The Future of the Liturgy

Liturgical churches are in decline around the world. Cathedrals and Chapels are being turned into breweries and studios for Yoga and social events. In fact, most of the churches in Europe (65% closing, CBN News) and America are being sold, with 2,500 churches being sold a year in USA alone (CBN News). Part of what has caused the decline in attendance at liturgical churches is participation. The advent of Pentecostal Movement and Charismatic churches in 20th century made liturgical churches seem stale and backward. In a Pentecostal church every member can participate in the service by uttering prophecies, praises, and words. In contrast, the Liturgical system is very Medieval with the Priest or Reverend doing most of the practices and the members only speaking up to say “Our Father who art in Heaven..”, “Lord Hear Our Prayer,” and “May the Lord Be with you, and with you also.” The liturgy is very regimented, with the Communion and homily being reserved for a specific part in the service. In a generation that prefers to participate via social media, in person, and all forms of contact, sitting and standing as a reverend does most of the work, doesn’t appeal.  

The weakness of the liturgy is lack of direct participation in the service by the laity. The strengths is that each Sunday service has a constancy and predictability in a very unstable world. Members and visitors can count on the rhythm of hymns, prayer, homily, communion, and closing prayers to be the same format every week. There is also no pressure to have a word, revelation, or prophecy, instead it is a more relaxed setting. Another major positive is that all liturgical churches of the particular denomination, Good Shepherd Lutheran being an example, read the same Old Testament and New Testament texts on Sunday, so a Lutheran in Houston Texas, USA can talk with Lutheran in Jerusalem, Israel about the same teachings. This creates a sense of unitas, a familia fidel around the world.    

However, a major problem is many of liturgical churches are compromising truth to appease politically correctness. This trend of compromising truth for culture has caused churches to split in half as in  Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (liberal-homosexual ordination) and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (traditional, no Masons allowed); Presbyterian Church (USA) which is liberal pro-homosexual ordination and the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) which is traditional. So while the liturgical churches lose members and buildings over lack of participation and a generation that is 70% not affiliated with any religion (Nones), the liturgical churches are schisming over social issues. 

So what is the future of the liturgy? Should it survive? Is it an archaic medieval system invented by Constantine the Great that needs to die (The History of the Church, Chapter 10: Peace and Recovery of the Church Victory of Constantine, Eusebius)? Or should it survive by being co-opted? The answer lies may lie with the savy liturgical churches who are offering a liturgy service and modern evangelical service on Sundays. This way the older generation that grew up with a liturgical service can enjoy it while the younger generation that prefer the more modern style of worship scan go to it. The future of the liturgy hinges on its relevancy. The best chance of its survival is the co-opted method of offering it with modern church services. The bulk of the people who will fill the pews of the liturgy services is generations who grew up in a liturgical church, people who were in cults like Leah Remini and need a less austere church, and those erudite analytical types who prefer a more organized and ordered service. Still even with dual-services, the liturgical churches have major stumbling blocks ahead, specifically the Nones (70% unaffiliated with any religion)   and an increasing trend of believers joining Non-Denominational, Evangelical, and Pentecostal churches. 

The Future of the Liturgical churches looks grim according to the data (massive closing of liturgical churches in Europe and America, the Nones) and the popularity of participatory churches. However, a semblance of the liturgy will live on in most Evangelical and Non-denominational churches which follow a similar format of liturgy with praise songs, offering, prayer, sermon, closing worship, and closing prayer. But it is evident that the medieval-renaissance service is declining in popularity. Its best chance of surviving is Christmas and Easter services, which someday may be the last hold outs of the liturgy. Amen.