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Furthermore, liturgy is not against Charismatic or a free expression of worship. On the contrary, it gives us a way to express prayer in a corporate setting that is both deeply communal and deeply personal. Phillip Birnbaum comments on the earlier passage from Maimonides:
“ Occasionally, traditional prayer helps us in a purely personal way, when pent up emotion chokes our power of expression. We cannot speak; it speaks for us, and in it, we find repose.”
Liturgy provides us the reminders and rhythms of worshipping the eternal God of Israel through our days and seasons of life. Liturgy gives us the words to worship the One that is beyond our words. Liturgy can invoke powerful encounters with the Spirit of the Living God when done with a heart of intention, not mere repetition.
In Judaism, there is an idea of prayer with intent, called kavanah. Praying with kavanah encourages the participant to be intentionally focused in prayer. Kavanah means praying from his or her heart and desiring meaningful connection with God, often through the written prayers of the Siddur.
May it be ever more so with us, who are empowered with the living Presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling.
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