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What Sort of Church do you Like? Thoughts on the Liturgy?

Loyal
Most churchs that I have attended that had any significant liturgical service were bland and not nourishing for my soul. But that being said, I think its good to go, to share the JOY of the Lord that they often are missing. But if they dont respond with any joy, I usually dont go back.
 
Active
I am going to a church that doesn't have a liturgical tradition, but I miss liturgy.

For example, here's an old prayer from the opening of an Anglican service. It's beautiful and perfectly set the right frame of mind for worship

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden;
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
so that we may truly love you
and worthily praise your holy name;
through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

When I pray this prayer on a Sunday, I'm reminded that I'm joining saints all over the world in the same prayer, and also joining saints down the ages who have come before God in the same way. I find it really helpful to switch away from the immediate and urgent things that are always pressing in and gain a wider perspective.

There's definitely a place for being spontaneous and exuberant too. Many liturgical churches too often miss out on that aspect.

A few years ago my wife who grew up Anglican took me to the church she grew up in. She was really saddened to see a church that used to be chocca was reduced to about 40, average age 70 and with a liturgy dependent, no sermon, bells and smells service where every minute seemed to last 20.

I don't think you can blame the liturgy any more than you can blame the building.

The blame for a church going down the pan like that has to lie with the congregation. If you read John's letters to the churches in Asia in the first three chapters of Revelation you'll see that his many criticisms of the churches are addressed to the congregations rather than the ministers/pastors.

Can I please urge you to re-read these three chapters? Please refrain from picturing another church when you read John castigating one of the Asian churches, he's not just restricting what he's saying to the church in, for example Laodicea, but rather to all churches including and especially yours. So if you read one of these passages and you think to yourself, yes that describes (for example) St. Ignatius's down the road, then you've completely missed the point of the passage. No, he's talking about your church. The greatest threat to it is complacency, if everyone's happy with how it is, it can't improve, it will slide. That goes for the church as much as it goes for you. All churches must identify and concentrate on their weaknesses and try to improve and turn those weaknesses into strengths.

Pray for your church, pray for Holy Spirit inspired wisdom in identifying areas that God is less than pleased with and don't be coy about pointing them out and working with others to remedy them.

Revelation chapters 1-3, well worth another read, in that context.
 
Active
Here. This is a good video about Foursquare Church. It is where God called me to go before and if it is possible, I'd go again.

 
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