The word 'liturgy' refers to a predetermined form of worship, one that is or can be written for everyone to follow along. The term comes from the Greek of the original New Testament. The word for liturgy is a compound of two words, 'work' and 'people.' The liturgy in the Christian tradition is the work of the people in the worship of God.
The basic idea of the liturgy, then, is that everyone is involved. Instead of a service that is done solely by leaders, the liturgy involves a number of people in leading, and the people always have a part to play in responding to the prayers and the things that are said. Having a written form of worship conveniently allows for this kind of interaction.
Our church service is in one sense a ceremony, and normally it is done with the leaders wearing vestments, robes that have been traditional to wear in these services for close to two thousand years.
