Ordering Our Worship

July 31, 2007 | Leave a Comment

All who agree with the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s answer to the question, “What is the chief end of man?” would agree that worship is both serious and joyful business. Our chief end is indeed to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

In light of this Chris, our pastoral assistant at Calvin PCA, has drafted a guide to help us worship with both joy and reverence. The guide is given below.

Worship Guide for Calvin Presbyterian Church

Prelude: Use the time before worship begins for silent prayer, meditation, reading the printed reflections, and examining the liturgy. Prepare your heart and mind for worship (1 Peter 1:13).

Please note that our worship moves in three parts (God calls…, God offers…, and God sends…). In each move, God initiates and we respond. In addition to the pastor, a ruling elder assists in leading morning worship.

GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP

The first move in our worship is that God calls us to worship Him (Ps 67). We respond by acknowledging His glory and majesty through prayer and singing. We also recognize our sinfulness, causing us to confess our sin and acknowledge our need of forgiveness. Once assured of forgiveness, we sing a song of renewal and confess our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Call to Worship: A portion of Scripture is read to call God’s people to attention and to worship the One, living and true God (Deut 31:12).

Prayer of Invocation: The pastor calls on the Triune God to be present among His people as we worship Him (Ps 141:1-2).

Hymn: This opening hymn, usually from the Trinity Hymnal, is a hymn of adoration, praise and thanksgiving to the God we worship (Ps 100:2).

Confession of Sin: Seeing a holy and righteous God, we immediately recognize our sinfulness. To worship properly, we confess our sin in two parts: silent, meditative, and personal confession and corporate confession. The corporate confession is read aloud in unison (1 John 1:9).

Assurance of Pardon: For those who have truly and sincerely confessed their sin and repented, God has forgiven. We are assured of God’s grace and forgiveness (Heb 4:16).

Song of Renewal: Having been assured of pardon and forgiveness of sin, we rejoice in song for the Lord’s grace. These praise songs are printed in the bulletin.

Confession of Faith: We are a confessional church (Rom 10:9). The assurance of pardon allows us to profess and affirm belief in our Lord and Savior. Our confessions of faith are taken from the early ecumenical creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Council of Chalcedon, Athanasian) or the Reformation confessions and catechisms (e.g., the Westminster Confession).

Songs of Praise: We not only confess our faith but also sing our faith. Thus, we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to give praise, glory, and honor to our God (Rev 4:8, 11).

GOD OFFERS HIS MEANS OF GRACE

The outward means of grace which Christ uses to communicate the benefits of redemption are His ordinances of His Word read and preached, His sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Table, and prayer. During this move of worship, these means of grace are on display. All of these are effectual to the elect for salvation.

Old Testament Reading: Paul commanded Timothy to not neglect the public reading of Scripture. As Reformed Christians, we believe that this is a means of grace to build us up in the most holy faith. The Old Testament portion often serves as a compliment to the New Testament portion to be preached. The OT portion may be prophetic or typological.

Offering/Prayer: In response to hearing God’s Word, we give to Him tithes and offerings for the work of God’s Kingdom (Gen 14:20; 1 Cor 16:2).

Doxology: We acknowledge God as the Giver of all material wealth and sing praise in accordance.

Choir Anthem: This is a hymn, song, or spiritual song of praise and adoration sung by the choir.

Pastoral Prayer: Paul also commands Timothy to have men pray publicly (1 Tim 2:1-3). This is also a means of grace (WSC 98). This prayer is a focused prayer of supplication mainly for the needs of the congregation.

New Testament Reading: This public reading of Scripture is the text for preaching the sermon (2 Tim 3:16-17). We should give attention to it, receive it with faith, and practice it in our lives (WSC 90).

Sermon: The pastor or other qualified minister explains the text and its application to the congregation (1 Cor 1:18).

Psalm of Praise: In response to hearing God’s Word proclaimed, we stand and sing a Psalm of adoration.

The Lord’s Table: As a sacrament, this is a sensible sign that shows Christ and the benefits of the New Covenant (WSC 92). Particularly, we receive bread and wine by faith to partake of Christ’s body and blood and show forth His death until His return (WSC 96).

GOD SENDS US OUT

Having assembled and worshiped, God now sends us out with His blessing and assurance to be with us as we make disciples of all nations.

Hymn: We sing a hymn, usually from the Trinity Hymnal as an appropriate response to the preaching and demonstration of God’s Word.

Benediction: Through the minister, the congregation is blessed by God (Num 6:22-24).

Announcements: After morning worship officially ends, we sit and hear announcements relevant to our congregation. This enables all of us to participate in the life and community of this church fellowship. It is at this time that the red “Friendship Registers” are passed. Please note your name and other pertinent information and circle any items which interest you.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Theology 

Spiritual Food from Spurgeon

July 27, 2007 | Leave a Comment

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you don’t repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you don’t have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.” All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that “Christ is all, and is in all.” Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not your joy in Christ that saves you - it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, although that is the instrument - it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, don’t be fixing your eyes so much on your hand with which you are grasping Christ, as on Christ; don’t be looking at your hope, but to Jesus, the source of your hope; don’t be looking to your faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul.- Charles Spurgeon

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Quotes, Theology 

God’s Call Comes by Cellphone

July 25, 2007 | 2 Comments

Last year, the LA Times wrote an interesting article on how the church is using technology to grow. The title of the article is, God’s Call Comes by Cellphone. It is a very interesting article about how things like “online worship” can help a church grow. And to think, God’s church used to grow through things like preaching, prayer, regular observance of the sacraments, suffering, etc. How outdated.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Computer/Internet, Theology 

Andy Kaufman and the Authentic Christian

July 24, 2007 | 1 Comment

I’ve been listening to REM’s Man on the Moon lately ( Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah), which of course has prompted me to think a bit about Andy Kaufman, which has prompted me to re-watch the 1999 movie Man on the Moon, which is making me want to read an Andy Kafuman biography.

As a performance artist, Kaufman was best known for his constantly changing characters and personalities. He could be an innocent, gentle man, singing songs of love and hope, or he could be extremely offensive and hated by many. Famously, he angered the entire American South by very seriously and condescendingly telling them they should start using soap and toilet paper. His act regularly spilled over into real life, thus obscuring who the “real” Andy Kaufman was. Maybe this is best exemplified by his appearances on the comedy show Friday’s, a show on ABC similar to Saturday Night Live. Wikipedia describes his appearances in the following:

Kaufman’s first appearance on the show proved to be memorable. During a sketch about four people out on a dinner date who excuse themselves to the restroom to smoke marijuana, Kaufman broke character and refused to say his lines.

The other comedians were embarrassed by the position that Kaufman had put them in on a live television show. In response, Michael Richards walked off camera and returned with a set of cue cards and dumped them on the table in front of Kaufman. Andy responded by splashing Richards with water. Show emcee, comedian Jack Burns stormed onto the stage, leading to a brawl on camera before the show finally cut away to commercial. It was later revealed that this incident was a practical joke, and not all the actors were aware of this, although Kaufman added to the confusion by denying this.

Regardless, Kaufman appeared the following week in a videotaped apology to the home viewers. Later that year, Kaufman returned to host Fridays. At one point in the show, he invited a Lawrence Welk Show gospel and standards singer, Kathie Sullivan, on stage to sing a few gospel songs with him and announced that the two were engaged to be married, then talked to the audience about his newfound faith in Jesus. It was also a hoax.

Kaufman was constantly reinventing himself, becoming whoever he wanted to be whenever he wanted to be him. Inauthenticity and Andy Kaufman went hand in hand. And this is why I’ve been thinking on him lately.

Whether intentional or not, Kaufman exemplified the kind of schizophrenic life many live today. Like Kaufman, we are constantly reinventing ourselves, becoming a different person for different situations. Who we are at work may be very different than who we are at home or at church. For evangelical Christianity, this is an especially pervasive problem. A recent Barna survey found that for the most part, Christians are no different than non-Christians in their behavior. This means that who we claim to be in one situation is not who we actually are in another. Too often inauthenticity and the modern Christian go hand in hand.

It seems to me that for Christianity to capture the hearts and minds of our neighbors, we must first and foremost live authentic lives in this world. As WCK says, “We must first believe and live the Gospel before we can proclaim it to others.”

David Wells picks up on this idea as well:

The postmodern reaction against Enlightenment dogma will not be met successfully simply by Christian proclamation. Of that we can be sure. That proclamation must arise within a context of authenticity. It is only as the evangelical Church begins to put its own house in order, its members begin to disentangle themselves from all of those cultural habits which militate against a belief in truth, and begin to embody that truth in the way that the Church actually lives, that postmodern skepticism might begin to be overcome. Postmoderns want to see as well as hear, to find authenticity in relationship as the precursor to hearing what is said. This is a valid and biblical demand. Faith, after all, is dead without works, and few sins are dealt with as harshly by Jesus as hypocrisy. What postmoderns want to see, and are entitled to see, is believing and being, talking and doing, all joined together in a seamless whole. This is the great challenge of the moment for the evangelical Church. Can it rise to the occasion?

The moments of the Church’s greatest influence… have not been those when the Church reached for worldly power, or when it adapted to its culture, but when it sought to be authentic. The Church has been most influential in those moments when its contrition reached down deeply into its soul, when in its known weakness it cried out to God from the depths, when it sought to live by his truth and on his terms, when it sought to proclaim that truth in its world, when it was willing to pay the price of having that kind of truth, when it was willing to demand of itself that it live by that truth…. (Above All Earthly Powers, 315-316).

The apostle Paul’s gospel proclamation would have meant nothing had not his life reflected the truths he proclaimed. In 1 Thessalonians Paul reminds his readers that he shared not only the gospel of God, but his own self as well (2:8). The gospel was authenticated by his authentic life.

The difference between Andy Kaufman and the rest of us is this - at least Andy didn’t try to hide the fact that he was inauthentic. And so, in his life of multiple personalities and confusing hoaxes, maybe he was actually more authentic than any of us will ever be. Let’s pray that this be not the case.

Until then, watch these Kaufman clips - you’ll see that Kaufman was never who he claimed to be.

Clip 1 - At about the 5:50 countdown mark (3:50 into the clip), Andy begins talking about his newfound faith in Jesus:

Clip 2 - Here, you’ll see a completely different Kaufman.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Church and Culture, Humor 

Alaska, May 2003

July 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment

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The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.

Psalm 19:1-3

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Travel 

Amazing

July 17, 2007 | 4 Comments

A couple of years ago, my parents gave me a remote control airplane for Christmas. I’ll occasionally take it to the park and fly it. It’s pretty cool. But not as cool as this…

If anyone could explain to me how this is possible, I’d appreciate it.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog 

What’s in a Name?

July 13, 2007 | 5 Comments

I’ve not yet mentioned this on our blog, but our second baby, a son, is on the way. September 1.

His first name will mean “God is my judge.” His middle name will mean “God is gracious.”

The gospel in a name! Inspired by Exodus 34.

Exodus 34:6-7 6 The LORD passed before (Moses) and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…

Although you won’t find his name in Exodus 34, I’m sure some of you will come up with it.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Family 

After Darkness, Light

July 12, 2007 | 2 Comments

Wittenberg Castle Church DoorWhy “After Darkness, Light?

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. These theses were highly critical of the Roman Catholic church’s system of indulgences for the forgiveness of sins, and they signaled the beginning of the Protestant Reformation (although Luther was by no means the first to challenge Rome - see Hus and Wycliffe). At the heart of this Reformation was the rediscovery of the Biblical gospel. The righteousness that God required of man, Luther discovered, was a passive righteousness, a righteousness that wasn’t earned for good works, but freely given to all who trust in Christ. Christ’s righteousness is credited to the believer, not earned by the believer.

The rediscovery of this simple truth changed the course of history. The motto of the Reformation became Post Tenebras Lux (after darkness, light).

Luther said, “It is very hard for a man to believe that God is gracious to him. The human heart can’t grasp this.” For centuries, the church could not grasp it either.

The blog title refers to the great gospel truths recovered in the Reformation, but also to the true light of the world who comes to us in our darkness.

John 1:9-14 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Theology