liturgy as part of his learning in relation to some research on Anglican youth worship and the role of liturgy (for more see here).
He suggests that liturgy is intended:
1. To provide a framework to gather people, [to] tell the biblical story, and send people out to join with God in mission.
2. To provide a way to form the character of the whole community and the individuals involved to have an incarnational approach to God and mission. The heart of Anglican liturgical tradition is to meet a missional God and to be shaped and changed by that God so that we might become a people of mission.
Does that describe the “function” or “role” of (Anglican) liturgy? What else do you understand (Anglican) liturgy to be about? (Feel free to leave comment or comments below).
Re:mixing a quote from Craig Dykstra (from Len Hjalmarson – see here), good liturgy is, in part:
“…Not … [about] activities we do to make something spiritual happen in our lives. Nor [is it about] duties we undertake to be obedient to God. Rather, [good liturgy is concerned with] patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us. [It provides] places where the power of God is experienced…”
Certainly for me, the title of this post says a lot about how I understand good liturgy. Good (Anglican) liturgy gathers us, frees us, provokes us, focuses us, forms us, nourishes us, and sends us…
“Why” and “how” are the two questions I’d use to unpack that statement!
Leave comments too if you can offer books etc that have been useful to you in understanding liturgy, or that provide liturgy that you have or are finding helpful.
From a popular perspective and an Anglican author, the following is (by all accounts) likely to be a useful book to read:
“Beyond Smells & Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy”
By Mark Galli (Author) "THE LITURGY LIVES OUT A STORY IN A STORY-DEPRIVED WORLD..."
More academically, and from a Catholic perspective I’d include:
“Meeting Mystery: Liturgy, Worship and Sacraments” by Nathan D. Mitchell
“Living the Eucharist: Affirming Catholicism and the Liturgy” edited by Stephen Conway.
Also see "comments" on this post by Mark Berry:
http://markjberry.blogs.com/way_out_west/2008/09/liturgy.html
See also the "Pocket Liturgy" series published by PROOST
http://www.proost.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=28
Posted by: Paul Fromont | Tuesday, 09 September 2008 at 07:47 AM