Saturday, October 13, 2012

Liturgy: Not just a book



In the book, New Creation: A Liturgical Worldview, Frank Senn discusses the comprehensive scope of liturgy and what it generates when routinely imbibed:
When one speaks… of the Roman rite or the Byzantine rite orthe Lutheran rite, one means the whole way in which these communities of faithinitiate and form members, choose leaders and exercise roles in the assembly,care for their members in crisis situations and reach out to non-members, andreact to the crises that constantly affect the community as a result of itshistorical journey. Liturgy understood as ritein this sense is not just a particular order of worship or a system of rubrics.It is not just a book. …When liturgy is consistently and routinely done, itgenerates its own way of life, its own culture, which may be critical of thecultures of this world, but is not itself uncultural. Nor are the people whoconstitute the assembly called out of the world unearthly, disembodied spirits.They are cultural beings who bring their cultural expressions and practices tothe assembly with them. However, these expressions and practices aretransformed by their use in the liturgy.1

Understanding Christian liturgy as a rite in this sense, how important is liturgy to you?

Should it be more important than it currently is in your life?


1.  Frank C. Senn, NewCreation: A Liturgical Worldview [Fortress Press: Minneapolis, MN; 2000] p.8

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