The word “liturgy” comes from the Greek word leitourgia, which means “public service” or “public work.” In the Christian tradition, liturgy refers to the prescribed forms and orders of public worship, especially the Eucharist service of Holy Communion. The Bible does not use the specific word “liturgy,” but it contains many references to public worship practices that became part of liturgical traditions.
Old Testament roots of liturgy
In the Old Testament, God gives Moses detailed instructions for the tabernacle, the portable place of worship used by the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 25-31). These instructions cover everything from the design of the tent structure to the vestments worn by the priests to the sacrifices and offerings to be made. This shows that God cares about how His people worship and approach Him. The book of Leviticus continues these liturgical instructions for sacrifices, festivals, cleanliness laws, and more.
Once the temple was built in Jerusalem, more detailed liturgical practices developed under King David and King Solomon. The temple worship included hymns and anthems (1 Chronicles 6:31-32), instruments like harps, lyres, cymbals (1 Chronicles 15:16, 25:6), choirs and singers (Ezra 2:65). We also see examples of liturgical dance (Psalm 149:3). The Psalms contain many hymns and prayers used in Israel’s worship services.
So the roots of Christian liturgy are found in the Old Testament pattern of God instituting specific forms of worship for His people. The liturgy was a means for Israel to draw near to God, offer sacrifices for sin, celebrate festivals, and give God glory and thanks. God designed liturgy to teach spiritual truths using physical symbols and actions.
Temple and synagogue worship in the New Testament
By New Testament times, synagogue worship provided the liturgical model for early Christians. Synagogues typically included prayer, singing or chanting psalms, reading Scripture, and a teaching or sermon (Luke 4:16-27).
Jesus and the disciples continued to participate in temple liturgy. They attended the major Jewish festivals like Passover in Jerusalem, which included elaborate rituals and sacrifices. Jesus even references the temple liturgy when teaching about humility, saying “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
In John 10:22, Jesus goes to the temple for the Feast of Dedication. Acts 3:1 mentions Peter and John going to the temple at the hour of prayer. So the early Christians saw value in being part of these liturgical worship traditions.
The Lord’s Supper as liturgy
Jesus established a new liturgical practice on the night before His crucifixion—the Lord’s Supper, or Communion (Luke 22:14-23). He took two existing elements of the Passover meal, bread and wine, and infused them with new meaning and significance. The bread represented His body broken for us, and the wine represented the new covenant in His blood. Jesus commanded the disciples to “do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24).
The early church attached great importance to celebrating Communion, meeting on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7) and being devoted to “the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42). Paul rebukes the Corinthians for the way they practiced Communion, reminding them of its sacred significance (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
So the Lord’s Supper has become a key liturgical practice for most Christian traditions to this day. It serves as a solemn ritual to proclaim Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:26), foster unity in the body (1 Corinthians 10:16-17), and offer believers grace, forgiveness, and spiritual nourishment.
Baptism as a liturgical sacrament
Baptism is another liturgical practice ordained by the Lord. After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). This initiated water baptism as the rite of initiation into the Christian faith, symbolizing cleansing from sin and new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-4).
Accounts in Acts show the early church obeying this command and baptizing immediately after someone professed faith in Jesus (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:38, 9:18). Baptism marked a convert’s entrance into the church. The epistles continue to connect baptism to salvation and being united to Christ in His death and resurrection (Galatians 3:27, Colossians 2:12).
So baptism remains a sacred liturgical rite practiced by nearly all Christian traditions, though the methods and meanings differ. Baptism serves as a public declaration of faith and reminds believers of their new identity in Christ.
Musical worship
Singing praises to God is another liturgical practice emphasized in the New Testament. Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn together at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30). We see references to singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). The heavenly liturgy in Revelation is filled with anthems of praise (Revelation 4:8, 5:9-10).
Both old and new covenant worship involved dedicating the best musical talents to honor God. Music has a mysterious power to move and inspire the human soul. As part of the liturgy, singing helps believers offer heartfelt worship, feel God’s presence, and receive teaching through the lyrics.
Formal structures and leadership
The New Testament contains evidence that some formalization of liturgy occurred even in the early church. Paul gives instructions about orderly worship in 1 Corinthians 14, teaching that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:40). The hymns, readings, and prayers likely followed familiar patterns.
We also see the development of liturgical leadership roles. Just as temple worship involved specialized priests and Levites, the early church had elders/overseers, pastors, and deacons (Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-13). These leaders were charged to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), “encourage others by sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9), and “keep watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17).
So even in its simple beginnings, biblical worship involved some deliberate structures, orders of service, and designated spiritual leaders.
Reverence for God’s presence
Whether simple or elaborate, liturgy aims to create a sacred space for believers to reverently approach the holy presence of God. Old Testament worship emphasized rituals of purification and sacrifice showing the need for humility, holiness, and grace to draw near to the Lord in the temple. God’s detailed instructions reveal how seriously He takes worship.
As Jesus declares, God still seeks those who will worship Him “in the Spirit and in truth,” from the heart (John 4:23-24). Liturgy serves to facilitate worship that honors the majesty, glory, and love of God. Even informal worship should maintain a deep reverence for entering God’s presence.
Teaching spiritual truths with physical symbols
A major purpose of liturgy is to teach believers through multi-sensory methods. The sights, sounds, gestures, rituals, and elements of worship all aim to imprint biblical truth and remind us of God’s promises. For example, the waters of baptism visually depict our cleansing from sin and new spiritual life.
The Lord knows that human beings learn best using physical symbols that engage our minds, bodies, emotions, and senses. Liturgy speaks to the whole person. The routine practices keep reminding us year after year of the gospel message.
Fostering unity and identity
Shared liturgical practices also promote unity and group identity within the body of Christ. As diverse believers recite creeds, pray the Lord’s prayer, sing the Doxology, or repeat common responses, liturgy reinforces our spiritual connection and gives a sense of belonging.
Historic liturgies unite contemporary believers with past generations spanning centuries. We worship using elements developed by the early church fathers. God’s people become one body engaged in the same worship traditions.
Beauty and artistry in honoring God
Exodus 35 says that God gifted artisans with skill to beautify the tabernacle with fine craftsmanship. The detailed instructions for worship called for the best materials, fabrics, and metalwork. Likewise, churches expend great resources to adorn sanctuaries with art and construct worship spaces that inspire awe and lift the soul heavenward.
Liturgy allows believers to honor God by consecrating human creativity and artistry to His service. Stained glass, statuary, architecture, dance, banners, music and more all contribute to the beauty of formal worship. God deserves our utmost in crafting ceremonies that honor His great worth.
Depicting heavenly worship
Revelation gives glimpses of heavenly worship which consists of countless angels and saints gathered around God’s throne, singing praise and casting their crowns before Him (Revelation 4:10-11, 5:11-14). Earthly liturgy gives us a foretaste of this eternal heavenly worship we will one day experience face-to-face.
Though imperfect, formal worship trains our hearts and minds to glorify God now as we will for eternity. The patterns and rituals keep our focus on Jesus at the center. They point us toward the glorious gathering of saints we will join when Christ returns.
Overall, the Bible lays a foundation for thoughtfully structured corporate worship through which we join the heavenly chorus in glorifying our great God. Liturgy serves to magnify His greatness and grace as we come together to honor the Lord who redeemed us.