# What do you do and why?



## BGF (Feb 25, 2015)

In another thread, I mentioned, broadly, what I believe reformed worship looks like. I am curious to know what you all practice and why. What does it look like when your local body gathers to worship the Lord? Please be as specific as possible with justifications for your liturgies.

Thanks.


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## jwithnell (Feb 25, 2015)

This is how it's explained on our website. For more specifics, we have an understanding of movement toward God in worship, mirroring what is seen in the OT with preparation, call to worship, cleansing (repentance), then God meeting (or speaking) to his people, then dismissing them with His blessing. It follows the pattern of God speaking to his people and our response, always with God as the audience. So we'll have a call to worship, and a response with the Gloria Patri; later a reading of the law, followed by a congregational and individual (private) prayer of confession. We generally sing three hymns appropriate for their place in worship (opening, preparation for the sermon, response to the sermon).


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## BGF (Feb 25, 2015)

Good stuff. Although I am a PCA member, one thing I've always appreciated about the OPC is its more broadly consistent worship practices. Likely due to it's adoption of a Directory of Worship in its BCO.


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## Andrew P.C. (Feb 25, 2015)

Brett,

Our OPC is pretty much the same as Jwithnell. This is basically how it goes:

Call to Worship

Greeting

Our response in song

Reading of the Law

Confession of Sin

Hearing of the Gospel/Grace/Forgiveness of Sins

Our Response in song

Our giving of gifts to God (tithe)

Doxology

Hearing God Speak (Preaching/Sermon)

Our Response through Song or Confession of Faith in Christ

Sing The Gloria Patri

Benediction


I believe that this form is biblical because of the way the OT saints did the exact same thing.

Also, if you read such things as the Didache or the Apostolic Tradition from Hyppolytus you will see pretty close to the same thing.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Feb 25, 2015)

Our morning worship order is not too different and for similar reasons:

Welcome and Announcements

*The Call to Worship 

*Opening Psalm 

*The Invocation and Lord’s Prayer 

Reading of the Law

Prayer of Confession and Assurance of Pardon

New Testament Reading

The Giving and Receiving of Offerings 

Pastoral Prayer 

Sermon Text 

The Sermon 

Prayer of Application

*Closing Hymn/Psalm

*Benediction From God’s Word

*Doxology


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## VictorBravo (Feb 25, 2015)

We are not much different. Being "Reformed Baptist," we can't claim much on a set liturgy, but our practice is typically this:

Welcome and Call to Worship 
Opening Hymn or Psalm 
Corporate Prayer
Psalm singing
Scripture Reading from Law or Prophets
Sermon Text/Preaching of God’s Word
Pastor's Prayer 

Short Break and repeat for a 2nd hour with slight variation:
Hymn
Corporate Prayer 
Psalm Singing
Sermon Text/Preaching
Prayer
Closing Hymn/Psalm
Benediction

Lord' Supper occurs periodically in addition. We don't have an offering during the service. We do often have a piano accompaniment for hymns and psalms, but not always. We sometimes go a capella. No other particular music.


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## Edward (Feb 25, 2015)

General format:

Preparation for worship (Special music)
Call to Worship and congregational response (from Scripture)
Hymn 
Prayer
Confession of Faith (Usually Scriptural or Creedal)
Hymn 
Infant Baptism (usually 3rd Sunday of the month) followed by prayer and hymn 
Corporate and private confession/Assurance
Prayer of Intercession and Offertory Prayer
Offertory accompanied by a Musical meditation (instrumental and/or choir)
Greeting
New member vows/adult baptism (usually about 6 times a year)
Scriptural Reading
Sermon
Communion (weekly at 8 AM, as called by session at 9:30/11)
Closing Hymn
Benediction. 
Postlude (usually organ)

Sometimes an additional hymn will be added, particularly if one of the hymns is shorter than usual.


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## joebonni63 (Feb 25, 2015)

Andrew P.C. said:


> Brett,
> 
> Our OPC is pretty much the same as Jwithnell. This is basically how it goes:
> 
> ...



same thing really lately I have been ask to go to other Covenant Reformed Churches............. I should to see if something is diff........??


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Feb 26, 2015)

Many OPC, PCA, URC, etc. have added an Absolution ceremony to the order of worship. I don't know how this got started in reformed churches, but I do know that about 20 years ago some CRC churches were doing it and that some legacy CRC-URC men are pushing it now. The only justification I have heard for it was that Calvin did it during his sojourn in Germany when he signed the modified Augsburg Confession.
Dave Maurmann


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Feb 26, 2015)

One place to start would be with Peter Datheen in the Netherlands. All Dutch reformed churches followed his historic order of worship even down to the churches in the USA and Canada. I think that is why you do not see as many differences when you compare each of the continental reformed federations' order of worship (with the exception of the URC).
Your question does not mention the regulative principle of worship. I think any discussion of worship should be clear that Scripture is the supreme standard for the order of worship.
Dave Maurmann


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## aadebayo (Feb 26, 2015)

This is what we do at Westoning

Prayer
First Hymn
First bible reading
Preacher addresses the children
Second Hymn
Second reading 
Prayer 
Third Hymn
Preaching/Sermon
Final Hymn
Benediction


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## jwithnell (Feb 26, 2015)

> Absolution ceremony


I'm not sure what you mean by this. In the Lutheran church, I've heard pastors essentially say_ they_ are absolving you of sin, if you've confessed. I've never heard this in a reformed church, but I have heard, "listen to what the word of God says ..." then quoting passages like 1 John 1:9, making it absolutely clear that the "transaction" is between the believer and God and the promise of forgiveness comes from His word alone. This is the hope of the gospel and very appropriate in worship.


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## reaganmarsh (Feb 26, 2015)

Our basic Sunday AM order of worship is simple:

Welcome
Confession of sin (I lead this prayer)
Assurance of grace: "Hear the word of the gospel" and I read something like 1 Jn 1.9
Hymns
Children's teaching time
Giving, along with a lay-led prayer for present needs/concerns 
Hymns 
Public reading of Scripture 
Prayer for the hearing and preaching of God's word
Sermon
Closing prayer
Announcements/dismissal



Sunday PM is also very simple:

Public reading of Scripture
Prayer
Hymns/psalms
Prayer for the hearing and preaching of God's word 
Sermon/teaching time
Closing prayer

Note that ours is not a reformed church.


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## Verkehrsteilnehmer (Feb 26, 2015)

jwithnell said:


> > Absolution ceremony
> 
> 
> I'm not sure what you mean by this. In the Lutheran church, I've heard pastors essentially say_ they_ are absolving you of sin, if you've confessed. I've never heard this in a reformed church, but I have heard, "listen to what the word of God says ..." then quoting passages like 1 John 1:9, making it absolutely clear that the "transaction" is between the believer and God and the promise of forgiveness comes from His word alone. This is the hope of the gospel and very appropriate in worship.



I don’t know that the Absolution element is commanded by God. But in all reformed churches that have instituted it, I have only heard what you described above, citing I John 1:9, etc., stating that it is God who forgives the sin. It looks much like both the votum and the benediction, the congregation stands, the minister says look up and raises his hands, etc. But it is a new development; reformed churches have not recognized Absolution as an element of worship or as a sacrament (there are no physical elements and that is why many Lutherans do not believe it is a sacrament). In the historic Directory for Public Worship, in the pastoral prayer section it references assurance of pardon, and we have all heard this countless times in Presbyterian, Reformed, Baptist worship services.
Dave Maurmann


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## ReformedWarrior (Feb 28, 2015)

Sunday AM:
7 min quiet preparation 
Call to Worship
Prayer
Hymn/Psalm 
Tithe
Hymn/Psalm 
Scripture Reading
Hymn/Psalm
Sermon
Prayer
Hymn/Psalm
Prayer


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## Grant Van Leuven (Feb 28, 2015)

Here is the order of our morning and evening worship copied and pasted from this week's bulletin (on our website in PDF), which reflects the same order every week:

The LORD's Day, March 1, 2015
“Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” Philippians 3:16
Please be seated at least five minutes before worship for quiet preparation. If the service has begun, or you need to leave momentarily, please go to the cry room or balcony upon return.

ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP
Welcome, Announcements
Call to Worship: Psalm 119:153-160
Invocation 
* Psalm 95:1-5, p 208, Dunfermline (Morning Psalm of the Month)
Scripture Reading: God speaks to us by His Law, Deut. 5:6-21
David’s Use of God’s Law, Psalm 119:113-120
Prayer: We speak to God
* Psalm 132:11-18, p 299, Colchester
Sermon Text, Exodus 34:29-35
Sermon Title, “Christ’s Glorious Light Will Never Fade Away.”
* Psalm 117:1-2, p 259, Tiverton
* Benediction

ORDER OF EVENING WORSHIP
Call to Worship: Psalm 119:153-160
Invocation
* Psalm 95:6-11, p 208, Dunfermline (Evening Psalm of the Month)
Scripture Reading: God speaks to us, Philippians 1:21-26
Prayer: We speak to God
* Psalm 92:10-15, p 204, Howard
Sermon Text, John 15:1-8 (WLC Q&A 177)
Sermon Title, “You Have Been Grafted into Christ to Grow with Him.”
* Psalm 134:1-3, p 301, Evangel
* Benediction

* Congregation Stands

THE LORD’S SUPPER:
Tonight, we celebrate communion together in Christ by partaking of His holy supper. Please see the next page for who may participate.

(From here I'm giving explanation of the above, it is not in the bulletin.) We celebrate communion immediately following the evening sermon on the first Lord's Day of the month (Session controlled); on other weeks, after evening worship we have a time of teaching through the Westminster Standards and memorize Scripture (not considered part of the formal worship service, but immediately following it after the benediction). Here's what would be at the end of the bulletin in place of the last part about the Lord's Supper on most weeks:

TEACHING AND MEMORIZATION:
Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 2:2 (l)
Larger Catechism, Question 87 (v)
Scripture Memorization, Isaiah 58:13-14 (SC 58) , Acts 20:7 (SC 59)

The morning reading of the Law (Moral, Decalogue) rotates between Ex. 20 and Deut. 5 weekly, and we keep going through a section of Psalm 119 for our response to the Law (and then start over when complete). We read through the New Testament in the evening following the ongoing text selected from Matthew Henry's Commentary -- these readings both morning and evening usually are commented on by the minister, as are the morning readings (these readings are "antiphonal" by verse, rotating between minister and congregation). The call to worship is taken from selected verses of the Psalm that day (or when in Psalm 119, sections of it) which is the next Psalm of the week in order that we have a devotion on before Sabbath School in the morning (we read through the Psalms and begin again for the Psalm devotions when we finish them). We sing an opening Psalm of the month in the morning and evening, and the same closing Psalm ongoing for both morning and evening services (intended to help with tune familiarity and text memorization). A different Psalm is selected each week to be sung before the sermon text and sermon that relates to the text and the sermon point. To see what else is in the bulletin on the adjacent page on the inside (such as this week's note about who may partake of the Lord's Supper, and a weekly quote to prepare for worship), visit here and click on the bulletin PDF link: Reformed Puritan Worship | Puritan Evangelical Church A weekly pastoral email is sent to the church as an "e-devotion" to prepare for worship and let the saints know the bulletin is ready and what psalms we'll be singing so they can prepare in personal and family worship (the psalms have usually been sung and are online to listen to for help with the tune if needed). These email devotions then are added to "Pastor's Posts" on our website. In the morning sermons, we are going through the OT, presently in Exodus. In the evening sermons, we are going through the Westminster Larger Catechism; when we finish this year, we will begin going through the New Testament in the evening. The minister leads all parts of worship.


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## BGF (Feb 28, 2015)

Grant, love the detail! Thanks.


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