--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is useful to reflect that the word…" description: "\"“It is useful to reflect that the word 'liturgy' did not originate in church or worship settings. In the Greek world it referred to publish service, wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/eugene-h-peterson-1745_art-form_it-is-useful-to-reflect-that-the-word-li_2479121.png" --- # It is useful to reflect that the word 'liturgy' did not… ![“It is useful to reflect that the word 'liturgy' did not originate in church or worship settings. In the Greek world it referred to publish service, what a citizen did for the community. As the church used the word in relation to worship, ti kept this 'public service' quality - working for the…” quote by Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/eugene-h-peterson-1745_art-form_it-is-useful-to-reflect-that-the-word-li_2479121.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/eugene-h-peterson-1745_art-form_it-is-useful-to-reflect-that-the-word-li_2479121.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3f6/eugene-h-peterson-1745_art-form_it-is-useful-to-reflect-that-the-word-li_2479121.png) > ““It is useful to reflect that the word 'liturgy' did not originate in church or worship settings. In the Greek world it referred to publish service, what a citizen did for the community. As the church used the word in relation to worship, ti kept this 'public service' quality - working for the community on behalf of or following orders from God. As we worship God, revealed personally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in our Holy Scriptures, we are not doing something apart form or away from the non-Scripture=reading world; we do it for the world - bringing all creation and all history before God, presenting our bodies and all the beauties and needs of humankind before God in praise and intercession, penetrating and serving the world for whom Christ died in the strong name of the Trinity.”” [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liturgy originally meant public service; worship connects personal faith with serving the world. **In simple terms:** Liturgy is public service, not just worship. Key Takeaway Serve others as part of worship. Themes service community faith Mood inspirational contemplative Type theological practical When to use this quote - church activities - volunteering - social justice - personal prayer Key Concepts theology public service Questions to Reflect On - How can worship stay rooted in service? - What public service reflects your faith? A Different Perspective Modern worship can become ritualistic, losing communal focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Following orders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/following-orders/) [Holy scriptures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-scriptures/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [Liturgy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liturgy/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Trinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trinity/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [“Liturgy is the means that the church uses to keep baptized Christians in living touch with the entire living holy community as it participates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-is-the-means-that-the-church-uses-to-keep-baptized-christians/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Joy and thanksgiving expressed in prayer and praise according to the Word of God are the heart of the Church's worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/joy-and-thanksgiving-expressed-in-prayer-and-praise-according-to-the/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [By the last decades of the 21st century, church worship will still take the form of reading passages of traditional texts - the Bible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-tipler/by-the-last-decades-of-the-21st-century-church-worship-will-still/) [Frank Tipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-tipler/) > [Why go to a church to worship God? A church is man made. God never said, "And let there be aluminum siding." Climbing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-allen/why-go-to-a-church-to-worship-god-a-church-is-man-made-god-never-said/) [Tim Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-allen/) > [The church that can't worship must be entertained. And leaders who can't lead a church to worship must provide the entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/the-church-that-can-t-worship-must-be-entertained-and-leaders-who-can/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [One can be coerced to church, but not to worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-harkness/one-can-be-coerced-to-church-but-not-to-worship/) [Georgia Harkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-harkness/) > [The Church is the Church in her worship. Worship is not an optional extra, but is of the very life and essence of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-torrance/the-church-is-the-church-in-her-worship-worship-is-not-an-optional/) J. B. Torrance > [“I couldn't go to church and worship God if I didn't try to help that man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-couldn-t-go-to-church-and-worship-god-if-i-didn-t-try-to-help-that/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [My people worship, but not in a church. They worship the beauty of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/my-people-worship-but-not-in-a-church-they-worship-the-beauty-of/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“The task of liturgy is to order the life of the holy community following the text of Holy Scripture. It consists of two movements.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-task-of-liturgy-is-to-order-the-life-of-the-holy-community/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“(from chapter 20, "Bezalel") "Worship is an art, using the sensory to bring us into an awareness of and attentiveness to the mystery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/from-chapter-20-bezalel-worship-is-an-art-using-the-sensory-to-bring/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Language is not primarily informational but revelatory. The Holy Scriptures give witness to a living voice sounding variously as Father, Son and Spirit, addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/language-is-not-primarily-informational-but-revelatory-the-holy/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“The Holy Scriptures are story-shaped. Reality is story-shaped. The world is story-shaped. Our lives are story-shaped. 'I had always,' wrote G.K. Chesterton in accounting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-holy-scriptures-are-story-shaped-reality-is-story-shaped-the/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) ## More by Eugene H. Peterson > [“Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/forget-about-deciding-what-s-right-for-each-other-here-s-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“The core message of the gospel is that God invades us with new life, but the setting for this is most often in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-core-message-of-the-gospel-is-that-god-invades-us-with-new-life/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, For you, GOD, have put my life back together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/at-day-s-end-i-m-ready-for-sound-sleep-for-you-god-have-put-my-life/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [I think pastors are the worst listeners. We're so used to speaking, teaching, giving answers. We must learn to be quiet, quit being so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/i-think-pastors-are-the-worst-listeners-we-re-so-used-to-speaking/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“When I look for help in developing my pastoral craft and nurturing my pastoral vocation, the one century that has the least to commend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/when-i-look-for-help-in-developing-my-pastoral-craft-and-nurturing-my/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Religion is a very scary thing, because a pastor is in a position of power. And if you use that power badly, you ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/religion-is-a-very-scary-thing-because-a-pastor-is-in-a-position-of/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [The vocation of pastor(s) has been replaced by the strategies of religious entrepreneurs with business plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-vocation-of-pastor-s-has-been-replaced-by-the-strategies-of/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/repentance-is-a-realization-that-what-god-wants-from-you-and-what-you/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [It's essential for us to develop an imagination that is participatory. Art is the primary way in which this happens. It's the primary way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/it-s-essential-for-us-to-develop-an-imagination-that-is-participatory/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“My uncle Ernie didn't believe in God. At least that's what he said. But he always Went to church on Christmas. Which I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/my-uncle-ernie-didn-t-believe-in-god-at-least-that-s-what-he-said-but/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/you-don-t-make-your-words-true-by-embellishing-them-with-religious/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“And the remainder of the Message details God’s intricate and loving plan to redeem, restore, and reconcile creation back to himself after what happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/and-the-remainder-of-the-message-details-god-s-intricate-and-loving/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) [Explore all 210 Eugene H. Peterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) ## More Art form quotes > [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/) Fernando Bujones > [Comedy, although it is not one of the fine arts - it's a vulgar art, it's one of the people's arts, it's the spoken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/comedy-although-it-is-not-one-of-the-fine-arts-it-s-a-vulgar-art-it-s/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [If you consider yourself a part of the culture, then finances can't allow you to be bigger than the actual art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/if-you-consider-yourself-a-part-of-the-culture-then-finances-can-t/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [Stage performing is a dying art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-spector/stage-performing-is-a-dying-art-form/) [Ronnie Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-spector/) > [I'm very interested in dance, and I'm very interested in how people express themselves through movement. 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