“The better we know the Bible, the more we are coming close to the windows, so that, without the windows having got any bigger, we can glimpse the entire sweep of the biblical countryside. Even the simplest acts of Christian worship ought therefore always to focus on the reading of scripture. Sometimes there will be space for the congregation to meditate on one or more of the readings. Sometimes there will be opportunity to respond; the church has developed rich resources of material, taken not least from the Bible itself, which we may sing, or say, by way of pondering what we have heard and continuing to thank God for it. That is how basic liturgy begins to be constructed: a showcase for scripture, a way of making sure we are treating it with the seriousness it deserves.”

Wright, Tom. Simply Christian. London: SPCK, 2006, p. 130.

Comment: Tom Wright also taught and wrote as “N.T. Wright”. I like how this paragraph clarifies how liturgical worship is scriptural worship; how if you honor the Bible, then you have to honor the liturgy. The historic liturgy in Christianity focuses on God and God’s word, not on me or how I’m feeling or what I’m bringing or what I’m thinking or doing, not on what I need or want.