Teaching through the Words and Actions of Liturgy
The richness of the Christian faith is contained within the words and action of our liturgy. While the liturgy can teach without any additional instruction, teaching about the liturgy itself is a wonderful way to help “The Work of the People” (the literal meaning of the word “liturgy”) be more meaningful to those taking part in the pews. This can be done through an instructed Eucharist (such as this one Instructed Eucharist which also available as An Annotated Eucharist for hand out at other times).
Short pieces that help us reflect on the liturgy can be incorporated into a newsletter. At King of Peace, we created a newsletter just for the bathroom stalls which mixed humor and teaching in a short format. One example is online here: The Toilet Paper (other samples are online here: Resources for Churches).
In the bulletin itself you can include a box with some text on the liturgy like:
“Originally the entire service was viewed as our confession of faith. But, since the Sixth Century, the church has recited the Nicene Creed at the Eucharist. The word creed comes from the Latin credo for “I believe.” In the words of the creed we express together the faith we hold in common. At times in our lives when doubt and fear take hold, we can still say “we believe” for the community continues to believe for us.”
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“When partake in the Eucharist here at St. Swithen’s in the Swamp we are spiritually nourished, but it is not for our benefit alone. Communion enables us to return to the world with renewed vigor for proclaiming the Gospel in our words and in our lives. In the Eucharist, Christ’s presence both nourishes us and challenges us. As the celebration ends today, we will be charged to “Go in Peace to love and serve the Lord.” The Eucharist is therefore not an exclusive gathering that separates us from the world, but a challenge to reach out beyond our own church to the world around us. How might you take Christ’s presence to the world today? What would it mean to see the server at the restaurant this day as Christ sees her? How might you love and serve the Lord in your job this week? This is the challenge of the Eucharist, to come to treat the Light of Christ as something more than a pocket warmer, which is for our personal benefit and more like a lighthouse, which is a beacon for those out in the rough seas looking to come home.”
However you approach this task-an instructed Eucharist, blurbs in the newsletter or bulletin, or regularly taking a “liturgical teaching moment” within the liturgy itself-teaching an appreciation for the words and actions of the liturgy can help everyone, from cradle Episcopalians to someone visiting a liturgical church for the first time, to better grasp what we are doing in this work of the people.
The Rev. Canon Frank Logue
Canon for Congregational Ministries
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