What is Good Worship in the Anglican Tradition?
Here are my initial thoughts revamped through the comments of others. But I would really love to hear more comments. Really!
Worship:
Worship is about offering your whole body as a living sacrifice, so worship is engaging of allows/invites people to participate with their whole bodies
§ Worship is about action, so it is not just “what we do on Sunday mornings”. Worship is defined by a life that pleases, honours and glorifies God, it is a mystical encounter with the risen Jesus through our work with those around us as well as what happens on a Sunday morning (Michael Treston)
§ Worship is Trinitarian in scope – we’re encouraged to participate with the Son in the power of the Spirit in the worship that is already taking place within the inner life of the Trinity. This theological underpinning helps us not to ‘try too hard’ in the sense that it’s not all about us and how well the worship band are playing and the sound is being mixed. Of course that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ‘try hard’ to bring our best to God in worship. (Mark Chamberlain)
§ So, what are we worshipping in our services? Where is the focus – the band? The choir? Symbols of the risen Christ?
§ Is not performance or entertainment!
Liturgical
§ it has a flow (it is more than singing praise songs) and structure that includes
o gathering with others and God
o confession –acknowledging our failure to live as we and God desires
o hearing God’s word in scripture and sermon
o responding to Gods word in prayer (and sermon?) or other activities
o gathering around the table for communion, to meet God in bread and wine
o being sent out to live in God’s world
§ it invites everyone to take part however they are able
§ creative use of the prayer book content – a toolbox of resources to develop good liturgy with
§ is prepared well
§ lead with sincerity, competence and liveliness.
Use of scripture
§ Big chunks are read out so that we can hear it, and read in a way that makes sense and grips us as hearers
§ Uses the Lectionary (normally for regular services)
§ Places the story we are hearing within the larger story of scripture – creation, fall, redemption, new creation.
Sacramental - includes communion
§ More than words and thoughts but:
o Visible word of God
o Non verbal
o Non intellectual
o Affective
§ Use of symbols and actions that enhance and/or interprets liturgy’s words
o E.g. 1. use of dance – not as a concert item, but to point to gospel proclamation
o E.g. 2. use of music – e.g. rap music as a psalm chant – engaging, expressive, energising
Outward Focusing:
§ Not so much concerned about me and God, or even us here and God, but includes what God is doing in the word.
§ It should reflect the five fold mission over time:
* To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
* To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
* To respond to human needs by loving service
* To seek to transform the unjust structures of society
* To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and to sustain and renew the life of the earth
Communal
§ Anglicans are a people who worship in common. This is:
o not just about using the Prayer book, as the Anglican church has an ancient history that pre dates the prayer book. (In eastern orthodox they talk of worshipping in common with those who are gone and yet to come as well as the living - hence the liturgy does not change – Michael Treston). Even in our different liturgies, as they are based on those ancient liturgies, we worship in common
o is built on the shape’ of liturgy , its flow through a common pattern
· this means we worship not only with those gathered with us, but those who worship around the world
· those who have worshipped down the centuries
§ Use of plural language
o Not about me,
o but about us
o and God
o and God’s world
Colourful and Dramatic
§ multisensory
§ multi-layered.
§ Weaves and juxtaposes various cultural and religious symbols throughout
§ Use of soul music
Miscellaneous
§ Starting point of life of faith cf, individual acts
§ For Anglicans, identity is shaped or found in common worship cf adherence to confessional faith or particular theology
§ Long term formation through using the liturgy, like a sandpaper affect
§ Invites people to grow developmentally, and spiritually
§ Is counter cultural
Worship:
Worship is about offering your whole body as a living sacrifice, so worship is engaging of allows/invites people to participate with their whole bodies
§ Worship is about action, so it is not just “what we do on Sunday mornings”. Worship is defined by a life that pleases, honours and glorifies God, it is a mystical encounter with the risen Jesus through our work with those around us as well as what happens on a Sunday morning (Michael Treston)
§ Worship is Trinitarian in scope – we’re encouraged to participate with the Son in the power of the Spirit in the worship that is already taking place within the inner life of the Trinity. This theological underpinning helps us not to ‘try too hard’ in the sense that it’s not all about us and how well the worship band are playing and the sound is being mixed. Of course that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ‘try hard’ to bring our best to God in worship. (Mark Chamberlain)
§ So, what are we worshipping in our services? Where is the focus – the band? The choir? Symbols of the risen Christ?
§ Is not performance or entertainment!
Liturgical
§ it has a flow (it is more than singing praise songs) and structure that includes
o gathering with others and God
o confession –acknowledging our failure to live as we and God desires
o hearing God’s word in scripture and sermon
o responding to Gods word in prayer (and sermon?) or other activities
o gathering around the table for communion, to meet God in bread and wine
o being sent out to live in God’s world
§ it invites everyone to take part however they are able
§ creative use of the prayer book content – a toolbox of resources to develop good liturgy with
§ is prepared well
§ lead with sincerity, competence and liveliness.
Use of scripture
§ Big chunks are read out so that we can hear it, and read in a way that makes sense and grips us as hearers
§ Uses the Lectionary (normally for regular services)
§ Places the story we are hearing within the larger story of scripture – creation, fall, redemption, new creation.
Sacramental - includes communion
§ More than words and thoughts but:
o Visible word of God
o Non verbal
o Non intellectual
o Affective
§ Use of symbols and actions that enhance and/or interprets liturgy’s words
o E.g. 1. use of dance – not as a concert item, but to point to gospel proclamation
o E.g. 2. use of music – e.g. rap music as a psalm chant – engaging, expressive, energising
Outward Focusing:
§ Not so much concerned about me and God, or even us here and God, but includes what God is doing in the word.
§ It should reflect the five fold mission over time:
* To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
* To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
* To respond to human needs by loving service
* To seek to transform the unjust structures of society
* To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and to sustain and renew the life of the earth
Communal
§ Anglicans are a people who worship in common. This is:
o not just about using the Prayer book, as the Anglican church has an ancient history that pre dates the prayer book. (In eastern orthodox they talk of worshipping in common with those who are gone and yet to come as well as the living - hence the liturgy does not change – Michael Treston). Even in our different liturgies, as they are based on those ancient liturgies, we worship in common
o is built on the shape’ of liturgy , its flow through a common pattern
· this means we worship not only with those gathered with us, but those who worship around the world
· those who have worshipped down the centuries
§ Use of plural language
o Not about me,
o but about us
o and God
o and God’s world
Colourful and Dramatic
§ multisensory
§ multi-layered.
§ Weaves and juxtaposes various cultural and religious symbols throughout
§ Use of soul music
Miscellaneous
§ Starting point of life of faith cf, individual acts
§ For Anglicans, identity is shaped or found in common worship cf adherence to confessional faith or particular theology
§ Long term formation through using the liturgy, like a sandpaper affect
§ Invites people to grow developmentally, and spiritually
§ Is counter cultural
Comments
... ('yes' to all the points up to these two)...
§ So, what are we worshipping in our services?
... we're worshipping the invisible God. Symbols and symbolic acts are useful for providing focus - something to hang our attention on. Q: can we be living symbols - ie. the body of Christ in whom the Spirit dwells - whilst avoiding the worship of ourselves or our traditions? ...
§ Is not ... simply ... performance or entertainment!
... shouldn't we enjoy performing worship, and perhaps even be a little entertained by it? Not that these should be the goal, but to remove them entirely is problematic (and encourages boredom imho) ...
Liturgical
§ it invites everyone to take part however they are able
... 'everyone' should (at least) include children, the handicapped and foreign-language-speakers ...
Use of scripture
§ Big chunks are read out so that we can hear it, and read in a way that makes sense and grips us as hearers
... presumably dramatic presentations come within the 'way that makes sense' What about Film clips from Scripture-based movies? Must the Word always be simply aural? ...
§ Places the story we are hearing within the larger story of scripture – creation, fall, redemption, new creation.
... yes, but not as an exclusive focus every time(?) Must we always pull back to the meta-narrative? Can we stay close-up to something like 'your faith has made you well' without referencing fall-redemption? ...
Just some thoughts.