The Importance of a Common Liturgy

When I first started leading worship, I was convinced that doing something new, something creative each time was the only way to keep the congregation engaged and worshiping God. So I would introduce new songs all the time, change the structure of the service, implement special "artistic" stations, I even one time asked the congregation to write a love letter to God. I put every ounce of creativity I could into every service, gave them something fresh each time, and do you know what happened? The congregation got tired, they got distant, they got confused. All of my efforts resulted in a disengaged congregation.What I know now and what I wish I knew then was that people are creatures of habit. People need to know what to expect when they show up on Sunday mornings. That doesn't mean there is no room for creativity and change, it just needs to be subtle, gradual and fit within the scope of what is expected for the congregation.As worship pastors, we need to help our church find a common liturgy. We need to develop an expected rhythm in which we communicate truth, reflect on God's glory, and respond to His power. For some churches, this is easy. If you are a worship pastor in a more traditional church or from a higher church denomination, there is often times a common liturgy built into the service. Whether it's a common reading, communion, a hymn book, or some other liturgical practice, you can use that natural progression to develop an expected pattern within which to move around.For some churches though, this can take some time and thought. It was a stretch to even think of what I was doing in terms of liturgy. I thought we were just singing songs, maybe reading verses, maybe showing videos, and every once in a while doing communion. But the truth is, every church has a liturgy. Any worship practice done with any consistency is liturgy. It is not a bad word.Unfortunately, because we either don't think of what we do as liturgical or we are afraid of liturgy, we tend to run away from routine and frustrate our congregations. So here are a few things that helped me develop this in our church:Develop a service template - At Fellowship White Rock, we do 2 songs, announcements, 3 songs (offering during the first), sermon, and then reprise a song (communion every first Sunday). We choose different songs, move things around in between, but always with this template.Schedule creative moments - If I do a video, or a Scripture reading, or something like that, there is a place (right after the announcements) that it fits. This way the structure stays the same, but there are still creative elements.Be Patient - When things seem to be getting old for you, it's not for the congregation. Of course, you do want to change things up eventually, but be patient.By developing a routine for your congregation, you are actually freeing them up to worship God less hindered. It doesn't matter if the new element we're introducing is the most creative and powerful thing ever ventured by any worship leader ever. If it doesn't happen within a common liturgy, the congregation will be too confused by the newness that they will miss the God it is pointing to.