ARPANAM - Liturgy and Worship

As a follow up to last week's study on liturgy, we had a very interesting study on liturgy lead by Rev. V.M Mathew Achen. Here is a gist of what we heard. This is not a complete summary. Please attend it next week to hear first hand.

We are a liturgical community, we are a worshipping community

Worship

· Is an activity of ascribing worth to God

· Is to credit sacredness of God

· Is to acknowledge God’s worthiness

· Is reverence and adoration for God

The word worship is mentioned 158 times in NIV Bible version

Attributes of our worship

· Our worship is developed from Jewish worship

· Monotheist community i.e. worships one God.

Exodus 20:3-4: You shall have no other God before me. You shall not make for yourself any carved images or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth.

· Worshipping in a particular place.

Exodus 9:1-2: Then the lord said to Moses” Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, “thus says

the Lord God of Hebrews:”Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Liturgy

Liturgy means order of worship.

§ Greek word Leitourgia-means public duty

§ Hebrew word Abodah –means temple service of God

Liturgy: Is a form according to which public religious worship is conducted

Worship is a natural experience; liturgy consists of external forms and rituals believers use for worship

Sacrament

The word has originated from the Latin word which meant an oath of allegiance

§ Syrian word khadesh-means to be holy

§ Greek word Mysterion is akin to sacrament

Sacrament is a means of grace/something mysterious

Two dominical sacraments are

§ Baptism

§ Holy Communion

Bible and Liturgy

The liturgy in the olden times influenced formation of scriptures. The revelation made by God to Israleties, there deliverance from Egypt, and Gods mighty acts where passed on to Generation by word of mouth and songs, which later took a written form of scripture.

§ The origin of the present liturgy is from scriptures

§ The earlier liturgy of Mathoma community was given by St James

§ Our present liturgy is result of reformation by the reformation leaders like Abraham Malpan and others

Illustration of direct and indirect use of scripture in our liturgy

Direct Use

§ Reading of scriptures in all sacraments

§ Listening of scripture

§ Interpretation of scripture

§ Scriptural verses in liturgy

Indirect Use

§ All our prayers are based on scriptures

§ Theology of liturgy

§ Hymns

§ Responsive reading

- Dayana