Are these laudable aims?
It has been assumed by the majority of those pushing for liturgical reform since the 1950s in the Roman Catholic Church that key ingredients of new Rites (Liturgies with attached symbolism & ceremonial) should be simplicity, intelligibility, development of community & a theatrical role for the Celebrant & ministers. Within the Anglican Churches it has been a similar story with similar ingredients, with "relevance to/for modern people" being a high priority.
It may be argued that the Church has a duty to make her message to the world, of the Lord God the Creator who is also the Redeemer through His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, as simple and intelligible as possible. Not simplistic but simple in the sense of introducing as few difficult concepts and words as possible. Yet as St Paul declares "No man can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost" (1 Corinthians 12:3). Evangelism without the effective work of the Holy Ghost in the human mind and heart will never succeed even if be simple as simple can be. And minds touched by the Holy Ghost understand much more truth than without that divine illumination and inspiration.
But back to public worship & common prayer in the house of the Lord. Let us look briefly at the emphases of modern liturgists.
SIMPLICITY There is no evidence that a simple form of service is more effective in leading people to God than an elaborate, lavish and elaborate service. Likewise there is no evidence that the simplest form of English in terms of vocabulary, grammar and syntax is more effective in leading people to God than a rich form of English in terms of its vocabulary, rhythm and sentence construction. The art of lifting the soul from the cares and joys of this world to the heights of heaven is not necessarily achieved in the shortest, quickest and simplest manner be it of words or symbolism.
INTELLIGIBILITY It is doubtful whether making every part of the service as clear as possible (in terms of modern notions of clarity) does justice to the fact that the engagement in worship is with the supernatural, the transcendent and ultimately the infinite and eternal God who makes himself known as he will. The relation that is established in worship with God is of such a nature as to stretch language in several directions so that scientific intelligibility is not a realistic aim. The intelligibility that is to be sought in the language of worship belongs to the unique sphere of the worshipper actually engaging in communion with the Lord God. For this the language of poetry and metaphor of sign and symbolism is more appropriate. And this is so, in fact supremely so, even when we allow for the important fact of the Incarnation of the Son of God and his presence as the exalted Lord with the worshippers through the Holy Ghost.
COMMUNITY The effort to create community, to make people feel they belong to one another and thus to God in this or that local congregation, must by its nature put the emphasis upon what we may call the horizontal rather than the vertical, that is on the immanent rather on the transcendent. The Christian Hope is that of the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come within the new Household of God, the Body of Christ. In this world only a taste and sampling of this future fullness of communion is possible. If the emphasis in worship is upon God and by his grace upon the heavenly calling and the future fellowship/communion, then there is likelihood that a real foretaste of this will be known in the assembly. But community as community is not a worthy end of public worship and leads to over-use and mis-use of such things as the passing of the peace!
LITURGICAL AGENCY. THE ROLE OF THE MINISTER(S). When the minister(s) are covered by robes or vestments and when they use a well-established service in traditional language where one part follows another smoothly and without announcement, then their role is not that of an individual named Joe or Jean doing his or her thing, but of an official minister of the Church of God. Here the laity participate spiritually, often in silence, and they only make a noise when singing or engaging in public responses. The ministers are part of the Liturgy and they facilitate it so that it may be the means of leading people to God. The aim is to lift up the soul to God as he in grace descends to assist in that uplifting.
But when the minister takes on the role of the actor, plays a part, reveals his or her personality, makes everyone feel wanted and welcome, and guides the people through the service with explanations and light-hearted comments and expects them to participate in obvious ways, then the whole orientation is not vertical but horizontal. God is seen as present in the horizontal experience.
Thus, Simplicity has to be joined to complexity, Intelligibility to mystery and Community to communion (koinonia) and the theatrical role of the minister has to decrease, if there is to be worship of the Father through the Son and with the Holy Ghost.
It seems to be the case that the rejection of the accumulated wisdom of the centuries beginning in the liturgical revolution of the 1960s and 1970s has led to an understanding of worship and to forms of worship which seem to be more for the self-development of human beings than for the adoration and greater glory of God as God. This modern form of worship is seen everywhere from the entertainment-type worship of the interdenominational community church to the modern folk mass of the Roman Catholic parish. It exists on the horizontal plane and aspires not to the vertical.
Happily there is a still a remnant found across the denominational spectrum which believes that the chief purpose of Christian humanity is to adore God and in adoring the Blessed Trinity to enjoy and glorify him for ever, unto ages of ages.
August 1st, 2002
The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon
Minister of Christ Church, Biddulph Moor,
England & Vice-President and Emissary-at-Large
of The Prayer Book Society of America
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