Study guide Liturgy: Our Lutheran style M
By Robert C. Blezard
any Lutherans feel strong con- nections to our time-honored liturgy, even if they may not fully know the origins or biblical roots of our order of worship. Tradi- tional liturgy connects us not only to the first Lutherans of the early 1500s, but also to the earliest Christians of two millennia ago. Yet as fewer people, especially unchurched and younger people, come to worship with an appreciation for the tradi- tion, congregations are challenged to innovate in a way that honors the old while bringing in the new.
Exercise 1: The liturgical flow Traditional Lutheran worship has been crafted over the centuries with one idea: to bring us into the pres- ence of God. “Shaped time” is how some describe worship—shaped to lead worshipers into the eternal “now” of God.
Gathering whatever materials you need (hymnals, Bibles, bulletins, etc.), examine the flow of your church’s Sunday worship. Look at how the ser- vice helps the worshiper to: • Prepare to enter into God’s presence. • Stand in the presence of God within the community. • Hear God’s word read, proclaimed and glorified in music. • Experience God in the sacrament. • Respond to God’s call. • Go into the world to proclaim God’s kingdom.
Blezard is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Arendtsville, Pa. He has a master of divinity degree from Boston University and did subsequent study at the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.) and the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia.
Exercise 2: Pay attention You can tell the regular worship- ers: they don’t
need a hymnal to follow the liturgy’s prayers and chants. But sometimes we know the prayers so well that we don’t think much about them. For instance, we say the Lord’s Prayer while we think about planning lunch for after the service or we dwell on an upcoming meeting. Has this ever happened to you? Have your study group agree to pay special attention to the liturgy beginning this Sunday. Clear your minds of distracting thoughts. Focus on the words of the prayers and chants, letting them dwell in your hearts and minds. Open yourself to God’s presence. Discuss the group’s experiences at your next meeting.
Exercise 3: Liturgy and the Bible Review Timothy J. Wengert’s article (page 20), taking time to look up the biblical references. Why does the passage fit the liturgical context? How does it fit the service’s goal of bringing worshipers into the pres- ence of God? What is your reaction to learning about the liturgy’s bibli- cal basis? Did it broaden your under- standing of and appreciation for lit- urgy? As a result, do you worship the same way as before you knew?
Exercise 4: Read the Bible Liturgy corresponds closely with Scripture and how the Bible guides us to worship God. The more you steep yourself in the Bible, the better you see the correlation. Do you read the Bible regularly?
Why or why not? Programs, books and guides can help you get through the Bible. Ask your pastor or Chris- tian education leader to recommend a system of reading and study. Agree
as a study group to do so.
Exercise 5: You and worship Traditional liturgy presents a variety of prayers, chants and rituals. Which elements spiritually move you the most? How? Why? Which the least? Why? Are you generally satisfied or not satisfied with worship? If you had your way, how would the ser- vices at your congregation change to best suit your needs?
As you discuss this among your study group, is there any consensus emerging? Can you talk to your wor- ship and music committee or pastor about these things?
Exercise 6: Worship flavors If your congregation’s worship was an ice cream flavor, what would it be? More like “vanilla” or “double- fudge marshmallow ripple”? If there is more than one service, what flavors are there? Are they both the same? How does your congregation keep services fresh and interesting? Using the ice cream analogy,
are there liturgical “toppings” that keep the service from getting bor- ing? What flavor of worship do you favor? Is your congregation’s flavor suitable to your context, or are you serving vanilla worship to a rocky road community? What would you recommend to church leaders?
Exercise 7: Growing churches Which Lutheran churches in your synod are growing? What are they doing well? What are they doing differently from your congregation? Are they offering a variety of liturgi- cal styles? What can your church learn from them?
This study guide is offered as one example of the more than 300 that are currently available on The Lutheran’s website. Download guides—free to print and Web subscribers—at
www.thelutheran.org (click “study guides”).
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