It is about time to turn the calendar, and this means it is time for our annual reminders and refreshers on our liturgy for corporate worship. We follow a pattern each Lord’s Day, what is it and why do we do it?

Liturgy is a which not whether; it’s inescapable. Everyone follows a liturgy, more or less obvious, more or less formal. A desire and decision to “let the Spirit lead” not only is itself a plan, it usually leads to the least spontaneity and variety, even if there is a moment of drama right before falling back into the default rut.

Our liturgy follows a certain pattern, and it continues to do work on us. It has some parallel with how Coach Boone described his offensive playbook, “it’s like novocaine, just give it time.” Our liturgy isn’t dulling us, but “it always works” to shape us.

This morning I want to talk about how this liturgy serves to make us more antifragile. It’s a corporate act, with a vertical view, yet that has effects for each part of the church Body. To the degree that we worship the Lord well, we become less fragile and have more of our foolishness knocked off week by week.

Antifragile is a made-up word based on the observation that the opposite of fragile is not simply being sturdy. Shipping a box of long-stemmed wine glasses to your cousin in Florida requires copious amounts of bubble wrap; those things will break easily, they are fragile. Sending a one-volume hardcover edition of Calvin’s Institutes to your other cousin in Florida will doesn’t require a “Handle with Care” label on the outside of the package. The book is not fragile, it’s robust. But the real antonym of fragile would be sending something to the East Coast that would be better after being thrown and dropped and shoved around by a dozen UPS guys. As the author of the book said, “You want to be the fire and wish for the wind.”

The Bible doesn’t use the word antifragile, but it does use the word holokleros. It’s found two places, and for now, note how the apostle James puts our trials in context as making us better. Rejoice in all the different kinds of trials that make faith stronger and more steadfast:

and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:4 ESV)

“Complete” is a fine translation. Tyndale translated it as “sound,” Wycliffe had it as “hool” (meaning “whole”), and the Latin Vulgate had inegri, like an integer. It’s having the entire kit, the full portion. And so for a good definition: being complete is being ready for meeting all expectations.”

James connects this with wisdom, which is not only wisdom to see how the trials are making you better, but the wisdom the comes from being in a better spot. James is the most proverbial of the epistles, and he’s helping us who read him be less foolish.

Our liturgy is also working to make us less foolish and more wise, less fragile and more anti-fragile, less unequipped and more ready for whatever situation we come to. That might be this week, that might be in the new year.

So here are five ways to be a fragile fool (intended to provoke the opposite desires), followed by the ways the big headings of our liturgy help make us complete.

1. Make much of yourself.

Is there a heavier burden? Is there a bigger lie? Is there a more hopeless feeling, than trying to be the best thing in your life?

Sure, pride blinds, and a man can get full of himself for a while. But “like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give” (Proverbs 25:14).

The reason that we have so much identity crises in our culture is that we’ve believed the myth that we can give ourselves identity. For sure, we can and should look for ways to become more godly than we are, but we cannot make ourselves “gods.”

The idol of self is the most deceitful, and most destructive. Satan fell for his own charms. But there is freedom in submitting to reality just as their is life for the fish in the water. There is great joy in worshipping what is great, but great effort to worship what is not great is like praising a grain of sand in a salt mine.

It’s folly to only answer your own call, to do only what you feel like doing when you feel like doing it. That liturgy, and lifestyle that follows from it, is fragile all the way down.

2. Cover your sin.

This is as brutal as Sisyphus pushing a boulder up a hill forever. It’s not just trying to cover your guilt, but trying to get others to see you as not guilty. You’re trying to blind four eyes. Or, you’re trying to get the other person to push the boulder up the hill with you while denying there is a boulder.

Trying to keep sin secret will eat you up (see Psalm 32:3-4). This almost always leads to other sins, and to destructive behaviors like drinking to drunkenness. It also doesn’t work before God because He sees hearts, and there is no place in your mind that is hidden to Him.

But in our day-to-day we interact with people, and whether or not they have a good grasp of morality, God’s law, and man’s nature, they’re going to see you blow it. And defensiveness is gas on the fire of your own house. Denial would be hilarious if it wasn’t dangerous. Fighting for percentage points misses the point.

Blessing comes on the other side of honesty (Psalm 32:1, 5). Sin-defense is fragile all the way down.

3. Lean on your own understanding.

It’s said that familiarity breeds contempt, and no argument. But prior to despising, there’s a large slough of dismissing. We don’t like it because we forgot what we have.

In a great twist of irony, our access to information has caused us to be more foolish. It’s not because we’re ignorant, but because we’re living apart from faith. We’ve put our trust in (potential) knowledge. You’ve likely heard Proverbs 3:5-6 so much that you can repeat it, but are you following it?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Be not wise in your own eyes,
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
(Proverbs 3:5-7 ESV)

The liturgy of fools calls them to put their faith in their own ability to figure it out. The biggest fool of all is the wise-in-his-own-eyes guy.

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
(Proverbs 26:12 ESV)

Do you lack wisdom? Ask God (James 1:5). Without being guided by God’s truth it’s fragile all the way down.

4. Isolate yourself.

Speaking of a life without wisdom,

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire,
he breaks out against all sound judgment.
(Proverbs 18:1 ESV)

The NKJV has for the second half of the proverb, “he rages against all wise judgment.”

Ecclesiastes 4 says, “Two are better than one,” and “a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (verses 9, 12).

You might be the on fire, read hot, lone charcoal. And still, if you are by yourself, your flame will die out. You’re not an image-bearer by yourself, you can’t love your neighbor never leaving your home. Isolation is fragile all the way down.

5. Go out on your own.

The Christian life isn’t pulling yourself up by the bootstraps. High agency in the flesh will result in corruption (Galatians 6:8). Your hustle must be yielded to the Spirit.

Remember when God told Moses that He was not going to go with the stubborn people into the Promised Land? This was NO GOOD.

[Moses] said to [the LORD], “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15–16 ESV)

And when Jesus ascended to the Father, He sent His Spirit to be with the disciples, and with us, for our walk as disciples and as we make disciples. To go out without blessing is fragile all the way down.

Conclusion

Alternatively, there is GOOD NEWS! The five main movements in our service point us to God by grace through faith.

• God is God, all the rest is a drop in the bucket, and the CALL to worship puts it all in context.
• God atones and justifies, who can condemn? Our CONFESSION of sin follows the Savior’s instruction.
• God sanctifies and teaches. The time of CONSECRATION depends on the reading of the Word and prayer and preaching of the Word.
• God unites. COMMUNION is shared fellowship and duties.
• God goes with us. He COMMISSIONS and blesses.

Our liturgy aims to help us acknowledge Him in all our ways. So we say, “Lord willing” we will do this or that, today, let alone tomorrow (James 4:13-15). This is the worship of wisdom, a liturgy that completes, and gets us ready to meet all expectations.

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Charge

Wisdom calls out: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”

Benediction:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28 ESV)