How Do You Use Liturgical Elements in Your Church Worship?
The Gospel Coalition Web site asks three young evangelical ministers about their liturgical practices. I think the readers of this blog will find their answers encouraging. Here’s how interview sets the stage . . .
If you look at any Roman Catholic cathedral, you will notice that the Mass shapes the architectural design, featuring the altar, bread, and wine. The pulpit is placed to the left, out of direct sight in the peripheral. Since the Reformation, most Protestant churches have placed the pulpit, the place for preaching God’s Word, at the center of the church and usually at the center of the stage.
Besides the preaching of God’s Word, however, there’s been much debate on what else we should do during our services. Some early Protestants argued that preserving some liturgical elements along with preaching looked too similar to Rome and distracted from God’s Word. Others disagreed and continued to use them to enrich devotion or for pedagogical reasons. Today, these debates continue in one form or another. Some use them, some decide not to.
For whatever reasons, the interest in the use of liturgical elements has increased in recent years. So I asked Scotty Smith, Mike Cosper, and Bob Kauflin, “To what extent does your church use liturgical elements such as responsive readings and creeds? Why?
You can read the responses here.
Labels: Worship
posted by The Catechizer | 5:41 AM
2 Comments:
This is encouraging. Most don't recognize today how much form follows function. When I walk into a church and it looks like a theatre (stadium seating, raised choir stands front and center), I can usually guarantee I get theatre rather than Word and sacrament worship. One of the best books I've found on the subject is Christ and architecture; building Presbyterian/Reformed churches by Donald J. Bruggink and Carl H. Droppers. The architecture and liturgy should support and reenforce a service focused on Word and sacrament.
I couldn't agree more, Anonymous. Search on this site for Reforming Church Architecture. I think you'll find it interesting.
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