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Liturgy (from the Greek leitourgia) reflects the
personal, home and congregational (church) approach to
meeting with, listening to, Worship Services
ping and glorifying
God. The Worship Services
service is often deemed a static
“programme” with a beginning, middle and end. It is,
however, a dynamic process of meeting in Spirit and
truth, showing obedience, listening carefully and
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ping. The Worship Services
service continues on to the
home and inner room of the believer, as extension of the
meeting of the church as people of God. The church draws
near in a particular way, gathers or constitutes to meet
with God (Heb. 10:23; Belgic Confession, Arts. 27-32).
Then they humble themselves and repent, receive
forgiveness and absolution, pray for illumination from
the Spirit (epiclesis) when hearing the exegesis of the
Word of God, upon which they respond with prayer in
gratitude and petition for all authority as well
provision in the need of all.
Scripture teaches that God meeting with His church and
the church with God and each other must comprise of
liturgical acts that guide believers in glorifying,
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ping and serving God through His Word and Spirit
(John 4:23). The liturgy of Worship Services
services features
the following main elements: the Approach to God (Introïtus),
die Confession of Sin and Assurance of Pardon, the Word
of God in proclamation and then the Response to God (Responsoria).
The Approach to God is made up of four elements: votum,
salutation, hymns of praise and confession of faith.
The votum is an open, humble and solemn declaration that
the Worship Services
service is a meeting between God and His
people and thus of His people with Him and each other.
The church confesses their dependence and focus on God.
The salutation is laid on the congregation upon
instruction and on behalf of God, as the pronouncement
and raised hands attest. The hymn of praise is a
liturgical component of the Approach to God and serves
as response to God’s salutation. The congregation of
believers presents itself as “unit in the truth faith”
before God, support each other and set itself apart from
the world through the confession of faith, which forms
part of the Introïtus. It is the congregation’s
declaration of identity as body in one true faith (John
4:23; HC, Sunday 21; Belgic Confession, Arts. 27-29).
The Confession of Sin and Assurance of Pardon denote the
humble entry into the holy presence of God. It is the
congregation humbling itself through the hearing of
God’s prescriptions, the congregation’s confession of
guilt, the pardon of God and the proclaiming of the Law
as guide to thankfulness for the reconciled people of
God.
The Word of God in proclamation entails a prayer for
illumination from the Spirit, independent Scripture
reading, Scripture reading pertaining to the sermon, the
sermon and the sacraments. Given the dark heart and mind
of man and given the Godly nature of Scripture, it is
prayed that the proclamation of the Word of God will
truly be the revelation and application of the Word and
that the congregation will accept it as Word of God and
that the Word will bear fruit. The Word of God is
powerful in bringing about all it proclaims, viz.
salvation of souls and freedom from sin and the powers
of death, to the glory, thankfulness and service of God.
The writers of Holy Scripture were so inspired by the
Spirit to put down the words of God and thus reading
from Scripture is proclaiming the Word of God. The
sermon serves to open up and apply Scriptural texts and
must closely relate to such texts. God is speaking in
that the sermon is proclaimed upon instruction of the
Word. The living God’s living Word is proclaimed
(interpreted and applied) and compels a living, dynamic,
exhorting delivery of the sermon. The sacraments of
baptism and the Lord’s Supper are signs and seals of
Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the joy of
living reconciled to God and each other.
Although the congregation responds to God’s
pronouncements throughout, this response culminates in
the Response to God. It is the congregation’s response
to all preceding liturgical events, viz. the Approach to
God, the Confession of Sin and Assurance of Pardon and
the Word of God in proclamation. It is especially
through proclamation of the Word, prayer, Worship Services
,
thankfulness and confession of sin that God calls on the
heart of the congregation. Prayer, Christian outreach
and song are the congregation’s response to fellowship
with God. Singing is an important supporting component
of the Response to God, but as the congregation’s
response it also features in the other elements of the
liturgical sequence.
Singing supports the words used to communicate with God
in the liturgy, since it is the unified response of the
congregation. The song serves so to speak as formulary
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, petition, confession, praise, glorification
and confession of sin. Certain Psalms and hymns also
lend themselves to singing in turns. Collection or
Christian outreach forms part of the congregation’s
response to the proclamation of the Word and with this
the congregation tangibly shows its gratitude to God for
sharing in His gifts of grace. Psalms have always and
must continue to serve as prayers, confessions and
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that could take the place of certain spoken
prayers.
The "amen" following activities such as the sermon,
prayers and confession of faith is the congregation’s
unified confession and confirmation. The benediction of
the Lord upon conclusion of the service does not serve
to end proceedings, but is the sending out of the
congregation for service in the world under the blessing
hand of the Lord.
Listen to sermons: Click on the link below (only
available in Afrikaans)
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