Two Thoughts on Practicing the Liturgy

 

As I’ve written elsewhere, I believe that doing the seven central things of worship shapes us as human beings; worship is practice for the rest of our lives. I was recently thinking about what mastery of these 7 central things might look like, as well as what incorrect practice might do to a person or a society.

10,000 hours

              Malcolm Gladwell famously popularized the idea that 10,000 hours of practicing a thing will lead to mastery of it. I wonder how that might apply to the central things.

In my current congregation, we have approximately 70 opportunities to worship (for roughly an hour) in a year. This means it would take nearly 143 years of regular worship to master the way of being human that we offer. That said, if you add some of the church events that contain at least a few of the central things in them, things that are worship-like, there are about 200 such opportunities a year. That would mean 50 years of regular engagement with church could lead to mastery of the seven central things.

Such a “worship-master” would project gentleness, generosity, and contentment, they would easily get over slights and have a good grasp on life’s meaning, they would have a solid sense of self-worth and be an asset to their community. I hope one day to be just such a master.

Incomplete Practice

              Now, the primary way people experience worship is not in line with the 7 central things. Instead, they practice a truncated form heavy on music and preaching. That means folk: gather, give thanks, hear the word, and are sent out. I believe such faith practices will lead to a skewed faith life outside the church doors.

              I worry about this truncated version of worship. I worry that it is producing people who are only partially formed. I worry that there are a whole lot of Christians wandering around who are experts at: community without confession, gentleness toward others without a sense of their own self-worth, and are content without being generous.

              In other words, non-denominational worship styles are training Christians to: gather together without knowing how to confess and forgive each other, be sent out into the world without understanding how being sent is connected to who they are as baptized Children of God, and give thanks without being fed with the Bread of Life.