I am entering my second year of working as a Graduate Assistant (GA) for Liturgy at the CSTM. Prior to the CSTM, in undergrad I worked as a student in Liturgy and, after graduating, I then worked as a Campus Minister for Liturgy. Liturgy is a big passion that informs a lot of my theology.
I view liturgy as a space where theology and relationship come together in a life-giving way. Liturgy is a place where we are invited to share and live into our ministerial gifts and callings. It is multifaceted. Whether it is the celebration of the Eucharist, or a service celebrating collective grief and/or joy, Liturgy is a space where we experience God’s gift of self through being in relationship with one another in community.
At the CSTM in particular, liturgy reflects the place of connection to the global church. Many people come to the CSTM from diverse faiths, spiritual practices, cultures, traditions, etc. This diversity only enhances the way we engage with Liturgy, continually prompting us to reflect whether our services accurately reflect the identities and touch points of the worshiping community. It is an intersection of what we have been as Church, who we are, and what we can be prophetically inviting us to encounter new ways of being Church. Therefore, through all the facets, there is intentionality woven into it, from the ministers invited to serve, the music selection, the rituals, Liturgy is where we can worship with our whole selves.
I think about the first liturgy I experienced at the CSTM. I remember being struck during a Thursday liturgy during Accepted Students Days to see a woman and a Jesuit altar serving together modeling lay-clergy collaboration. As a woman in Liturgy, I have found it is oftentimes rare to see other women in liturgical spaces and ministry. Seeing the intentional representation on the altar gave me the ability to see myself on that altar and think there could be a place for me in the community. Flash forward to working as a GA for Liturgy my first year and now for a second year, I am continually struck by the ever-changing ways the CSTM community prompts us to live into a new model of Church through different liturgical spaces and offerings. As liturgy continues to evolve, we are continually prompted to ask the question of how we meet the needs of a community as it continues to shift and change. During the rest of my time at the CSTM, I look forward to new understandings of liturgy that broaden my understanding of Church and hopefully inspire others to dream about spaces where people can share and develop their gifts.