Litany - an ancient form of prayer patterned after Psalm 136 that is composed of a thanks and praise about God and exaltant praise in response.
I couldn't sleep last night and woke up with this fully formed thought at 4 AM.
"A litany is a corporate confession and response to our place in the historical continuum of faith that links us to the "now" and "not yet" in a way that reminds us of both our need and our enduring hope."
Many in the anabaptist tradition have little use for responsive readings but understood in this light, litanies can be powerful tools for declaring the truth that both expresses our historic connections to brothers and sisters now with Jesus, while reminding us to continue to preach the gospel to our own souls. Food for thought.
Or maybe I just should have gone back to sleep!
3 comments:
Sleep is benficial, especially for you since you don't ever get quite enough.
Interesting thoughts though. How does a litany differ from something like the Disciples Creed - just because it's not back and forth type of responsive? I like to read out loud (really!), so they're ok with me!
I totally agree, Marty. A repetition of what God has faithfully done in the past makes us more certain that he will do what he has promised for us both in the now and in the not yet. It also helps us as a church to create a deeper sense of community as we proclaim God's faithfulness together. It can transition us from the mentality that Sunday morning is a time when each individual has a personal spiritual experience with God to a time of collective celebration of God's faithful to his people.
Thanks Dan. I agree. I like the way you think, (especially since you are aggreeing with me on this point).
This is one of those areas where we hope to expand the palette of our worship forms in the future.
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