How is Christian Liturgically Rooted?

HOW CHRISTIAN ETHICS IS LITURGICALLY ROOTED Student’s name Course Date Christian ethics set the standards regarding the actions, attitudes, and character traits that are consistent with the Bible and Jesus’ teachings. In essence, Christian ethics teaches us what to do and what is expected of us as children of God. Liturgy is central to Christian ethics in the sense that it provides guidance, framework, and ideas regarding how Christians should live and do to please God. As informed by Allen, liturgy “encompasses those acts of worship in which a community of faith participates.” In this case, acts of worship that a community of worship engages in could be devotion, preaching, prayer, and singing of ‘praise and worship.’ These are connected to Christian ethics in the sense that they affirm the relationship between believers and God, guiding them to do what is right. In essence, worship is extremely significant to Christian ethics in because it guides the actions, thoughts, and attitudes of Christians as they seek to live according to God's word. With a key focus on Black liturgy, this essay considers liturgy as not simply “adding” something to Christian ethics, but as foundational to the Christian moral existence.[Allen, Lisa. 2021. A Womanist Theology of Worship: Liturgy, Justice and Communal Righteousness. New York: Orbis Books, 24.] Although the Church has undergone significant transformation since the early days of slavery, it still plays a key role in shaping Christian ethics. Through liturgy, the church guides Christians to live for God’s glory. In our churches, liturgy seeks to build a character in Christians that exacts God through actions and behaviors. The acts of worship present in our churches seek to bring us closer to God by ensuring that we obey and develop a personal relationship with Him. The fact that liturgy guides Christians to live in accordance with God's desires underpins its foundational role in Christian ethics. In essence, through liturgy, Christians get to understand what is expected of them as Children of God. Christians get answers to key questions in regard to how they should carry themselves. What should I do in this situation? What does God expect me to do in this circumstance? What is a Godly way of handling this encounter? Liturgy provides Christians with answers to these questions, underpinning its significance to a Christian's moral existence. In this case, the Bible’s and Jesus’ teachings that characterize liturgy shape to a great extent the ethical life of a Christian. As Christians gather to experience worship in churches, they gain important teachings that influence how they lead their lives. It is important to recognize the liturgical deviation the modern Black church has taken when compared to the worship of our ancestors during slavery in our history. Although Black people still face oppression in the contemporary world, modern liturgy seems to be less concerned with their plight when compared to worship in the past. In this case, perhaps the modern Black church has important lessons to learn from our ancestors in regard to Christian ethics. According to Allen, liturgy is a communal action that focuses on the activity of God in the lives of Black people and addresses their lived experiences. A key aspect of ...