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“Worship, service, and liturgy”

As much as the Anglican Church is quite open to different thoughts and theological interpretations, so too are its terms. You will often hear service, worship, and occasionally liturgy. What, then, is the proper term for what we do on Sunday? As you may already guess, there is no single right way over another. In fact, all these terms are interconnected.

The word liturgy originates from the Greek word leitourgia, which means “public work” or “service.” As this suggests, the notion of liturgy emphasizes that it is the collective work of the community— distinct from private devotion.

So what kind of work or service do we do during this time? Reflecting on what happens on a Sunday may give us a clearer answer. We gather from the world, we listen to the Word, we participate in Communion, and we are sent back into the world. In this work, or service, we continually nourish ourselves with God’s Word, we are united as one body in Christ, and we are transformed to carry out our mission in the world. The elements of the service—or liturgy—exist to help us grow in love, both as individuals and as a community.

As we focus more closely on what we do, all these actions guide us to follow Christ, live as God’s children, and be attuned to the Spirit. In this communal work, we serve one another so that God may work through us. Furthermore, we serve the world through our prayers and offerings.

On the other hand, the term worship emphasizes why we do these things. As Paul wrote in his first letter to the Corinthians (10:31), we do all things to the glory of God. Our God does not demand to be served; rather, as revealed so clearly in the life and death of Christ, God serves us out of love and mercy. In response, we recognize and praise God’s goodness, and in giving thanks, we complete God’s work —since love, by its nature, must be returned.

IThus, we gather bringing our lives, we are transformed in love, and we go out again to continue spreading the hope and peace rooted in God and nurtured within a community of love.

May the love of God continue to guide us, nourish us, change us, and may our love for God reveal the Goodness of God.

Fr. James