Contributions of the Liturgical Renewal Movement and Concerns for the Future Renewal of Liturgy

Abstract

My liturgical homeland includes Korean Roman Catholicism and Presbyterianism as well as Canadian Methodist and Reformed traditions. I teach at a Canadian theological school that was founded by the ancestors of the United Church of Canada, who had a vision for church unity between Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregationalist congregations in 1925. My offering in this article projecting the next fifty years of liturgical scholarship and worship practice emerges out of these limited experiences, rooted in ecumenism, honoring different theological traditions and liturgical practices, while seeking to be whole. My vision of worship is that it is always reforming as it calls a healthy and vibrant body of Christ to witness God’s work in the world. I begin by highlighting the contributions of the Liturgical Renewal Movement (LRM), initiated by the Second Vatican Council which inspired many Protestant worshiping assemblies. It is fruitful to ground our discussion in a review of the past contributions before we venture a word about a future liturgical renewal. I name three contributions here, which inform concerns for liturgical studies. Raising these concerns will serve as an attempt to chart trajectories into the future of liturgical studies and worship practices. In conclusion, I will identify one major obstacle to overcome.