What is Anglicanism: The Liturgy article 6 of 12

During the upheaval of the Reformation, Anglicanism was shaped heavily under the reign of Elizabeth I.  Known as the Elizabethan Settlement, the queen’s parliament passed acts controlling the role of government in church matters and the uniformity of worship for the church.  The former subsequently failed under various successive monarchs while the latter still exists in theory today with the use of the Book of Common Prayer.  What the queen was striving for at the time was outward visible unity of worship without delving into conformity of belief.  This was in a context in which the church and state in England was greatly divided between Roman Catholic and Reform Protestant thought.  It’s important to understand that at that point in history, the idea that there could be more than one church was inconceivable.  This resulted in strenuous efforts to hold competing ideologies together under one roof.

The Book of Common Prayer establishes that unity-of-worship within the church so that wherever one goes to worship, he or she can participate in the liturgy.  Liturgy is taken from a Greek compound word (ergos+laos) which means “The Work of the People.” 

Before I write about what liturgy is, it’s important to understand what it ought not to be.  Liturgy can easily become rote.  We can fall into the rut of going through the motions without it having any meaning.  We can worship the liturgy itself instead of the God that it is directed toward.  We see this happen when change is made to the liturgy and people become up-in-arms.  It must be made clear that the liturgy is there to provide us with a way to worship God corporately (together), as opposed to individually.  It is the means to God and not the end itself.

When liturgy works well it impacts the spiritual growth of a person and it connects people to God.  The shape of the service did not just happen by accident.  Consider the Sunday liturgy: The entry into worship with processions (coming into God’s presence), the reading of Scripture (God speaking to us) our responses in prayers and declarations of faith and trust in God, God’s absolution and affirmation of his love for us all, finally culminating in the re-presentation of God’s sacrifice reminding us of God’s love on the Cross and our participation.  At the end we are sent out to spread that Love into the world. 

All of these actions are microcosms of the Incarnation, bringing to Life the story of our faith in the current moment.  So that when we say, “Therefore with Angel and Archangels and all the company of heaven we sing this hymn…” we are actually mindful that we are standing at the foot of God’s throne and joining the whole Communion of Saints in realms above and here on earth to sing, “Holy, Holy, Holy…”  When we engage our heart, mind, body, and spirit we are in the presence of God.

The liturgy expresses the place where God’s people are and attempts to move them closer to God.  It is the reason why regular attendance in corporate worship is critical to the development and growth of the Christian person. It is also the reason why it is necessary at times for liturgy to change or adapt.  People change, the liturgy must adapt to theirs changes while at the same time stay connected to God, who does not change.

Finally, liturgy is the foundation for our way of life together.  Liturgy is shaped by our beliefs and at the same time it shapes our beliefs.  It is what we do together to worship God.