Explanation of the Elements of Worship
Introduction
There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; working all things according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will, for his own glory; most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek him; and withal, most just, and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty.
In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost: the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter II:1, 3
God is to be worshipped in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This regulative principle of worship means that He is to be worshipped only according to what He Himself has prescribed for His Own worship in His Word.
The Prelude / Welcome, Announcements, Silent Prayer
Before the service begins, when men, women and children enter the sanctuary to worship, everyone should realize that they have entered into to a place separated for worship and prayer. Greetings and fellowship should take place outside the sanctuary and every individual should use the quiet to still the thoughts and concerns of daily life in preparation for the coming dialogue with a most Holy God. Announcements, if made, should be brief and not repetitive of what is printed in the bulletin. The Prelude, whether by organ or piano, provides a suitable atmosphere for the preparation of heart and mind for the exalted activity of worship, which is to occupy the congregation for the next hour.
Call to Worship
We begin by acknowledging God as the only true God that deserves our worship with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It may be a reading from Scripture, perhaps a Psalm or a song. With this, we focus our hearts and minds upon the task at hand – worship. It also signals the congregation that the worship service has begun, and that the time is set apart as holy unto The Lord. (Psalm 95:6, Psalm 5:7–8, Luke 4:8)
Salutation
This is God’s response to his people invoking his name. He announces his grace and peace to all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. As God’s appointed ambassador, the minister or ruling elder raises his hands and announces God’s blessing from his Word: For example, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 1.7).
Invocation
After calling God’s people to be physically and spiritually present in the call to worship, we entreat (invoke) God to be present with us. While God is omnipresent, there remains a very special sense in which He meets with His people for their acts of worship. Thus, in this first prayer we praise His greatness, His Glory, His works and His attributes, as we seek the special presence of the Holy Spirit that we might worship the Triune God in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
The Hymn of Worship
The hymn of worship is our response to the greatness of God, magnifying His glorious attributes as we sing to Him. Having heard God’s blessing and salutation, we respond by lifting up our voices to Him and singing a Psalm or biblical hymn. The hymn should be vertical- to the God of all creation- not horizontal- not to encourage our brothers and sisters at this time. We “come into his presence with singing!” (Ps 100.2). The words we sing to the Lord are carefully chosen, as the content of each song must conform to Scripture, and should provide us with a deeper understanding of God. (Colossians 3:16-17, BCO Book of Church Order Chapter 51)
Confession of Faith
We make use of the great historical creeds in our service. These creeds serve as anchors to our faith. They are the means which unify us in our beliefs and tie us directly with what our fathers in the faith believed. We also make use of the Westminster Confession of Faith, which also serves as a part of our denominational standards.
We confess together the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed, or a section of the Heidelberg Catechism. We do this not only to be instructed in the Christian faith, but also as a prayer to God in which we declare that we stand united in the truth he has revealed: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4.5-6).
Confession of Sin
God is eternally and perfectly holy, righteous, just, good, moral, and upright. Thus, He dwells in unapproachable light (I John 1:5, 7). He cannot have fellowship in the presence of sin. While His people’s sins have been washed by the blood of the perfectly spotless Lamb of God for eternity, we still commit sins moment by moment and day by day (I John 1:6, 8, 10). For Him to dwell in our midst in worship, our confession of sins must be immediately “up to date” (I John 1:9). Thus, one of our first acts in His presence must be to seek his forgiveness to purify us for the worship that follows.
Silent Confession
Our worship must be dignified and orderly (Psalm 46:10). Confession by dozens of voices would be noisy and distracting, as well as sinful curiosity about my neighbor’s sins! Further, the mind can confess more rapidly than that which is spoken, and likely, many sins need to be confessed! Thus, in silence, we confess personal, corporate (as a local body of Christ), and national (as citizens of a nation) sins. However, this once-a-week confession does not replace what ought to be our daily and ongoing confession of sins.
Assurance of God’s Pardoning Grace
Having confessed our sins to God, we hear the joyful announcement of His promise that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1.9). As Christ’s ambassador, the minister (teaching elder) or ruling elder affirms through Scripture God’s pardon to all who trust in Christ and repent of their sins.
Hymn (of Praise)
The hymn of praise is in response to the grace of God in forgiving sin. This hymn gives the people of God the ability to praise the Lord Jesus Christ as their great Prophet, Priest and King. This hymn may also be chosen to reflect the sermon topic or the Scripture reading for the week. Rev. 4:8-11
Tithes and Offerings
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” (James 1:17) “I came that they (His sheep) might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Giving back to God what He has so abundantly given to us is also an act of worship. First, we give Him His tithe of our increase (Malachi 3:1-12), and secondly, we give offerings cheerfully beyond the tithe, according to the bounty that God has given us. (2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
Doxology
The word doxology comes from the Greek – doxologia, a word (logos) of glory (doxa). The doxology is an ancient hymn of praise – and has been a part of the worship service in churches for centuries. It is sung in response to the Lord’s overflowing grace.
Gloria Patri
Singing The Gloria Patri is fitting after any great statement of faith, for example, after a creed or after the assurance of God’s pardoning grace. It is a response to God’s love and faithfulness. The first part is an ancient statement “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost…” that has been used since the beginning of Christendom in the church. The second statement, “as it was in the beginning, and now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen” was added during the time of the council of Nicea in 325 AD as a statement about the Trinity. “As it was in the beginning” refers to the Trinity in eternity past, “and now and ever shall be” refers to the Trinity during present and future times, and “world without end” refers to the eternally present (now and in the future) Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternally present in the Godhead.
Choir Anthem
This hymn or song is chosen as praise, as a prayer, or as a means to prepare our hearts to hear His Word in preparation for the sermon.
Pastoral Prayer or Prayer of intercession
In the “pastoral prayer” or the “prayer of intercession”, it is important to remember what it is and what it is not. This is not the prayer of adoration or confession. These are covered in other prayers during the service. This is our chance to have intercession and thanksgiving that is founded in the Gospel, addresses the needs of our own congregation as well as the church universal, and looks out into the world to seek the glory of God amongst the lost and the nations. It is the restored relationship with God that gives us the confidence to ask Him for our needs. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Ephesians 3:14-21
Scripture Reading
The only truth that we have about God and His instructions for our lives is the Word of God, also known as the Holy Bible or Holy Scriptures. As such, it is necessary and obligatory, not only to regulate worship, but to be read alone and integrated into every aspect of the worship service. Such reading is to include both the Old and New Testaments.
Prayer for Illumination
We petition the Holy Spirit to help us to see the truth in, feel the power of, and accurately apply the Word of God and truth into everyday practice. We call upon Him to “give [us] the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of [our] hearts enlightened, that [we] may know what is the hope to which he has called [us], what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1.17-19).
Sermon
The sermon is the sound, expositional preaching of the entire inspired, infallible and sufficient Word of God. It is here, more than anywhere else, where God speaks truth to His church. The message must be discernibly from the Word of God. The question that the hearers should be able to answer at the end of the sermon is, what does this passage mean and how does it apply to me today. A Christian sermon is not sharing the wisdom or experience of a wise man; it is God speaking through His Word. The message must be the message of the text, understood and made relevant for today. This Word is powerful. It can give life, change life, and sanctify life. It can make warriors of the weak, saints out of sinners, and humble servants out of proud rebels. All our confidence is in the power of the Word itself.
As the apostle Paul told pastor Timothy: “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim 4.2-4).
Hymn of Response
The hymn of response is a song, a Psalm, a hymn or spiritual song that focuses on our response to God’s word from the sermon. (if before the serving of communion, it may be a hymn or song chosen to prepare our hearts for communion).
Benediction
The benediction is God’s good word to his people; His blessing upon the church and it is excerpted from Scripture. In the worship service, the triune God gets the first word and the final word, both are announcements of his grace. With uplifted hands, the minister or ruling elder blesses the people of God from the Word of God, which is available to all who receive it through faith: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor 13.14).
Communion Service
Having heard from our covenant God in his Word, we now join Him in a covenant meal. As the preached Word promised us God’s favor in Christ, so also our heavenly Father adds this visible confirmation of his unchangeable promise. We partake together to commune with and participate in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor 10.16).
Invitation
The Lord’s Supper separates believers from the world, and it sustains and strengthens saints in the midst of the world. The table is spread for Christians. Christians are to come in faith, with joy and expectation of receiving grace for the homeward journey. The table must be fenced. Unbelievers and those who have never made a profession of faith before the church should not attend. Christians must be able to examine themselves, discern the body of Christ and come in understanding faith to the table of the Lord.
The Bread and the Cup
The elements are the signs and seals of our salvation. They represent the body and blood of Christ willingly given for us and for our salvation. They are the visible gospel. They have no power in and of themselves. However, they point us to Christ and His finished work, and they allow us through faith to commune with the Living God. We partake of Christ by faith through the bread and the cup.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give thanks for the greatest of all gifts, the gift of Christ and His salvation. We pledge ourselves to respond to such a great salvation with living faith, active service, and humble gratitude.