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Liturgical Worship in the New Testament
Christianity did not spring from a vacuum. Jesus was a Jew, the apostles were Jewish. They all worshipped according to the tradition of the Jewish nation as handed down by Moses and the Prophets. No one doubts or denies that Judaism is a liturgical religion. Within the New Testament there is evidence that the Apostles continued to observe Jewish liturgical practices. When we approach the New Testament we must read it in the framework in which it was written: the early Church meeting in the Temple and Synagogue and putting Christ in the center of what they did as Jews. Christ FULFILLED the Law, He did not destroy it (Matt. 5:17). The OT was a type and shadow of the New as Hebrews teaches. Thus the first Christians worshipped according to the pattern of the Law, but saw the worship as directed to and fulfilled in Christ. NOTE: Liturgical prayer does NOT supplant or replace "personal prayer". Liturgical prayer is usually "corporate", private prayer is usually a combination of "set prayers" and personal expression.
Liturgy in the New Testament Scriptural references:
Acts 2:42 - continued in THE prayers (in the GreeK), were day by day IN THE TEMPLE…
Acts 5:42, The apostles were continually in the Temple praying and teaching, 6:4 they appoint deacons so they can devote themselves to THE prayers (Greek) and ministry of the word
Acts 10:2-3 Cornelius prayed continually, 9th hour., 10:9 Peter at the 6th hour went to the roof to pray. These were "liturgical hours of prayer".
Acts 13:2 While they were "ministering" to the Lord, literally in liturgy, the Holy Spirit spoke to them. The Spirit works in liturgy
Acts 15:22, 18:8, 17: "leaders" of synagogue, ie., liturgical worship leaders.
Acts 18:7 "Worshipper of God" house next to the synagogue.
Acts 16:25 midnight praying and singing hymns of praise to God.
Acts 20:6, 16 After the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost are mentioned. Paul says in I Cor. 16:8 that he will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost. The early Church kept a liturgical "church calendar".
Hebrews 8:2 High Priest Jesus a "minister" (lit. "liturgist") in the heavenly sanctuary.
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Sorry
ICA, but none of these verses supports any established liturgy. Just because the early believers gathered in His name, prayed to God, ministered to the Lord, worshiped God, sang hymns in jail, etc. doesn't mean that they had any prescribed pattern for their "services." On the contrary, these verses proved just the opposite. Just as Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, God is no longer worshiped here or there, this way or that way, but anywhere and everywhere, in spirit and in truth.
I say assuredly that prescribed liturgy is one of the biggest frustrations to real worship of the New Covenant. Structured liturgy, in fact, just as in the days of Isaiah, causes most people to honor God with their lips, and not their hearts. The fact that the EOC liturgy was not established until the 3rd or 4th century proves it is not "original."