[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during August 2021]
Recently I had occasion to drive through a provincial city on a Sunday morning. The cathedral bells were tolling and a good many of the faithful were gathering to join in worship. Having purchased small candles for about 20p and wearing masks, they took their turn to enter the cathedral. Worship in the Eastern Orthodox denominations centres around the priests acting as intermediaries between the worshippers and God, and the veneration of the saints of bygone years.
Orthodox churches are decorated completely internally with images of saints whilst monasteries extend this to the outside as well. Many of these icons are themselves of considerable age and, at a time of widespread illiteracy, they were intended to remind the faithful of Bible stories and the exploits of the saints and also, often very graphically, of the fate awaiting the unbeliever.
Immediately opposite the cathedral was another large building, a store bearing a name also well-known in the UK. It too had its masked devotees and even a kind of liturgy. A small donation (equivalent to 10p) releases a small cart with which the visitor can move through the aisles, pausing to consider the items on display. In this scenario, the items can be handled and visitors are encouraged to place them into the cart. Like in the cathedral across the road, a payment is expected when the visitor is ready to leave. As this store also promotes personal hygiene products, the juxtaposition of these two buildings confirms that cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.
Of course, as non-conformists claiming direct access to God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we do not have any liturgy. But wait! We have a largely predictable form of service, we have three-point sermons, we sit down to pray and stand up to sing, we even have a dress code (albeit somewhat informal). We conduct our communion services in a way that might seem strange to visitors more used to receiving the elements from a priest at an altar rail. We have standardised formats for dedications, baptisms, marriages and funerals. Is this not all a form of liturgy? Might it be confusing to a visitor? How can we ensure that the visitor is not left uncomfortable with their unfamiliarity?
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In the book of Revelation, the apostle John gives us several glimpses of the liturgy of heaven:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice [Revelation 7 v9 NIVUK]
That addresses the question of sit or stand, clarifies the dress code and replaces candles with palm fronds. We will no longer need icons of the saints when we can see them in person amongst that great multitude. Rather more important is the declaration of worship, and the angels’ response:
‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’
[Revelation 7 v10, 12 NIVUK]
Are you ready to echo that great ‘Amen!’?
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
