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From the Pastor's Desk
Learning from the Liturgy
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
One of the great gifts of the Christian faith is that we learn not only through sermons, Bible studies, or personal devotion, but also through the liturgy itself. Week after week, as we gather for worship, the prayers we pray, the Scriptures we hear, the hymns we sing, and the actions we share quietly shape our faith and deepen our understanding of God's work among us.
Because of this, beginning in the coming weeks, you will notice a new feature in our Sunday bulletins: a series of Liturgical Notes. These brief reflections are intended to help us explore the meaning behind various parts of our worship service. Sometimes they will explain why the Church has preserved a particular practice for centuries. At other times, they will help us understand some of the liturgical adjustments we will be introducing and the theological reasons that support them.
The liturgy is far more than an order of service. It is the Church's way of proclaiming the Gospel through words, symbols, gestures, music, silence, and prayer. Many of its customs have developed over centuries, often carrying meanings that are not immediately obvious. The more we understand these traditions, the more intentionally we are able to participate in worship, not simply by following the service, but by entering more deeply into it.
My hope is that these Liturgical Notes will encourage us to see familiar elements of worship with fresh eyes. Whether they introduce a practice that is new to us or explain one we have known for years, their purpose is always the same: to help us appreciate the richness of our liturgical heritage and to grow together in our understanding of the faith we confess.
I also encourage you to take your bulletin home after worship each Sunday. In addition to the Liturgical Notes, the bulletin contains the appointed Scripture readings for the day. Keeping the bulletin throughout the week provides an opportunity to revisit those readings, reflect on Sunday's worship, and continue listening to God's Word beyond the walls of the church.
The Church has always understood worship as something that extends beyond the hour we spend together on Sunday morning. My prayer is that these weekly reflections will become one small way of carrying the liturgy into the rest of the week, enriching both our worship and our daily walk with Christ.
With every blessing,
The Rev. Luis I. Echandía
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