Areas Of Challenge In Liturgical Worship

Renewal needs in liturgical churches include increased attention to planning and integrating all parts of the worship service, an understanding of the importance of music ministry, and greater participation by the congregation. If worship in the liturgical church is to be a living encounter with God that changes the hearts and lives of the congregation, it will require more prayerful, creative planning than is usually assigned to it. Specifically, the three areas which need strengthening in most liturgical worship services merit our attention. More Effective Preaching. Preaching should facilitate people's prayer as a group. The use of the imagination, stories, and images are ways of bringing this about. The whole liturgy should preach or proclaim. After the environment, the music, and the other gestures of the liturgy have been planned, then the homily can be prepared. In that way it can fill in where the rest of the liturgy may fail. But how often is liturgical planning made equiv…