Victor turner claims that a pilgrimage in terms of liminal
experience. Where a person enters the threshold of two different worlds
characterized by the ant-establishment, the reversal of hierarchies, and gender
roles. This concept of liminality can be applied to Christians worship. In a
way worship is a form of pilgrimage. It separates one from daily life on Sunday
to enter into a new community, which is the church body. Yet this community is
an in between place because one is still connected to the outside world and
isn’t fully integrated into the new community. The idea of hierarchy disappears
at least in the congregation. Turner claims that the “goals of the pilgrimage and
the means of attaining them- is essential if the pilgrims are to attain the
sense of ‘flow’, that the union of action and awareness…” This goal of
pilgrimage is achieved through worship. The songs enable one to be fully
involved and be single minded. It is often described as losing oneself in a
worship of God. King David in the Old Testament experienced this “flow” of
worship that he wasn’t even aware that his robe was falling off. The songs
enable the feeling of discovery. And provides access to God. After the experience
of worship and the pilgrimage one exist the Liminal space to be integrated into
the society with a new found sense of purpose. In all these ways Christian
Worship is like a pilgrimage.
No comments:
Post a Comment