Symbols of God's Presence to the Church

Christian worship may be assumed to have been a matter of ritual from the start, because of its roots in Temple worship, common festal meals, and the baptismal practice of Jesus and John. New Testament witness to its forms is minimal, but the development of rites begins to be attested in the Didachē, Justin's First Apology, and Hippolytus's references to eucharist led by episkopoi. The mystēria/sacramenta were celebrated ritually in the West until the reformers' emphasis on the biblical word and corresponding de-emphasis on the senses resulted in the triumph of spirit over matter, and of intellect over sight, sound, and movement. In our day, the former balance is being restored as worship forms begin again to engage the whole person

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