A. Introduction⤒🔗

The church has intensely concerned itself with the question of how to give the worship service a distinct format.  Having the freedom to decide on this herself, she has not forgotten that God is a God of order. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul devotes a chapter, e.g. to the meeting of the congregation, writing that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (v. 40), and that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (v. 33).  Proper order serves the peace of the congregation. This is the foundation for the Church Order (CO, Art. 1). Certainly the same applies to the liturgy.  The church has the liberty of adapting the liturgy if improvement is necessary.

With good reason, therefore, the church has submitted herself to previously established patterns and formats, as seen in the orders of worship.  The concern that the work of the Holy Spirit would be hindered, and thus all charismatic spontaneity would be thwarted, is then appropriately dismissed.  The congregation may never be subjected to the whims or arbitrary liberties of the minister.

B. The Organization of the Worship Service←⤒🔗

As was mentioned (Outline 1, D.4.), Reformed liturgy has its origins in the Reformation of the 16^th century. In that century the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands discussed the liturgy at virtually every synod.  An honourable mention should be made of the efforts of Petrus Dathenus (a travelling preacher and pastor who translated the Heidelberg Catechism and published a psalter in the Dutch language).  Even so, a prescribed order of worship was not established in that period.

It was agreed upon that the following three focal points were not to be left out under any circumstances: preaching, communal prayer, and sacraments. Later, more unity was brought into the worship service, bringing an end to all kinds of arbitrary liberties the preacher might take. The Book of Praise now defines two orders of worship for the morning service, as well as two for the afternoon service.

1. Variations on a Theme               ←↰⤒🔗

The two orders of worship can be seen as variations on one single theme. General Synod Smithville 1980 decided to include the Orders of Worship (A and B) in the Book of Praise (see Acts, Art. 122, 6 a, p. 89).¹ Both orders are structured as a dialogue between two parties. The churches may use order A or B, or they may interchange them. The footnotes found with these orders indicate that the structure may be changed somewhat as far as a few sub-sections are concerned, although the overall structure should not be modified. It is noteworthy that there is a possibility to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as well as baptism before, rather than after, the sermon.  In the traditional way of celebrating the Lord’s Supper, with a final meditation or sermon, it may well be impossible to do it otherwise. There may be practical reasons for administering baptism at the beginning of the service. These variations show that the orders of worship are not meant to be as binding as “laws of the Medes and Persians”.  The churches are, however, expected to follow the orders of worship in order to maintain order and provide continuity.  There are no prescribed orders of worship for the church services on days other than Sunday, e.g. those held on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, days of prayer or thanksgiving, and the occasion of marriage. Yet it is advisable to adhere as closely as possible to the usual order, to avoid restlessness and confusion in the congregation.

2. What are the Differences?←↰⤒🔗

A close scrutiny of orders A and B reveal several differences:

• In order A, the so-called “long prayer” (with intercessions) takes place before the sermon, while it is after the sermon in order B.
• In the afternoon service of order A, profession of faith is spoken before the sermon; in order B, it is changed around. Both orders have the option to recite the Nicene Creed.
• The offerings take place at different times in orders A and B.

Both orders are acceptable in the structure of the worship service, yet order B is preferable because of the first two differences listed above. The Lord is the first to speak.  The congregation responds to the Word of the Lord. This is more clearly evident in order B.

In the old church and in the churches of the Reformation, the prayer with intercession always followed the sermon. Later, because of the increasing length of the sermon, less room was left for prayer, and so it was placed before the sermon. 

C. The Covenantal Conversation←⤒🔗

In the worship service, God and the congregation alternately speak to each other. In this context, the officiating liturgist fulfills an important role. He speaks:

on behalf of God to the congregation on behalf of the congregation to God
in - the peace greeting/salutation   
in - the votum
      the law (morning service)
      prayers
      Scripture reading the creed (unless it is sung)
      sermon
      sacraments
      blessing

1. Beginning and End of the Service←↰⤒🔗

The service begins when the minister pronounces the votum, or dedication. Here the congregation approaches the presence of God. The votum has been in use since the Synod of Dordrecht (1574), and is a suitable choice of opening for the service. Psalm 124 is a pilgrim’s psalm. It was sung on the journey to meet the Lord, en route to Jerusalem’s temple, and it praises the Lord for wonderful, unexpected deliverance.  The Lord has enabled his people to escape the clutches of death. They are safe only with him. This is the source of the awesome confession: “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8). This is a fine way to begin the service, showing that the congregation entrusts itself to its almighty covenantal God, through whom it has life.

Immediately after the votum comes the response of the salutation. The minister greets the congregation on behalf of the Lord. Its confession of trust in him is answered by the gift of God’s grace and peace.  Various New Testament letters also begin with this greeting, and John addresses the seven churches in Asia in the same manner (Revelation 1:4-5).

The salutation must be distinguished from the benediction, or blessing, that ends the service. The closing blessing does not merely repeat what has been said in the beginning, but has a weightier content. The congregation goes home with the rich promise of the covenant, strengthened to go on with life. This is the strength of the apostolic blessing (2 Corinthians 13:13) and the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26).

It is appropriate that the congregation stands during the salutation and benediction. This is fitting towards God, accentuating this element of the liturgy. The congregation should have their eyes open at this time. The raised hands of the minister are meant to be seen. As a point of comparison, it is polite to look at one another as you exchange greetings. Closing the eyes during the salutation and benediction may seem to be reverent, but it is not.

2. The Law of the Covenant←↰⤒🔗

The law is read in the morning service.  The ten commandments were given in an Old Testament context at Mount Sinai, but they continue to have validity as an essential aspect of the covenant. This is the reason they also appear in the New Testament (e.g. Matthew 5:17; Romans 7:7; Ephesians 6:1-3; James 2:10-11).

The reading of the law has a twofold purpose: It teaches us to know our sins and to live in thankfulness (cf. HC, Q&A 3-5, 91, 114, 115).  Therefore, the law cannot be set aside in the covenantal meeting.

In the 16^th century, a confession of sin and a proclamation of grace often followed the reading of the law. John Calvin, Petrus Dathenus, and others gave these elements a place in the morning service. The Synods of Dordrecht (1574) and Middelburg (1581) removed these elements from the liturgy.   

Some people have proposed to bring the confession of sin and proclamation of grace back into the liturgy as a separate component.  The churches have not yet done so. However, in the liturgical orders A and B, the reading of the law is followed by the congregation’s response in singing, after which a prayer is offered in which the congregation confesses its sins and asks for forgiveness. There are even prayers formulated for this purpose (see Outline 10, E.1.). The first prayer in the prayers section - which can serve as the “long prayer” in order A - begins with a confession of sins and a supplication for forgiveness.  According to the decision of the churches, the proclamation of grace takes place in the preaching.

3. The Focal Point of the Dialogue←↰⤒🔗

The preaching is the heart of the worship service. As the worship service proceeds, it should be clear that preaching takes a central place.  This is not only because it takes up the longest part of the service, but also because the Scripture reading and the songs are all focussed on the message of the sermon. As an analogy, compare the sermon to a painting, and the liturgy to the frame of the painting.  It might seem that this would reduce the value of the remainder of the liturgical elements; nonetheless, the preaching must remain at the centre of the worship service. Faith comes from hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

Note:    

The Reformers, in their strong conviction, restored preaching to its honourable position. Martin Luther acknowledged that the sanctification of Christ is distributed through the proclamation of the gospel. John Calvin declared that preaching, the proclamation of the Word of God, is essential. It is the key to the kingdom of God (see HC, Q&A 65, 83, 84; CD, cc. III/IV, Art. 17 about the “use of the means”).

For this reason, the sermon must show accountability.  High standards may be imposed on a sermon. A responsible sermon does not necessarily have to be long.  Concentrated listening to an address is becoming increasingly difficult. The minister must take this into account. On the other hand, we must beware of shorter, hastier worship services that take away the serenity needed to absorb everything. The congregation should be able to suspend the hectic pace of daily life so as to be refreshed and comforted by the Word of God. The flock should not be agitated.

4. The Singing Congregation←↰⤒🔗

A beautiful element of the liturgy is the singing of the congregation. The singing is more than just ‘a verse to go with the sermon’. The congregation is to “continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips” (Hebrews 13:15). Many psalms encourage the congregation to praise God (e.g. Psalm 95, 100, 150).

Especially the singing in unison demonstrates that the congregation is one body before God.  It comes “before him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 95:2), wanting to meet him with shouts of joy. At the same time, the members of the congregation experience the communion of saints by singing psalms, songs of praise and hymns (Ephesians 5:19). Singing together in church has a binding and uplifting power (Colossians 3:16). The congregation directs its song to God, and to one another.

The Reformation turned the congregation back into a singing congregation. The choirs of those days had entirely taken over the singing. John Calvin made great efforts to restore the congregational singing to its rightful place.

Besides the Psalms, the Book of Praise has also a number of hymns. It has often been suggested that the singing of hymns causes the church to stray. This is an unjust allegation, for it is not the singing of hymns themselves, but the content of hymns that may affect our faith. Songs from the New Testament that, just as the Psalms, describe deeds of salvation and express a trusting faith, are a welcome extension of the treasury of songs of the Christian church. So long as they are Scriptural, the hymns certainly do not strip the Psalms of their unique value.

5. The Congregation Prays←↰⤒🔗

Praying together is another manifestation of the communion of saints. In prayer, the congregation is strongly dependent on the minister. He speaks to God on behalf of the congregation. This is a very responsible task, demanding careful preparation. The liturgist must be aware that he prays the prayer of the congregation. The congregation should be able to recognize itself in the praising of God, the confession of sins, and the petitions that are laid before the Lord. The liturgist must know the life of the congregation and its members in order to be a suitable spokesman. With regard to the Lord’s Prayer and the form prayers, the congregation is familiar with these prayers, and can therefore feel involved in them, as long as they are said respectfully.

Having the congregation pray the Lord’s Prayer aloud is an attempt to make its members more active in prayer. The difficulty is getting the people to speak in unison, especially in a larger congregation.  Perhaps it would be advisable to recite this prayer as a Gregorian chant.

D. Participating in the Liturgical Event←⤒🔗

Because the worship service is predictable, involvement in it can diminish. Eventually, the reasons behind certain liturgical acts may be less known. The offertory, or collection, through which the congregation expresses its thankfulness, may well turn into an opportunity to socialize. When this happens, it takes on the appearance of an intermission within the church service. Some may use the singing of the final song as an opportunity to get ready to leave.  The danger of complacency and boredom is very real.           

Meaningful participation in the worship service can be increased by:

• preparing for the worship service through prayer for the minister and for ourselves
• ​arriving on time and checking the liturgy
• discussing the sermon and service afterwards.

Children ought to be present for the entire worship service. A principal objection to Sunday school is that the children are viewed as a separate group within the congregation. They are part of the congregation, and should be taught that they belong. It is commendable to incorporate into the worship service psalms and hymns learned at school. It is also good and useful for the minister to address the children during the course of the sermon. There are indeed various ways in which the children can be involved in the service.

E. Conclusion←⤒🔗

Our reflections on the worship service and on our involvement in it will make our meeting with the Lord and with one another a still greater celebration.

F. Tips for the Introduction←⤒🔗

1. Follow the events of the order of worship step by step and explain the significance of each section for the dialogue between God and the congregation. Compare order A with order B.
    
2. The preaching is the heart of the worship service. Prove from Scripture why this is so. Refer to: Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8, 16:14, 20:17-31; Romans 10:4-17; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:17.
    
3. Explain why an established order of worship is necessary to prevent all sorts of experimentation in the pulpit. God is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14).
    
4. Some see Reformed liturgy as a “one-man’s service”, and feel that the congregation is not sufficiently involved.  Taking this allegation as a starting point, demonstrate that it is insupportable.

G. For Discussion←⤒🔗

1. What high demands should be made of a sermon that is accountable?
    
2. What is the function of a theme divided into points?
    
3. What is the purpose of the weekly catechism preaching? (See CO, Art. 52.)
    
4. It is sometimes said that the ten commandments no longer belong in the liturgy of the New Testament congregation since they are held to be obsolete, belonging to the old dispensation. Besides, Christ has fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4). Can it be proven from Scripture that these objections are unjustifiable?
    
5. Are the objections to hymns in the worship service justifiable?  Are they perhaps understandable?
    
6. The melody of Hymn 1A has a Gregorian character.   Why is it incorrect to say that Gregorian chants are Roman Catholic and should not be tolerated in a Reformed worship service?
    
7. Is there any objection to a choir or the use of (untraditional) musical instruments in the worship service?  What should we always be on guard for?
    
8. The liturgy belongs to the congregation. Keeping this in mind, does this mean that the minister ought to prepare the order of worship together with a group of members from the congregation, as is now common practice in some denomination.