Liturgy is Work

One misconception about liturgy is that it is mindless reciting of stuff --- putting the mind on hold and letting the mouth run. The word "liturgy" comes from a Greek word meaning both "form" and "work of the people". We approach our liturgical service as something that involves everyone, not just a few knowledgeable souls. We welcome your participation.

The Act of Worship

Our worship is active and congregational. Our parishes use the Book of Common Prayer, which enables the parish to fully share and participate in each service.

A simple rule in our liturgical service is : You stand to sing. You stand to affirm your faith (the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds), and you stand to be exhorted (when you hear the words "Dearly beloved...")

We sit to hear instruction. So, we sit during the Lessons from the Bible, and also during the Homily or Sermon.

We kneel when praying as a sign of both humility and thanksgiving in speaking to the King, our Father. Some people have physical difficulties kneeling, and they should be comfortable sitting, though we ask that they sit forward allowing for those kneeling behind them.

The procession at the beginning of the service is symbolic of our entrance into God's throne-room. Our model is heaven, and the worship service going on there right now.

You will see some bow as the cross passes by. This and other liturgical gestures are not mandatory, but serve to remind the worshipper of their respect for the symbol of their faith.

The Language of Worship

You will find the language of the Prayer Book to be formal, perhaps antiquated. it was done so with a purpose, and was antiquated in some ways when it was first published in 1549. It is a courtly language. The language is formal because we understand worship as being taken up into the throne-room of God, and presenting ourselves to Him.

We are familiar with formal language and structure in our military. The troops march to a cadence chanted by the sergeant, there are uniforms that tell a great deal about the person's place in the service, there is a protocol in addressing one another. There are even gestures, like the salute, as a symbol of respect and office.

It takes time and practice to feel at ease with the service. All of us around you went through the same process. Please don't let the unfamiliar discourage your involvement.

These are words no longer in regular use that appear in our Prayer Book. So that everyone can comfortably understand we offer this short list...

vouchsafe    graciously grant
unfeignedly    sincerely, genuinely
sundry        various, numerous
dissemble     hide, a false appearance
oblation    offering, sacrifice
inestimable    beyond measure
propitiation     appeasing wrath


Other Helps for the Service

We are interested in you and your participation with us in worship. To that end, here are a few helps...

• Pray in a manner comfortable to you. Some people are most comfortable closing their eyes to pray.  That is OK; you need not keep your eyes open just because the prayers are written.

• Spend some time becoming familiar with the prayers and confessions of the Prayer Book. The more you grasp the words, the more free you are from distraction. Questions about the content of the prayers are good and important, and should be answered. This is a case where familiarity will breed appreciation and comfort.

• Also, try to learn some of the rich, devout history of liturgical worship -- from the times of ancient Israel through the Apostolic Church, to St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Thomas Cranmer, to modern-day figures like C.S. Lewis, Joni Eareckson Tada, to J.I. Packer and Alister McGrath.

• Know that the liturgy can stand by itself, and is at least as important as the sermon. Due to these godly prayers, hymns, and the spoken Word, one has the liberty to come to worship in spirit and truth every time, even if the sermon is not considered "the best" to one person or another.

• Regarding the collective recitation of the Psalms, confessions, and Creeds, consider them as a type of music offered to God. We speak the words in unison when we sing our hymns to God; it need not be any less meaningful or devout to jointly address the Holy Trinity without background instrumental music.

• Likewise, know what worship is meant to be participatory and not entertainment. This is our opportunity to ascribe to God the glory due his Name. We do not accomplish this as individuals but as a body, an organic whole, joing with Christians all over the world, and those in heaven from all of history, along with the angels and archangels.

• Also, know that the Prayer Book is meant to help maximize both the breadth and depth of biblical worship. It is not to be confused with Holy Scripture, or seen as a substitute for it. It is, however, a means of organizing workship around as much Scripture as possible. Fully 80% of the Prayer Book is either drawn directly from the Bible, or a clear allusion to it. Few traditions offer such a pervasive and extensive presence of the Bible throughout thier public worship.