Daniel R. Hyde |

Reformed Catholic Theology

Good Liturgy is the Best Instructor

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Repetition is the mother of skills. I learned this maxim the hard way. I gathered with others every morning at 6:00am to train the summer before I went off to play college basketball. This included physical and mental repetition. I can still hear my trainer’s deep Samoan voice: “Repetition is the mother of…” Running lines, squatting against walls, and defensive slides, however, couldn’t stop us from responding: “Skills!” Thus, even in life, good liturgy is the best instructor.

To become skillful in any aspect of life means repetition. For example, I wasn’t born a good husband or father; it takes (present tense) practice over time. This means a good husband repeatedly hugs and kisses his wife before they part, reunite, and before bed. Marriage experts would point out the monotony is healthy.

When it comes to religion, however, we Americanized Christians don’t want repetition. Again and again (how ironic!) I hear that repetition is dead, spontaneity is good. In other words, forms of worship quench the Spirit while laid back services are “Spirit-led.”

It’s my settled conviction, then, that well-thought out, good liturgy is the best instructor weekly I can offer my people. First, good liturgy transcends our particular feelings. It leads us to experience the historic Faith with all people in all places. Second, good liturgy leads us into God’s presence every week to hear his Word and respond in gratitude.

Defining a Couple Terms

In explaining why good liturgy is the best instructor, let me first define a couple terms.

Liturgy

In the first place, “liturgy” is the order, acts, words, and ceremonies in public Christian worship. Let me assure you, however, “liturgy” is no four-letter word. On the contrary, it comes from an ancient Greek word, leitourgia. This word generally means “service,” but specifically religious service.

As I’ve written elsewhere, every church, therefore, is liturgical and uses a liturgy. In other words, liturgy isn’t just something dead traditional churches use. “Liturgy” happens in every worship service in the world. This is true whether a particular congregation has a more structured or loose service. There’s a liturgy even if it isn’t printed out and followed. “But we just wanna worship in the Spirit,” some say. This, too, follows a predictable pattern the praise team planned ahead of time.

Catechism

In addition, good liturgy is the best instructor because it’s a “catechism.” What does that mean? Catechism is the method of instruction in which a teacher asks a question and a student responds with an answer. We often call this “the Socratic Method.” It’s part of “the lost tools of learning” according to Dorothy Sayers. “Catechism” is also a Bible word. The verb katēcheō occurs eight times in the New Testament. It’s a compound from kata, “down,” and ēcheō, “sound;” thus, “I sound down.”

How the Liturgy Acts as the Best Instructor

Instruction via Life

Life skills are learned by repetition. Repetitiveness is a virtue, not a vice. For example, cognitive psychology has been applied to mathematics instruction. Research shows it takes a student at least twenty-four sessions of practice to have 80% competence in a math skill. This is why Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock say: “learning new content, then, does not happen quickly. It requires practice spread out over time” (Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, 2001).

Instruction via Worship

Likewise with worship. The liturgy should be heard from cradle to grave. In times of joy: “praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Also in sorrow: “our Father, who art in heaven.” A friend asks what you believe: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty.” When you sin: “Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us.” Depressed about worldwide Christian persecution? “He shall come again, with glory, to judge the living and the dead.” The very words we need in need are available because of the liturgy.

That we learn from a church’s liturgy is indisputable. The question is what? All churches have a liturgy, not all churches have a good one. Biblically-sound, good liturgy is the best instructor of God’s people in the theology of God’s Word. Unsound liturgy reinforces bad theology. For example, here’s the liturgy the church I attended in college used:

Welcome

Praise & Worship (30 minutes; led by the “worship team”)

Announcements

Sermon

Offering

Blessing

What does this teach? That we come to offer praise to God (singing). Worship is about communal activities (announcements). Then we come to learn about God—more likely how to make our lives better (sermon). We come to give financially (offering). Finally, God blesses us (blessing). In sum, this liturgy teaches that Christianity is about us and our needs. This liturgy catechizes us saying God needs us and he meets our needs. Don’t believe me? Think back to the last time you left church and thought, “What did get out of church today?”

Essential Principles of a Good Liturgy

On the other hand, if good liturgy is the best instructor, what’s a good one? It should teach who God truly? Let’s begin with two overarching principles.

Good liturgy includes the corporate participation of all in the church, children and adults

In The Nursery of the Holy Spirit, I wrote that liturgical worship activates participation. Children can hear, learn, and join in even before they read. A four-year old child can recite the Apostles’ Creed with an eighty-four year old as part of the church universal. Christianity is not a religion of adults for adults but a covenantal religion. Children are just as much members of the covenant people as adults. God once said he made his covenant “between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations” (Gen. 17:7). Jesus said: “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). Paul described children of just one believing parent as “holy” (1 Cor. 7:14).

Good liturgy catechizes us to be in unity with the church of all ages

We also need to repent of chronological arrogance. Jesus’ Church has been around for thousands of years; we didn’t invent its worship. When we sing the Psalms we join the faithful longing for their Messiah 3,000 years ago. When using a pattern of Word and Sacrament, we join the earliest New Testament believers 2,000 years ago (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11) and the faithful such as Justin Martyr (ca. 150). When we recite the creeds, we join orthodox Christians for the past 1,500+ years. In singing Gloria Patri we sing an ancient song from the second-century. We pray with third-century Christians, “Lord have mercy on us, Christ have mercy on us, Lord have mercy on us.”

Specific Elements of a Good Liturgy

To clarify with specifics, what should a good liturgy include? Since good liturgy is the best instructor, what does it teach us about God, ourselves, and our worship of him?

God calls us into his presence

Good liturgy begins with God. Through reciting of Scripture up front, God calls us to approach his throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). The “call to worship” teaches us that God initiates a relationship with us. He reminds, even confronts, us each week that we enter his holy presence. He invites us not because we’re worthy or he needs us. Instead, he invites us in gracious condescension to sinners like you and me.

Confession and absolution

God graciously welcomes us into his presence. At the same time we need to remember that we’re entering the presence of him who’s “consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). He’s holy and we’re still sinful. Hearing weekly his righteous laws leads us to confess our sins. This culminates when we receive the promise that Jesus met the demands of God’s law. That’s the “gospel” (good news). Participating in this kind of liturgy teaches us that we didn’t save ourselves; we still can’t. By nature we want to help ourselves. That’s why we need a good liturgy of law and gospel. The liturgy won’t allow us even a nibble of the “turkish delight” of self-help. Therefore, good liturgy is the best instructor. How? It strips naked what we want and gives us what God says we need.

Recitation of God’s mighty acts

Consequently, as God’s redeemed and forgiven people, good liturgy leads us in grateful response. We declare what God did for us in singing. This is why historic Christian worship primarily sings Old Testament Psalms. The Psalms tell back to God his own deeds. In addition, we declare his marvelous acts to one another and unbelievers (e.g., Pss. 66, 78, 96, 98, 136).

Hearing God’s word

Above all, the centerpiece of good liturgy is actively hearing God speak in and through his Word. We hear from the Old Testament God’s wonderful promises of a coming Savior. We hear from the New the fulfillment in sending the Son. This teaches us that Jesus—not ourselves—is to the One to whom we look for redemption. In fact, we hear his Word throughout the liturgy.

Seeing God’s word

After hearing the Word, we see, touch, smell, and taste God’s promises in the Lord’s Supper. The Supper is “the visible Word” (Augustine). Christian worship follows the general pattern of Israel’s sacrifices: drawing near, confessing sins, then enjoying a communal meal with God. The is the purpose of the Supper is a communal meal upon Christ and all his benefits. Good liturgy, therefore, teaches this meal is so much more than a mere remembrance. It’s a sacrament, that is, participation in a divine mystery. The ancient sursum corda (“lift up your hearts…we lift them up to the Lord”) continues to be at the heart of Holy Communion, therefore.

Prayers for the people of God

Good liturgy emphasizes prayer. The petitions of the Lord’s Prayer provide everything from adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. Since prayer is “the chief part of thankfulness” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 116), a prayerful liturgy teaches that the Lord is the object of worship. It’s not about us, in other words!

God’s benediction

Finally, just as the first word of worship was God’s, he gets the last word. He sends us out with his blessing or benediction. Our weekly lives culminate in the public gathering of worship. Our worship culminates in sending out to serve. It teaches that we’re to be salt and light in the world in God’s strength.

Application For Ministers and Congregations

Transitioning from the principle (good liturgy is the best instructor), how do I and/or my congregation put this into practice? Especially of note, what if your church doesn’t use an historic Reformation liturgy? Let me offer a couple suggestions.

Don’t be ashamed of using set forms of worship

First, against overly strict versions of Puritanism, set forms aren’t bad nor binding on your conscience if the form is biblical. For example, track down all the biblical citations and allusions in the opening “general confession” of classic Book of Common Prayer. Similarly, contrary to revivalism, set forms actually communicate to the unbeliever what you believe. They also teach why they need to believe it. Versus pietism, set forms don’t quench the Spirit in “dead orthodoxy;” the Spirit uses them through the ages to communicate his voice to the Church.

“But don’t set forms of worship lead to boredom and a lack of enthusiasm?” Scripture-saturated worship isn’t the problem; we are! God chastised ancient Israel for drawing near with lips and not heart (Isa. 29:13). They said the right liturgical words but their hearts weren’t in it.

Let me illustrate. In my first year of church planting I changed parts of the liturgy almost every week. Then a father of two young daughters approached me. I confused them, lost them, and kept them from participating. Why? Because they didn’t know what would happen week-by-week. I was ashamed of utilizing the same set form every week. What I learned, though, is good liturgy actually equips us and our children to participate with understanding and passion. Good liturgy is the best instructor.

Teach your people why you’re using a liturgy and its meaning

Second, whatever your “order of worship,” highlight various aspects of it in sermons and Christian education. Link your theology to your liturgy. This is natural and necessary. For example, preaching on Psalm 51 is an opportunity to speak of the need for the Law, confession, and absolution. Imagine a Sunday school on Peter’s confession of Christ in Matthew 16. What better time to speak about why we recite creeds? Teach your people that good liturgy is the best instructor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, repetition is the mother of skills. Evangelical Christians needs to learn for worship. Learning takes time. Yet the reward is a worshipping congregation. Consider what you and your congregation will say in any circumstance of life. Did your church’s liturgy methodically teach good theology over the years? Those children you see on Sundays one day will be your leaders. What did you teach them? We’re never too young or too old to learn through weekly worship the Bible’s theology.

Good liturgy is the best instructor.

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