Neil & Margaret Holm
We appreciate worship that is built around liturgy, not because it is the same each week, or because it is predictable, or because we like tradition. We enjoy the liturgy because it is like poetry – language that has been carefully constructed to pack the densest meanings into the fewest words; language that has power and rhythm; language that is not trite or verbose; language that we share corporately; language that, especially when read in unison with meaning and passion, penetrates us bodily, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually; language of beauty and complexity that aids our worship of a beautiful and complex God. We enjoy new forms of liturgy that allow us to reflect on God, each other, and the beauties and struggles of the world in which we live.
At least in recent years, many churches have avoided symbolism, the lectionary, and the church year. Yet these features of church life add to the density and complexity of worship. Preaching that draws on the interplay of the readings of the Old Testament, the Epistles, and the Gospel has a texture and substance that is entirely different to verse-by-verse, word-by-word exegesis of a selected Biblical passage. The liturgy, the preaching, the silence, and the music come together as a harmony of worship, a celebration of who God is and who we are as the people of God. This worship forms us, shapes us, and transforms us corporately and individually. Again, it has an entirely different texture and substance to an outreach service, a seeker service, or an evangelistic service. It functions to transform, to nurture, and to disciple deeply. The lectionary and the church year remind us of the shared Christian tradition between denominations. Especially when combined with some forms of occasional inter-denominational worship and celebration, they remind us of our place in the universal church.
We hope for a church that continues to transform us to serve; to live as though the kingdom of God is already here on earth; to be followers of Jesus where we are; to live undivided lives where our Monday-to-Saturday, workday, family, and social lives are an expression of our daily worship; to live lives that are authentic, peaceful, graceful, harmonious, connected, supportive, and life-changing in small practical local ways; to be people who are recognised as being there for others, who are rock solid, dependable, other-oriented not self-oriented; to be people who glow because they have seen God. For us, this transformation seems to begin in small, intimate, egalitarian settings rather than amplified, performance-driven, mega-churches. Come, Lord Jesus, transform the whole creation!