My friend Dash, over on her blog Dash Goes to Church , laments the casualness and at times what seems to be near embarrassment with which some Lutherans approach ritual.
My response? Amen, sisterfriend. And, having discussed this issue ad infinitum with other Christians for years on the Internet -- if I had a dollar for every time someone expressed to me his or her longing for structured, dignified and mindful worship that truly sought to create sacred space...well, I'd be typing this in the comfort of my lovely sunroomed beachfront cottage on Crystal Lake.
I know that quoting a 5th century theologian probably won't make much of an impression on those for whom five years ago is ancient history, but bear with me. Lex orandi, lex credendi -- loosely translated, the way we pray is the way we believe. And you know what? It's still as important an insight in 2005 as it was back then. Lutherans are a reforming movement within catholic Christianity. That is who we are. And as catholic Christians we are heirs not only to the theological framework of apostolic Christianity, but also heirs to the form of worship common to catholic Christianity. And as Lutherans, our dual emphasis on Word and Sacrament is only enhanced by the traditional orders of service.
Some people will respond, "But the way you want to worship turns people off -- especially younger people and seeking, church-shy people." Balderdash. Ca-ca. Ecclesiastical urban legend. Liturgical worship isn't what keeps seeking people out of church; in my own AWOL experience, and in the experience of countless others I've met, it's people, acting in various and sundry un-Christlike ways, who keep other people out of churches. And...ahem...the Church is my church too. And Dash's. And all the other Christians who find beauty and dignity and meaning in traditional worship modalities.
Marva Dawn's Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship For This Urgent Time, is an excellent discourse on creating thoughtful, theologically sound worship. Anyone interested in this topic -- read Dawn's book; you'll be glad you did.
13 comments:
Thanks, LC. I think you're right--the post-modern people are looking for the heritage that we have to share--of course, some of them don't realize that yet. But when they get tired of the rootlessness of the coffee shop missions, they'll come looking in through our stained glass windows.
And thanks for mentioning Marva Dawn. Three years ago my church instituted it's first annual conference on liturgy, and Marva was our first keynote speaker. She has wonderful things to say, and is full of hope and grace.
By the way, Gordon Lathrop, our second conference keynoter, also has so much to offer. Such a talented liturgist!
See also Gertrud Mueller Nelson's work.
(Sorry. I just started a whole other thing on that last post, kvetching about something else and taking the whole thing off-topic.
And I'm not even Lutheran!
Sorry again. I'll confine my comments instead to the fact that I agree completely about ritual and about the wonders of worhipping in the beauty of holiness.)
It's a common fallacy that folks are turned off by traditional, liturgical worship.
I've received many people into my church who are turned off by the "broadway productions" of the local megachurches.
To say that people don't get symbolism or can't connect with ritual insults peoples' creative capabilities.
When we become too much like the culture, we loose our distinctive message. The gospel should make people uncomfortable. For many people, that's not a bad things. Discomfort is often the path to a new way of looking at the world.
kgp
I think what turns people off about churches is the sense that nothing truely vital and important is happening there--no real trancendence, no significant engagement with our culture and its dis-eases. If we don't address that problem, stupid worship tricks won't do much good.
Dash -- Marva Dawn is a real hero of mine...for her theological insight; for her courage in living with and writing about her physical disability; also for her courage in speaking out on behalf of women in the Church the gay community and their inclusion in the life of the Church -- two topics for which she has been most viciously attacked. On the other hand, if you Google her, you find acclamation from a broad range of Christian groups, especially for her plea that we take worship seriously.
P.S. A Royal "Waste" of Time is another good book of Dawn's, dealing with the theology of worship.
Bls: That's quite all right; we're open and inclusive here.;-) (And I think we've had that discussion before, and my response was that I really believe the blogoverse, with all our discussions and new connections, to be part of that new movement.)
Oh...I guess I should have explained, I read your post before you deleted it.;-) I'm not psychic. I'm lucky to find my car keys on any given day.;-)
Kevin: Good point -- it is an insult to people's intelligence and to their capacity for creative thinking and aesthetic sense. IMHO it's reverse elitism.
Purechristianithink: I definitely agree that that is part of it; the feeling that the church service is no more than a rather boring club meeting. But an element of that is, indeed, the lack of concern about creating sacred space. I know pagans who have a far better appreciation for sanctifying time and place than some Christians.
Amen, Sisterfriend. I'm a Presby pastor, and I agree wholeheartedly!
Thanks for your comment that it's not the liturgy but the people that keep others out of church. Liturgy doesn't kill people - people do.
Chris: That would make a good bumper sticker.;-)
I just realized that something I typed made absolutely no sense at all. (This is what happens when I'm simultaneously typing, reading something else on a split screen, watching TV and talking. Which is what happens when one drinks too much coffee.)
Back to Marva Dawn: She has been a voice of inclusion for women and for gay people in leadership roles in the church, and because of this she's been viciously attacked. Tonight I was reading some ueberconservative's moronic blog entry fomenting about uppity women's and gay folks' "gender confusion" and how Dawn was one of the evil perpetrators of this horrible state of affairs. As an old German acquaintance of mine used to say, So viel Blah-blah-blah.
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