# Daily Devotions at the Westminster Assembly



## N. Eshelman (Dec 1, 2012)

The Westminster Assembly, every morning would hear preaching from 6am-8am by an "abbey lecturer" and then another sermon from 8am-9am by a "probationer." They would then spend time in prayer and reading the Scriptures (VanDixHoorn, Minutes & Papers v.1, p.185).

This was BEFORE any of the debates of the day would begin. 

If this routine was proposed today for a Synod, Classis, Presbytery, General Assembly, etc. it would be considered "not a good use of time." 

Maybe the Reformed and Presbyterian churches need to concern themselves less with time management and more with being bathed in the Word of God and prayer before debates/discussions in called ecclesiastical courts. 

Maybe then we would see reformation and revival.


----------



## jandrusk (Dec 1, 2012)

I have been to a couple of OPC Presbytery meetings and they did open up with both a prayer and a sermon. I have never heard in the OPC that that is not a good use of the time and would be shocked to hear such a thing said in a reformed church.


----------



## Wayne (Dec 1, 2012)

Reminds me of the 1954 Bible Presbyterian Synod (no, I'm not _that_ old).

They spent an entire day in prayer, worship, and special addresses. The back story is that they were grappling with some big issues which eventually led to a split the next year, but the proceedings in 1954 at least show they were trying to first pursue repentance and restoration.

Their Finest Hour « - The Continuing Story -


----------



## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Dec 2, 2012)

Mr. Eshelman, 

I am pleased to say that at our RPCGA meetings of Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly our first order of business is to hold a worship service complete with a sermon from one of our ministers. This we do by conviction. Please don't understand this as a boast or brag, as we have our own set of difficulties. But we do see the need for us to hear the preached Word as an assembly of men.


----------



## N. Eshelman (Dec 2, 2012)

Rev. Todd Ruddell said:


> Mr. Eshelman,
> 
> I am pleased to say that at our RPCGA meetings of Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly our first order of business is to hold a worship service complete with a sermon from one of our ministers. This we do by conviction. Please don't understand this as a boast or brag, as we have our own set of difficulties. But we do see the need for us to hear the preached Word as an assembly of men.



In the RPCNA, both at our presbyteries and our synod, we also open each day with a worship service (preaching, Scripture reading, prayer). I do not think that is the _unusual_ part. The divines opened with THREE HOURS of preaching, reading, and prayer EACH DAY as they prepared for deliberations. That would be unusual, I imagine, in any of our ecclesiastical courts.


----------



## Rev. Todd Ruddell (Dec 2, 2012)

Well said, brother. Three hours of anything but entertainment taxes our sensibilities.


----------



## Alan D. Strange (Dec 2, 2012)

Nathan:

Not to detract in any way from the power of your observation and conviction (that we need to attend to ecclesiastical business in the frame of such worshio and prayer), but consider these things:

1. The Westminister Assembly of Divines was not a judicatory of the church, meeting for a day or two (as do our Presbyteries) or even a week or two (as do our General 
Assemblies).
2. It was an advisory body called to aid Parliament in the reform of the church and met over the course of almost six years in this task. It's whole focus was not to resolve 
matters brought to it from the narrower judicatories (as in our presbyteries and GAs) but to provide, in doctrine, polity, and worship, the foundation for the reform of the 
whole church in England and Scotland. 
3. Having said all that, I agree that the Assembly gave a great priority to the Word and prayer. And we need to do the same in our church judicatories, appropriate to their 
times of meeting and appointed tasks.

Peace, 
Alan


----------



## SolaScriptura (Dec 2, 2012)

N. Eshelman said:


> The Westminster Assembly, every morning would hear preaching from 6am-8am by an "abbey lecturer" and then another sermon from 8am-9am by a "probationer." They would then spend time in prayer and reading the Scriptures (VanDixHoorn, Minutes & Papers v.1, p.185).
> 
> This was BEFORE any of the debates of the day would begin.



Well, that would in part explain why the Westminster Assembly took several _years_... I'd rather Presbytery meetings not.


----------



## Wayne (Dec 2, 2012)

Given the time devoted to these lectures and sermons, doesn't it seem likely that their content would have figured into whatever discussions and debates were ongoing at the time? It would be difficult not to address a reigning topic of debate.
Or to put it another way, one reason for allowing so much time set aside this way was because the addresses could in many cases fuel the debates or provide substanc to the discussions.


----------



## jwithnell (Dec 2, 2012)

From the perspective of a pew-dweller, I can tell you that it was clear to me that our local presbytery placed God's glory and his scriptures before all else when they open meetings with hymns, prayer and a sermon. (I abandon my post in the kitchen to participate.) I'm actually rather shocked to find out this is not the norm.


----------



## Zach (Dec 2, 2012)

Like JWithnell, I was able to attend a Presbytery meeting as an observer once and I was very glad to know that the Presbytery opened meetings with hymns and a sermon. Likewise, I was glad that the GA of the OPC does the same and that we can read about it in the report.


----------



## Wayne (Dec 2, 2012)

Each PCA General Assembly opens with a worship service on Tuesday evening, and then there are worship services on Wed. and Thurs. evenings as well. 

Presbytery meetings typically include a time of worship at their opening, with a sermon and observation of the Lord's Supper. Called meetings, where there is some limited, specific item of business, would be the exception to this standard.


----------

