Traditions of Worship
At St. Andrew's
Contents
Background
Why and
How We Worship - An Overview
What is the Purpose of Worship?
The Role of Holy Spirit in
Worship
The Priesthood of All Believers
Corporate Worship
and Congregational Participation
Children in Worship
Music in Worship
The Liturgical elements of
Worship
The Call to Worship
Confession
The Passing of the Peace
Proclamation of the Word
Our Response to the Word
The Sending
The Practice of the
Sacraments in Worship
Baptism
Communion
Practicing Spiritual
Disciplines in Worship
Prayer
Observing the Liturgical Year
The Christian (Liturgical) Year
Advent
Christmas
Epiphany
Ordinary Time
Ash Wednesday and Lent
Lenten Spiritual Disciplines
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Easter
Pentecost
Trinity Sunday
Exploring Other Styles of Worship
Contemporary Worship
Emerging Worship
Bibliography and
Resources
Background
In
February 2003 the Worship and Music Committee authorized the formation of a
Task Force to study the history, themes, elements, and order of worship in the
Presbyterian and Reformed traditions. Resources used by the Task Force included
the books Authentic Worship in a Changing Culture, the Book of Order,
and the Book of Common Worship.
Additional learning occurred at a weekend retreat facilitated by Rev.
Chip Andrus, an Associate in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of
Worship and Theology.
The
group met over six months for worship and study, and engaged in prayerful and
productive dialogue about how
St. Andrew’s “traditional” worship can be a continuing force for renewal of the
Christian faith, and an invitation to unbelievers into the presence of God.
Their goal was to come to a deeper understanding of the elements that
distinguish worship as “Reformed”:
· It is
“sacramental”
· It centers on
God, rather than people or their feelings
· It draws
attention to the majesty and glory of the triune God, Who created all things
and by Whose power all things are sustained, Who was revealed in Jesus Christ
raised from the dead to rule over all things, and Who is at work as the Giver
of life in and among us by the power of the Holy Spirit (BCW, pg. 8)
· Its approach is
“freedom within order”
· It is thoroughly
biblical, expressing the faith proclaimed in Scripture. Proclamation of the
Word is central
· It fosters unity
by making use of the common liturgical calendar and participating, through the events
of the church year, in the broad redemptive story God is writing
· It is an
engagement with God on the terms He proposes and in the way He alone makes
possible
Our
objective was to develop from this study a “template” that would capture the
flow and order of “traditional”
services to move worship from gathering in community and fellowship, to hearing
the Word proclaimed, responding in thanksgiving, and going out into the world
to witness, to love, and to serve the Lord. This four-fold pattern of worship
provides the structure within which freedom and creativity can emerge. This
pattern is a simple but powerful way to portray the fullness of the Gospel of
Christ and to elicit the full, active participation of all worshipers.
For all
who engaged in this process, it was an enlightening, energizing, stimulating,
and spirit-filled endeavor. In study, in dialogue, in worship, and in prayer
the Task Force members grew to know and appreciate one another, deepened their
love for this church and its pastors and staff, and came to an increased
understanding of the place of worship within each of their lives and the life
of St. Andrew’s.
This
booklet is the fruit of our work. Having felt a personal, potent connection to
God through learning about worship, we desired to share that experience with
the congregation through brief, educational “Worship Notes.” These notes
originally appeared in Sunday bulletins beginning in September 2003 and have
been compiled here as an aid and resource to anyone who is longing for a
deeper, more spiritual experience in worship. It is our sincere hope that all
who enter here will be filled with the peace, love, and joy that come from an
intimate relationship with the Almighty God.
If you
have any further questions or concerns, or if you wish to know more about what
Presbyterians believe, please contact one of our pastors through the church
office, at (520) 297-7201.
Why and How We Worship ~ An Overview
What Psalm 95 Teaches Us about Worship
by Becce Bettridge
Adapted from a lecture given January 31, 2003
Have you ever had an experience of worship in which you felt
really drawn into God’s presence? Maybe you were touched by a hymn, or during
Communion your heart seemed to open up before the Lord. Maybe there was
something in a sermon that deeply connected with your heart and mind.
I think if we are honest, most of us do not have that
experience very often. We come to church, we sing the songs, listen to the
sermon and walk out; we go home and are not very different from when we walked
in. Yet worship is the key to our relationship with God. Without worship
there is no relationship. Without worship there is no spiritual renewal.
Worship is the most important thing we do as Christians;
there is not even a close second. Yet for many of us worship has become
mandatory and dull. Psalm 95 is about the greatness of God and His goodness to
us. From the very first verse, the psalmist draws us into worship by telling us
about the what, why, and how of worship.
Worship
is about God, not about us.
One of the biggest blocks to worship is the fact that we
cannot seem to get our minds off of ourselves. Because of this self-focus, our
worship experience consists of how we are feeling or what we are experiencing
(i.e., the sermon was too long, the organ too loud, the people next to me sang
off key, the room was too hot, etc.). We find we cannot worship because our
focus is on ourselves. But worship is not about what is going on around you.
Worship is about what is going on inside you. The what of worship is
that most importantly, we do not come to worship to GET anything. We come to
worship to GIVE God the praise, thanks, and recognition that is His due as
Creator of the universe and Savior and Redeemer of our lives. If God is truly a
great God, then worship is our only response. And, according to the psalmist,
it is not a passive activity. Worship is not a spectator sport.
The
Lord is the great God
We worship God because God is Maker of the universe. Among
all the gods, He is the greatest. As we enter into worship, our mood changes.
At first we are awed and overwhelmed by the very existence of God, but then our
focus changes as we are amazed that this great God has deliberately made
Himself available to us. He is not just The God. He is Our God.
He has come close to us in His goodness and majesty, His mercy and grace. God
is not just out there in charge of the universe. He is up close and personal.
He is our God and we are the sheep of His pasture. God feeds and protects His
people.
Worship
means surrender and submission
How do we worship? Worship means to prostrate ourselves in
surrender and submission before our Superior. Bowing down means to assume a
position of reverence and have a willingness to submit our lives to God’s care.
Kneeling demonstrates our humbleness before the One who made us. Here is the
crucial point. Our worship is not centered in what we get out of church. Our
worship is centered on what we give to God. Worship is nothing less than
turning our lives over to God: body, mind, and spirit!
The thing that keeps us from true worship is our
unwillingness to surrender our hearts. The question the Israelites raised is
the same question we raise when we become consumed with worry and stress, “Is
God really among us? Does He see my plight or has He forgotten me?” The cure
for our hard-heartedness is worship. The answer is hearing the voice of God.
And the voice of God comes to us in the context of joyful worship, an
expression of our submission to the living God.
We tend to forget God’s goodness to us in the past. Worship
is how we remember. Like the Israelites of old, we tend to be tossed and turned
around by our worries and struggles. Like them also, we tend to lose sight of
the joy and delights of this life. Worship refocuses us and allows us to praise
and glorify God–even in difficult situations.
Psalm 95 is a psalm
summoning believers to authentic worship. The hymn names God as Sovereign of
all and Shepherd of His people and the church. In this psalm we learn that true
worship happens in the devotion of our entire lives to the practice and habit
of praise, trust, and obedience to God.
What Is the Purpose of Worship?
The question “Why do we worship?” is largely
unexamined among regular churchgoers because, for centuries, Christians have
been trained that regular church attendance is the pathway to faithful living.
But why? What do we really do in worship? For what purpose are we here?
The first Scripture explicitly describing a
worship experience is found in Genesis 4:26, “At that time men began to call on
the Name of the Lord.” Those men and women, just a few generations removed from
the Fall, realized the greatness of Almighty God and, because of who God is,
began to call on His Name.
By the time of David, the blessings and trials
of the children of God had given rise to a more contemplative understanding of
God and His relationship to His people. Because of this understanding, David
was able to write, in Psalm 9, “I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing
praise to Your Name, O Most High” (9:2). David rejoiced to worship God simply
because of who he believed God to be.
Through Jesus Christ, we have been given an
even greater understanding of our relationship with God. As John puts it so
succinctly, “God so loved the world that He gave His one
and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal
life” (3:16). The God Who created the universe loves us and wants to be with us
for eternity. For proof of God’s love, we need look no further than the Cross.
The only possible response to such love is pure worship.
Each element of the
liturgy, spelled out in the Book of Common Worship and the Book of
Order, has been designed and refined over 350 years to turn our attention
to the love of God shown through the ministry of His Son. Whenever the liturgy
is practiced, in all corners of the world, “the focus of worship is not human
experience, not a lecture, not entertainment, but Jesus Christ–His life, death,
and resurrection” (Webber, p. 11).
We will do well to remember that phrase
whenever we come to church. We are here to worship the Living God. And we
worship for one purpose only: to celebrate the life and work of Jesus, our
Redeemer and Lord.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Worship
Perhaps
one of the most difficult concepts in the Bible is the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:1 clearly establishes His
existence, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” His identity
is verified in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, Let us make man in our own
image, in our likeness.” In the Old
Testament God promised that He would send the Holy Spirit. Jeremiah 31:33
refers to a New Covenant law that would energize God’s people from within. Through the prophet Ezekiel (2:26), God
said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” He also
indicated to whom the Spirit would be given through the prophet Joel (2:28), “I
will pour out my Spirit on all people.”
The
Holy Spirit is the “unseenness of God working among us” (Bower, 2003, p. 118).
The apostle John refers to him as, “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17).
At Pentecost, the unseen power of God moved among the apostles and gripped
them. As Bower explains it, “The Holy Spirit breaks us out of our preoccupation
with ourselves and frees us to serve neighbors, loosens our grasp on
possessions, and sets us to loving people. Without the gift of the Spirit,
Christ’s church dries up and withers away, and we are left with only our broken
selves. With the gift of the Spirit, all things are possible” (Bower, 2003, pp
118, 119).
The
Holy Spirit gifts each Christian with certain skills and abilities, i.e.
wisdom, faith, knowledge, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) which enhance the body
of Christ. The same Spirit also
develops within each of our lives the “Fruits of the Spirit,” i.e. love, joy,
peace, patience, etc. (Galatians 5:22) which shape and transform the Christian
into the likeness of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God brings us into a relationship
with God as sons and daughters (John 1:12). Paul describes it clearly in Romans
8:15 when he says, “you received the Spirit of sonship.” He means, there
is great security in being sons and daughters of God because we are also “heirs
of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). In his letter to the
church at Ephesus, Paul writes, “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians
5:18). Dr. Billy Graham cites an analogy that helps us understand what Paul was
saying. “Consider the mighty rivers of the world. Regardless of how much water
is taken from them, they continue to flow abundantly. Their sources of water
maintain the flow. These rivers illustrate the life of the Spirit-filled
Christian. The supply is never exhausted because it has its source in the Holy
Spirit who is inexhaustible” (Graham, 1978, p. 99).
Paul tells
us in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that everything we do should glorify God. “But only in the power of the Spirit can we
live a life that glorifies God” (Graham, 1978, p. 106). When we yield ourselves
to Christ and follow Him as Lord or our lives, we are filled with the Holy
Spirit who guides and empowers us. The filling of the Holy Spirit should not be
a once-for-all event, but a continuous reality every day of our lives.
The Priesthood of All Believers
In
the New Testament, the term “priesthood” is given to the entire community of
the church (I Peter 2:9-10) based on the theological principles of the union of
all those baptized with Christ, the naming of the fellowship as Christ’s body,
and the universal participation in the mystery of Christ (I Cor. 10). Nowhere
does the New Testament identify any individual in the church as “priest.”
Christ alone is high priest, and the church is the manifestation of His
priesthood. The ministerial priest (minister) is symbolic of the Christ
who gathers, leads, and prays. This symbolism is a ministry which makes Christ
incarnate to the church. Ministerial priesthood exists in order to activate the
priesthood of all believers. The baptized stand in relation to Christ
and to each other. This relationship constitutes the “priesthood of believers.”
Robert Webber, in his book Worship is a Verb, describes this well:
“A
practical reason for restoring the biblical sequence of Preparation, Word, Table,
and Dismissal, is that it makes possible the recovery of the priesthood of
all believers. Medieval and pre-Reformation worship was clergy-centered –
the congregation merely watched and observed; they were spectators, not
participants. However, in the 16th century, the Reformers insisted on a form of worship
that was distinctly congregational –a worship done by the people... a
principle that encourages everyone to become involved in offering the worship
of praise and thanksgiving to God... Worship strives to draw the congregation
into the presence of God and send them back into the world with a sense of
inner refreshment and satisfaction. Recovering the priesthood of all
believers does not mean asking a few people to do something during worship.
It means that everyone becomes so involved that the whole community worships
together as a body. We do this through singing, praying, reading together and
responding with “Amen” and “…thanks be to God”. All believers become directly
involved and worship comes alive” (Webber, p. 133).
Corporate Worship and Congregational Participation
Let’s
begin by considering what we mean when we say “liturgical worship.” The word
“liturgy” comes from the Greek word leitourgia,
which actually means “the work of the people” – wherein all worshipers take an
active part in offering their worship. We unite as the Body of Christ to offer
our praise, our prayers, our offerings and our lives of service to God in
community with one another. As we enact the liturgy together, we do so with the
sense that we are a whole community, belonging to our Head, Jesus Christ, and
to each other.
Worship
is a dialogue between God and His people – God renews His covenant with us, and
our relationship to God is deepened and strengthened. We stand before Him and
respond to His great glory. We hear Him speak and respond to what He says; we
hear Him send us forth and our response continues in the world. An interaction
takes place and we are deeply involved in it.
The
opportunities for corporate action in worship at St. Andrew’s are many and
important:– we raise our voices in hymns of praise and thanksgiving; we speak
to God lifting our corporate prayers of confession, adoration and thanksgiving;
we say together the historic creeds of our Church; we pass the peace to one
another and respond to prayers by saying “Amen.” This is an ancient practice in
which the congregation affirms the prayers offered, actively participates in
them, and embraces them as their own. Familiarity with liturgical form brings
comfort and frees the worshiper to focus on God without distraction — to
express to Him our feelings and open to Him our hearts.
God
intends for our worship to be accompanied by the powerful presence and working
of the Holy Spirit, evoking within us a sense of awe, adoration, thankfulness,
and downright enthusiasm for what God has done for us. This is an incredible
description of response – people experiencing awe and wonder. Worship is active,
not passive. It is our meeting with God, in the company of His children,
wherein we encounter Him, hear His Word, respond to His call and feel the
presence of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm
100 instructs us how we are to approach corporate worship…
“Shout
for joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness; come before
Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we
are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with
thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His
name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness
continues through all generations.”
Children in Worship
At St. Andrew’s, we
wholeheartedly welcome children to our worship services. Not only does the
presence of our youngsters glorify the Lord, the children themselves benefit in
numerous ways. First, they learn the importance of assembling in God’s name,
coming together in fellowship with their church family and the body of Christ.
They also learn to worship God in meaningful ways as they experience and learn
the elements of worship. Each prayer, hymn, and Scripture reading plants and
nurtures the seeds of their faith. Through worship, the children’s commitment
to Christ is renewed and strengthened.
This fall, our worship
services were restructured to include children more fully in worship. Children
now attend the entire “Gathering” portion of the traditional services,
participating in the Call to Worship, a Hymn of Praise, the Prayer of
Adoration, the Time of Confession, the Passing of the Peace, and the Gloria
Patri. They do not leave for Sunday School until after they have heard the
Children’s Message, which is the beginning of the “Proclamation of the Word.” A
new and appealing children’s worship bulletin was designed to engage children
more fully in the services. In addition, our Contemporary Worship service was
modified to include a children’s message.
So the next time you
see a child praying with other children on the Chancel rug, or passing Christ’s
peace to one of our pastors, or singing a hymn next to his or her grandparents,
remember that you are witnessing the development of a young disciple of Christ.
Music in Worship
Music
has been an integral part of worship for centuries, perhaps because of its
ability to heighten emotional responses in people. As the Israelites fled
Egypt, the Bible records one of the earliest references to music and worship:
“Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord...” (Exodus
15:1). Many Psalms also speak of the use of music, both vocal and instrumental,
in worship (see Psalms 81 and 92 for examples). Psalm 66 states clearly that
singing praise to God is not optional; we are commanded to, “Make a joyful
noise to God...” (66:1).
Levite
priests in ancient Hebrew temples sang the psalms daily, often chanting them to
the accompaniment of various instruments. This led to the creation of Gregorian chant, common to the early music
of the Mass. In the 17th and 18th
centuries, composers like Bach (B-minor Mass), Handel (The Messiah), and Haydn
(The Creation) wrote music with religious themes to be used in worship. The
Reformation, with its doctrine of “the priesthood of all believers” brought new
ideas about church music. Congregational singing assumed a prominence in
worship by connecting people as they expressed their faith and hope through
music. The hymn, a simple religious poem set to music, has become the central
musical form of congregational singing in the modern church.
The
choir has also played a prominent role in worship from the time of the Old
Testament. Early choir participation is recorded in I Chronicles when, “King
David appointed song leaders and choirs to praise God in the Tabernacle...”
(6:31). Today’s choir performs a similar leadership role by helping the
congregation experience the presence of God through music which parallels the
sermon text, the lessons of the day, and/or the liturgical season, e.g. Advent,
Christmas, Easter. (Worship and Church Music). The intention of the
choir is to glorify God rather than to be glorified.
Worship is
for fellowship with God. Music adds a deeper dimension of involvement of the
worshippers by unifying their voices in song, symbolizing the unity of their
hearts and minds; and music is “essential in adding a further dimension of
feeling and beauty to our worship” (White, 1980, p. 99).
The Liturgical Elements of Worship
The Call to Worship
This is
the day the Lord has made;
Let
us rejoice and be glad in it.
You are
my God, and I will give you thanks;
You
are my God and I will exalt You.
Give
thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His
love endures forever.
Psalm 118:24, 28, 29
You
likely recognize these words from Psalm 118; but do you recognize the format in
which they are framed? Exactly what is a “call to worship”? Why is it the first
responsive element of the service of worship?
In
a previous Worship Note we observed that the focus of worship is Jesus Christ.
Worship is how we respond to the will, the character, and the being of God; how
we thank Him for His abundant blessings, and seek to do His will.
The
call to worship is the first overt act of the gathering phase of the worship
service, in which we begin to focus ourselves on the various aspects of
worship–prayer, meditation, hymn-singing, etc (Bower, 2003). It solidifies our
commonality as worshipers and reaffirms our dependence upon God. It heightens
our awareness of our need to confess our sins and prepares us for the wonderful
reassurance of His love and grace offered us through the reading and preaching
of His Word. Furthermore, the call to worship embodies “...the sentences of
Scripture that proclaim who God is and what God has done in Christ...” (Bower,
2003, p. 128).
Because
the language of liturgy is scriptural, its use in the call to worship denotes
the presence of God and reminds us that we are not the center of worship; God
is. The use of Scripture–reading and hearing–conveys God’s Presence, and is His
calling to worship. In common worship, as Floyd Schafer (1966, p. 43) observes,
“God calls us together. While we, as worshipers, are gathered before God, we
are inserted into His work, which then becomes our work in the world.”
Confession
Each
week we share in the confessional elements of worship, on which the Gathering
portion of the liturgy pivots. Through the cooperation of these elements, we
move from praising God to recognizing our need for a Savior; from penitence to
resurrection joy. Before we can hear the Word of God, our hearts and minds must
be cleansed of our sin and we must accept the forgiveness offered to us in
Christ Jesus.
In
worship, our attention is immediately drawn to the majesty of God. He calls us
to participate in worship, and we offer Him our prayers of adoration. But then
we, like the prophet Isaiah, become exquisitely aware of our own sinfulness in
the face of God’s glory. Like him, we are moved to cry “Woe is me! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5a). Having acknowledged God’s
sovereignty, our response is to come before Him with penitent, contrite hearts.
Thus we are called to confession. Often, our order of worship contains both a
unison prayer of confession and a moment of silent confession. These two
elements recognize that sin is both universal and personal. Paul spoke to the
Romans, saying, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23).
Our sins today carry no more or less weight than those of our brothers and
sisters in the first century church. And as we pray corporately, we are also
being made aware of the individual sins we need to confess to our merciful
Father. The time of silent
confession allows us a private moment to kneel before the Lord, handing over to
Him our personal sins. Next, the congregation or the Chancel Choir may sing a
Kyrie, a musical interpretation of the Latin phrase kyrie eleison, which
means “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Finally, we are assured that because of
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, our forgiveness has been sealed. We have been
made right before God, remembering that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
(I John 1:9). We respond to this good news of forgiveness by praising the
Triune God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–as we sing the Gloria Patri.
The Passing of the Peace
Among the elements of the service of worship,
perhaps the most misunderstood is the Passing of the Peace. From where is it
derived? What does it mean? What is its purpose?
In the ancient church, the kiss of peace was a customary
greeting. For example, in the Book of Ruth, Boaz greeted his workers by saying
“The Lord be with you,” to which they responded “The Lord bless you.” (Ruth
2:4) In the New Testament, at the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul
admonishes them to greet one another with a holy kiss, an implied exhortation
to put away their divisions. (Romans 16: 16) In his letter to the scattered
Jewish Christians, Peter concludes, “Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” (I Peter 5:14)
Robert Webber argues in his 1985 book, Worship is a Verb,
that “by connecting the kiss with the peace of God, Peter points to the meaning
that the early Christians attached to this practice: Since Christ has
reconciled us to God the Father, we are also reconciled to each other. Thus, in
early Christian worship ‘the peace was passed to each other’.” (pg. 54)
This concept of peace as reconciliation is further reinforced
in Paul’s letter to the Philippians as he wrote, “And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) In essence, he is saying that because God is in
control, we can experience real peace because our citizenship in Christ’s
kingdom is sure.
What, then, is the real significance of the
passing of the peace? To paraphrase Barbara Wheeler’s children’s message on
September 21, “When we are all cleaned up inside and outside, we want to let
everyone know.”
Finally, the Book of Common Worship tells us
that “having been reconciled to God in Jesus Christ, we are invited to share
signs of reconciliation and the peace of Christ. In sharing the peace, we open
ourselves to the power of God’s love...and make ourselves agents of that love
in the world.”
Proclamation of the Word
The second section of our four-fold
order of worship is “The Proclamation of the Word,” which includes the
Children’s Moment, Prayer for Illumination, Scripture Readings, and Sermon.
This section is organized around the Word of God and the time for God to speak
and act. I Timothy 4:13 tells us we are to “attend to the public reading of
Scripture, to preaching, to teaching.” The children have experienced the
preparation and are now ready to hear God’s word to them and be drawn into the
transforming power of the message.
The Prayer for Illumination asks the Holy
Spirit to open our minds and hearts to the Word so that we may not only hear,
but understand and believe. We acknowledge our dependence on the
Spirit to transform the language of Scripture and preaching from ordinary words
into the Living Word, which has the power to transform us in heart, mind, and
soul.
The reading of Scripture is in itself a
significant act of worship, for the Scriptures are a record of God’s covenant
with us, and the way God has initiated a relationship with us, sought us out,
and brought us to Himself. It contains His words of grace and draws us anew
into the experience of belonging to Him. Those hearing Scripture also
have responsibility, since listening requires expectation and concentration. “And
let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in
one body; and be thankful” (Col 3:15).
Preaching as Proclamation of the Word is
a Spirit-charged encounter with God. Biblical preaching is not just a matter of
explaining the text–it is a mysterious process that begins with serious study
and reflection on the text, the needs of the congregation, and the times in
which we live, all prayerfully assimilated in the preacher’s imagination. It is
an awesome task, through which Jesus Christ does indeed become present to the
congregation. As we read, “God is spirit; and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth” (John
4:24). This presence is a gift of God
by means of the Holy Spirit.
The Word may also be proclaimed through
music and other art forms faithful to the Gospel.
Our Response to the Word
Worship
is a two-way communication–God acts, we respond–to who God is and to what He
has done for us in Jesus Christ. Worship calls us to love God with our whole
heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:27). We respond in faith
and love, saying “yes” to God (Col. 1:3-4). In response to the reading and
proclaiming of God’s Word, we respond with acts of commitment and professions
of faith. We offer concerns and prayers for local and worldwide needs (Eph.
6:18) and bring our gifts (Deut. 12:6). As we experience awe and wonder in the
presence of God (Acts 2:42) we feel the mystery and the power touch us in a
warm and healing manner. The biblical sequence of the Gospel focuses first on
God, Who shows Himself as a loving and caring Father, then on His children, who
respond to Him in faith and dependence.
We
respond by affirming our faith through the words of our creeds and historical
confessions. The faith of the Church shapes our lives and expresses the hope
and expectancy that are part of the Christian life. The Nicene Creed and the
Apostles’ Creed express the faith tradition of the whole Church. There are
affirmations of faith in Scripture, as well as those of the Reformed heritage
in the Book of Confessions, which are included regularly in our worship
services.
Prayers
are offered acknowledging God’s presence in the world and in daily life. We
pray for the Church universal, the world, the community, our congregation’s
life and ministry, persons in distress, and those with special needs.
The
Christian life is marked by the offering of ourselves to God to be shaped,
empowered, directed, and transformed. In worship, God presents us with the
costly offering of Jesus Christ (John 3:16). In response, we offer to God our
lives, our gifts, our abilities, and our material goods, for God’s service (BCW
41). The offering is brought to the table accompanied by a prayer of
thanksgiving for God’s Word.
The Sending
The
final piece of the four-part Reformed worship model, the Sending, is both
similar and distinct from those which came before. The Sending reflects on the
believers gathered together in community, and challenges those who worship our
Lord to use the truth we have heard and seen by serving others.
Our
experiences in worship have shown us that God calls His people together to
praise and glorify His name. In His
Presence we confess the ways our sinful natures have pulled us away from Him,
and we are assured of our reconciliation with Him through Jesus Christ. As the
Scriptures are read and taught, we learn more about Who God is and what He
desires for us. As we participate in the Sacraments of baptism and communion,
we are challenged to give our whole selves to God for His use. We offer Him our
lives, above all, along with the financial and spiritual gifts He first gave
us.
Although God
desires that we worship Him always, He also created us to live in community
with others, sharing our lives and experiences with them. So the Sending
portion of worship directs us out of God’s house, the church, and into His
world, into fellowship with all His children. A traditional sending hymn like Onward,
Christian Soldiers exhorts us to go into the world as the people of the
Lord, bringing the gospel of forgiveness and eternal life to all we meet. The
pastor’s charge to the congregation directs us as to our responsibilities in
the week ahead and follows Jesus’ example in the Great Commission: “Go
therefore, and make disciples of all nations...” (Matthew 28:19). The
benediction, or blessing, reminds us that though we may leave the sanctuary of
God’s house, we are never out of His hand while we go on our way.
Therefore, “God sends
the church in the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel, to engage in
works of compassion and reconciliation, to strive for peace and justice in its
own life and in the world, to be stewards of creation and of life, caring for
creation until the day when God will make all things new.” (Book of Common
Worship, p. 45)
The Practice of the Sacraments in Worship
Baptism
The
Sacrament of Baptism has ancient roots in the history of God’s chosen people,
the Israelites. From the time of the Exodus the Jews were instructed in ritual
cleansing and acts of purification before the Almighty (Exodus 19:9-11). When
Christ Himself was baptized by John in the Jordan River, it was to fulfill all
that had been prophesied about the righteousness that was to come from God
(Matthew 3:15). And in the Great Commission, the disciples were instructed to
create disciples by baptizing people in Jesus’ name. So the act of baptism,
then, is an outward symbol of being made clean in the sight of God and of
becoming part of God’s people, the Church.
The
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), recognizes that as Christ’s Church is one Body,
so there is one Baptism which unites a believer with Christ and with the Church
(Book of Order, W-2.3010). Anyone who is baptized with water in the Name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has been sealed with the
righteousness of Jesus Christ, who died for sins and was judged, once for all
(I Peter 3:18). The baptism of an infant or child, who is not able to publicly
profess his or her faith, is yet a witness to the truth that God has claimed us
even before we are able to respond to Him in faith (Book of Order,
W-2.3008b).
The
Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated in the Response portion of the worship
service, following the Proclamation of the Word. We have been called to worship
God in His holiness, we have confessed our sins and been assured of His
forgiveness, we have heard the Good News of Jesus through the Word, and we have
responded in thanksgiving through song and the confession of our faith. We are
now fully prepared to take part in the Sacraments, the practices of which join
us, brother and sister, with the Church universal and from all time.
Communion
Jesus
said, “This is My body which is broken for you.” We take this verse very
seriously. We teach that during the Lord’s Supper we actually receive the real
Presence of Jesus Christ into our lives. What a beautiful mystery. When we
receive Holy Communion we are engaged in a profound act of worship. Through the
ages Christians have tried to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “This
bread is My body.” In other words, how does Christ become present to us in the
Sacrament of Communion? It’s helpful to quickly review the main theories about
Christ’s presence in Communion. Roman Catholics speak of transubstantiation.
They teach that the priest during Communion miraculously transforms the bread
and wine into the literal physical body and blood of Christ. The Lutherans talk
of consubstantiation. They teach that the bread and wine don’t cease to be
bread and wine, but the real, literal body and blood of Christ is physically
present along with the natural elements. And both these views are a serious
attempt to take seriously Jesus’ words…“this is My body.” At the other end of
the spectrum there are some Protestant groups that understand Communion as
merely a memory meal…that is, there is no specific supernatural reality
encountered during Communion other than our just remembering what happened long
ago on the cross.
Our view,
which is called the Reformed or Calvinist view, is that the bread and wine are
sacramental symbols that point us to the literal body of our Risen Lord. Jesus
was crucified in AD 33 but right now His Resurrection Body is in Heaven with
God the Father. We believe that when we eat the bread and drink the wine we
actually feed on Christ, we get connected right now with the spiritual reality
of Christ’s living body because it’s our human spirit that’s feeding on
Christ’s spiritual resurrected body, not on His earthly body.
Practicing Spiritual Disciplines in Worship
Prayer
Webster’s
Dictionary defines prayer as 1) an address or petition to God... in word or
thought; 2) a set order of words used in praying; and 3) something that is
prayed for. Smith’s Bible Dictionary lists prayer as “to ask for a blessing.”
Scripture tells us that God hears prayer (Deuteronomy 4:29) and answers it
graciously and willingly (II Chronicles 7:1). Prayer is ‘seeking the Lord,’ (I
Chronicles 16: 10, 11).
Prayer
is the way we communicate with God, establishing a relationship with Him, and
can be done very simply anytime, anywhere. An easy recipe for prayer can be
remembered as ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. As
we open a dialogue with God, we begin with Adoration, acknowledging the majesty
of God and seeking His presence, followed by Confession, in which we humble
ourselves and ask forgiveness for our sins. Having been cleansed and forgiven,
we are now ready to give Thanks, (i.e. ‘to count our many blessings’), and then
through Supplication to raise our concerns and needs to Him. Then, we need to
allow time to listen to God and be ready to respond in word and deed.
Sometimes this can be done through the reading of Scripture or a daily
devotional. Just as it takes time to have a relationship with one another, it
takes time set apart to establish a relationship with God.
In
corporate worship, a “Prayer of Illumination is offered before the reading of
Scripture. It seeks the illumination of the Holy Spirit and calls upon God to
make us receptive to the life-giving Word...” (Book of Common Worship,
p. 36). God speaks to us through the reading of Scripture, and through the
words of the pastor during the Prayers of the People. A situation in our own
life may come to mind and with it a suggestion of a resolution or direction to
pursue. Sometimes a person’s name pops up and we have an opportunity to lift
him or her directly to God. We may not know their specific need, but we can be
sure that God knows.
In
Luke 18:1 Jesus commands us to “pray always.” In our busy lives of caring for
families, commuting, working, attending committee meetings, etc., how can we
find or take time to be in prayer “always”? Shouldn’t we be kneeling, sitting,
or closing our eyes to really be praying?
Prayer happens
when you rise and say, “Good morning, Lord. Thank You for this new day;” or
saying “Thank You for this food” whenever you sit down to eat. Saying “Lord,
protect the police officers, paramedics, firefighters and accident victims”
when driving and passing an accident or pulling over for emergency vehicles or
“Father be with those who are suffering” when you hear a news report of a
tragedy.
Praying in this
manner is a wonderful blessing as it takes our minds off of ourselves and
centers it on God and others. Jesus promised to provide for all of our needs
(Matthew 6:25-23 and Luke 12:22-34) and He commands us to love each other (John
15:17), so we can move away from being self-centered and concentrate on those
He has given us to love and care for. He has given us the example of praying
for others by interceding for us (Hebrews 7:25, 26), and if we don’t know what
to be praying for, the Holy Spirit does (Romans 8:26).
As we respond
to His Word, we pray for others and seek God’s guidance and strength to obey
Him and take the Gospel into the world. St. Andrew’s offers many opportunities
to learn more about prayer and to be “in prayer.” Interactive
workshops help us listen to the Holy Spirit. Individual concerns are addressed
in several ways: The Prayer Link (www.standrewspres.com), the telephone
prayer chain (call the church office at 297-7201), Prayer Care Teams after
Sunday worship services, and twice-monthly Prayer and Healing services.
Intercessory prayer is also a vital part of the Prayer Ministry at St.
Andrew’s. It is a wonderful privilege to pray for others, and many people are
available to pray every day. No concern is too big or too small for God.Prayers
for the congregation are also raised every Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. in the
Sanctuary. No concern is too big or too small for intercession. There is no
stigma in asking someone to pray for a specific need; there is only the joy of
being in God’s presence.
So, when
shall we pray? Always. How should we pray? You can pray kneeling, standing,
walking, driving, sitting, or lying down. Is any posture better than another?
No, but some find that closing the eyes takes away visual distractions, and
opening your hands or lifting them slightly helps to open the heart and mind to
be receptive to God’s voice. To experience God’s presence and to receive His
blessings, let us strive to be in prayer always.
Observing the Liturgical Year
The Christian (Liturgical) Year
The
passage of time in the Christian church is marked by the celebration of sacred
seasons and holy days. These days and weeks commemorate events in the earthly
life of Jesus Christ and are the link between all Christians around the world
and throughout history. Observing “the cycle of light (Advent, Christmas, and
Epiphany) as well as the cycle of life (Lent, Easter, and Pentecost) [brings]
the rhythm of the living, dying, and rising again of Christ into the experience
of the believer’s yearly life cycle” (Webber, p. 33).
The
liturgical year begins with Advent and continues through Christmas and
Epiphany. These special days are fixed in the Christian calendar and are
celebrated at the same time each year. The Lenten season, Easter, and Pentecost
are considered “moveable” celebrations, and are determined each year by a formula
that was established at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. These seasons are
separated by the period known as Ordinary Time that begins after Epiphany in
January and continues until Ash Wednesday. Then it resumes after Pentecost and
continues through the beginning of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas.
Each
season and holiday invites Christians to reflect on the life of Christ and to
practice the disciplines of a life of faith. When we listen for the Holy
Spirit’s leading in this way, we actively experience the life transformed by
Christ.
Advent
“Come
thou long expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free;
From
our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee.
“Born
thy people to deliver, Born a child, and yet a king,
Born
to reign in us forever—Now thy gracious kingdom bring.”
These
opening verses of the wonderful hymn by Charles Wesley (Covenant, 1973) speak
to the spirit of the Advent season, the season of preparation and anticipation
of the coming of Jesus. Beginning four Sundays before December 25, Advent is
the start of a spiritual journey, a time to come into harmony with Christ. It
is also a part of the church year referred to as “extraordinary time”—an
intense period in which God revealed Himself, through which He redeemed the
world, and by which He calls His people to Himself. During this first cycle of
the church year, the cycle of light, Christ is proclaimed as the Light of the
world (Webber, 1985, p. 168). Lighting the candles of the Advent wreath reminds
us that the Light of the world is soon to be born.
However,
as we look more closely at the wording of the final verse of the hymn, “By
thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all sufficient
merit Raise us to thy glorious throne” it is evident that Advent involves
more than the anticipated birth of a baby. We also anticipate the second coming
of Christ, the coming peace and justice of the Lord. As believers, we must
diligently prepare for the One who is coming to us as our Judge and Redeemer.
Since we believe that Christ is coming, Advent becomes a time for words and
deeds that witness to Christ’s new age (Bower, 2003, p.97).
This is a
wonderful time of the church year as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. It is
easy to get caught up in the trappings of the season—the tree, the lights, the
presents, the food. But we must not forget that Christ has come! Christ is
Risen! Christ will come again! In Advent, we are living between the first and
the second coming of the Lord (Bowen, 2003, p. 96). Let us be certain that our
preparation reflects this important truth. “A voice of one calling in the
desert, prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway
for our God.” Isaiah 40:3
Christmas
Most
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, each year on December 25. But since
the date of Christ’s birth is not recorded in any of the biblical accounts of
the event, how can we know whether we are celebrating on the right day? It
makes sense first to explore how the tradition of celebrating in December came
about. There are several modern hypotheses.
Evidence
from as early as the fourth century indicates that the Roman church created a
chronograph, or calendar, on which they listed the feast days of martyred
saints. On the chronograph, the feast day in honor of Jesus was celebrated on
December 25. The use of this date spread throughout the Church and was
eventually adopted in Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Antioch. Today, only the
Armenian Orthodox Church does not recognize December 25 as the day to observe
Christ’s birth.
Some
church historians believe that Nativity celebrations had been taking place long
before the Roman Chronograph. One theory suggests that the date was chosen to
oppose the pagan celebration of the birthday of the sun, established by Emperor
Aurelian in 274 A.D. Others think that early Christians calculated the December
date using an ancient Jewish idea that “the deaths of patriarchs would have
fallen exactly on the anniversary of their birth.” These early believers
calculated that Jesus died on March 25, and hypothesized that also as the day
of His conception. “Counting forward nine months [they] arrived at [December
25] as the date of His birth.”1
In
the early church and today, much attention was paid to the meaning of the
celebrations of Christ’s birth. Was it just another feast day in honor of a
saint? Or is it a celebration of the mystery of the incarnation of God in human
form? Our sinful human minds cannot conceive how “the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us” (John 1:14), but Christmas gives us an opportunity each year to
re-experience Christ’s physical presence on earth and to meditate on His presence
with us even now through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The
Christian church today is a Resurrection church. We celebrate Christmas in the
full knowledge of Christ’s crucifixion and triumphant rising from the dead. So
when we celebrate Christmas, we not only commemorate the date of our Lord’s
coming to this world, but we remember with praise and thanksgiving the gift of
eternal life we have received through His Son. So whenever Christians choose to
observe the date of Christ’s birth, let it be a time to reflect not only on
that night two millennia ago but on our very present lives in Christ. Noel.
Epiphany
The word Epiphany (from the Greek) means
“appearance” or “manifestation,” and was first used to refer to the
manifestations of God’s glory in Jesus Christ
through his birth, baptism and first miracle (John 2:11). Epiphany is,
with Christmas and Easter, one of the three oldest festival days of the
Christian Church. It commemorates, according to tradition, “the first
manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.” Translation: those strange
visitors, called magi in the biblical, birth narratives, “three kings” in
Christmas carols and artwork, were the first non-Jews to recognize that the
child born in Bethlehem was in fact the Savior of the world. On Epiphany,
January 6, which concludes the twelve days of Christmas, we celebrate the visit
of the Wise Men. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great
joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they
fell down a worshiped him” (Matt. 2:10-11).
These were the first Gentiles to acknowledge
Jesus as “King” and so were the first to “show” or “reveal” Jesus to a wider
world as the incarnate Christ. This act of worship by the Magi, which
corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be “a light for
revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32) was one of the first indications that
Jesus came for ALL people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of
God in the world would not be limited to only a few. These words capture the essence of Epiphany – that Christ is the
Light not only to Israel, but also to the Gentiles and the whole world and
testifies to the whole purpose of the Incarnation.
The second manifestation shows Jesus’ divinity.
After his baptism by John in the Jordan River, the heavens opened and the
Spirit of God descended like a dove and rested on Jesus. Then a voice came from
heaven proclaiming him as God’s Son (Matt. 3:16-17). Finally, Jesus’ power was
manifested at the wedding feast in Cana, where he performed his first public
miracle, changing water into wine, once again revealing his glory (John
2:1-11).
For us, Epiphany is a
time for sober reflection on our Christian responsibility to reflect the light
of Christ through our own ministry – to proclaim Christ and to be bold in our
witness for him; it is a time of looking ahead to the mission of the church to
the world in light of the Nativity. The timeless mystery of the incarnation,
God in flesh, leads us forth to show and tell of Christ as God’s gift of grace
and salvation for all persons. Some call this ongoing epiphany the work of
Christmas (Bower, p. 95).
Ordinary Time
Over
the past six weeks we have celebrated Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, three
highly visible and meaningful events of the liturgical year. We are now
entering into the first of two time periods often referred to as Ordinary Time:
the time between Epiphany and Lent, and between Pentecost and Advent.
As
Bower (2003) notes, “the term Ordinary Time makes a unique and valuable
contribution to the way we understand liturgical time. Since Ordinary Time is
not a season, this period allows Sunday to be pre-eminent. The focus is on the
Lord’s Day... as we celebrate the good
news of Christ’s death and resurrection, and the unfolding presence of the new
creation” (p.146).
The
Christmas and Easter cycles, by contrast, are “extra-ordinary in that they
intensify the foundational doctrines of incarnation and resurrection” (Bower,
2003, p.147). As we consider these
extraordinary events and their significance in the life of the believer, we should
acknowledge that the time after Epiphany is appropriately a time for each of us
to reflect on our Christian responsibility. “Do others see Christ in me?” “Am I
reflecting the Light of Christ?”
Likewise,
the second period, between Pentecost and Advent, corresponds to the spread of
the early church. As White (1980) observes, “it signals the long interim of the
new-covenant church until Christ comes in glory. Both Old Testament and New
remind us of God’s continuing saving works” (pp. 64-65). Or as Webber (1992)
reflects, “My spiritual experience, which from Advent to Pentecost concentrated
on following the footsteps of Jesus, turns now to walk the missionary route of
the apostles... This is a time for study, for growth in my interpretation of
Christ, for increased depth in my understanding and experience of the church,
and for a heightened sensitivity to my social responsibility to the world” (p.
168).
So, as
Sunday worship focuses on the presence of the risen Lord, Christians celebrate
the age to come through hearing the Scriptures and breaking bread. As the
standard or ordinary time for worship, the Lord’s Day proclaims that all of
time has been redeemed in Christ.
Ash Wednesday and Lent
“At
once the Spirit sent Him out into the desert, and He was in the desert forty
days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended
Him.” Mark 1:12-13
Before
He could begin His earthly ministry, Jesus submitted to a forty-day period of
fasting and temptation by the devil. During this time He relied solely on God’s
strength, which He accessed through prayer and Scripture. Because of Christ’s
connection to the Father by these means, He was able to withstand the
temptations (See Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; and Luke 4:1-13). The observance
of the forty-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, known as Lent,
reminds Christians of Jesus’ reliance on God and calls us to practice the same
faithfulness in prayer, Bible study, and reflection. Through this season and
its spiritual disciplines, we are preparing our hearts for the joy of the Resurrection!
From
the times of the Old Testament prophets, ashes were used for the cleansing of
sin. Numbers 19 records instructions for the preparation of the water of
purification, using the ashes from a special burnt offering. Later, in the face
of Almighty God’s holiness, Job cries out, “I despise myself, and repent in
dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Sitting among ashes or pouring ashes on one’s head
were considered signs of repentance, sorrow, and mourning over one’s sins. On
Ash Wednesday, we take time to recognize our sinful habits and the choices that
turn us away from a life of holiness. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the
Lenten season, and it is our opportunity to reflect on our sinful nature, which
Christ removed from our lives by His sacrifice on the Cross. Only when we can
recognize those sins are we able to consciously turn from them, embrace a life
with Christ, and “walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8).
The
period of Lent affords us the perfect opportunity to allow Christ to transform
our lives. In the early church and today in Roman Catholic tradition, days of
fasting are observed during Lent. Lent also gives us an opportunity to study
the Scriptures and spend time in prayer, speaking and listening to God. The
tradition of giving something up for Lent serves as a reminder that Jesus paid
the ultimate price when He gave up His life for all people and helps to keep
our minds focused on Him by removing those pastimes that distract us from time
spent with Him.
In the
coming weeks, this space will feature ideas you can use to develop good
spiritual discipline during the Lenten season.
Lenten Spiritual
Disciplines
“Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a
disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever.
You can count on this. Take it to heart” 1 Timothy 4:8-9, The Message
Spiritual disciplines make us fit for Kingdom
living and witness. They are tools that the Spirit uses to remake and mature us
in the image of Christ. Disciplines may be divided into two sub-categories:
internal and external disciplines. Consider the inner disciplines of
meditation, prayer, and fasting:
Meditation involves more than merely reading
the Scripture. Meditation invites us to internalize God’s truth and apply it to
our daily circumstances. Prayer encourages dialogue with God, and involves
listening as much as speaking. Fasting teaches us dependence upon our Creator
by removing our focus from the earthly pleasures that sustain us. We discover
that Jesus is truly the Bread of Life and that He supplies all our needs.
“Now consider the value of participating in the
external disciplines of simplicity, stewardship, and service: We were created
to live in simplicity, but life becomes complex by the choices we make.
Simplicity liberates us from our bondage to the attitudes and possessions that
this world values. The quiet and calm of our lives brings glory to God and is a
witness to those searching for serenity.
Stewardship describes the ways we manage the
gifts God has so freely given to us. Responsible stewardship is a grateful
response to the abundant grace and provision of God who supplies all our needs.
Christian service begins in humility. It
quietly and unpretentiously goes about caring for the needs of others without
expecting anything in return. Just as Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, we too
are invited to share this experience with God.
During this Lenten
season, make it a priority to increase your spiritual “fitness” by practicing
these internal and external disciplines. Remember that, like physical strength,
a strong faith can only be developed through regular workouts!
Maundy Thursday
Also
known as Holy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter is recognized in the
Christian Church as the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with His
disciples in the upper room, the evening before His arrest and trial. The name
“Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means command.
The word refers to Christ’s new commandment, given that night, that His
followers “...love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love
one another” (John 13:34).
We
read in Scripture about several powerful ways that Christ demonstrated His love
for the disciples that evening (see Matthew 26:20-35; Mark 14:17-31; Luke
22:14-38; and John 13-14). First, Jesus took on the role of a servant,
carefully washing His friends’ feet, including those of His betrayer Judas. He
explained that it was necessary for Him to wash each man, for it is only by the
washing Christ provides that we are made clean before God. Later that evening,
while the Passover meal was being celebrated, Jesus offered bread and wine to
those gathered, explaining that the elements were symbols of the offering He
would soon make of His body and blood. He declared that a new covenant would be
forged between God and everyone who shared in that meal with His Son.
Today,
when we observe Maundy Thursday, we include elements of these two rituals in
our worship. Many congregations across denominational lines participate in
ceremonial footwashing as a symbolic means of connection with the first
disciples. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is shared, both in remembrance of
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and in communion with the Lord through the real
presence of the Holy Spirit. In some churches, the Passover dinner is
re-created, with actors taking on the parts of Jesus and each disciple.
Traditionally
the Maundy Thursday worship service ends on a somber note, in recognition of
Jesus’ trials and suffering that are still to come. One practice from the
historic church that has begun to make a resurgence in many denominations is
known as “the stripping of the church.” At the end of the worship service, the
altar and chancel (or in some cases, the entire Sanctuary) are stripped of all
adornments or decorations. Crosses are draped in black cloth and candles are
extinguished. Usually the congregation departs in silence.
The
relevance of Maundy Thursday today can be found in one’s experience of the
complete Easter story. Christ used that Passover evening to prepare His
disciples for His own death and to teach them about the foundations of the new
Church. By modeling servitude, patience, and love, He showed them true devotion
to God. Likewise, we must also follow Jesus’ example. Maundy Thursday is our
opportunity to be reminded of our need for humility and cleansing. It allows us
time to examine our lives before we are ready to experience Christ’s suffering
and the joy of His resurrection; thus it is an important piece of the
observance of Holy Week. Without this opportunity for reflection, the rest of
the week can be less meaningful.
Good Friday
Recognized
as one of the most important holy days in the Christian calendar, Good Friday
marks the day of the crucifixion of Christ. The holiday commands Christians to
observe Jesus’ suffering for our salvation and to mourn for the separation from
God that is a result of our sinful natures.
The
Gospel accounts of Jesus’ arrest and trials (see Matthew 26:36-27:61; Mark
14:32-15:47; Luke 22:54-23:56; and John 18-19) describe the trials before the
high priest and before Pilate and Herod as occurring overnight on Thursday,
with the final sentencing before the crowds taking place on Friday morning.
The
name “Good” applied to this most somber of days seems inappropriate, but can be
explained in many ways. Some scholars assume the name is an Old English
adaptation of “God’s Friday.” In the Eastern Orthodox Church the holiday is
known as Great Friday, and the Roman Catholic Church knows it simply as Holy
Friday. In any case, the name may be fitting because of the wonderful gift of eternal
life we can receive as a result of Christ’s death for our sins. That is “good”
news indeed!
The
Good Friday service is one of quiet reflection on Jesus’ words from the cross.
In some churches, a three hour vigil is held in the middle of the day to approximate
the duration of the crucifixion. In other churches, an evening service allows
for the use of candlelight or appropriate music. The singing of a requiem mass
gives worshipers the opportunity to experience all the emotions of grief at our
sinfulness and to praise God for saving us from sin by the gift of His Son.
We still
observe Good Friday today because it is part of the Triduum, or “three
days.” Taking part in Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship services, in
addition to Easter morning services helps us to have the full Easter
experience. We must share in the grief of Good Friday in order to better
appreciate the joy of Easter.
Easter
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He
was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon
Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“Very early on the first day of the week, just
after sunrise, the women were on their way to the tomb and they asked each
other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’ But when
they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled
away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe
sitting on the right side, and they were afraid. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said.
‘You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is
not here.’” Mark 16:2-6
“By this Gospel you are saved, if you hold
firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For
what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter and
then to the Twelve.” I Corinthians 15:2-5
“Whoever is thirsty,
let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of
life.... He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”
Revelation 22:17b, 20-21
Pentecost
The
holy day of Pentecost, whose name comes from the Greek word meaning “the
fiftieth day,” was first given by the Lord to the Israelites at the time of the
law-giving on Mt. Sinai (see Leviticus 23:16 and Deuteronomy 16:10).
God
instructed His people to observe three annual festivals as special times of
worship and remembrance. The first feast-time was Passover, which was to
commemorate the deliverance from Egypt. The second festival was called the
Feast of Weeks, as it was to be celebrated seven weeks (or on the fiftieth day)
after the first day of the Passover. Alternatively known as the Feast of
First-Fruits, this holy day was an agricultural festival of thanksgiving that
coincided with the first barley harvest of the year. It included special
offerings of grain and leavened bread in addition to thank- and sin-offerings.
The third festival, The Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles), is today recognized
in the Jewish faith as the holiday Sukkoth. King Solomon’s celebration of the
Feast of Weeks is recorded in II Chronicles 8:13.
Pentecost
is celebrated in the Christian church because it was on this day, while the
disciples were gathered together in the upper room, that they were surrounded
and indwelt by the Presence of God through the Holy Spirit, which settled upon
them as tongues of fire. (Acts 2) This gift from God, Peter preached, was
foretold by the prophet Joel (2:28-32), and was the means by which the
believers were empowered to preach the message of salvation to the world. In
this sense, Pentecost is really the “birthday” of the church. “It represents
God’s gracious, enabling presence actively at work among people, calling and
enabling them to live out in dynamic ways the witness of being His people. What
makes possible the church’s witness to the resurrection of Christ is the
arrival of the Holy Spirit in force, to join them together into a unity.
Therefore, on the Day of Pentecost, we celebrate God’s gift of the Spirit which
draws us together as one people, helps us comprehend what God is doing in the
world, and empowers us to proclaim, in word and in deed, God’s plan of
reconciling all people in the name of Christ.” (Bower, p. 118)
On this Pentecost
Sunday, we give thanks to the Lord for all His gifts to us, especially the gift
of eternal life received through faith in Jesus Christ, and the gift of God’s
constant and guiding Presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. It is also
a time for us to celebrate hope, newness, re-creation, fresh commitment, and
renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people. Pentecost is a
celebration of God’s ongoing work in the world, done through His people as He
pours out His presence upon them. The liturgical color for Pentecost is red,
symbolizing the fire of the Spirit that rested on the disciples of Christ and
gives life to the church in every age.
Trinity Sunday
Trinity
Sunday centers on a doctrine of the church, rather than an event,
and marks the beginning of “Ordinary Time.”
It is a day of adoration and praise of the One, eternal,
incomprehensible God. “Trinity” is a term that is not found in the Bible, but
is a word used to describe what is apparent about God in the Scriptures. The
Doctrine of the Trinity is a summary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It cannot
be properly understood apart from this Gospel and the Gospel cannot be fully
understood apart from the Doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible clearly speaks of
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit…and also clearly presents
that there is only one God. “Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love
of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, (II Cor 13:14) we trust in the
one Triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve. (Brief
Statement of Faith, PCUSA). The work of
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is the foundation of all confessional
statements about God, humanity, and the world (Confession of 1967). In
sovereign love, God created the heavens and the earth and called the people of
Israel to be a light to all the nations. In costly grace, the Lord Jesus Christ
ministered among us and was crucified and raised for us and for our salvation.
In transforming power, the Holy Spirit renews and sanctifies us, draws us into
new communion with God and each other, awakens our praise and worship, and
equips us for service in the world.
We
affirm Trinitarian faith throughout our worship in creeds, prayers, and hymns.
We affirm that it is the Triune God who is the creator, the redeemer, the
sanctifier. The Trinity is not an organizational chart for getting the divine
jobs done. The one God is not divisible into the works of creation, redemption
and sanctification; the same God is at work in all and each. There is
distinction, but not division. This is one of the central mysteries of our
faith, an open and radiant mystery, proclaiming the very heart of God, made
known to us and to the world in the self-sacrificial love of Jesus Christ and
poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. At the heart of this is the truth
that God is abundant, overflowing love both in relationship to us and in all
eternity. We meet God’s three-fold love in His goodness, in the costly grace
given to us in Jesus Christ and in the new life that comes to us in the Holy
Spirit.
As
believers, we acknowledge the Triune God as our Rock, Cornerstone, and Temple
(Psalm 28:1, Eph. 2:20-21). As we seek to live in faith, love, and hope, the
Triune God is the One who was, the One who is, and the One who is to come (Rev.
4:8). By the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we can participate in the love of
God.
Exploring Other Styles of Worship
Contemporary Worship
More than two decades have passed since a group
of progressive, primarily independent churches sought to bring a more
“spirited” style of worship to their members. As the idea spread, these
churches experienced rapid growth, financial prosperity, and spiritual depth.
Through the years, these early beginnings of
contemporary worship have evolved into a new musical form and worship style
that has become known as the “praise and worship movement.” Today’s churches
have embraced contemporary services that are a blend of musical styles, and
allow for freedom of personal expression. They have learned that, in a
well-tailored contemporary worship service, seniors, mid-adults, families, and
teens can be brought into the presence of God, and all can open themselves to a
life-changing experience in Jesus Christ.
Contemporary worship at St. Andrew’s started
about 10 years ago, first in Fellowship Hall and then in Gospel Hall. The
service was led by a handful of singers, a guitarist, and the pastors. As our
contemporary service has evolved and grown through the years, more musicians
have been added and the musical repertoire has expanded to include arrangements
of traditional hymns like “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” and “All Hail the Power
of Jesus’ Name.” Praise songs like, “I Sing Praises,” “He Is Exalted,” and
“Great is the Lord” are also an important part of the atmosphere of worship,
making this a truly “blended” service. The words for the songs are projected on
a screen or wall, which allows the congregation more freedom of expression
without being hampered by a hymnal or bulletin. Worshipers feel free to open themselves
to God’s blessing by the lifting of hands and/or clapping to the rhythm of the
music.
Worshipers at the
contemporary service experience spirit-filled, upbeat music led by an
inter-generational team, while hearing the same scripture lessons and sermons
used in other services. It is authentic worship, faithful to tradition,
evangelical by nature, and related to the contemporary world.
Emerging Worship
God’s Church is always “becoming,” always
emerging into more of who God wants us to be. Hence, “emergent worship” really
comes from that place which is growing and becoming new in Christ. The truth
is, God’s Church is and always has been “emerging.” God continues to grow us
even today as worshippers. However, over the past several decades church participation
and membership has decreased nation-wide. It is no longer the “norm” for
families to attend church as there are many options and activities that consume
our time.
The good news is in more recent years there has
been a greater curiosity about spiritual things, though not necessarily
Christian spirituality. This spiritual curiosity is where the Church has an
opportunity to reach out through worship evangelism. We can help people connect
with God in very real and authentic ways through emerging worship!
At St. Andrew’s we are emerging! Through our
emerging worship experience on Sunday nights, a.k.a. “The Worship Thing,”
we participate in worship through conversational preaching, praying together,
sharing our gifts and talents, and talking about how we can live out our faith.
This kind of worship is really an opportunity for outreach as there is a
growing spiritual hunger and yearning for connection with God. People want to
encounter the living God and they are yearning for worship that is “deep, broad,
and high,” or as Leonard Sweet describes the postmodern ethos, they want to
engage in worship that is “E.P.I.C” (experiential, participatory, image-based
and connected).
You can find that
right here at St. Andrew’s every Sunday night at The Worship Thing! If you have a friend who is skeptical about
the Church or just isn’t comfortable in the normal worship setting, invite him
or her to The Worship Thing, or if you find yourself yearning for more
oppotunities to worship the living God, join the crowd!
Bibliography & Resources
Andrus, Chip (2003) “Emerging
Worship” Call to Worship Vol. 36.4; Louisville, KY: Presbyterian Publishing
Corp.
Authentic Worship in a Changing Culture (1997). Grand Rapids, MI: CRC Publications.
Bower, Peter C. (Ed.). (2003). The Companion to the Book of Common
Worship. Louisville, KY: Geneva Press.
Bradshaw, Paul (Ed.) The New Westminster Dictionary
of Liturgy and Worship.; © SCM Press 2002 Pg. 113
Covenant Church of America. (1973). The
Covenant Hymnal. Chicago: Covenant Press.
Ellis, L. D. “Worship
and Church Music”. (www.worshipandmusic.com).
Graham, Billy.
(1978). The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life. Minneapolis: Grason Press.
Holy Bible (NIV).
(1996). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishers.
Placher, W. C.
& Willis-Watkins, D. Belonging to God
Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (1993) The
Book of Common Worship. Louisville, KY:
Westminster/John Knox Press
Redman, Matt “The Heart of Worship” ©
1997 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Schafer, F.
(1966). Liturgy: Worship and
Work. Philadelphia: Board of Christian Education, United Presbyterian
Church
Smith’s Bible Dictionary (1987). Barbour & Company, Inc.
Webber, Robert E. (1992). Worship is a
Verb. Waco, TX: Word Books.
Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary (1980). G. & C. Merriam Company
White, James F. (1980).
Introduction to Christian Worship. Nashville, TN: Abingdon
Press.