Reviewed Book: Senn, Frank C. The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy and the practice of evangelism. New York: Paulist Press, 1993

Nevile, Donald C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 24Issue 1 Leadership into the 21st Century Article 195-1-1998The witness of the worshiping community: liturgyand the practice of evangelismDonald C. NevileFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNevile, Donald C. (1998) "The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy and the practice of evangelism," Consensus: Vol. 24 : Iss.1 , Article 19.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol24/iss1/19Book Reviews 157While the book is designed for preachers, preachers in the lectionarytradition will find it harder to use directly because of its topical design.However, to aid accessibility the editor has added, under each major topic,several related topics and, more importantly, applicable biblical texts, allof which are then connected to a Subject Index and a Biblical Index. Quiteapart from this direct homiletical use, Milton is always good for stimulationand sermonic start-up, for not only do his stories invite the imagination torun, his reflections also provoke. He makes one direct plea to preacherswhen he takes up “Death”: . .if you know where you are on the subjectof life after death, please for the sake of us confused souls in the back pew,preach it. If you don’t know, could you do some thinking and praying andreading, so that you can help us think it through? As more of us becomelong of tooth and gray of hair, our interest in the subject is more thancasual. What’s in store? Compost or celestial choir?” (50).We used the book profitably for devotions, and these stories, anecdotes,and reflections will serve also as fine discussion starters with educationaland Bible study groups.Eduard and Ladona RiegertWaterloo, OntarioThe Witness of the Worshiping Community: Liturgyand the Practise of EvangelismFrank SennNew York: Paulist Press, 1993177 pp. $20.00 Cdn.Frank Senn is a Lutheran pastor, and currently president of the Liturgi-cal Conference. This challenging book, which is a reaction to the watering-down of traditional worship by the forces of the church growth movement,has two foci: Worship and Witness. Senn suggests that these two conceptshave become artificially separated, and that this goes against Scripture.This, he says, has crippled both worship and witness.Senn criticizes clergy and national church staff for “buying into theprinciples of the Church Growth Movement, in a last-ditch attempt to stemmembership hemorrhaging” (3). He claims that “there needs to be a moresecure connection between liturgy and evangelism. . .that churches whichtake seriously the liturgy as their primary form of public witness, need todevelop a liturgical evangelism” (4).In the opening chapters, he defines “right worship” over against itscontemporary corruptions: utilitarianism, evangelism, aestheticism, pietis-tic revivalism, and as a tool of church extension. He claims that liturgicalworship, according to the model of the catholic tradition as it has beeninherited and reformed in our time, when properly focussed, is a worthyvehicle for witnessing to the catholic/evangelical faith.158 ConsensusIn subsequent chapters, he develops this argument in relation to sev-eral types of liturgical worship experience, illustrating how they can be em-ployed to witness to the visitor among us: “The Witness of Baptism”; “TheWitness of the Eucharist”; “When the Public Comes to Church” (confir-mation, weddings, funerals, Christmas, Easter); “Liturgy and Evangelism”(the church year and its outreach themes).In his last chapter, “Christian Initiation”, Senn explores the possibilitiesof a parish cathecumenate program for witness and outreach. In the fifthchapter, right in the middle of the book, he offers a digression on hospitalityand inculturation, two themes of current interest to scholars and practicalworship leaders alike today.Throughout his discussions, Senn is adamant in defending the tradi-tional liturgical style of worship over against so-called “contemporary wor-ship”, which, he says, so mirrors the culture that it loses all sense of Gospelas being “over against” contemporary life. He is uncompromising in hiscriticism of the “unbiblicism” of this modern approach to worship.Pastors who speak and write like Senn are often criticized for beingunbending, stuffy, and over-traditional. One current joke even comparesthem to terrorists. (Q: What is the difference between a terrorist and aliturgist? A: You can negotiate with a terrorist.)People today do not want to hear such hard words about their faith,and about the importance of choosing carefully and theologically what theydo on Sunday morning. Yet hard writing, such as Senn offers here, isundeniably honest stuff, and we ignore it at our peril. There is no denyingany longer the “worship wars” going on in the church culture around us,especially among evangelists and fundamentalists, and in churches withpastors for whom “relevancy”, “success”, and “effectiveness” are the keyconcepts that govern ministry, rather than tradition or fciithfulness.Senn presents us with a choice: either follow the culture, and thechurches which mirror our culture, on their way down the road to con-formity, or cling to the inherited tradition, as it has been reformed in ourown time. This book provides lots of handles and anchors, to help us re-cover the “witness” and “outreach” edge which is inherent in our worshiptradition.Don NevileHighwood Lutheran ChurchCalgary, Alberta

The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy and the practice of evangelism

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 24
Issue 1 Leadership into the 21st Century Article 19
5-1-1998
The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy
and the practice of evangelism
Donald C. Nevile
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Nevile, Donald C. (1998) "The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy and the practice of evangelism," Consensus: Vol. 24 : Iss.
1 , Article 19.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol24/iss1/19
Book Reviews 157
While the book is designed for preachers, preachers in the lectionary
tradition will find it harder to use directly because of its topical design.
However, to aid accessibility the editor has added, under each major topic,
several related topics and, more importantly, applicable biblical texts, all
of which are then connected to a Subject Index and a Biblical Index. Quite
apart from this direct homiletical use, Milton is always good for stimulation
and sermonic start-up, for not only do his stories invite the imagination to
run, his reflections also provoke. He makes one direct plea to preachers
when he takes up “Death”: . .if you know where you are on the subject
of life after death, please for the sake of us confused souls in the back pew,
preach it. If you don’t know, could you do some thinking and praying and
reading, so that you can help us think it through? As more of us become
long of tooth and gray of hair, our interest in the subject is more than
casual. What’s in store? Compost or celestial choir?” (50).
We used the book profitably for devotions, and these stories, anecdotes,
and reflections will serve also as fine discussion starters with educational
and Bible study groups.
Eduard and Ladona Riegert
Waterloo, Ontario
The Witness of the Worshiping Community: Liturgy
and the Practise of Evangelism
Frank Senn
New York: Paulist Press, 1993
177 pp. $20.00 Cdn.
Frank Senn is a Lutheran pastor, and currently president of the Liturgi-
cal Conference. This challenging book, which is a reaction to the watering-
down of traditional worship by the forces of the church growth movement,
has two foci: Worship and Witness. Senn suggests that these two concepts
have become artificially separated, and that this goes against Scripture.
This, he says, has crippled both worship and witness.
Senn criticizes clergy and national church staff for “buying into the
principles of the Church Growth Movement, in a last-ditch attempt to stem
membership hemorrhaging” (3). He claims that “there needs to be a more
secure connection between liturgy and evangelism. . .that churches which
take seriously the liturgy as their primary form of public witness, need to
develop a liturgical evangelism” (4).
In the opening chapters, he defines “right worship” over against its
contemporary corruptions: utilitarianism, evangelism, aestheticism, pietis-
tic revivalism, and as a tool of church extension. He claims that liturgical
worship, according to the model of the catholic tradition as it has been
inherited and reformed in our time, when properly focussed, is a worthy
vehicle for witnessing to the catholic/evangelical faith.
158 Consensus
In subsequent chapters, he develops this argument in relation to sev-
eral types of liturgical worship experience, illustrating how they can be em-
ployed to witness to the visitor among us: “The Witness of Baptism”; “The
Witness of the Eucharist”; “When the Public Comes to Church” (confir-
mation, weddings, funerals, Christmas, Easter); “Liturgy and Evangelism”
(the church year and its outreach themes).
In his last chapter, “Christian Initiation”, Senn explores the possibilities
of a parish cathecumenate program for witness and outreach. In the fifth
chapter, right in the middle of the book, he offers a digression on hospitality
and inculturation, two themes of current interest to scholars and practical
worship leaders alike today.
Throughout his discussions, Senn is adamant in defending the tradi-
tional liturgical style of worship over against so-called “contemporary wor-
ship”, which, he says, so mirrors the culture that it loses all sense of Gospel
as being “over against” contemporary life. He is uncompromising in his
criticism of the “unbiblicism” of this modern approach to worship.
Pastors who speak and write like Senn are often criticized for being
unbending, stuffy, and over-traditional. One current joke even compares
them to terrorists. (Q: What is the difference between a terrorist and a
liturgist? A: You can negotiate with a terrorist.)
People today do not want to hear such hard words about their faith,
and about the importance of choosing carefully and theologically what they
do on Sunday morning. Yet hard writing, such as Senn offers here, is
undeniably honest stuff, and we ignore it at our peril. There is no denying
any longer the “worship wars” going on in the church culture around us,
especially among evangelists and fundamentalists, and in churches with
pastors for whom “relevancy”, “success”, and “effectiveness” are the key
concepts that govern ministry, rather than tradition or fciithfulness.
Senn presents us with a choice: either follow the culture, and the
churches which mirror our culture, on their way down the road to con-
formity, or cling to the inherited tradition, as it has been reformed in our
own time. This book provides lots of handles and anchors, to help us re-
cover the “witness” and “outreach” edge which is inherent in our worship
tradition.
Don Nevile
Highwood Lutheran Church
Calgary, Alberta


https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1567&amp;context=consensus

The witness of the worshiping community: liturgy and the practice of evangelism

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Wilfrid Laurier University

Scholars Commons