Are Presbyterians liturgical?
- Thread starter RileyG
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SF Edward
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So as someone who was baptized as an infant Methodist and confirmed in what is now the PCUSA church, no it is not. Let me explain, many mainline Presbyterians will attend a United Methodist or Methodist Church in their town if a Presbyterian is not around, perhaps also an Anglican or Lutheran and then later a mainline Baptist. But Methodist are similar in Worship, Hymns and liturgy. Most PCUSA churches are not heavily Calvinistic nor strong belief in predestination. There are other churches like yours too. The ones that are totally polar opposites would be like a say reformed Presbyterian or offshoot Presbyterians and say a Methodist or Wesleyan or Holiness. But a mainline Presbyterian and a Methodist like UMC are almost unrecognizable in difference. Let me also add this, one Methodist Church in town just received 30 discontent Presbyterians that started going to the Methodist. My mothers former Presbyterian church in the 1980s lost 300 people from the church and 99% of them went to the Methodist Church. I have also heard stories vice-versa. So go figure. Hope that helps. I personally think the Methodist church is a bit more relaxed on certain things and many times not as formal and traditional, do not recite the creeds as much as Presbyterians and are not a confessional church like the Presbyterians, Lutherans and Anglicans. The Presbyterians broke from the Roman Catholic Church as did the Lutherans and Anglicans. The Methodists was a movement/ group within the Anglican movement that broke from the Anglican church.
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As a former Presbyterian, now Catholic (RileyG is Catholic I'm pretty sure), my own experience of the Presbyrerian Church was that it was not as "liturgical" as the Catholic Church.
In this context the word "liturgical" needs to be a bit more clearly defined. Secondly I didn't study much Presbyterian theology or liturgy. I was a regular participant in the services, but picked it up on the run so to speak as I was an adult convert to Christianity (aged 28). Although in fairness I've picked up a lot of Catholic stuff "on the run" as well as I didn't become Catholic till I was in my 40's.
Mind you I learnt a lot from my old Presbyterian pastor and he could preach the pants off most Catholic priests I've heard. He had a gift for public speaking. He's still the most formidable religious figure I've met.
It depends what you mean by "liturgical". Order of service? Definition of sacraments? Statement of faith or creeds? The music? Quality of sermons or homilies? The definition of comunion and the elements?
There was a fixed order of service - opening hymn (preceded by more music in the evening service aimed a bit more at young people), Bible reading, homily, collection and so on. The only prayer I can remember reciting on occasion was the Lord's prayer ("Our Father" to Catholics); there was no statement of faith (Creed), no confession of sins (Confiteor), and we only had communion once every 3 months, although it was a solemn affair.
There were prayers but they weren't the highly organised affair that the Catholics have. There was usually only one Bible readng unlke the three and a half that Catholics have (usually OT, responsive psalm - the half - NT letter and the Gospel). But they knew the Bible better than most Catholics.
There was a liturgy but not as full as that of the Catholic Church.
PS - we had a gym under the church. I didn't have a church tracksuit, but it had the words on the back "... strong in the Lord...". That was actually quite true for some of the young blokes!
In this context the word "liturgical" needs to be a bit more clearly defined. Secondly I didn't study much Presbyterian theology or liturgy. I was a regular participant in the services, but picked it up on the run so to speak as I was an adult convert to Christianity (aged 28). Although in fairness I've picked up a lot of Catholic stuff "on the run" as well as I didn't become Catholic till I was in my 40's.
Mind you I learnt a lot from my old Presbyterian pastor and he could preach the pants off most Catholic priests I've heard. He had a gift for public speaking. He's still the most formidable religious figure I've met.
It depends what you mean by "liturgical". Order of service? Definition of sacraments? Statement of faith or creeds? The music? Quality of sermons or homilies? The definition of comunion and the elements?
There was a fixed order of service - opening hymn (preceded by more music in the evening service aimed a bit more at young people), Bible reading, homily, collection and so on. The only prayer I can remember reciting on occasion was the Lord's prayer ("Our Father" to Catholics); there was no statement of faith (Creed), no confession of sins (Confiteor), and we only had communion once every 3 months, although it was a solemn affair.
There were prayers but they weren't the highly organised affair that the Catholics have. There was usually only one Bible readng unlke the three and a half that Catholics have (usually OT, responsive psalm - the half - NT letter and the Gospel). But they knew the Bible better than most Catholics.
There was a liturgy but not as full as that of the Catholic Church.
PS - we had a gym under the church. I didn't have a church tracksuit, but it had the words on the back "... strong in the Lord...". That was actually quite true for some of the young blokes!
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