Questions on Liturgy

[matthew11v25]

I am new to studying this. I understand the need for order in corporate worship, but what constitutes what the liturgy is for corporate worship? what scripture is used to support the use of liturgy? Can liturgy be a simple as or have an order similiar to...

PRAYER
SINGING
SCRIPTURE READING
SERMON
BENEDICTION
(that may be similiar to reformed baptists)

I have always been in evagelical churches, so I am not used to corporate worship that goes...

PRAYER
SINGING
PRAYER
SINGING
PRAISE
SINGING
SCRIPTURE READING
SERMON
SINGING
BENEDICTION

If there are any articles that are helpful I would love to read them or threads.

[Edited on 7-13-2005 by matthew11v25]

 

[Contra_Mundum]

Liturgy is planned worship. It's what one does on a regular basis. When we say a church is "liturgucal," usually we mean that the structure of the service is very, even highly, structured, down to special recitations by leaders and people. And there will often be more "ritual" in such services. Sometimes that only means weekly Communion, but usually there's more to it than that.

One's theology (belief) should "create" or inform his worship (practice). If it doesn't, then eventually the way one worships (liturgy) will end up "teaching" error. That's just the nature of the beast. Do it right, or you will end up in wrong thnking.

Resources:
Terry Johnson, Leading in Worship
Joe Morecraft, How God Wants Us To Worship Him
Greenville Seminary's Conference series on Worship has good stuff too

 

[Scott]

Matthew:

How a service is ordered reflects one's theology. Typically, Reformed view corporate worship as primarily a meeting of God with His Bride. So, in essence, it is a transaction in which the minster, representing God (and sometimes the Bride - he has a dual role) does things on behalf of God, while the Bride interacts with the Father. The OPC Book of Church Order describes the typicalyt Reformed perspective this way:

As a service of public worship is in its essence a meeting of God and his people, the parts of the service are of two kinds: those which are performed on behalf of God, and those which are performed by the congregation. In the former the worshippers are receptive, in the latter they are active. It is reasonable that these two elements be made to alternate as far as possible.

The lawfully ordained minister represents God in the transaction. He does things like read and preach God's word, absolve people of their sins, etc. You will note that the Larger Catchism, for example, only lawfully called ministers are suppsed to even read the Word in public worship. Of course, only they are supposed to preach it as well.

Here is a fairly common reformed structure with notes about why it is placed in this order:

[1] Call to worship
God calls his people to worship Him.

[2] A reading from the Word about sin (eg. the Ten Commandments).
This makes us conscious of our sin.

[3] A corporate prayer of confession.
Being conscious of our sin, we prayer for confession.

[4] Assurance of pardon or absolution
After our prayer, God via his minister forgives us. An assurance of pardon is typically a scripture about forgiveness. Absolution is more of "I, a minister of God, by the power given to me absolve you . . ." or something like that.

[5] Song
We so are happy that God has forgiven us that we sing his praises.

[6] Corporate prayer
We pray as God's people and bring our needs before our Father.

[7] reading / preaching of the Word
God speaks to us via his mouthpiece on earth. Jesus said this about his ministers: "He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me." Luke 10:16. So, to listen to your minister is to listen to the voice of Christ.

[8] Song
We are so happy about rceeiving God's word that we sing.

[9] Benediction
God blesses us.

Scott

 

[Scott]

BTW, read this good article, The Beauty of Reformed Liturgy. You may need to click to page one via the button near the top. For some reason, the link goes to the fifth section. Anyway, there is a discussion of the biblical basis for order of worship.

Scott

 

[BobVigneault]

You don't need a liturgy. Just let the Spirit lead. (That's what the voices in my head told me anyway.)

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Westminster Directory for Publick Worship

 

[JKLeoPCA]

I have heard it said that the order of worship protects the congregation from the minister in such a way that no matter what he preaches on (as mentioned in another thread on 1 in 1000 really being preachers). So that even if the message is off base, the liturgy still gives us the essentials of the gospel.

Now if i could just remember WHERE I heard that??? hmmmmmmm?

 

[matthew11v25]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Westminster Directory for Publick Worship

 

[Arch2k]

The Strassburg Liturgy (1545)

Order of Worship Heidelberg 1563