WORSHIP AND LITURGY

Seminar Handout by Ven Dr Ifechukwu. U. Ibeme

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INTRODUCTION
1. Worship: means “Service of Reverence and Good will” (Greek “latreia”).
Worship to the Christian is an adoring and reverential response to God because
of God’s goodness and greatness. In worship, we give supreme worth to God
according to God’s own purpose and pleasure, so that He would accept such
worship. Proper worship then must be that provoked by God’s goodness and
greatness, which is also controlled by God’s purpose and pleasure. We must never
aim at provoking any worship response from the people, except that which will be
pleasing and acceptable to God; this should include devotion, entreaty and enquiry.

2. Liturgy: means “a Body (or Group) of Rites for Public Corporate Worship”. The
word “Liturgy” is derived from the Greek word “leitourgia” meaning “community
service, or common work of the people”.

Jesus did not teach any set form for private prayers “But THOU, when THOU
prayest, enter into THY closet...” (Matt 6:6). However, for common public
prayer, he taught a set form “After this manner therefore pray YE: OUR
Father... give US...forgive US... as WE forgive...lead US not...deliver US...” (Matt
6:9-13). St Paul also taught that worship must be decent and orderly (1 Cor 14:40).

ESSENTIALS OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

Christ attended and commended the Old Testament worship in the Temple and the
Synagogues. However, He announced a coming and better worship for the New
Testament community, the Christian Church, in John 4:21-24. Here Christ explained
that the Samaritan worship was not based on proper knowledge of the truth about
God. On the other hand, the Jewish worship was based on the truth, though the Jews
themselves did not properly understand that truth, hence their emphasis on the
outward form and place of worship instead of the inward and spiritual dynamics of
worship.

A) Veritable and acceptable worship (1Cor 12:1-2; Heb 12:28) of God Who is Spirit
must be (Joh 4:24; 2Thes 2:13) by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the
worshippers (IN SPIRIT) and based on true principles about the nature and ways of
God (IN TRUTH), as well as in a pattern or form that is DECENT and ORDERLY
(1Cor 14:40).
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1. In Spirit: i.e. spiritual power, spiritual intensity and spiritual experiences of
sanctification and inspiration by the Spirit of God. Spirituality is to be both
spontaneous and restrained (1Cor. 14:27-33). “In Spirit” means SOUNDLY
INSPIRED through the POWER of God’s Spirit.
The Spirit fills our Spirit (Eph_5:18-19) to
WORSHIP in Spirit Joh_4:21-24
LIVE by the Spirit Gal_5:16
be LED by the Spirit Gal_5:18
bear the FRUIT of the Spirit Gal_5:22
WALK in the Spirit Gal_5:25

2. In Truth: i.e. appreciating (through authentic knowledge) and expressing (through

sincere faith) scriptural precepts revealed as the Truth of God. To be in Truth, our
belief must be genuine and our knowledge must be correct. “In Truth” means
SINCERELY INFORMED by the PRECEPTS of God’s Truth.
The Truth renews our minds (Eph_4:20-23) to
WORSHIP in Truth Joh_4:21-24
KNOW the Truth 2Jn_1:1
WALK in Truth 2Jn_1:4; 3Jn_1:4
LOVE in the Truth 1Jn_3:18; 2Jn_1:1

B) Though public worship is primarily communal and corporate – as formal majestic

courtesy, the individuals who make up the gathering are also involved in personal
worship – as informal loving intimacy – at the same time. The Word is read or
preached to all corporately, but the hearing and believing is done individually.

C) There are also the two aspects of worship, which are either set form or extempore:
All things to be done in unison have to be set or fixed e.g. songs, the exclamations
(Hallelujah, Maranatha, Abba Father, Hosanna), the affirmations (Amen, Creeds),
even the gestures (1 Cor. 16:20; 1Tim 2:8; Acts 21:5), general prayers (adorations,
confessions, supplications and thanksgivings - Matt 6:9-13). Also imperative to be
fixed are the Scripture portions used (readings, vesicles, Baptismal formula,
Eucharistic words of institution and Psalms); such also applies to all aspects of the
worship that would serve as reference in the future (vows and benedictions for
baptism, confirmation, marriage and ordination).

However, it is not possible to fix and set every supplications, sermons and Biblical
expositions. Even where it may be possible in some instances, it is often better left
to the need and spontaneity of the hour. Prophetic utterances, tongues and
interpretation, also prayer requests could not easily be fixed or set, these can only be
left to the leading of the Holy Spirit as the need arises.

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D) Proper worship is that which is provoked by the awareness of God’s work, word and
worth, in response to God’s redemption, regulation and revelation. True worship
must be informed by the Word of Truth and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Such
worship is both objective and subjective, as well as formal and extempore. Divine
Worship has various aspects and components whereby the church reverences God,
entreats his mercies and fellowships in His name.

Full worship should give room for ascription of supreme worth to God; expression
of gratitude to Him; attention to God’s holy Word; doing obedience to His
command; adoring God’s majesty; supplicating for His mercy; participating in
Christ’s sacraments; and sharing in the household fellowship of God and His
children. These make up the purpose of Christian worship and are mentioned in
the opening exhortation of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).

E) The Book of Common Prayer (BCP) prefaces said the BCP was written to help the
church have a balanced worship (1662), “not in bondage of figure or shadow, but in
the freedom of the Spirit” (1559) and to remain “faithful to the teachings of
Scripture and the godly and decent order of the ancient Fathers” (1928) and to
“inflame the Church with the love of God’s true religion” (1549).

It is important to note that the BCP was not written as permanent order of
worship for all churches throughout the world. It was written for the nation of
England in their language during the Reformation. It was meant to be reviewed as
time and attitudes change. The BCP was written as a pattern or example for other
nations and generations to follow and adapt to their own situation. This is clearly
stated in Article XXXIV of the 39 Articles of Religion and in the preface of the
1549 BCP. This is the basis for the new BCPs all over Anglican Communion today.

Since Lambeth 1988 Anglicans have recaptured the incarnation method of

contextualisation of the Gospel used by Christ and the Apostles in the word
“INCULTURATION” as this excerpts from International Anglican Liturgical
Consultations: a 14-year review by Paul Gibson, (1997) at
http://www.lambethconference.org/ shows:

The York Consultation (1989Anglican Liturgical Consultation) explored the subject of inculturation from
a number of points of view: Anglican identity and the cultural matrix of the Prayer Book tradition, the
relationship between formation and inculturation, and specific cultural challenges ranging in location
from Tanzania, Southern Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and inner-city England. However, the stage for the
Consultation was perhaps set by an essay in which Victor Atta-Bafoe (Ghana) and Philip Tovey
(England) distinguished among indigenization (the development of local leadership), adaptation
(adjustment of essentially Prayer Book forms to a new context), and inculturation. They defined
inculturation as, "the incarnation of the Christian life and message in a particular cultural context in
such a way that not only do local Christians find expression for their faith through elements proper
to their culture, but also that faith and worship animate, direct and unify the culture."...
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“The conference (Kanamai in Kenya 1993) suggested that liturgical inculturation should begin with
the structure of the rite rather than the text.”

F) Other lessons to learn about worship from the BCP and the Reformers are that
corporate worship (LITURGY) whether set or spontaneous, fixed or free should be:
1. Simple, proportionate and as short as necessary (Unfortunately modern
revisions are becoming rather complex and unnecessarily longer).
2. Relevant and appropriate to the worshipers in their own context (No longer
for Priests only nor to foreign tastes).
3. Closely in line with and similar to the practices of the Apostles and Church
Fathers.
4. Entirely in agreement with correct biblical doctrine (Not superstitions and
innovations).
5. Widely acceptable and so should be generally agreed upon “by common
authority”.

THE NEW TESTAMENT AND EARLY CHURCH LITURGIES

Christians neither have Temples (for deities or Deity) nor Altars (for sacrifices).
Church buildings are simply, halls or meeting places to accommodate Christian
worshippers. God does not dwell in the Church buildings; He dwells in the true
Christian worshippers themselves: “where two or three gather in my name”. Church
worship took place in people’s house until about 200AD when the first church
buildings were erected. Church worship could take place anywhere and anytime.

In the New Testament, Christ instituted set Liturgies such as:

i) Common Prayers (Matt. 6:9-13)
ii) Holy Communion (Matt. 26:26-30)
iii) Baptism (Matt. 28:19)
The Apostles practiced all the above communally and publicly (Acts 1, 2, 5, 13, etc)
as well as taught so (1Cor 14:26ff; Heb. 10:25).

In the Early Church, The Apostolic catechetical manual called Didache has a
simple set liturgy for The Eucharist, though it allows Prophets to say additional
extempore prayers (Didache Chapters IX and X). The eucharistic mystery
developed from a simple form, as depicted in the 1st-century Didache, to the fully
developed liturgies of the 5th and 6th centuries in both the East and the West.

This diversity that was demonstrated in the liturgies of the Early Church (before
500AD which were of main four origins: Syrian, Alexandrian, Roman and Gallican)
is still preserved in extant copies of:

1 the Clementine liturgy (from Antioch),

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2 the Syrian liturgy,
3 the Liturgy of St. James (of the church of Jerusalem),
4 the Nestorian liturgy in Iran (Persia),
5 the Liturgy of St. Mark in Egypt,
6 the Roman mass (derived from Liturgy of St Peter),
7 the Gallican liturgies, and
8 the Ambrosian (Milanese),
9 Mozarabic (Spanish) derived from the Ephesine Liturgy of St John, and
10 Scottish-Irish (Celtic) liturgies which were derived from the Gallican before the arrival of St
Augustine of Cantabury in 597AD. This later influenced the formulation of Latin Sarum Missal of
1085AD used in England before The Reformation.

LITURGY AND THE REFORMATION

Before the Reformation of the 16th Century, no two cities in had the same order of
worship. Again, no two Centuries had the same order of worship even for the same
city. This means that the order of services had always been changing and diverse.
They had never been as constant and as uniform as has been the case since the
Reformation. For instance by 1500AD in England alone, there were at least seven
Liturgical books:
1. Primer (for devotions, litanies and penitentials).
2. Breviary (for little hours – Mattins, Lauds, Sext Compline, etc).
3. Missal (for Holy Communion Mass).
4. Manual (for Priests’ occasional services).
5. Pontifical (for Bishops’ exclusive services).
6. Pie (for Calendar and Appointed Lessons).
7. Processional (for hours of the cross, of the Virgin Mary, etc).

Each of these had different editions for different cities. For example the Missal had
five different editions – Sarum, York, Hereford, Bangor and Lincoln editions. In
fact, there was confusion of Liturgical books.

Nevertheless, whatever the variations, they shared many things in common. For
instance the order of the Eucharist, which was latter called mass, always had a litany
(responsive cry for mercy, e.g. ‘Kyrie eleison’); Collects, Epistle, Gospel, Creed,
Offertory, Common intercessions and supplications, Sursum Corda, Sanctus,
Consecration, Communion, Thanksgiving and Benediction.

During the Middle Ages (500 – 1500AD), the Liturgical services became too
cumbersome with protracted ceremonies and rites. Again many of the things in the
books were fancies of the formulators and were neither scriptural nor even
necessary. To worsen it all, the books were in Latin, so that the congregation
merely watched the majestic and colourful performances of the priests, acolytes and
choristers without understanding what was being said, and so were not edified. (1
Cor. 14).
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As a result, the reformers set out to put things right, starting with Martin Luther in
1523. The aims of the Reformers were these:
i) To have a uniform order for each nation in their own language;
ii) To make the services as simple and as short as necessary and appropriate;
iii) To make the services as close to those of the apostolic and sub-apostolic times
as possible; and
iv) To make the services entirely in line with correct biblical doctrine.

For instance, the medieval Missal implied that the MASS is for regular OFFERING
of the SACRIFICE of Christ’s body ON an ALTAR by the Priest on BEHALF of the
congregation. The Reformers believed that this was both dangerous and
blasphemous. They reformulated an order of service that agreed with those of the
apostolic and sub-apostolic times, calling it Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper or Holy
Communion (Not Mass). Here the service implied that the EUCHARIST is a
regular RECEIVING of the SACRAMENT of Christ FROM a TABLE by BOTH
the congregation and ministers.

THE LITURGY OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER (BCP)

The BCP is one of the greatest legacies of this historic reformation – resulting from
very careful effort of two generations of liturgical experts, bishops, clergy and
keenly critical congregations of all inclinations and learning. It is a very good
example of an order of worship that agrees entirely with the Scriptures. When
followed in the power of the Holy Spirit, it becomes full of life, culminating in true
worship (in Spirit and in Truth). However, when followed in the flesh or ignorantly,
it becomes empty and cold, resulting in rigid formalism without life.

The first BCP was launched into use on Whitsun, 9 th June, 1549, after being passed
by the Parliament of England under King Edward VI. Thomas Cranmer the
Archbishop of Canterbury led the team of divines that drafted the BCP. For the
daily offices, it had only the Morning and Evening Prayers. The Morning Prayer
was formulated by shortening and combining the Old Mattins (Nucturns), Lauds and
Prime together. The Evening Prayer was formulated likewise from the old Vespers
and Compline. The other little hour offices – Tierce, Sext and Nones were
discarded entirely.

In order to make the BCP as agreeable as possible to the Scriptures and to the
practices of the apostolic and sub-apostolic Church, the book has seen various
revisions to accommodate all bible-based criticism. The most important revisions,
which passed through the Parliament of England, were those of 1559 (Queen
Elizabeth I) and 1662 (King Charles II). The 1928 proposal was rejected by the

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Parliament for being too Romish, though approved by the Bishop as alternative to
the 1662 version. Below is a chronology of the story of the BCP reform.

1523 Martin Luther’s reformed Latin Mass

1526 Martin Luther’s German Mass
1534 Act of Supremacy of Henry VIII
1536 The Ten Articles of our Faith
1539 The Six Articles
1540 The "Great Bible" set up in churches as the "authorized version"
1543 Committee of Convocation commissioned to revise service-books
1543 "A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man," published
1544 First English Litany prepared by Cranmer and ordered for use in churches
1545 Primer of Henry the Eighth
1547 Jan. 31. Accession of King Edward VI
1548 March 8. English Order of the Communion added to the Latin Mass
1549 Jan. 21. The Book of Common Prayer: First Book of Edward VI adopted
1550 The English Ordinal prepared and published
1552 April 15. The Book of Common Prayer: Second Book of Edward VI receives royal assent
1552 The Forty-Two Articles of Edward VI
1558 Nov. 17. Accession of Queen Elizabeth
1558 Act of Supremacy of Queen Elizabeth
1559 The Eleven Articles
1559 April 28. Elizabethan Book of Common Prayer receives royal assent
1562 The Thirty-Nine Articles
1603 May 7. Accession of James I
1604 The Hampton Court Conference under King James I upheld the continued use of the Elizabethan
Book of Common Prayer
1611 The Authorised King James Version of the Bible published for use in the Churches
1637 The Scottish Prayer Book by narrow minded Archbishop Laud (included prayer for the faithful
departed and invocation of the Holy Spirit on communion elements, but used Presbyter for Priest)
1644 The Directory for the public worship of God replaces the Book of Common Prayer
1660 The use of the Book of Common Prayer revived
1661 The Savoy Conference between 12 Bishops and 12 Puritan Ministers to incorporate puritanist
objection called “ËXCEPTIONS” itemised by Richard Baxter.
1662 May 19. Act of Uniformity for the present English Book of Common Prayer passed in the
Parliament

The BCP contains many books in one volume:

Book 1 (Daily offices, Penitential and Prayers)
Book 2 (Holy Communion for the whole year)
Book 3 (Rites and ceremonies from infancy to old age)
Book 4 (Psalms or the Psalter)
Book 5 (The Bishops’ book)
Book 6 (The Lectionary and Liturgical Calendar)

The Daily Offices of the Morning and Evening Prayers are ordered after Psalm 95:
a) Penitential Introductory (ending with the Absolution)
b) Praises in Songs (Canticles)
c) Ministration of the Word (including the Creed)
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d) Prayers and Thanksgiving

APPENIX
1. Great care was taken to ensure that the prayers are straight to the point, short and in
agreement with sound biblical doctrine. We should therefore, learn from this in our
extemporaneous prayers.

2. We must lead or participate in the worship services in Spirit (under the inspiration and
power of the Holy Spirit) and in Truth (with a good knowledge of the truth about the God
who is Spirit).

3. Only the Priests have authority (by their ordination) to declare and pronounce the
absolution (Matt 16:19). The Priest has no power to forgive sins but has authority to
pronounce the absolution. Only God has power to forgive sins.
In the same vein, only the Priests have the authority to pronounce the benediction whether
Aaronic (Num 6:23ff) or Apostolic (Heb 13:20f; 2Cor 13:14); in the absence of a Priest
such benediction should be shared in unison.

4. Sunday worship services in the Anglican Communion should always follow the BCP or
any other order of service approved by the Diocesan Bishop.

VEN. DR. I. U. IBEME (2007).

Updated August 20, 2020

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright  © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
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