Last time I blogged, it was about liturgy. This one is again about liturgy, but it is more about what, or more specifically, who makes the liturgy happen. It does not happen by itself. It takes words, symbols, signs, and movements to happen, so obviously, it takes people. Liturgy comes from a Greek word that can roughly be translated “the work of the people.” Before we say or sing any words, before the procession starts, we gather together. This is the first act of the liturgy, the people gathering together in the name and presence of Christ. So liturgy occurs where the people and Christ come together. One cannot exist without the other, otherwise it is not liturgy.
Therefore, if the liturgy is the work of the people, it takes the whole assembly to make it happen. Oftentimes, church is thought of as a place to come, sit, and passively worship for an hour (or three hours according to some traditions) as other people “perform” the service. This is not true of our liturgy. In our liturgy, all are welcome, all have a place, all have a role. Liturgy is not the work of Ben or Will. It is not the work of the choir, the acolytes, lay readers, ushers, vergers, chalice bearers, etc. It is the work of the people. That is plural. It is the work of everyone present who dares to call themselves a follower of Christ who is himself present.
Taking what I have just said at face value, there are many roles in our liturgy that make it happen. These roles are filled week in and week out by many wonderful people who give of their time and talent to make our worship “go round.” One of the purposes for writing this blog on liturgy is to thank those who over this past year have served so faithfully (and who continue to do so) and to make a sales pitch for others to find different ways they may serve in our worship. We can never have a shortage of acolytes, vergers, readers, chalice bearers, and ushers.
As the person who schedules worship volunteers each month (think of me as the liturgical cat herder) I appreciate everyone’s patience with scheduling each month and I cannot thank everyone enough for serving at our four services each week. We truly are one body with many talented members and those talents are not hidden, but are used each week to serve our Lord and our worship at the Chapel of the Cross.
If you, and/or someone who belongs to you is interested in serving in one of our worship capacities, please let me know. As I’ve already stated, we can never have enough.