Liturgical or Non-Liturgical

As I visited the churches, some asked me - what are some of the main differences you encountered? One of the biggest differences I encountered was between liturgical and non-liturgical churches.

As soon as I said that, some immediately knew what I was talking about, while most seemed confused and immediately asked what is a liturgical church?

A liturgical church follows a liturgy. Though liturgy is a Greek word which basically means ceremony, a liturgical church usually refers to a church that follows a script during the worship service, while a non-liturgical church, which often has an order of service, usually does not follow a script.

In most, though not all liturgical churches, the script for the liturgy is set by the denomination from the central bureaucracy, so that all the churches of that denomination follows the same script (though some variations are allowed). In contrast, while non-liturgical churches may follow some sort of a script, it is usually developed at the local level.

When you attend a liturgical church, the script is usually provided to you in a missal, in a prayer book, in the bulletin, or some other manner. If you attend a non-liturgical church, if there is a script, it might not be provided, or if it is, it is either in the bulletin, or these days, projected.

However, most visitors notice other aspects that indicate a liturgical or non-liturgical church. In liturgical churches, the priests or pastors tend to wear ceremonial robes, while in non-liturgical churches they do not. Liturgical churches tend to sing hymns, while non-liturgical churches focus more and more on contemporary music. Liturgical churches tend to a more elaborate Communion (Eucharist) portion of the service than non-liturgical churches. Liturgical churches tend to be much more ornate than non-liturgical churches. Liturgical churches tend to have a more formal service while non-liturgical services tend to be much more informal.

Many liturgical churches have tried to diverge by having a traditional service and a separate contemporary service. In the meantime, some non-liturgical churches have incorporated some liturgical elements into their service.

Liturgical or non-liturgical is not a Catholic-Protestant dividing line. While Catholic churches are liturgical, many Protestant churches follow a liturgical service, including Episcopals, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Methodists, among others.

Church attendees tend to have strong feelings about this. Some strongly prefer a liturgical (traditional) service, while others strongly prefer a non-liturgical (contemporary) service. It often depends on their background and good or bad experiences they had in the past.

I enjoyed both during my visits. To the extent I could, I tried to alternate and go to a liturgical service one Sunday, followed by a non-liturgical service the next Sunday. I found a richness in both traditions, and did not see them as necessarily in conflict. I appreciated both traditions.