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When we come to worship
we enter into the presence of the Creator,
offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
By Paul E. Detterman
As
worshipers gather at First, Second, Third or Fourth Presbyterian
Church of Anywhere, it would be very interesting to ask, "Why
are you here?" "What are you expecting to do in this hour?" or
"What is this all about?"
The answers individual Presbyterians gave would be wide-ranging.
Some would say, "I come here to be part of a caring community."
Others might muse, "I've been coming to church ever since I was
a child. I miss it when I'm not here." Those who are newer to
the church might say, "I come because of the sermon/music/prayer/
liturgy. While all of these answers may be honest, none of them
express a Reformed understanding of why we bother to worship God
at all. Each of these answers is centered on the needs, habits
or expectations of individual worshipers. As Reformed Christians
we believe Christian worship is all about God.
Reading the directions
The middle section of our Book of Order contains a Directory
for Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This part of
our constitution is not at all prescriptive--it does not mandate
exact prayer texts or outline unbending orders of worship. It
is, however, wonderfully descriptive. It offers a clear exposition
of the theology reflected in our worship and outlines possible
forms and orders of service that are appropriate for Presbyterians
to use.
When it comes to understanding the specific God focus of our
worship, the first paragraph is a wonderful place to start (italics
added for emphasis):
"Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor,
glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people
of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their
lives. As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action
in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In
worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped
for God's service in the world."
The essence of worship in the Reformed tradition can be seen
in this brief paragraph. (How did the worship you participated
in this past Lord's Day compare with this?)
Joyful worship
The first phrase of the quote from the Directory is already a
stumbling block for many Presbyterians whose worship may be well
intentioned, well designed, well focused, but not, well,
joyful.
 The
first question in the Westminster Catechism asks, "What is the
chief end of man [humans]?" The answer: "To glorify God and enjoy
him forever." How joyful was your worship last Sunday?
This does not in any way imply that we should be giddy, goofy
or glib, but was there much true joy evident on the part
of worshipers or worship leaders?
When we come to worship we are gathering with other believing
Christians and entering into the presence of the Creator of all
that is, offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Astonishing
as it may be, God not only tolerates our offering, but invites
us into intimate communion. If there was ever a cause for joy,
no matter what the condition or circumstances of the rest of our
life may be at the moment, such a God-given invitation should
be it! No matter what size a congregation may be; no matter how
eloquent or simple the proclamation or praise may be; no matter
how old, how young, how blessed, or how oppressed a particular
church may be; when Christians gather for worship, and that worship
is truly focused on God, there will be joy.
Praise and glory
belong to God
The very first words we utter in worship determine the focus
of the service. How did your worship begin last Sunday? Were the
first words spoken by the worship leader God's Word or human words?
When hymns or choruses were sung, what did the text describe?
Was it praise, prayer, thanksgiving or lament involving God--or
were the words focused on the needs, feelings or condition of
people?
Was the Bible front-and-center in the sermon, or was the sermon
a message desperately seeking a Biblical text?
Many who lead worship feel an Emily Post-induced compulsion to
hospitality, welcoming "their gathered guests" with a friendly
"Good morning!" But the congregation is not there to visit with
the worship leader; the people have come to worship God. Even
worse than an innocent "Howdy!" are the pre-packaged commercial
liturgies that force those who lead worship to pose unfortunate
questions such as "Why are we here?" (with an equally shallow
printed response demanded of the congregation), leaving religious
skeptics and the more astute believers in the congregation to
think to themselves, "If you don't know why we are here,
we're in bad shape already!"
From the call to worship to the benediction, praise, honor, glory
and power belong only to God. When we are seeking the words to
offer to God, God's Word is a wonderful place to start.
God is here!
Don Hustad, a prolific writer and seasoned worship leader, has
suggested, somewhat whimsically, that a banner should be displayed
over the entrance to any place of Christian worship reading, "Warning:
God Is Here!" Our worship as Reformed people is not only about
God, it is a direct response to God. As worshipers
we must always remember that God is truly present, active,
and involved in our worship, and that our worship is a response
to what God has done, is doing, and is about to do in our
lives.
Remembering God in the past
A poster text from several years ago read, "All I have seen teaches
me to trust the Creator for all that I have not seen." Therein
lies the truth of our initial response to God in worship. Every
Christian knows that God has played an essential role in his or
her life, shaping, forming, guiding and directing them to the
place they find themselves on the day of worship. The liturgy
itself calls us to actively remember God's faithfulness, individually
and collectively, as we offer ourselves in praise.
We know this Biblical God through the events outlined
in Scripture, the stories we have read of the lives of Christians
from other times and places, and the testimonies we have heard
of God's activity in the lives of those around us. As we come
to worship, we trust God with our today based on our knowledge
of God throughout all those yesterdays.
Christian worship is where we remember God's salvation most vividly.
"Do this, remembering me." Whether or not worship includes Christ's
invitation to the Table, when we worship, we remember.
Trusting God in the present
Equally important in our worship is the act of trusting the living
God with the complexities of our present.
In response to God's faithfulness, and in response to the redeeming
work of Jesus Christ, true Christian worship is punctuated with
vivid reality. We earnestly confess our ever-present sin, an essential
part of worship for Reformed Christians, and we hear God's assurance
of forgiveness and peace. We actively listen for the contemporary
relevance of God's Word by praying for the illuminating power
of the Holy Spirit, also a hallmark of Reformed theology shaping
worship. After the Word has been proclaimed, we gather the prayers
of the church for the very present and very real needs of the
world around us, seeking God's will, Christ's peace, and the Holy
Spirit's power.
Following God into the future
Finally, we offer our most radical act of worship when we allow
God to lead us out of the sanctuary and back into God's world.
Like the disciples who followed Jesus off the transfiguration
mountain into a village where a child lay dying, we Reformed Christians
believe that our final act of worship is found, not in the pews
or even in the vestibule, but in the streets, the malls, the offices
and the schools throughout God's world, where the power of the
gospel of Jesus Christ is simultaneously scrutinized, confronted,
maligned and eagerly sought.
Transformed and sent forth
In the final portion of the Directory for Worship, in the section
titled "Ministry of the Church in the World," we find these words,
including Philippians 2:9-11: "In worship the church is transformed
and renewed, equipped and sent to serve God's reign in the world.
The church looks for the day 'when every knee shall bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.'"
As we plan, lead, and participate in the worship of Reformed
Christians, may this always be so.
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ELEMENTS OF REFORMED WORSHIP
PRAISE
As God's people gather for worship, through Scripture
or song, we focus our attention on God and away from ourselves.
CONFESSION
Worshipers today, like the prophet Isaiah, cannot come
into the presence of our holy God without realizing our
own sinfulness. When we confess, we do so for ourselves
and for the church as a whole.
ASSURANCE
Scripture calls us to confession; Scripture also assures
us of God's inestimable love.
ILLUMINATION
Before attempting to listen for the Word of God, we pray
for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to open our ears
to hear and our hearts to receive what God is saying to
us through Scripture and interpretation.
WORD
The Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, comes from
the pages of Scripture. Interpretation of God's Word comes
through Spirit-inspired speech, drama, music, dance, or
other forms of communication.
PRAYER
Part of our response to the living Word is Spirit-prompted
prayer, possible in many varied forms and formats.
THANKSGIVING
Our greatest rejoicing can come only around the Table
of the Lord as we share in communion with Christ and with
God's people. When that is not possible, offering of ourselves
and of our tangible gifts can be a beginning response
to the Word.
TRUE WORSHIP
When the liturgy of the church is concluded, our true
worship begins. Everything we know about God teaches us
that true worship, lifestyle evangelism, is an intentional
living of each day in prayer and mission, in our home,
our work, our study, our recreation: glorifying and enjoying
God forever.
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