The theme/question for this quarters CoCR by our host at The Cross Reference is:
I guess I’d be interested in hearing perspectives on what obstacles are presented by the varying liturgies (high/low, sacramental/non-sacramental, rubrical/freeform) and how they might be possible to overcome. I don’t necessarily want to get too doctrinal (although the law of prayer and the law of belief go hand-in-hand, as far as Catholics are concerned). And the issue of liturgical reform would be open for discussion as well.
Much of American worship experience when compared to that 5 or 10 centuries earlier is very much less liturgically and bound in ritual and movement than it was then. Charles Tayler in A Secular Age
I will admit up front, that I have always been part of a liturgical worship environment. I grew up in a Lutheran church … and have now ended in a Eastern Orthodox church, which is arguably about as “high” liturgical as you can get in the modern church. So I have a definite bias on the place of liturgy in worship. But, I’d like to pose a question for the non-liturgical church members.
One of the things liturgy and liturgical cycles are good for is memory. Passover and Pascha (Easter) are memories of two very significant events in the Hebrew and Christian churches. These are marked liturgically. The rest of the church year is marked out with a variety of other liturgical events … which in part are to help us remember and mark those as important. These can also mark other historical events. Recently, the church I attend has added to its liturgical calendar a service to remember 9/11. Americans remember July 4th and certain other Presidential holidays. We remember Pearl Harbor a lot less well. Why? Because, there is no secular “holiday” or secular liturgical event (if you will) to mark that day. 9/11 currently also has no such secular liturgy remembering that day. In 50-75 years in the absence of such a marking, like Pearl Harbor, 9/11 will fade from our public consciousness. The point is, liturgy and ritual make a connection not just in our mind, but in our whole being, our nous if you will, between us and events which we … as a church, find significant.
My question is how do you non-liturgical churches hold precious and fast to the important events in Church history in the absence of liturgical remembrance?
Well, I guess it depends on what you mean.
My church is a part of the Conservative Baptist denomination, which is about as close to being independent as you can be without actually refusing to associate with others.
I would argue that we’re pretty much non-liturgical, but we do have our particular things that get mentioned. Obviously, we celebrate Communion, we baptize new believers, we take note of Christmas and Easter and such.
While we don’t, in the strictest sense, have a special liturgy for Passover or anything else, we can still talk about them in our small groups, the pastor might well preach about it, or someone else might teach/talk about/who knows what else in some other point during a service.
To use a comparison … the town fireworks celebration is a great way to be reminded about the meaning of Independence Day. However, if you were in a town that didn’t do anything, you could still talk about it in your family, watch a movie, read things, or whatever else. It might not be the same thing your neighbors do (they watched the musical “1776″ and then took turns reading paragraphs of the Declaration itself), but it’s still remembering it. Since you or they might not do the same thing next year, it isn’t really a set ritual, it’s just what you’re doing this year.
I’m not sure how good an answer this is. For my excuse, refer to the Christian Carnival (think cotton).
By the way, thanks for participating in the Christian Carnival.
I attend a “Foursquare” denomination church. Before that we went to a Nazarene church for a short period. It seems that Passover is noticed/celebrated more all the time in non-liturgical type churches. Usually with a separate dinner/explanation occasion, which is very meaningful for Christians. Rather than a brief observance on Sunday that is. I think it’s a good thing for churches to incorporate a learning experience with regard to the various special days in our Christian calendar.
Interesting. Having recently moved from a non-liturgical to a liturgical tradition, I have to say I had absolutely no knowledge or memory of church history before entering into a Liturgy. So I think you have a very good point.
Claudia,
I’ve a question for you (if you’re subscribed to comments by RSS or email or are checking back).
When you say
Do you mean that they are celebrating Holy week, i.e., services Monday-Saturday marking the passage to Pacha (Easter in the West)? Or do they celebrate a Jewish Seder meal with explanations of the symbolism and actions in that meal?