Hello readers sorry I have not posted for a few days but had one of those weeks when lots going on with work and meetings etc.
I have to say that I am not a great fan of liturgy and consequently I am not very keen on the Methodist Worship Book. Is there anybody else I wonder who the liturgy does nothing for?
Our Minister uses the book every time we have communion and it really does just feel as if we are reading it to me.
Last Sunday I heard a number of older people saying 'not the book again' should I speak to the minister and suggest that he occasionally does the communion service without the book? Any thoughts would be welcome!
3 comments:
In recent years we have had the same problem. Reading the worship book for communion is a little like painting by numbers. The problem is worse when you half feel the celebrant doesn't really feel it.
Whilst I feel that sometimes it's nice to have some familiarity, if used all the time I would agree with the 'painting by numbers' feel.
Our minister quite often uses shorter forms of communion - notably the 'Kenyan Rite'.
There's also a balance to be made in communion services I think, between familiarity (positive)/staleness (negative) against freshness (positive)/getting distracted by trying to follow unfamiliar 'mechanics' or liturgy of the service (negative).
I have recently had a debate about his on my blog here Personally I dislike liturgy, to me it is just completely inpersonal and alien. I make the analogy with having a heartfelt, empassioned sermon and one read in monotone from a piece of paper. Both have great content, but one draws me in more than the other!
Saying that, whilst not wanting to speak for Pam, she makes the analogy between poetry and struggling to find the words!
For me, and growing trends, Church is becoming much more emotion led, we are focusing more on emotions and using this to implant theology, rather than being theology driven. This can be seen sepecially in the sung worship and rising popularity for more modern songs.
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