is there biblical evidence for liturgical worship and rituals?

Question

how do Catholic and other liturgical churches rationalize their rituals? such as genuflection, sitting, standing, kneeling, making the sign of the cross? does the need for this in worship come from the Bible? why is worship done this way?

**this is not criticism, just curiousity :)

Answer 1

My opinion is that it is man made tradition.

Answer 2

Yes. There are many. The mass and rituals are all based on the bible. If you read the old and new testament, the basis for all church rituals and liturgical worship have their basis in the bible. Jesus prayed with the psalms. The last supper is the biblical basis for the mass, the eucharist and transubstantiation. If we kneel to the kings of the world, we should also kneel to the King of the Universe in the Holy Eucharist in the form of Bread so we genuflect to the tabernacle which contains the real Presence of God.

Answer 3

Yes, there is evidence. Primary among this is the fact that Jesus was a Jew, who worshiped at a temple, where there was ritual.

We are told to show reverence for God. Genuflection, and kneeling before God are signs of reverence.

Sitting, standing and kneeling have practical aspects as well. To stay in one position for an hour is difficult for some people. To change position is natural. Having opportunities to do this in a ritual setting should not need a command from God in the Bible.

What's not Biblical is the idea that the Bible alone is sufficient. Even Paul, in the Bible, said that we were to hold on to what was taught by writings and traditions, by letters and by words. Paul taught us that Sola Scriptura, the idea that "the letter of the law" is all we need, is wrong. Christ taught the same thing, when he did such things as healing on the Sabbath.

Answer 4

Well, you ask several questions although you may think it's all the same thing.

First of all - I'll address your question of "need" - The need for this worship does not come from the bible - the need is a human need to worship God as we have been created to do. The bible gives us a way to satisfy that need in many ways, one being the way of ritual. And so the rituals are not prescribed by the bible as what one must do - rather, the rituals prescribed by the bible are gifts to mankind to help satisfy his need to worship God.

Another point you bring out is how our rituals are brought about (you use the term "rationalized" which is okay too). This happens in one of two ways - one is through tradition, the other is through liturgical/sacrificial prescription (suggestion) from the bible.

Traditions are things like the liturgy of the Mass as we know it today. This liturgy, for example, contains recital of the Niacene Creed (Apostles' Creed, but with more decorative language) - The Niacene and Apostles' creed is a tradition that evolved from biblical things as well as experiential things at the time it was composed.
Traditions can also include things like "We go to church at 10:00 each Sunday morning and have coffee and donuts with each other after" - to exemplify how non-biblical traditions are included in liturgies of many Christian denominations...

Biblical rituals are things like the liturgy of Communion which is a part of the Mass. This form of liturgical worship is found within the context of the Roman Catholic liturgy as well as liturgies of a majority of other denomations - including the Jehovah's Witnesses to illustrate just how obiquitous it is.
The liturgy of Communion is from the Gospels of the New Testament - most recognizable in the Rite of Communion in such passages as Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22. But my favorite account of this supper is in John chapters 13-17 because in this account, the actual ritual is not the focus of the writing but rather the things Jesus tried to tell his disciples in those last hours before His death. I like this because it gives me focus when I'm participating in the rite of Communion - remembering these things Jesus said and in that way actually being there with Him during that fateful and eventful time.

:) thank you for asking.

P.S. - a final thought for you -- Many rituals described in the bible are no longer performed - such as the sacrifices of animals and birds. But these sacrifices were prescribed by God so as to take what mankind understood in that time and culture and orchestrate it to illustrate God's message of love for us all. Throughout the history which the bible writes about, the rituals and sacrifices that mankind has engaged in has changed - this is an indication of how mankind's relationship with God changed over time - It's important to me that I say that the concept of "blood offering" in mankind's mind is a distortion of what that concept is and always has been in God's mind. But God continually meets us where we are. The bible is a story of how God has done that time and time again. . . God never changes, but we do. And it is the changeability of man that causes the changes and differences in our rituals. Remember that as well (Smile)

Answer 5

Read Numbers, sometime. That is a scriptural guide to Jewish Liturgical worship and rituals. There are a lot of rituals described in great detail there.
In the New Testament:
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.
1 Corinthians, Chapter 11

This is an example of the scriptural origin of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. If you attended a Catholic Mass and really got into it, you could find the Scriptural origin of nearly everything in our Liturgy.

Answer 6

Sure. The Old Testament is full of it.

LOL NOT LIKE THAT! 'full' of evidence such as how to sacrifice beasts, etc. genuflection was a tradition taken from the secular society of the time.

Answer 7

Oh, good grief, Art -- it's not enough that you cherrypick Bible verses, now you're cherrypicking paragraphs of the Catechism to fit your jaundiced view of the Church?

My dear questioner, here is the pertinent section of the Catechism from which the good pastor chose his truncated paragraphs to post. Scroll down to "IV. THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST", between paragraphs 1344 and 1345, and you'll see it all in context.
http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.htm#IV

The remaining one he mentions, #2192, is actually from a brief summary of the section on the Sabbath. This can be found, again in context, here (II THE LORD'S DAY): http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#brief

Biblical references are throughout both sections.

Answer 8

It comes by Tradition. Notice that in numerous places Paul instructs the follow of tradition.

Further, the principle of Sola Scriptura is itself invalid -- No where within the scripture writings themselves is a list provided of thecorrect canon for the Bible. The canon was decided literally by vote (though none of the votes was unanimous, so much for 'inspiration of the Holy Spirit).

The Bible itself would not exist without tradition.

Sola Scriptura is false.

Answer 9

i think of the bible shows how plenty God is and God could look. In Catholic preparation, the bible corresponds as a message to teach the individuals to have interplay with the aid of one yet another and to God as nicely. smart adult men like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are a number of the authors of the Gospels that have been given and inspired via the Holy Spirit (God). The Bible additionally corresponds as representation of His words and ideology. finally, it supplies the individuals to love and adventure excitement and each state.

Answer 10

Most of it stems from ancient Jewish traditions. Even most of the Mass is in line with the Passover celebrations (altered a bit).
All the liturical celebrations are just outward signs of commitment.

Answer 11

No there is not.

For example, what about the Mass?

Catechism teaches:
• Originated in 9th century by Radbertus
• Declared mandatory in the 11th century, under the penalty of mortal sin (2192)
• Mass is identical to sacrifice of the cross (1367)
• Mass is a bloodless sacrifice for sins (1382)
• The altar is where Jesus is sacrificed (1383)
• Redemption is carried out by the mass (1364)
• Sacrifice is offered for souls in purgatory (1371)

The Bible teaches:

• The sacrifice of Jesus made purification for all sins for all time (Heb. 1:3, 7:27)
• Jesus obtained eternal redemption through His blood for all time (Heb. 9:12)
• Jesus put away sin with His one time sacrifice (Heb. 9:25-28)
• Jesus died once for all time (Heb. 10:10-12)
• Christians are to offer sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15)
• Jesus instructed to make disciples but did not mention sacrifice or mass (Matt. 28:19)
• The sacrifice of Jesus perfected Christians for all time (Heb. 10:14)
• Sacrifices are no longer necessary when sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:18)

Pastor Art