A question by my daughter prompted me to write down the answer to share with others who may have had the same question. The question was, “What do you do (as elder) before the worship service in that (session) room?”

Well, what do the minister, elders and deacons do before the service? In 2 Cor. 13:12 the Apostle Paul writes, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” We live in a different culture from the church to which Paul wrote. The office bearers have replaced the holy kiss with a firm (?) handshake!

Having served as an office bearer in three different congregations and two different presbyteries, I have observed that the practices vary little. The small talk before the service usually revolves around the weather, world news, sport and church news. This is, I suppose, to be expected where brothers have not seen one another for a week. However, I believe a word of caution needs to be sounded here. The conversation should not be too trivial or controversial, as we need to keep in mind that we are to meet in worship before a Holy God. Further, the minister or reader needs to be able to concentrate on the message he is to bring, and not on the latest football or cricket score! Nor should the minister be asked to comment on a difficult issue, which may seem important to the inquirer but can be dealt with at a more appropriate time.

A Recent Thing⤒🔗

A few minutes before the worship service starts, one of the elders will lead in prayer. To many of us this seems logical – however, it may surprise you that this prayer was only introduced in the 19^th century in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, during the time of the ‘secession’. The theologian Voetius, who is known to write extensively about ‘church prayers’, does not mention it in his writings. Many ministers would proceed from the manse directly to the pulpit! It would appear that this prayer came into practice when the worship services were disturbed by the police or military during the ‘secession’, and the session felt a need to unite in prayer before the service.

Seeing that we now live in a country where we can worship without fear, would we not be better off to do away with it? We have after all (I assume) prepared for worship the day before, in the morning at home, and in the ‘silent prayer’ in church asking for a blessed service. Yet I would not like to see this prayer dispensed with, because here we (session) together approach God’s throne to ask for a blessing over the worship service which is about to commence.

This prayer should contain two petitions: for the preacher, and for the listener. For the preacher –“and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19). For the listeners­ that God may open up to us “a door for the Word” (Col. 4:3). The Apostle Paul also prayed in this way in 2 Thess. 3:1. The basis of this prayer is Hallowed be Thy Name. Speak to us, grant us all your Spirit, so that we understand the preacher, and together may serve you better.

We recognize our dependence. We confess in this prayer our faith. The case is not: “perhaps the Lord will speak to us or perhaps he will not.” No! Christ has promised us that where the Word is preached, there He is present! When we pray in this way, trusting and obeying, then this prayer does not become a mere formality. The prayer should not be too long, it is not a prayer for the needs of all Christendom. The elder does not need to pray here for things which are covered by the minister in the congregational prayer. Kuyper declared that many a preacher has been greatly strengthened by this simple and earnest prayer by an elder before the service!

The Handshake←⤒🔗

Having come this far with my thoughts on the prayer before the service, I would also like to add one other aspect as to what happens before and after the worship service: namely, the handshake.

The handshake means that although the minister is not completely bound, he is also not completely free to do or say what he wants. It is the Session that has called the congregation to worship. The minister is not a speaker with an audience. It is the congregation of the Lord, who under the leadership of the session meets her Lord in Word, law and confession; in song and giving; in sacraments and blessing. The elders are to have a responsibility for the entire worship service, to listen not only for them, but also for the flock whom they know and whose needs they know.

After the service, again there is the handshake. This does not mean that the elder necessarily agreed word for word what has been said: no, it expresses only that the preacher, according to his calling, proclaimed God’s Word. Only in a church where discipline has been completely eroded could there be a case where the handshake is denied. (I have witnessed a handshake denied only once – wrongly, I believe.) Would it not be better if the elder on duty would in a case of a disagreement, speak with the preacher at a more appropriate time, rather than display his displeasure in such a public way? After all, we have a plurality of elders who may have a different understanding of what was said.

I will repeat what a recent arrival in the session room says as we are about to start the service: “Have a blessed service, brothers.” What a wonderful way to start our worship service, brothers and sisters!