In American churches today, you will find many different styles and approaches to worship. At some churches, the worship service can feel very much like a program or a production. In these settings, churchgoers function like spectators at an event. They are there to experience good music, hear an inspiring message, and receive encouragement for their week.
Historically, Reformed Christians have had a very different understanding of the purpose of worship. We believe that the God of the Bible has entered a covenant relationship with his people, and worship is one of the ways that we live out our covenant relationship with him. This means that when we attend corporate worship, we are not spectators at a program but participants in a dialogue—a dialogue with our Creator!
When we understand worship as a dialogue between God and his people, it reshapes the way we structure our services. If you look at the elements of a weekly worship service at Highview, they are a back-and-forth conversation where God speaks and his people respond. Here is a brief overview of what this dynamic looks like on a typical Sunday:
- God speaks by calling us to worship – We begin the worship service with a “Call to Worship.” This is typically a short passage from Scripture, which reminds us that it is God who initiates his relationship with us and calls us to meet with him in worship.
- We respond by singing his praises – In response to God calling us to worship, we lift up our voices and praise him in song. Scripture calls us to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness to God (Col. 3:16).
- God speaks through the reading of his word – Usually our worship service includes a Scripture reading that is separate from the sermon passage. Over the last couple of years, this reading has corresponded with our year-long devotional journey.
- We respond by confessing our sins, affirming our faith, and singing his praises – When we hear God’s word read, we are reminded of our sin and need for forgiveness. Therefore, we respond by confessing our sins and reaffirming our faith through one of the historic creeds.
- God speaks by assuring us of forgiveness – After confessing our sins, we hear an “Assurance of Pardon.” This is a portion of God’s word that reminds us of the good news of the gospel—that all those who are united to Christ in faith are forgiven.
- We respond by offering our gifts, lifting up prayers, and singing his praises – We give our tithes and offerings as a grateful response to the grace that we have received in the gospel. We also join our hearts together as we pray for the needs of the church family.
- God speaks through the reading and preaching of his word – Reformed Christians have a very high view of God’s word, and therefore the sermon is central to the worship service. Through the reading and preaching of Scripture, God feeds, instructs, and sanctifies his people.
- We respond by singing his praises – After the sermon, we usually respond by once again lifting up our voices in song as a response to what we have heard in his word.
- God speaks by blessing us and sending us out into the world – Through the benediction, God speaks a final word of blessing to his people and sends us out into the world to serve him.
From start to finish, Reformed worship is about God. He calls us, convicts us, comforts us, feeds us, and sends us back out into the world. However, we are not merely passive recipients in the worship service; rather, we continually respond with our prayers, praises, and offerings. Worship is a living dialogue between God and his people. This reality should fill us with anticipation every Sunday, because we gather not as spectators waiting to watch a program but as saints waiting to hear from our God and respond to him.