Essay Review: "Liturgy Brings Order to Our Disorder"

The essay "Liturgy Brings Order to Our Disorder" , by Leah Bromen, brings Theological opinion on the significance of liturgical worship in bringing order and structure to our chaotic world. It emphasizes the importance of the liturgy as a means of grounding believers in the timeless truths of the Christian faith and fostering a sense of unity and continuity within the Church.

One of the strengths of the article is its recognition of the profound impact that the liturgy can have on shaping the identity and spirituality of believers. By participating in the rich tapestry of liturgical practices handed down through generations, Lutherans are invited into a place and practice that transcends the temporal confines of our modern world. The liturgical Service setting may serve as a counterbalance to the fragmentation that characterize contemporary society, offering a place of stability and order amidst the tumultuous currents of life, observes Bromen.

The article highlights the communal dimension of liturgical worship, emphasizing its capacity to unite believers across diverse backgrounds and traditions. Bromen highlights the fact that in a world marked by division and discord the liturgy may serve as one of the unifying forces uniting believers in a common expression of worship and praise.

While the article underscores the importance of the liturgy in providing order and structure to our spiritual lives, it could benefit from a wider conversation for possibilities beyond liturgical formality. The Liturgical Service provides a framework for corporate worship and spiritual growth, but always connected to the fact that the Holy Spirit is not confined to any particular liturgical formula or tradition. Divine Service is rendered first and foremost in Spirit and Truth. The work of the Church across the centuries and in different contexts, cultures and contemporaneity is a testament to this dynamic process of essence and practice, formality and openness to living expressions of faith flowing from the diversity found among the people of God gathering everywhere.

The theological opinion expressed in the article points to the capacity of liturgical worship in bringing order and coherence to our fragmented world. While the liturgy can indeed bring order to our spiritual lives, it is essential to guard against the temptation to reduce the Service to a specific chosen routine which may lead to a loss of identity, vitality and life-directedness. The liturgy serves as a means to an end - the encounter with the living God and His gifts, rather than an end in itself.

As the author points out in a precise way, "Everything we do is a confession." While embracing the structure and stability that liturgical worship provides, the Church is free to cultivate an ambient where both ancient structures and alternative liturgical Services create a safe, faithful and faith-nurturing ambient where the congregation connects with time in place in which she is inserted. This posture of stability with openness is a strong way to uphold our core confession of our faith, Word Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone. 

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