"The worship of the Christian community, properly understood and done, leads worshipers to act out in their lives the love of God, which is at the heart of our worship. Worship also provides the power and the sustenance which makes this style of living possible. This Christian style of living, moreover, drives those who are committed to it back to the worship of God, to find forgiveness and strength . . . When this interdependent relationship is understood, the power of worship is illuminated and the power to live increased". -- From the Preface

First written in 1979, and out of print for many years, Liturgy for Living remains a classic text in the field of Anglican/Episcopal liturgy. This highly-readable overview explores the meaning of worship from a theological, historical, and spiritual perspective. It then examines the history, theology, and meaning of specific Anglican liturgies including: Holy Baptism, Confirmation, the Daily Office, the Holy Eucharist, and the various pastoral offices. An extensive bibliography, and a glossary of liturgical terms are included.

Louis Weil looks back on his work shaping the liturgical life of the Episcopal Church through his involvement with the development of The 1979 Book of Common Prayer- and looks forward to the future of the church and its liturgical life. Through stories and first-person anecdotes, Weil does "narrative theology" as only he can. Although most points of reference are to the 1979 BCP, the book is aiming at a more fundamental level-not just Episcopal or even Anglican liturgy, but liturgical rites as such: how do they "do what they do"?-or NOT do when they are done badly! "Liturgical Sense" is two dimensional: both the "common sense" of liturgical rites and also their "aesthetic sense." It is Dr. Weil's contention that in American culture we have an inherent inability to "think symbolically." Dr. Weil seeks to encourage a return to "liturgical sense" across the church.

In this exploration of the foundations of Anglican worship, Louis Weil invites the laity to claim their true baptismal role and serve alongside the ordained as ministers and celebrants of the liturgy. He explains how the contribution of the people of God has steadily diminished over the centuries and why it is necessary to reclaim it today in the midst of Anglicanism s increasing multiculturalism. Since Anglicans are no longer primarily English-speakers worshiping in Gothic cathedrals, Weil challenges us to engage new forms of culture, music, liturgical prayers, and dance in order to renew Anglicanism for the new century.

Synopsis: Most people, even non-Christians, know that Christians gather for worship once a week, and that they are right there to support each other when there is a baptism or a wedding or a funeral. But what about other poignant, vulnerable, or life-changing times? How does the church help people handle changes that in the past, in Christendom, were considered "secular"? Does the church have a role at retirement when one's ministry changes, or when a family's children leave home and familiar patterns seem to grind to a halt? Is there any rite possible for someone who is called to Christian ministry but not to ordination? Or to someone whose vows are broken in divorce? Christian Ritualizing and the Baptismal Process asserts that baptism marks the beginning of a process of participation in Christ's ministry, so that no part of life can finally be considered secular. Susan Marie Smith shows how every passage, healing, and ministry vocation is "holy," and she lays the groundwork needed for every church to create the rituals necessary to lament and celebrate the endings and beginnings that happen in every Christian life. Endorsements: "Critical analysis not only of major past theologians, but of former and present eras in ecclesial history, coupled with a wide-ranging draw on contemporary liturgical theologians, provide a splendid foundation for the third part of Susan Smith's book, which effectively and creatively sets forth the reciprocal connection between liturgy and life. Pastoral implementation is, after all, the aim of any and all liturgical renewal and she succeeds in this as well." --William H. Petersen Bexley Hall Seminary "Christian Ritualizing and the Baptismal Process invites us to recover and renew our understandings of the baptized life. Emphasizing growth in Christ (our baptismal becoming), our lives in the world as response-gift, the relationship between the one and many in the Body of Christ, and the importance of planning and conducting pastoral ritualizations to mark life passages, Susan Marie Smith enthusiastically and convincingly summons all to a realized baptismal ecclesiology. Rich in storied examples and informed by patristics, ritual theories, and contemporary liturgical and sacramental theologies, this is a book of singular importance for teachers and pastors in this post-Christendom time." --Jennifer Lord Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Author Biography: Susan Marie Smith is an Episcopal priest and teacher of liturgy, ritual, and preaching. She offers worship consulting, teaches classes, leads retreats, and facilitates the creating of Christian ritualization.