--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liturgy gathers the holy community as it…" description: "\"“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story of Jesus and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/eugene-h-peterson-1745_advent_liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it_9930.png" --- # Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy… ![“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story of Jesus and the Christian makes its rounds century after century, the large and easy interior rhythms of a year that moves from birth, life, death…” quote by Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/eugene-h-peterson-1745_advent_liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it_9930.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/eugene-h-peterson-1745_advent_liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it_9930.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/eugene-h-peterson-1745_advent_liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it_9930.png) > ““Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story of Jesus and the Christian makes its rounds century after century, the large and easy interior rhythms of a year that moves from birth, life, death, resurrection, on to spirit, obedience, faith, and blessing. Without liturgy we lose the rhythms and end up tangled in the jerky, ill-timed, and insensitive interruptions of public-relations campaigns, school openings and closings, sales days, tax deadlines, inventory and elections. Advent is buried under 'shopping days before Christmas.' The joyful disciplines of Lent are exchanged for the anxious penitentials of filling out income tax forms. Liturgy keeps us in touch with the story as it defines and shapes our beginnings and ends our living and dying, our rebirths and blessing in this Holy Spirit, text-formed community visible and invisible. When Holy Scripture is embraced liturgically, we become aware that a lot is going on all at once, a lot of different people are doing a lot of different things. The community is on its feet, at work for God, listening and responding to the Holy Scriptures. The holy community, in the process of being formed by the Holy Scriptures, is watching, listening to God's revelation taking shape before an din them as they follow Jesus, each person playing his or her part in the Spirit.”” [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 structures communal life around Scripture, providing rhythmic spiritual anchors that counteract secular time pressures and keep believers aligned with Christian narratives of birth, death, and renewal. **In simple terms:** Liturgy gives believers a sacred calendar that shapes identity and practice. Key Takeaway Ritual rhythm sustains communal faith. Themes ritual community time scripture seasonality spiritual discipline Mood reverent reflective hopeful Type theological observational critical When to use this quote - church services - advent preparations - Lenten fasting - holiday planning - election periods Key Concepts liturgical calendar Christian narrative collective worship cultural critique Practical Applications - designing worship schedules - integrating Scripture into daily routines Questions to Reflect On - How does rhythmic worship affect personal spirituality? - What secular rhythms most disrupt liturgical flow? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advent/) [Blessing Liturgy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blessing-liturgy-359646/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Different people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-people/) [Follow Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-jesus/) [Global-church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/global-church-72841/) [Holy Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-community-359645/) [Holy scriptures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-scriptures/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [Income tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-tax/) [Liturgy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liturgy/) [Liturgy Gathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liturgy-gathers-359644/) [Prophetic-imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophetic-imagination-150307/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Work For God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-for-god/) [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 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/) > [“Obedience is the thing, living in active response to the living God. The most important question we ask of this text is not, 'What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/obedience-is-the-thing-living-in-active-response-to-the-living-god/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“What we are after is first noticing and then participating in the way the large world of the Bible absorbs the much smaller world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/what-we-are-after-is-first-noticing-and-then-participating-in-the-way/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Paul Ricoeur has wonderful counsel for people like us. Go ahead, he says, maintain and practice your hermaneutics of suspicion. It is important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/paul-ricoeur-has-wonderful-counsel-for-people-like-us-go-ahead-he/) [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/) > [“The Incarnation of Christ raised the energy of everything. And when Hopkins placed his conviction of this into poetry, he tended to mention electricity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-r-ellsberg/the-incarnation-of-christ-raised-the-energy-of-everything-and-when/) [Margaret R. Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-r-ellsberg/) > [“One could say that Hopkins practiced transubstantiation in every poem. By mysterious talent, he changed plain element into reality sublime. He encountered a jumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-r-ellsberg/one-could-say-that-hopkins-practiced-transubstantiation-in-every-poem/) [Margaret R. Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-r-ellsberg/) > [It is impossible to get exhausted in work for God. We get exhausted because we try to do God's work in our own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-impossible-to-get-exhausted-in-work-for-god-we-get-exhausted/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“I used to pray, “I’m gonna live for God!” Now I pray, “God, come live through me.” I used to pray, “I’m gonna work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-cordeiro/i-used-to-pray-i-m-gonna-live-for-god-now-i-pray-god-come-live/) [Wayne Cordeiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-cordeiro/) > [I simply don't become attached to the outer world or to anything. I work for God. I do the very best I can, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drunvalo-melchizedek/i-simply-don-t-become-attached-to-the-outer-world-or-to-anything-i/) [Drunvalo Melchizedek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drunvalo-melchizedek/) > [“Earthly friends may alter their minds regarding the work in which we are engaged; but if indeed we work for God, whoever may alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mueller/earthly-friends-may-alter-their-minds-regarding-the-work-in-which-we/) [George Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mueller/) > [The only basis on which to work for God is an esteemed appreciation of his deliverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-only-basis-on-which-to-work-for-god-is-an-esteemed-appreciation/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Mamá was mixing bread dough by the kitchen window, pressing and pulling in a culinary tug of war. It took all her strength to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-almend-rez-lojacono/mam-was-mixing-bread-dough-by-the-kitchen-window-pressing-and-pulling/) [Tess Almend�rez Lojacono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-almend-rez-lojacono/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## 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/) > [“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/) > [The life of faith is a daily exploration of the constant and countless ways in which Gods grace and love are expereinced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/the-life-of-faith-is-a-daily-exploration-of-the-constant-and/) [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 Advent quotes > [“History reveals that times of suffering for the church have also been times of looking upward. Tribulation has always sobered God’s people and encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/history-reveals-that-times-of-suffering-for-the-church-have-also-been/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [Advent is patience it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/advent-is-patience-it-s-how-god-has-made-us-a-people-of-promise-in-a/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ Hypertext makes a virtue out of lack of organization, allowing ideas and thoughts to be juxtaposed at will. \[...\] The advent of hypertext is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-a-norman/hypertext-makes-a-virtue-out-of-lack-of-organization-allowing-ideas/) [Donald A. Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-a-norman/) > [Critics of the war plans (including myself) have pointed to the disastrous political results that must be expected: Iraq would break into three parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uri-avnery/critics-of-the-war-plans-including-myself-have-pointed-to-the/) [Uri Avnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uri-avnery/) > [The true sovereign is not the American president nor the English king, but the Lord of the Second Advent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-true-sovereign-is-not-the-american-president-nor-the-english-king/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [For years, particularly with the advent of the Internet, people have been griping about lessening attention spans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/for-years-particularly-with-the-advent-of-the-internet-people-have/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [“It is now, at Advent, that I am given the chance to suspend all expectation...and instead to revel in the mystery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerusalem-jackson-greer/it-is-now-at-advent-that-i-am-given-the-chance-to-suspend-all/) [Jerusalem Jackson Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerusalem-jackson-greer/) > [“On this eve of Christmas, whether you feel yourself to be surrounded by earthly blessings or whether you feel your blessings to be few,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-van-der-vinne/on-this-eve-of-christmas-whether-you-feel-yourself-to-be-surrounded/) [Kerry van der Vinne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-van-der-vinne/) > [If you thought the advent of the Internet, the spread of cheap and efficient information technology, and the growing fragmentation of the consumer market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/if-you-thought-the-advent-of-the-internet-the-spread-of-cheap-and/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [I think there is no doubt that the advent of 24/7 news channels, which are voracious in their demand for constant new content, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-think-there-is-no-doubt-that-the-advent-of-24-7-news-channels-which/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [The advent of AIDS circa 1980 has really forced medicine and biology to take enormous steps just for sheer survival. The same way war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-di-filippo/the-advent-of-aids-circa-1980-has-really-forced-medicine-and-biology/) [Paul Di Filippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-di-filippo/) > [“I believe deeply that God does his best work in our lives during times of great heartbreak and loss, and I believe that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/i-believe-deeply-that-god-does-his-best-work-in-our-lives-during/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Equality is the share of every one at their advent upon earth, and equality is also theirs when placed beneath it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/equality-is-the-share-of-every-one-at-their-advent-upon-earth-and/) [Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/) > [My platitudes don't hold their interest and I can hardly blame them for that. My real stories are all out of date. So what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/my-platitudes-don-t-hold-their-interest-and-i-can-hardly-blame-them/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) [Browse all 258 Advent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story of Jesus and the Christian makes its rounds century after century, the large and easy interior rhythms of a year that moves from birth, life, death, resurrection, on to spirit, obedience, faith, and blessing. Without liturgy we lose the rhythms and end up tangled in the jerky, ill-timed, and insensitive interruptions of public-relations campaigns, school openings and closings, sales days, tax deadlines, inventory and elections. Advent is buried under 'shopping days before Christmas.' The joyful disciplines of Lent are exchanged for the anxious penitentials of filling out income tax forms. Liturgy keeps us in touch with the story as it defines and shapes our beginnings and ends our living and dying, our rebirths and blessing in this Holy Spirit, text-formed community visible and invisible. When Holy Scripture is embraced liturgically, we become aware that a lot is going on all at once, a lot of different people are doing a lot of different things. The community is on its feet, at work for God, listening and responding to the Holy Scriptures. The holy community, in the process of being formed by the Holy Scriptures, is watching, listening to God's revelation taking shape before an din them as they follow Jesus, each person playing his or her part in the Spirit.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eugene H. 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