The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
Purchased from my employer, the Canadian Bible Society @ Cafe Logos, Vancouver.
This text review continues...
Five sources of Christian tradition (iv)
2. Liturgy
After Scripture, the second source within Orthodoxy, according to this text is liturgy. (v). From the Greek it means 'common work'. (v).The liturgy guides the people of God, in the Church, to worship together. This includes common worship, other services for the various hours and days of the week, feasts, seasons of the Church and the sacraments, baptism, Holy Eucharist, marriage and others. (v).
Within Orthodoxy, there is a 'rule of faith' (v), that standard of what is believed. (v). This is done through prayer. (v). The Latin example is noted in the text. (v). Liturgy is a form of public prayer.
The liturgy serves as theological education.
This is reasonable.
The text makes the claim 'Anybody who exposes himself or herself intensely to the Church's common worship will have a better course in Orthodox Faith, doctrine, and practice than any book could give, and nothing can take the place of that.' (v).
I am not in a position to challenge the claim.
For myself, having grown up in a limited liturgical, evangelical church setting, now a member at a Mennonite Brethren/evangelical church, I certainly have learned more from study within my own four degrees and writing academic websites, than in the Church, but I will grant that learning and fellowshipping within the Christian Church is essential for spiritual growth in the Church, as a Christian.
Scholars and non-scholars alike have noted the lack of theological training and learning for many evangelicals outside of the weekly sermon and perhaps a weekly home group/bible study. This is a legitimate critique. Some critics have claimed that overall the evangelical church is too reliant on popular pastors to spoon feed members and attenders.
I agree.
I also reason that overall, evangelical church members and attenders are too reliant on rather emotionally charged modern worship music, within the Christian walk, as opposed to as well, learning significant bible and theology.
Reformed and Protestant churches within mainline Christianity, even if evangelical, may in some cases use a significant amount of liturgy.
I would add that whether Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant or other, liturgy should not be a complete replacement for one's own personal biblical and theological study, using professional tools when useful.
