Liturgie als bron voor een theologie van missie?

Abstract

In this article the author gives an account of his attempt to give an answer to the question ’What is the mission of the Church’. He tries to answer this question by turning to the liturgy, as the lex orandi is the standard of all theology (lex credendi). In the first paragraph he outlines the history and the importance of the adage ’ut legem crecendi statuat lex orandi’. And he tries to work out a methodology to ’decipher’ this lex orandi. A clear methodology and critical historic approach are necessary as our liturgy has been affected by allegorical explanations, piëtistic abuses and Scholastic definitions. We have to search for the basic structure and for the ’Ordo’ (decisive meaning) behind our liturgical customs and traditions. Therefore, the author proposes the following method for theology: 1. first phase; deciphering the lex orandi. 1.1. historical study of the liturgy in order to define the basic structure. 1.2. interpretation of this structure. 1.2.1. starting from the rites (’presentative symbolism’). 1.2.2. going on with the liturgical texts (’discursive symbolism’). 1.2.3. looking for the interpretation of the Church Fathers and the biblical symbols they use. 2. second phase; developing a theology based on the data of the first phase. In the second paragraph the results of the study so far, including the Sunday ('time’), Temple (’space’) and Eucharist (’life’), are being presented. Most important seems to be that our liturgy (weekly cycle, church-building and Eucharist) is a revelation of the Kingdom in ’this world’. The mission of the Church is to be this revelation and to witness before the world of the Eschaton. But it also means that ’this world’ is important since it is our history, our world and our human society which is revealed as Sacrament. The Church has a very concrete mission in ’this world’. Furthermore it seems that the basic structure of the Eucharist -[l] leaving the world and coming together, [2] experiencing the New Life and [3] being sent out into this world- is also the basic structure of mission: Church mission invites everyone to join and experience the New Life [1]. The mission of the Church is to witness to the world by celebrating the Eucharist and revealing the Doxa of God in this way [2]. Mission means being sent out into this world to care for her, as a 'liturgy after the Liturgy’ [3].