During one of the Sunday's I had attended a service in the Assyrian church of the east. It was a beautiful service and it showed how Orthodoxy is united under the same banner that unites all Orthodox churches. However, after speaking to some congregation members, they told me that this was not the liturgy but rather it was morning prayer. I had asked where the priest was and the reply I got was they had no priest because he was needed to serve at another church. This saddened me greatly because I wondered how can a community survive without communing? After continuing the conversation it was made clear to me that the one aspect that united the community together was very eminent; love.
Liturgy is an act of theology. We must learn to be thankful for what we have. If a priest were to not show up to a service I would image a service would be cancelled. However, at this church of the east this is never the case. In there hearts and minds the service goes on as the two deacons lead the morning prayer service. The yearning for liturgy within the community allows them to continuing praying and living out there holiness within the unity of Christ body. The smiles and love that I got that day at the church showed how strong the community was with no presence of a priest. If we continue to develop love within our own communities then the fullness of Orthodoxy can be expressed to the entire world.
We must appreciate what we have because the more "common" and "habitual" we make the liturgy the more it will begin to lose its taste and the more it will become something done out of habit. I hope that we do not need to get to a point that we lose our priests to make us realize what we have. What we have is the beauty of the church that is expressed in living out the liturgical life. Theology is not just something to be studied but something that is understood to be lived out. How can I live out my theology? By being in community and sharing in the unity of the Eucharistic body that combines the community together. If we do not respect this then we will surely lose our church.
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Lex Orandi Lex Est Credendi (how we pray influences what we believe, what we believe influences how we worship).
"Liturgical theology has to do with the "What," not merely with the "how."
Liturgy is not just the emotional frosting on a theological cake, and it is not just an audio-visual aid or doctrines too sophisticated for simple believers to understand otherwise.
Liturgy is an act of theology...the moment of truth which makes it possible to see the real 'objects' of theology: God, man and the world, in the true light, which, in other words, reveals both the objects of theology as they really are and gives the necessary light for their understanding.
The theological task is to see God, ourselves, and out world in their true light which shines from the eight-day banquet to which a new humanity is incited in the kingdom's epiphany." David Fagerberg. Theologia Prima, 109.
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