What does “liturgical worship” mean? (continued)

Worship FAQs, part 6 (continued) – What does “liturgical worship” mean?

“Liturgies” in the sense of orders of worship ensure that the priests in the pews are actively involved in many aspects of worship: confessing sins, praying, speaking and singing the truths of God’s Word in praise to the Triune God, responding to God’s Word and Sacraments in praise and thanksgiving, encouraging the other worshipers, participating in the precious Sacraments, responding to God’s gifts with offerings of our own, and so on. “Liturgies” ensure that the focus of our worship services always remains on God, on his saving acts, and on his precious Word and Sacraments. “Liturgies” set the pattern for the Christian life: first receiving from God his precious gifts through Word and Sacrament, and then responding to God with our whole lives and everything we possess. “Liturgies” ensure that the basic truths of the Christian faith are reviewed and renewed regularly, both for those of us who so quickly forget and also for those who are entirely new to the Christian faith.

One of the “liturgies” commonly used in liturgical worship has earned the title of “The Liturgy.” “The Liturgy” is a particular pattern for worship that has its foundations in the worship of the early Christians, which in turn had its foundations in the worship of God’s Old Testament people and in the upper room of Jesus’ Last Supper. “The Liturgy” as we use it most often in my church body, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), is found on page 15 in the front part of our hymnal, where we call it the “Common Service” with Communion. It is found in many forms in many books across "liturgical" denominations. God’s people throughout the ages have found this particular pattern of worship to be useful and beneficial. In it we find vivid reminders of who God is and what he does, as well as who we are, what we need, and how we get it. Worship planners often insert “new” versions of parts of the liturgy, such as new musical arrangements of some of the songs. The basic pattern for worship in “The Liturgy,” though, still echoes what those brothers and sisters of ours in the early Christian church thought would best fit the Gospel message and Sacraments we so treasure in our worship.

Does God command that we use “liturgies” or “The Liturgy” in our “liturgical” (work of the people) worship? No. Have liturgies, especially “The Liturgy,” served the Church well for almost two thousand years? Yes. Do these historical patterns for worship still serve the Christian Church well today? Yes, they do. They help keep the focus where it belongs, and they help keep the priests in the pews active in their priesthood. In our liturgies, God comes to us and the liturgy (work of the people) goes on!