The Work of the People

The term liturgy is based on a Greek word, leitourgia, meaning “the work of the people.” It is used throughout the Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe the sacrificial ministrations of the priests and in the New Testament to describe various sacrificial actions of believers. The church fathers used this term to describe what we do in corporate worship. The worship that we offer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is “the work of the people.” Just a few thoughts on what this means for us. First, it means that what we we’re doing is work! It is hard and requires effort. But isn’t it the case that most things worth doing take work. If you think about it, nations of this world often require applicants for citizenship to learn a number of things before becoming citizens. Why should it be any different when we become citizens of God’s holy nation, the Church? We too must learn a new language, new rites and customs, and new songs. And that takes work! It takes practice! We shouldn’t think that we could just stroll into God’s house and know what pleases Him. There is a proper sense in which what we do in the liturgy is foreign to us and must be learned. Second, this liturgical ‘work’ is done by, “the people.” This was one of the central privileges recovered in the reformation, “the priesthood of all believers.” At that time liturgy had devolved into “the work of the priest.” And the Reformers, hearkening back to Scripture and the early church, said, “No! Worship is the work of the people!” That is why the liturgy is full of things for you to do, to say, and to sing. This is your work, our work, not mine. So give yourselves to this work! Labor in it by the power of the Spirit that we may “offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28).