Reasons for a Liturgy

Excerpted from Notes on the Services of Morning and Evening Prayer
by Rev'd Deacon DeWayne Adams

            Morning and Evening Prayer, also called Matins and Evensong or Vespers respectively, were derived by Archbishop Cranmer from the seven prayer hours of the Middle Ages.  However, lest one think that these set times of prayer are merely medieval, it must be remembered that they are descended from early church practice reaching back even before the apostles into Jewish practice at Temple and synagogue.  As such, our liturgical worship at Morning and Evening Prayer reflects the worship practice of Jesus Himself.

            You may have heard the saying, “If it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.”  Well, if liturgical worship was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for me.  Let us say that our Lord were to enter a synagogue, and were requested to be the leader or minister.  After ascending the lectern, He would begin with two short, set prayers, about as long as longer collects or some of the prayers and petitions found in the Prayer Book. 

            The first of these two prayers was:  “Blessed be Thou, O Lord, King of the world, who formest the light and createst the darkness, who makest peace and createst everything; who in mercy givest light to the earth, and to those who dwell upon it, and in Thy goodness, day by day, and every day, renewest the works of creation.  Blessed be the Lord our God for the glory of His handiworks, and for the light-giving lights which He has made for His praise.  Selah.  Blessed be the Lord our God who has formed the lights.”

            The second of these two prayers was:  “With great love hast Thou loved us, O Lord our God, and with much overflowing pity hast Thou pitied us, our Father and our King.  For the sake of our fathers who trusted in Thee, and Thou taughtest them the statutes of life, have mercy upon us, and teach us.  Enlighten our eyes in Thy law; cause our hearts to cleave to Thy commandments; unite our hearts to fear and love Thy name, and we shall not be put to shame, world without end.  For Thou art a God who preparest salvation, and us hast Thou chosen from among all nations and tongues, and has in truth brought us near to Thy great Name – Selah – that we may lovingly praise Thee and Thy Unity.  Blessed be the Lord, who in love chose His People Israel.”

            After these prayers the Shema would be recited, consisting of three passages from the Pentateuch (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13 -21; Num. 15:37-41), followed by another prayer:  “True it is that Thou art Jehovah, our God, and the God of our fathers, our King, and the King of our fathers, our Savior, and the Savior of our fathers, our Creator, the Rock of our Salvation, our Help, and our Deliverer.  Thy Name is from everlasting, and there is no God beside Thee.  A new song did they who were delivered sing to Thy Name by the seashore; together did all praise and own Thee King, and say, Jehovah shall reign, world without end!  Blessed be the Lord who saveth Israel .”

            When this prayer was ended, Jesus as the minister would take the scrolls of the Law and Prophets, after repeating a series of benedictions (more set prayers!) before the Ark or holy chest in which they were kept.  If a priest was present, then he would elevate his hands to shoulder level and pronounce a blessing, which was called “the lifting up of hands” (cf. I Tim. 2:8).  If a priest or descendant of Aaron was not present, the minister would say the priestly benediction (another set form). 

            After the priestly benediction, another prayer followed, “O bestow on Thy people Israel great peace forever.  For Thou art King, and Lord of all peace.  And it is good in Thine eyes to bless Thy people Israel at all times and at every hour with Thy peace.  Blessed art Thou, Jehovah, who blesseth His people with peace!”  This prayer ended the liturgical part of the service.

            At this time the minister would bring out a scroll of the Law, and seven persons would read seven passages, followed by a reading from the Prophets.  A sermon by a rabbi, the minister, or other capable person, was given after the readings.  The service concluded with a short prayer, a “concluding collect”, if you will.

            As can be readily seen, a synagogue service looked remarkably like our Anglican “Morning Prayer with Sermon” service, which was at one time the most frequent service in our churches.  If it was good enough for Jesus (cf. Lk. 4:16 -27), it should be good enough for us.

            Also the New Testament itself evidences liturgical worship in the beginning of the Christian Church’s existence, which is natural given the Jewish roots of Christian worship.  In Acts 2:42, the Scripture states, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and (the) fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in (the) prayers.”  I have inserted the two words in parentheses to reflect the original Greek construction.  Notice that it is not simply “prayer”, which would be fitting for an extemporaneous service, but “the prayers”, i.e. set forms of prayer as the apostles and disciples had been taught and had practiced from childhood.  This is reinforced in Acts 4:24 where, in the midst of trial when forms could have been thrown out the window and a “let’s just pray whatever’s on your hearts” uttered, the early disciples did not do so.  Rather, the Scripture records, “they lifted up their voice (singular) to God with one accord, and said...”  The Greek word translated “with one accord” basically means “together”, whether referring to place or action.  Then follows in verses 24-30 that marvelous prayer that they said liturgically, all together. 

            Other indications of liturgical worship and the use of set forms are found in the epistles.  In 2 Tim. 1:13, Paul tells Timothy to “hold fast the form of sound words.”  Whether Paul is referring to a creed (most likely) or to a prayer, it is nevertheless a set form, so despised among many modern Christians.  Also in Romans 6:17 , Paul thanks God that they had “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine” which was passed on to them.  Again note that this was a set form, not just content in whatever words, and also note that a set form can be obeyed from the heart, against those that say forms are against “heart religion”.

            Another passage giving evidence of liturgy in the early church is found in 2 Cor. 2:9, “But as it is written, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.”  The roots of this passage are found in Isa. 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.”  But it is readily seen that the New Testament passage is not a direct quote or translation of the Hebrew.  In fact, neither is it a quote of the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament used by the early Church ).  But the exact quotation is found in the Liturgy of St. James, which has its roots in Jerusalem , and in fact the same liturgy contains the words of Paul that follow also, “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”  Paul was quoting a liturgical phrase, already in use in the churches of apostolic times, rooted in the Old Testament.

            In conclusion, the most authentic Christian worship is liturgical worship.  Such was the worship of Jews in Old Testament times, such was the worship of Jesus, such was the worship of the New Testament Church, and such has been the practice of the Church historically.