Storytelling in Liturgy: How Worship is Enhanced Through the Journey of a Hero

Description

Evangelicals often disparage “church services”, instead emphasizing on discipleship (“going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car,” etc), failing to appreciate that the liturgy itself has formative power and has discipled millions of Christians. Additionally, Evangelicals dismiss “liturgy” as something rote, unfeeling, and lifeless. But liturgy is simply the technical word for “church services”, and the ‘work of the people’ varies in its effectiveness, ranging from meaningful spiritual experience at one end to impoverished performance or cutesy cultural knockoff at the other. A “thin liturgy” is often the result of those who disregard the need for planning, prayer, and craftsmanship, whereas a robust liturgy is one in which the whole experience is designed cohesively rather than simply as a collection of parts.

By applying storytelling principles to the classical elements of liturgy, we can cultivate worship that is poignant, relevant, and substantive.

This curriculum will help you learn to combine the principles of storytelling with the classical components of the liturgy; become comfortable evaluating liturgy through the lens of storytelling in order to offer more good news; and design meaningful worship services that overlap our stories with God’s Story.