The Work of the People

In just under two weeks I, and nine others, will be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church at St. Barnabas. This will be the next step for me in a long journey as I searched for a community of people with whom to share life in Christ. The past few weeks we have been meeting for Episcopalian lessons, better known as confirmation classes. Last night we spent the entire two hour class going through, and celebrating, the Eucharistic Liturgy.
I want to share a bit about that.

Those of you who know me understand that I hold traditional liturgy in high esteem. Attending St. Barnabas was initially my attempt to find a liturgical church where I could fit in. I’m not entirely sure what was the draw to liturgy for me.
Was it the history of the tradition?
Perhaps, some.
Was it the ceremony and symbolism?
Yeah, probably.
Nothing really, though, stood out as my Must See Moment.

I have studied the liturgy ever since I was in seminary. I learned all about the theology behind the ceremonies. I delved into the history of the various actions and found out the reasons that certain words were used and when to use them.
As a student, I was enamored by all of these things.

That is, until last night.

Last night our priest walked us through the entire process from preparation and vestments all the way to the dismissal.
And, my eyes were opened to something that I had probably heard before. But, it had never really taken root in my heart.

Many people think that liturgy means some kind of ritual or tradition that people simply follow. However, the word “Liturgy” comes from the Greek word “leitourgia.” That word literally means “work of the people.” For the Liturgy truly is a group effort. It is not a spectator sport.

I saw during our class the substance behind the actions. These words, prayers, and actions were put into the Liturgy with Intent. They aren’t there just because some guy 5oo years ago thought it would be cool to bow here or cross yourself there. Each movement is a neatly choreographed piece of an intentionally constructed whole.

To be sure, the Liturgies that we now have are not prescribed by the Bible. The only parts of it that are found in Scripture are the Eucharist, which Jesus instituted, and Baptism. The prayers and readings and actions are extra-biblical and are not essential for either faith or salvation.
The Liturgy is, however, an effective help for the Church. It is a means by which a diverse group of people can gather with one voice and one objective.

The Liturgy is constructed in such a way that it focuses the intention of the community on the only worthy Object of our worship: God.
This isn’t a social gathering where we are obligated to maintain relationships with the other people.
It is far more significant than that.
We gather as a community for the expressed purpose of worshiping God: Father; Son; Holy Spirit.

I came out of a tradition that does things quite a bit differently.
In that tradition, the leaders were routinely called Shepherds. We, the faithful, were called the ‘flock,’ or ‘sheep.’ All apt metaphors found in the Bible.
But, therein also lies a distinction that many folks seem to overlook.
In my old tradition we were treated like sheep. We were herded into our sheep pen on Sundays where the shepherds would dutifully feed us whatever the sheep food of the week was.
The form that this took was, we got together to sing some songs so that we could feel good. Then, we got to sit and listen to a lecture telling us how to live and vote and stuff like that. All of this was done so that we could grow and mature as good church members.

Am I harsh? You bet. And, with good reasons. But, that’s a topic for another post.

The main difference that I see between these traditions is that the one from which I came out all of the emphasis was on Me. Was I fed? Did I get anything out of it? Was I touched by the Spirit? Me; My; Mine.
This could all be done in any motivational setting with similar results.
Were MY needs met?
Does this help ME grow as a person?

In a liturgical setting, like I mentioned above, the Only Object is God.
Everything about the Liturgy points to God. From start to finish; front to back, it’s all about God. Period.
Whereas the place I came from was always searching, searching to find a way to build Community, in the Liturgy we ARE community. We gather with one heart and one voice to come into the Presence of God and bow before the Divinity and Worship.

That’s it.

That’s plenty.

I have much to learn, yet, about the Liturgy and how it can be a real way to experience God’s Presence and Grace.
I have much to learn about how to set my intention, coordinated with the intentions of all who gather with me, on the only Object worthy of our Intention…God.