5/3 Notes Drew

Class Notes 5/3: Thinking about Liturgy and Worship in the US

Pentecostalism & the Society of Friends

Liturgy

·         Originally Greek word (composite of laos (people/public) and ergo (work)) suggesting an act was a public duty

·         Today we use it to describe a pattern or form of worship or the ritual performed

·         Denominations and individual congregations vary in their adherence to prescribed liturgy, although even churches that describe themselves as “non-liturgical” follow their own “liturgical logic”

·         Denominations and individual congregations may vary in the formality of liturgical style

·         Some protestant churches will follow liturgical calendar, but not necessarily a mass

·         Some masses don’t always have to be formal, sometimes informal, still follows mass

·         Differing views on note taking during worship service

Factors That Shape Liturgy

·         Denominational Affiliation

·         Congregational History

·         Congregational Character

·         Temporal Factors: Season/Day/Time

·         Spatial Factors

·         Financial Factors

·         What happens during liturgy often tells us about what the congregation values

Pentecostalism

·         Evangelical Christian movement growing out of camp meetings and holiness movements of 19^th-20^th centuries

·         Beliefs include:

·         Inerrancy of Bible

·         Gifts of Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues)

·         Faith Healing

·         God’s imminent return and rapture of church

·         Generally conservative on social/moral issues

·         Grows out of early African-American worship practices

·         Holy Spirit guiding liturgy (unstructured/guided holy spirit)

·         Hundreds of denominations and non-denominational congregations: Assemblies of God, Church of God in Christ, Universal Church of the Kingdom of God

·         One of the fastest growing traditions in the world, esp. global south. One quarter of world’s Christians identify as Pentecostal

·         Growing in Latin America

Quakers

·         Movement emerges in 17^th century England by George Fox

·         Everyone has Inner Light and following this light leads to spiritual development

·         Focus on a lifestyle of plainness and simplicity

·         Belief in radical equality leads to suppression in England, many came to Pennsylvania/RI

·         A variety of sects of Friends, ranging from more traditionally protestants to  non-theists/Universalists

·         360,000 Quakers worldwide, largest concentration in Kenya, 85,000-90,000 Quakers in the US

·         Devoted to Peace, Quakers practice conscientious objection, many were abolitionists

·         20^th  century: 2 kinds of Quakerism in US: liberal and evangelical

·         Liberal Quakers often advocate for progressive social causes, including disarmament, racial and social justice, and care for the environment

·         Liberal Quakers, which make up 11%  of Quakers in general practice of “waiting worship”