Word, Prayer Worship
Sunday 26th October at 6.00 pm
A Late Evening Office:
Word, Prayer and Worship
Colossians 3.12-17
Today when we gather for worship, we have some fairly good guidelines in place as to what it means to worship:
The Meeting House: hymns and a lecture
The Chapel: the mass
The Kirk: singings and exposition
The Cathedral: Liturgical worship with freedom
It seems every church/tradition has its own types of services for worship.
Will the Bible tell us exactly how?
Today’s reading says virtually nothing about services, but it says a lot about worship and worshippers.
Let’s see what it says, and then try and apply that to what we do when we try to worship in Dromore, say, on a Sunday Evening, say.
The worshippers: 12-14
Written to a church to be read aloud to everyone gathered together (or in groups). Paul begins by describing the spiritual clothing they need to wear (for worship)
Like a set of indoor clothes reflecting aspects of love and an overcoat of love itself. Useful as part of the wedding suits and dresses, but relevant to every community of people.
The worshippers need to prepare with holy clothing, excellent (forbearing) relationships, and renewed friendships (forgiveness)
Then he adds “over all these put on love which binds them together in unity”.
The Word (logos): READ 16A
called here the Message of Jesus Christ. A message which embodies the words of Christ himself and the teaching about Christ. We all need regular and salutary reminders in the fellowship of the church concerning the gospel.
The Worship: READ 16B-17
“psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” and “admonishing one another”.
P, H, SS: This is not a precise list, it is a way of encompassing different types of sung worship: one from the Bible, one reflecting praise to God, and one reflecting songs of encouragement. This has nothing whatever to do with taste, although as we get older our tastes become no less significant then when we were younger as to what is in and what is not!
The Wish: Let the peace of Christ... Let the word of Christ… Not so much a prayer as an aspiration an encouragement
The shape of worship:
Tonight has been called “Word, Prayer and Worship”
“Sligo 2009 Step Out: Worship, Teaching, Ministry”
Celebrate at Ten
All age word, specific/focussed word, sustained worship and offered ministry
The Communion Service
Greeting
Ministry of the Word in reading and preaching
Response to the Word in creed and prayers
Ministry of the Sacrament in offered bread and wine
Dismissal
The order of worship:
Where does the confession come? LOGIC
Do we preach at the end, or do we include opportunity to respond to the sermon during the latter part of the service? LOGIC
Do we lift a collection every week, at every service, or do we just set out a plate at the back for some or all services? 1st CORINTHIANS