I'm sitting here at my desk reading some for this collaborative book project (which is due sooner than I may have it done... ugh) It's a bit stressful, I won't lie but it's good for me, I think, to be pushed. I need to reduce what I want to write into a small 20 page segment of what I need to write. Hopefully I'll pull it off, no problem. I am reading some Richard Foster so I can try to keep things in perspective. Here's a quote I'm trying to keep in mind while doing my writing. He wrote it in regards to the various forms of liturgical expression throughout the church (which takes on a special meaning as he is anabaptist)

"To say that forms are secondary is not to say that they are irrelevant. As long as we are finite human beings we must have forms. We must have "wineskins" that will embody our experience of worship. But the forms are not the worship; they only lead us into worship. We are free in Christ to use whatever forms will enhance our worship, and if any form hinders us from experiencing the living Christ - too bad for the form."

(Foster, Richard J. Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. San Fransisco: HarperCollins, 1978. 159.)

"Too bad for the form." I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that but you're all going to get my reading of it here. I know you're excited. Hell, I would be too if I didn't already know what I was going to say!!

Liturgy is important. That's an incredibley vague statement and could have a thousand different readings. It's fun to apply some creativity in figuring out what I mean by that but odds are you'll get it wrong. I think we can all agree with the statement, even the Mennonites do! It is the very basis of our worship: The skeleton of what we do.

Liturgy is rhythmic. It moves with the common worship of the whole church catholic (fairly consistently) and defines the experience of most of the world's christians. In it we connect to the heart of God. In this act, we are in the presence of the immanent trinity. Depsite however we may feel in a particular circumstance our worship always points us towards the redemption of all things (for particularly depressive times) as well as humankind's need for redemption (for those days we're being a bit cocky)

Liturgy is being re-discovered by those of us who may identify as being post-protestant... I think after so many succesive generations seperated from the rest of the church many of us are leaving our family traditions of individualistic worship. We want genuine and true community. Not this silly social-networking myspace stuff but true friendships with honest, real, and seriously flawed (but recovering) people who we can journey with. Liturgy promotes that healing.

Having said all that, what does any of this have to do with the quote? Well, I think that although liturgy is the skeleton of our being, it's "fleshing out" will vary according to the circumstance. There is a place for solemn ceremonial rites with the whole "bells and smells" bit and there is a time to get dirty and bless some animals! Some communities worship will be laid back and chill while others will be far different. Some meet in living rooms. Others meet in Cathedrals. To ask who's the greatest is a silly question...

I'm sure Foster meant something slightly different by that phrase but this is what I think about it. Anyways, just some thoughts along the way.

(BTW, I'm getting married)