Why Celebration?
by Peter Davison
Q Why are church services called ‘celebrations’ when they are so often unexciting?
A Your question comes when many churches are looking at the quality of their worship. The Washington Post recently observed that some ‘non-liturgical’ churches are rediscovering the church year, with its seasonal themes emphasising the highs and lows of Christ’s life and ours. They prefer the rich drama of the Christian story to the selective preaching of ‘pastor’s pick’.
At the same time ‘liturgical churches’ – Anglican, Roman Catholic and Lutheran – are in dire need of liturgical renewal. Although we pride ourselves on having more scripture in our worship than most ‘Bible churches’, and although the eucharistic liturgy offers the drama of word and sacrament, we suffer from presiders, readers and others who mumble or rush through the texts, are sloppy in dress and ritual, and often give the impression their heart isn’t in it. If our worship is so important, it should show. People come when the word gets out that ‘something is happening’. So let me offer some suggestions.
First, liturgy takes time – time to prepare, and adequate time to do it well. We may live in a culture that gets impatient if the service goes over an hour, but if the quality is good people will be less likely to object. If we are concerned about length, we can focus on the highlights of the day or season. In Advent and Lent we want to give proper emphasis to the penitential rite; but at other times we may simply want to include a prayer for forgiveness in the Prayers of the People, and follow that with the Peace. We may also note that the Eucharistic Prayer provides a summary of our faith, so is it necessary to recite the creed everySunday?
Secondly, hymns and sermon should support the readings and themes. They should be focused and not ‘draggy’. Preachers can normally get a well-crafted sermon across in ten minutes or less – but that involves thinking ahead. It takes more time to prepare a good, short homily than a long, rambling one. Better to leave people wanting more than to have them longing for it to finish! The music should also be sing-able. Don’t have too many unfamiliar hymns; keep the key within the range of the congregation; and if you’re introducing new music, have a congregational practice just before the service, and try to have the new tune as a gradual hymn, rather than at the beginning, middle (offertory), or end.
Thirdly, readers need to practise. Good readers find out well beforehand what they’re expected to read. They read their passage aloud over and over, mastering the pronunciation of difficult words, and finding the right emphases. Repeated reading helps us internalise the passage and get the feel of it. Without this the word never gets off the printed page and into the minds and hearts of listeners. Readers must also remember words cannot be heard if there’s no space between them. Racing through a passage renders it unintelligible! Nor does a microphone excuse readers from projecting their voices by using their diaphragms. The same principles apply to presiders. Mumbling or racing through liturgical texts makes worship seem perfunctory and unimportant. Political commentators have observed how the power of Barack Obama’s oratory comes from careful attention to rhythm and cadence. The same applies to all of us – liturgy requires care and attention to detail.
Finally, all worship should be ‘an event’. Through word and sacrament we claim Christ is present! If so, our worship will never be dull or ‘bo-o-o-ring’. But it will be exciting only when disciplined practice makes it all look natural, and a real ‘happening’.
