Liturgies, such as our Masonic ritual, have the purpose of uniting and strengthening communities of shared interest.

Liturgy is a word that applies, in slightly different ways, to two areas I love --- Freemasonry and Religion. In fact, Masonic liturgy is a part of the Craft which benefits Brothers, sometimes even without their knowing it.
Let me explain. Of course, I do not mean to imply that Freemasonry is a religion. We all know that it is not. Yet, as a clergyman, I often find myself explaining this fact to people who think Masonry is some sort of a denomination simply because it involves religious elements. True, we believe in God, respect the Bible, and hold dear what is represented by the letter “G” in the middle of our Square and Compasses. But that hardly makes Freemasonry a religion!
The term liturgy comes from an ancient Greek word which literally translated means “the work of the people.” It is my experience that the ways in which our beloved Fraternity uses liturgy are amazingly similar to the way liturgy is used in all faith traditions. In both, liturgy expresses and teaches what we believe, while also showing respect to our honored fellows. The basis of my comparison is the fact that there is another word, ritual, whose meaning is very similar to liturgy, and ritual, as all Masons know, is the heart of the work of our Lodges and Temples.
All deep-rooted religious faith traditions use ritual or liturgy to express and pass on to new members what they believe. They state their creeds and use various clergy members and other functionaries to act out or represent in symbolic and publicly meaningful form their ideas. The interesting and wonderful thing to me is that Masonry does some very similar things. As Masons, we have certain very specific words and actions that we say and do in performing the ceremonies that open and close our meetings, just as spiritual leaders say and do meaningful words and actions in conducting worship and prayer services. Churches and Lodges do these things because that is how communities work in order to strengthen and grow.
Masons have a whole body of special ceremonies we use for our many Degrees, just as high churches have liturgies for the seasons and ceremonial moments of importance in people’s lives. In both cases, they vary for special occasions, such as initiating new members and celebrating feast days. And in both cases, the secular Lodge and the religious Church, certain people, chosen and trained to perform these special duties, are particularly valued for their ritualistic proficiency. Furthermore, both Masonic Bodies and faith traditions have committees charged with the responsibility of studying and authorizing official forms of ritual or liturgy. This last point is especially prominent now that we, as Scottish Rite Masons, have the Revised Standard Pike Ritual.
Those entrusted with researching and implementing these revisions have noticed that some members tend to resist any kind of change in what is familiar, even when that change is actually more of a return to the original roots of the source matter. This reaction is common. Religious scholars have always found it to be the case when they urge people to revise their ritual practices in order to return to the more pristine, ancient forms. Since these forms have been forgotten under layers of improvisation, they seem strange and, therefore, forbidding. They are not “the way we have always done it.”
Finally, in Lodges, Masons use special actions and verbiage in referring to officers, such as Masters and Wardens, and in ceremonially receiving honored guests, such as Grand Masters and District Deputies. Similarly, some churches use honorific titles for their leaders and clergy/ministers. Also, some Lodges use ceremonial clothing when acting out certain rituals—from basic aprons on up (not to mention jewels and caps!)—just as some types of houses of worship use vestments and other liturgical paraphernalia. Lodges even have certain required furniture set up in specific ways and regular places for officers to sit, just as religions arrange their sanctuaries in certain ways that are meaningful to them.
In sum, my reason for bringing up these many analogies is not to over-emphasize any similarity between these two realms and endeavors, Masonry and Religion. Rather, the purpose of my comparison is to show that, as archaeologists and sociologists know, groups that unite to celebrate fellowship and share mutually beneficial ideas often tend to use means that are natural to communal undertakings. These are often liturgical and ritualistic since these means bind people together, and fraternity, being one with others, is among the most basic instincts of human beings. We unite for preservation and for enjoyment. These means, in Freemasonry and Religion, are ritualistic or liturgical. They can be seen in other areas too, such as at patriotic observances and even sports events, which have their own liturgies and rituals.
As Masons, we can be proud of our heritage. We should, without any sort of showiness, but with humility and good will, extend the good name and better understanding of our Fraternity through the dignified public presentation of our rituals whenever appropriate, including when we are in the religious faith communities of our choice. After all, we both may benefit from our mutual appreciation of ritual and liturgy!