From the outset, Galli pulls the reader into a 132-page journey that not only serves as a liturgy-primer of sorts, but which unwraps the liturgy -- especially for evangelicals from "low church" backgrounds -- in ways that make sense in today's postmodern context.  Galli explains that "by participating in the liturgy, we're doing more than 'attending a service.'  We are entering a story -- story in which we also play a role" (p.18).  At the center of this story is the Eucharist -- the story within the story.  Quoting Father Jeremy Driscoll, Galli emphasizes the central role which the Eucharist plays in the liturgy: "This action will cause the Church to be: to do Eucharist is to be Church" (ibid.).

Beyond Smells and & Bells calls readers to enter a world that transcends sub-cultures, fads, trends, and even culture itself -- a world that follows a different calender, that pulls us out of our overly individualistic notions of faith, and that seemingly exists outside of time as we've known it.  When we pray through the daily liturgies, we experience the paradox of never praying alone despite praying by ourselves.  For example,

"in saying the prayers of the Book of Common Prayer's service of Morning Prayer, I'm praying with all who that morning are also praying it... I'm [also] praying prayers that have their origin in another time and place -- going all the way back to the early church -- and thus I find myself mysteriously connected with believers that have gone before me" (p.33).

Galli does a fine job drawing attention to the role that mystery plays in the liturgy, and of our encounter with the Holy. This stands in contrast to the liturgy's oft-cited tendency for becoming routine or seemingly meaningless.

Whether it be ancient liturgy or a medley of contemporary choruses,

"worship is first and finally the service of God and needs no other justification. The transformation of worshipers is not its central aim.  In fact, we are not apt to be changed by worship if we come to it primarily to be changed, for then we will be back to concentrating on ourselves.  The transformation of the church is a by-product of the liturgy.  It occurs only when the church is determined foremost to simply worship God" (quote by Robert Webber and Rodney Clapp, p. 95).

Contemporary chorus medleys have the same potential for being dead, worn-out, expressions of our faith that liturgy is often charged with. The difference, in part, lies in the attitude of the worshiper.  And yet, for Galli, there is more.  The liturgy woos us, seduces us into participating in a worshiping of God that unites us with the body of Christ -- not only around the globe but throughout time, and then it opens us up to ancient truths that begin to change us.

"We look to God. We worship him, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We do this on weeks we feel the joy of the Lord.  We do this on weeks we only feel despair.  We do this on weeks we feel nothing.  And if we do this for weeks and years, slowly we'll  find that the soul is gaining its own sort of intelligence, that we're apprehending things the mind and heart cannot fathom, we're entering into the divine presence, and that divine presence is entering into us" (p. 110)

Here is were Galli's book ends -- where the reader now has a grasp on the wonder and power of Christian liturgy.  And for most readers, I suspect, there will be no turning back.