Worship Notes – 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.

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