Title page for ETD etd-10152010-193636
Malherbe, Pieter Abraham Email
Die rol van die liturgie in die fasilitering van 'n ontmoeting tussen God en "soekers" (Afrikaans)
vernuwing in die erediens
rituele en simbole
soeker sensitiewe eredienste
Hoofstuk een handel oor die worsteling van die NG Kerk om 'n dalende tendens in
erediensbywoning die hoof te bied en die beste benadering te vind ten opsigte van vernuwing
in die erediens, sodat ook mense wat nie deel van die kerk is nie, belang sal stel om eredienste
by te woon. Die erediens is 'n byeenkoms waar mense op uitnodiging van God bymekaar kom,
maar hoe moet sodanige byeenkomste ingerig word sodat mense dit werklik as 'n ontmoeting
met God sal ervaar? Hoe belangrik is dit om 'n liturgiese orde in sodanige byeenkomste te
volg en watter rol speel die reformatoriese liturgie om 'n ontmoeting tussen God en mens te
fasiliteer? Wat moet in die proses van liturgiese vernuwing behou of laat vaar word?
In hoofstuk twee word duidelikheid verkry of die reformatoriese liturgie inderdaad interensiek
kommunikatief van aard is en of die erediensganger, deur middel van die liturgie, God al luisterende in die erediens kan ervaar. Die reformatoriese liturgie word vervolgens vanuit `n
hermeneuties-kommunikatiewe handelingsteoretiese perspektief bespreek ten einde sekerheid te verkry dat God ook deur middel van die reformatoriese liturgie in die erediens
aan die werk is. Die basis van die praktiese teologie is `n hermeneuties-kommunikatiewe
praxis (Van der Ven 1990:47). Dit beteken dat die homiletiek ook vanuit `n hermeneutieskommunikatiewe
perspektief verstaan kan word (Vos 1996:11-12). Hermeneutiek is die refleksie op die proses van die koms van God in sy Woord na die mens in sy situasie, waarin
drie momente onderskei kan word: die verstaan (begrip), die verstaanbaar maak (verklaar) en die tot verstaan kom (toe-eien). Die hermeneutiese komponent van die praktiese teologie (Van
der Ven 1990:54-55) word hier vir die homiletiek diensbaar gemaak. Hermeneutiek handel
oor die verstaan van die Woord, die verstaanbaar maak daarvan binne die eie kultuur en die tot
verstaan kom van die mens vir wie die heil bedoel is (Vos 1996:12). Dit moet as uitgangspunt
dien wanneer besin word oor die aanbieding van die evangelie aan mense van `n nie-kerklike
agtergrond sodat hulle in die erediens-gebeure gelei kan word tot `n ontmoeting met God en
verlossing deur Jesus Christus.
In hoofstuk drie word die herkoms van die huidige reformatoriese liturgie aan die orde gestel ten einde aan te toon hoe sterk die liturgie in die vroe� kerk gefunksioneer het en hoe dit deur die eeue gegroei het tot dit wat ons huidiglik in die reformatoriese tradisie ken. Dit sluit in besinning oor die betekenis van die begrip �liturgie� en die ontwikkeling daarvan in die byeenkomste van die volk van God. Dit sluit die orde waarin die erediens verloop in, maar is
baie meer as net dit. Liturgie is die diens aan God wat telkens weer vorm aanneem in `n
bepaalde erediens (Barnard 1981:52; Van der Ven 1990:48; Vos 1996c:150-151).
In hoofstuk vier word die gespreksmatigheid van die liturgiese gebeure, insluitend die preek,
ondersoek. Die taal van die liturgie word ondersoek op die basis van 'n keuse vir die
dialogiese kommunikasieteorie. Dit is juis omdat die verskillende liturgiese elemente
kommunikatief in die erediens funksioneer, dat elkeen belangrik is, met groot omsigtigheid
aangewend moet word en nie sonder goeie rede weggelaat kan word gedurende 'n erediens
In hoofstuk vyf word gefokus op wat met die term �soeker sensitiewe eredienste� bedoel
word. Hoe het die begrip deur die geskiedenis ontwikkel en hoe word dit in verskillende
denominasies verstaan? Die Willow Creek Gemeente in Chicago, VSA, onder leiding van
pastoor Bill Hybels, staan algemeen bekend as die baanbreker op die gebied van �seekerservices� (Long 2001:7). In die konteks van die NG Kerk in Suid-Afrika is dit nodig om hiervan kennis te neem, aangesien die bevindings in Kerkspie�l 2005 daarop wys dat
erediensbywoning in die NG Kerk steeds aan die afneem is en daar toenemend afgewyk word
van die tradisionele liturgiese inkleding van die liturgie. Sal `n soortgelyke benadering as di�
van Willow Creek, in Suid-Afrika en spesifiek in die NG Kerk suksesvol wees om mense wat
nie meer belangstel in lidmaatskap van `n kerk of die bywoning van eredienste nie, weer terug
te bring? Bevat die �tradisionele gereformeerde liturgie� inherente eienskappe wat `n
ontmoeting tussen God en mens in die erediens waarborg?
In hoofstuk ses word aangetoon wat die belang van `n Bybels-gefundeerde liturgie in die
fasilitering van `n ontmoeting tussen God en die soeker in die erediens is. `n Voorbeeld van so `n liturgie en preek word voorsien en terreine vir verdere navorsing op die gebied word
ENGLISH : Chapter one describes the struggle of the Dutch Reformed Church to curb a decline in church attendance and to find the best approach towards shaping the worship service in order to
attract churchmembers as well as the �unchurched.� In the worship service people come together because God has invited them, but how should such a meeting be structured so that
people would experience it as a meeting with God? How important is a liturgical order in such
meetings and what is the role of reformed liturgy in order to facilitate a meeting between God
and man in the worship service? What should be kept and what should be discarded in the
process of liturgical reformation?
Chapter two seeks to clarify whether reformed liturgy is in fact essentialy communicative and
if those attending a worship service can experience God in the liturgy by listening to all that is happening during the service. The reformed liturgy is thus researched from a hermeneuticalcommunicative
acting theory perspective in order to determine whether God is indeed at work
through reformed liturgy during worship. The basis of practical theology is a hermeneuticalcommunicative
praxis (Van der Ven 1990:47). This means that homiletics can be understood
from a hermeneutic-communicative perspective (Vos 1996:11-12). Hermeneutics is a
reflection on the process of the coming of God in Scripture to man in his situation, in which
three processes can be determined: understanding it (comprehension), to make it understandable (explaining) and to come to the conclusion (make it your own). The
hermeneutical component of practical theology (Van der Ven 1990:54-55) is applied to
homiletics. Hermenetics is all about understanding Scripture, to make it understandable within the own culture and the process of understanding of the person for whom the grace is intended (Vos 1996:12). That must be the starting point when the Gospel is presented to unchurched people so that they can be brought into a relationship with God and salvation through Jesus Christ in a worship service.
In chapter three the origin of the current reformed liturgy is presented in order to show how
strongly the liturgy functioned in the early church and how it developed to become what we
recognise today in the reformed tradition. This includes reflection on the meaning of the term
�liturgy� and its development in the congregation of Gods people. It includes the order of
liturgical actions in the service, but it is more than just that. Liturgy is the service unto God
which takes on a new form in a specific worship service (Barnard 1981:52; Van der Ven
1990:48; Vos 1996c:150-151).
In chapter four the aspect of conversational identity of the liturgical actions, including the
sermon, is researched. The language of liturgy is researched on the basis of a choice for the
dialogical communicative theory. It is indeed because of the communicative identity of the
liturgical elements that each and every one of them is important, should be applied with great
circumspection and should not be left out during the worship service without good reason.
In chapter five it is determined what is meant by the term �seeker services�. How did the term
developed through the ages and how is it understood in different denominations? Willow
Creek Community Church in Chicago, USA, under the leadership of Pastor Bill Hybels, is
viewed as the pioneer on the aspect of �seeker services� (Long 2001:7).
In the context of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, it is vital to take note of the
�seeker services�, as it has become apparant that the number of people attending church is declining and that congregations are more and more deviating from the traditional reformed
liturgy. Will the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa benefit by following Willow Creeks�s approach to bring back people that have lost interest in membership of a church as
well as attending worship services? Does reformed liturgy contain interinsic caracteristics that
guarantees a devine meeting between God and those who attend worship services?
In chapter six the significance of a Scripture-based liturgy in facilitating an experience of a
devine meeting between God and �seekers� is determined. An example of such a liturgy is
provided and subjects for further research are suggested.
Malherbe, PA 2009, Die rol van die liturgie in die fasilitering van 'n ontmoeting tussen God en "soekers" (Afrikaans), MA(Theol) dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10152010-193636/ >