| While private prayer is most essential for God's People, the public worship of the Church
• the liturgy or common action of God's People, shared whenever and wherever "two or three are gathered together" in Christ's name — is equally essential.
The liturgy, however, is more than prayer. It is:
• the gathering of the faithful;
• the singing of "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs";
• the proclamation of the Good News of salvation in Christ, the Word of God;
• the hearing of and response to this proclamation;
• the intercession for the Church and the whole world;
• the offering of all things to God in the name of Christ;
• the remembrance, celebration, and
participation in Christ's death and resurrection;
• the anticipation of Christ's Second Coming; and
• the experience of "the communion of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of the Kingdom of heaven."
It is indeed true, as many will contend, that we need not participate in the Church's liturgy if we merely come to pray. However, if we wish to live the fullness of Christian life, then the liturgy is absolutely essential!
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