The Evolution of Christian Worship

I have been reading James F. White's A Brief History of Christian Worship in an attempt to understand better the development of Christian liturgy. White's chapter on the Early Christian Centuries ends with this statement: "Many of the reforms in worship in the last twenty-five years draw deeply from the wells of this period" (73). Could this statement be true?

Many of the liturgical forms and prayers used in Christian worship, especially thse pertaining to the Lord's Supper, were birthed and normalized during these first five hundred years of Christianity. Of course there were some cultural variations, but it seems that there was some degree of standardization with regard to the Eucharist.

Also, during this time period, preaching transformed from a mere reading of certain texts or musings on a certain text to an art form. The Christian preacher learned rhetoric, and biblical exegesis helped inform the preacher on the meaning of the text. According to White, during this time, "The pulpit developed into an important liturgical center and has remained that ever since" (69).

The role of visual art in Christian worship also developed during this time. The movement of the Christian worship gathering from homes to larger spaces and the cultural influence of the imperial court prompted such development. "The churches were learning a new visual vocabulary, one image at a time. By the end of the patristic period many images had become familiar for visual expression in worship" (73).

The current trends in Christian worship seem to point to a balance between ancient and current forms. Evangelical churches are often known for the centrality of the sermon in their corporate worship services. Many evangelical churches that have often had freer styles of worship have adopted more structured liturgies. Many churches are also exploring the role of the arts in Christian worship. Perhaps White is correct in saying that we are reaching back over 1500 years to recover early Christian forms of worship.