Did you attend church on Sunday? In that case, you’re a part of an more and more uncommon minority. The truth is, fewer folks frequently attend church now than at any time in American historical past. Why is that this?
What follows is an affidavit—a confession—of my 5 a long time attending church buildings and the way their liturgies affected me. I supply it as a window into what others is perhaps experiencing and why so many is perhaps leaving. I additionally supply it as a name for us to recollect what’s most necessary.
Merely put, I outline liturgy because the construction and focus of a worship service. Liturgy solutions the questions, What occurs, why, and in what order? Each church, even essentially the most casual ones, have an anticipated order of service, a liturgy. Liturgy is greater than only a solution to get via all the things within the service in an orderly trend. The truth is, it may well make the distinction between rote faith and gospel life.
Liturgy as regulation
I went to church yesterday, as has been my behavior for greater than fifty years. Sunday? Church? After all. From proper earlier than my twenty-first birthday till now, right here in my seventy-third 12 months of life—each Sunday: church.
However why have I gone to church for over fifty years?
Massive “L” Legislation: responsibility
Sure, I’ve gone habitually, however that’s to not say I at all times went joyfully, in contentment, and even in religion in the excellent news. Principally I went out of duty-driven concern: Sundays belonged to God, and he demanded my time and repair. The command is obvious: “Don’t cease assembly along with different believers, which some folks have gotten into the behavior of doing” (Heb 10:25 CEB). I went as a result of I had “work” to perform. I went to “serve” God. It was my responsibility.
In some methods church attendance was like a talisman for me. If I gave God his due, then he was obligated to guard and supply for me. I feared what would occur if I didn’t attend. I used to be afraid that God can be mad and zap me if I didn’t go. I feared that my children can be misplaced in the event that they weren’t tethered to church.
Church attendance was like a talisman for me. If I gave God his due, then he was obligated to guard and supply for me.
That’s the best way responsibility to the Legislation works: If I do my bit at church each week, God owes me blessings. If, then again, I don’t do my half, God would possibly punish me. I used to be attending church to earn favor and keep away from punishment. And for as arduous as I used to be working, he definitely owed me! This “obedience = blessing” equation, although, is not excellent news.
Little “l” regulation: popularity restore
Along with that massive “L” Legislation (responsibility), I additionally attended church for one more, extra subjective purpose: as popularity restore, attempting to indicate myself and others that I had grow to be an excellent individual. I went as a result of I had one thing to show. I used to be determined to know I used to be okay, that I used to be good. And I used to be determined to reassure myself that others thought the identical. I sought to bless myself by my labors.
If massive “L” Legislation is duty- or wage-driven, little “l” regulation is self-approval-driven.
Two liturgies, the identical music
I can now see, nonetheless, that my focus was all incorrect.
“Study this, try this”
At some church buildings I attended throughout this time, the liturgy centered on theological correctness. Did the construction and content material of the worship service show we knew God precisely and knew reply in what we stated, sang, and prayed? Did the sermon show we knew all the proper issues to consider? Was my thoughts knowledgeable? Did I fulfill my obligation to God’s regulation in my attendance? Moreover, these church buildings positioned heavy emphasis on responsibility: “As a result of God is so nice, you could _____!” That is massive “L” Legislation: liturgy as responsibility.
I used this liturgy to guarantee myself that I had my theological geese in a row. A lot of its features put the give attention to myself, my mind, and my obligations. Its precision fed my pleasure, making me really feel smarter—and subsequently higher—than each my former self and others. I loved the self-approval (pleasure). I felt once I seemed down on different Christians whose theology I assumed was all incorrect.
It’s good, after all, to hunt to know God rightly and to reply in grateful obedience. However this type of liturgy was primarily mental. I used its theological precision in my quest for popularity restore (little “l” regulation). I assumed my mental prowess meant I used to be getting higher, “progressing in my sanctification,” as we’d say.
“Expertise this, try this”
The liturgies of different church buildings I attended, although very completely different outwardly, successfully sang the identical music: They too emphasised regulation. Their providers centered on getting me enthusiastic about God. They’d begin with a peppy music (or 4). They meant these songs to awaken my feelings to resume my sense of dedication for the approaching week. Sure, the providers gave some consideration to studying about God, however the major emphasis was on experiencing God and dwelling for him. Sermons had been steadily self-help messages like, have an excellent marriage; have good children; [you fill in the blank]. As soon as once more, the main target of the liturgy was on me and the way I was progressing.
It’s proper, after all, to make use of our God-given feelings in worship. This church did that very nicely. Singing has private and communal profit. As well as, God is happy with our music, and is current with us, “enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Ps 22:3). The Son even joins us in it (Heb 2:12)! It’s good to be emotionally moved towards the Lord.
The issue with this type of service, although, is that I nonetheless remained the main target. I judged my standing earlier than God and my development primarily based on how emotionally influenced I used to be by the worship and sermon. Did I really feel God’s presence? Was I moved to serve extra? I used these experiences both to guarantee or condemn myself. This once more is liturgy as regulation.
I didn’t must work for something as a result of all the things was already given.
In each circumstances, I labored and served incessantly, lacking the fact that Jesus had already labored and served for me. He happy all of the calls for of the regulation and gave me a brand new, lovely popularity: his. I didn’t must work for something as a result of all the things was already given.
Liturgy because the gospel
I’m now studying to attend church for one more completely completely different purpose. I attend, not less than for these valuable few hours, to get the eye off myself and onto One other, one who has already swallowed up all my slavery to self-serving merit-seeking and showered me with unearned forgiveness and approval. That is liturgy as gospel.
How would possibly a gospel liturgy have silenced the calls for of each massive “L” and little “l” regulation for me? As a result of the New Testomony “nowhere units down a liturgy within the sense of prescribing types of service for church worship”, I consider leaders have some freedom as they assemble God-honoring liturgies, e.g., when and sing, pray, guarantee, preach, commune, and bless. With one main caveat: The focus of the church’s liturgy have to be nothing lower than Jesus. That signifies that every of its parts should someway serve to direct the worshiper to the excellent news in regards to the Lord (Luke 24:24–27, 44–47).
What would possibly it appear like?
Songs and hymns (Col 3:16)
Discovering references to the individual and work of Jesus in each music produces gratitude for him. Somewhat than songs that target me, Christ-centered songs would fill me with religion that all the things had already been achieved.
Prayers (1 Tim 2:1–6)
Prayers would come with our failures, wants, belief in God’s providential care, and submission to his will—all inside the context of a holy God who despatched his Son for sinners and so delights to listen to our voice.
Assurance of pardon (Col 1:14)
That is the one side of a gospel liturgy that has been most absent in my expertise. However now, listening to that pardon has really been granted to me dismantles my duty-driven Legislation retaining and relentless pursuit of self-approval. As a result of I’ve been forgiven, I not must fake that I’m something aside from what I’m.
As a result of I’ve been forgiven, I not must fake that I’m something aside from what I’m.
Personally, I ponder how many individuals drag themselves to church hoping to listen to an excellent phrase to offer them braveness to proceed within the combat, solely to stroll away nonetheless burdened by their failures, nonetheless grieving, nonetheless self-condemned. I did for years.
Declaration and instruction within the gospel (Col 1:23)
If the sermon isn’t finally about Jesus, it doesn’t matter what the passage it’s from, how can it’s known as Christian? Why not simply hearken to a useful podcast or TED Discuss? Please don’t inform me I must be extra like some Bible “hero.” I already know I don’t measure up. The Bible solely has one hero. He’s the one I want to listen to about.
For instance, my pastors are at present preaching via 1 Samuel. Each week, whilst they preach on Samuel, Saul, or David, they at all times deliver us again to Jesus, who alone is the true king all of us want. It’s lovely. Solely the message of Jesus’s life, demise, and resurrection frees me from myself and offers me hope (see Rom 10:17).
Communion (1 Cor 11:23–26)
Fortunately, I’m now in a church that celebrates communion weekly. Because the songs, prayers, assurances, and messages put together my coronary heart to obtain Christ’s hospitality on the desk, communion turns into the spotlight of the service.
Communion is valuable as a result of it re-centers us on the one important factor: the gospel. 4 phrases stand out to me:
- “On the night time he was betrayed.” He willingly condescended to be in relationship with folks, making himself weak to our sinful actions.
- “That is my physique given for you.” He took on a physique within the incarnation, and in that physique obeyed all of the Legislation on my behalf. His report of obedience is now mine. He allowed that physique to endure the curse of demise for disobedience in my place.
- “That is my blood poured out for you.” His really human blood was shed to pay for my sin and make me clear. Betrayal, physique, blood—all for me.
- “Bear in mind.” He’s right here! Bear in mind this all week, and picture what that coming feast will likely be like!
The benediction (Num 6:24–26)
We hear one other good phrase from the Lord who has served us so nicely. Due to Jesus’s work for us, we are able to know that we’ll be blessed and stored within the week to come back. We are able to know that his face is shining on us with grace, that we’ve got been granted peace with him, and now, due to that, with our neighbor.
The preeminent One
Each liturgy the place Jesus’s title is just not preeminent is nothing greater than useless faith. It might be mental or emotional or some mixture of each, however it’s lower than Christian and powerless to free me from myself.
Take into account this seminal passage:
He [Jesus] is the top of the physique, the church, who’s the start, the one who’s the firstborn from among the many useless in order that he would possibly occupy the primary place in all the things.” (Col 1:18 CEB, emphasis added)
Actually, that phrase “all the things” should embody liturgy. I’m not the purpose of the liturgy. Jesus is. My attendance and work are usually not the purpose. I must be reminded of his preeminence, that all the things is “for him” (Col 1:16, emphasis added). The songs, the prayers, the preaching, the communing, the blessing is from him and for him!
He’s the one one who has the facility to free me from the calls for of the Legislation. He’s the one one that might deliver me peace. And in as of late of waning church attendance, peace is a blessed reward the church has on supply, a present that the world can not give.
Elyse Fitzpatrick’s suggestions on liturgy and the gospel
