Starting next week, our morning service will restore some of the worship elements that were temporarily stopped during the pandemic. Nevertheless, our worship structure remains unchanged: God speaks, and we respond. So let us review our liturgy and understand the reasons why we do what we do when we do it.
Our liturgy is divided into 5 major movements:
- We Prepare to Meet God. The chiming of the bells calls the community of faith to gather. The Entry of the Bible represents Jesus Christ, while the procession of the worship leader, preacher and musicians represent the entire congregation coming before him. The musical piece that follows, Prelude, is a time to prepare our hearts and minds to meet God.
- We Praise God. The actual corporate worship begins with a call to worship. God’s Word calls us to worship Him, and we respond to his invitation with a hymn of praise and adoration.
- We Seek God. As we become aware of his holiness, we recognise our inclination to sin against God and each other. A prayer of confession is offered, followed by a prayer of thanksgiving assuring us of God’s pardon and ending with the offering of the Lord’s Prayer. We also seek God by singing a hymn of prayer, reciting the Apostles’ Creed, and interceding through prayer for our church, country and the world, continuing Christ’s ministry of prayer for the world.
- We Listen to God’s Word. God’s Word is proclaimed through the singing of the anthem, the scripture reading and the sermon. Preaching occupies a central place in Reformed worship. The communication of the Word of God should be experienced by the entire congregation and so, on the first Sunday of the month, a children’s message is included. After hearing God’s Word, the congregation expresses their response by singing a hymn.
- We Worship God in the World. Part of Christian discipleship is serving and being involved in the life of the church. We show our love and thanksgiving for all that God has given us through our offering of our lives and money and we ask him to bless the gifts that we bring. Worship is not limited to Sunday services, so the preacher sends the people out with the blessing of God’s power over their lives and to live for Him in response to the gospel.
Knowing why we do what we do in worship is important but even more important is knowing who we worship. Jack Hayford said, “Worship changes the worshipper into the image of the One worshipped.” Do plan to arrive early next Sunday. The Chiming of the Bell starts @ 8:55am and 5:55pm.