Liturgy site a valuable resource
A review of this site in NZ Catholic July 16-29, 2006; by Peter Ravlich
Rev Bosco Peters is an Anglican Priest and author, with a special interest in worship. His own experiences of liturgy are incredibly diverse, as described in his site biography: "a hermitage in the Sahara, with thousands of young people at Taizé, on a boat on the Congo River, dancing at St Gregory of Nyssa Episcopalian Church in California, a Latin Mass in China, in a Christian Ashram in India, with Old Catholics in Utrecht, with missionary partners in South America, and on St Francis Day in St John the Divine Cathedral New York (this included a procession of animals, the last being an elephant)."
With this rich tapestry behind him, Fr Peters has constructed a website (www.liturgy.co.nz) to carry his vision, and one which is shared by the Church: "to work together to put worship and spirituality to the forefront of our life and thinking, as the foundation and goal of our Christian life."
Part of this vision is recognising the gospel in both the traditions that unite us and in the present. Recognition of this duality is sometimes difficult, but is a founding principle of celebration. We cannot divorce our selves from the celebration: while the liturgy itself carries age-old significance, our everyday worries, joys, concerns and hopes are a necessary part of every ritual.
This site is impressive, in fact, because it goes one better than making such statements. It models how to achieve this balance. Too often, websites discuss liturgy as some abstract thing, attempting to honour the celebration, and in fact reducing it. This site takes a more dynamic, living approach, using wit and humour to explore the growth of our worship towards Christ.
The site includes several useful sections. The "Worship Well" page gives a thoughtful reflection (at the moment) on Ordinary Time, which will change with each season. The full text of Fr Peters' book, Celebrating Eucharist is also offered, in PDF and MS Word formats. "Rite Order" gives a chronological site archive, which is useful for finding that elusive article later on, and the Links page contains some other useful, and thought provoking, websites.
A nice, simple design, with soft colours, makes this site a valuable resource, and one that is well worth bookmarking.
liturgical_surfing@yahoo.co.nz