D. SUGGESTED ORDERS FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP
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1. Corporate Worship Including the Lord's Supper
2. An Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper
3. A Second Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper
4. A Third Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper
While there is no one order for worship which is appropriate for all Christians, there is a classic shape to
corporate worship which informs all our worship. That shape is one of God's action and our response to God. The
following orders for Christian worship are informed by that classical shape. The first order includes the
celebration of the Lord's Supper, since the Lord's Supper is an act which gives the peculiar shape to all Christian
worship.
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1. Corporate Worship Including the Lord's Supper |
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The corporate worship begins as Christians present themselves to join together to worship God. The music chosen for
a prelude should enable people to focus their attention on God and God's kingdom. Worshipers are to be instructed
that the prelude is a part of their corporate worship. It is not a "mood setter" or a time to "get ready" for
worship. Perhaps ringing a bell before the prelude begins, or some signal from the leader of worship prior to the
prelude indicating that worship is now to begin would be helpful. The liturgist may simply say "Let us worship
God." Then the prelude can begin.
Traditionally these sentences have always been scripture with the focus being on God and our relationship to him.
The classic model for Presbyterian worship has been Psalm 124:8, "Our help is in the name of the Lord who made
heaven and earth." Many other passages of scripture can be used as opening sentences, and may be said responsively.
But whatever passages are used, they will emphasize why the participants have gathered and what they are about. The
use here of any material other than scripture should be carefully examined as to substance and intent.
The dominant purpose of Christian worship is praise--the joyful response of the people to God's unspeakable gift in
Jesus Christ. It is highly appropriate, therefore, that the people sing their praise to God following the opening
sentences. The hymn should be one whose tune and text point to God's greatness, majesty, love and goodness.
Ordinarily the prayer following the hymn of praise continues the theme of praise and adoration. Care should be
taken to shape the prayer as one of adoration, and remember that other prayers in the service will be shaped by
other appropriate prayer emphases.
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| | Confession of Sin and Declaration of Pardon
or Words of Assurance |
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The confession of sin and the assurance of forgiveness are an integral part of worship, just as they are an
integral part of the Christian life. Historically this act is found in one of two places: following the act of
adoration or before the celebration of the Lord's Supper.
It is in order to call the worshipers to confession through the use of scripture passages. The prayer of confession
follows and often it is most meaningful when prayed in unison. If it is prayed by one person on behalf of all, it
should be carefully planned and thoughtfully prayed so that it can indeed be a corporate prayer in which all may
participate.
The act of confession is to be followed by a strong affirmation or declaration of pardon. Here again scripture
provides the best treasury for such affirmation, and needs no comment of any kind. For example, I John 1:9 is often
used: "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness."
A response of praise appropriately follows the act of confession and the granted forgiveness from God. This
response can take several forms. Psalms and canticles (songs from the Bible other than those contained in the
Psalter) have long been used for this purpose. The reading from the Psalter is appropriately followed by the
singing of the Gloria Patri ("Glory Be to the Father"), or some other response of praise.
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| | The Hearing of God's Word |
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The reading, proclaiming and hearing of God's word constitute the second major movement in the order of worship. We
gather to hear God's word addressed to us through the reading of scripture and the preaching of the sermon. Here
proclamation is central and uppermost.
The reading of scripture is of critical importance to proclamation. Whoever is responsible for reading it should be
adequately prepared and possess the ability to read well.
In selecting the scripture passage or passages to be read careful thought is to be given to providing the
worshipers with all the many and varied themes and emphases of God's word.
The use of a lectionary for corporate worship is highly recommended. A lectionary is a systematic ordering of
scripture to ensure that the many themes of scripture will be read and provide the basis for proclamation.
Traditionally lectionaries are developed around the Christian year and prescribe specific readings for each Sunday.
It is also appropriate for those who design worship to produce a lectionary for use.
Customarily the reading of scripture is preceded by a Prayer for Illumination which calls upon God to
enable us to be receptive to his word.
It is appropriate that the scripture readings be separated by an anthem or canticle or
hymn.
The sermon appropriately follows the last scripture reading and ordinarily is to be based upon one or more
of the readings. Care should be exercised that the sermon not violate the integrity of worship nor compromise the
biblical witness. A prayer or Ascription of Praise appropriately follows the sermon.
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| | Affirmation of Faith or Creed |
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The affirmation of faith by the worshipers has from the early years of the Christian movement been a central part
of corporate worship. Historically the recital of the Creed or personal Affirmation of Faith was the basis
on which worshipers were admitted to the Lord's Supper. Only those persons who were willing to say "I believe..."
were allowed to participate in the worship of the people of God at the table. Also, the Creed or
Affirmation of Faith functions as a response to our hearing of God's word.
It is fitting also that an appropriate hymn be sung to express further the worshipers' belief or faith.
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| | The Prayers of the People |
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The people's Affirmation of Faith is appropriately followed by the Prayers of the People. These
are prayers that may be offered by a minister or a layperson to which all present can respond by saying "Amen."
The Prayers of the People may include thanksgiving, supplication, intercession, and conclude with the
Lords' Prayer. Thanksgiving lifts up the expression of gratitude common to all those present and may include
appreciation for the church; supplication focuses on the needs of the worshipers both individual and corporate;
intercession incorporates the needs of those not present but whose needs are well known, especially the needs of
those who are not members of the Christian community; the Lord's Prayer is the model of all our prayers and enables
all present to pray according to Jesus' teaching and understanding of prayer.
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| | The Presenting of the Gifts or Offering |
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Historically the offering was the occasion in corporate worship when the elements of bread and wine which were to
be used in the Lord's Supper were presented. It is appropriate to bring them to the communion table still, or if
the table has already had the elements placed upon it, they are at this time prepared for the Lord's Supper which
is to follow.
At this point in the service, money and other offerings are brought forward. The giving of money is to be seen as
an act of worship, a symbol of our commitment as individuals and as a corporate body to the redemptive work of God
in the world. Even if there is no money to be given as a part of a particular service of corporate worship, some
act of self-giving is in order for that service. The Doxology may be sung as an act of praise following the giving
of our gifts, and the act of giving may conclude with a Prayer of Dedication.
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| | The Celebration of the Lord's Supper |
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The celebration of the Lord's Supper is central to Christian worship. In this liturgical act a visible presentation
of the word is joined to it and proclamation. Together, sermon and sacrament bear witness to God's redemptive
actions in the death and resurrection of Christ. It is always appropriate to include the sacrament as a part of
corporate worship.
In celebrating the Lord's Supper, those designing worship should be guided by the acts which have traditionally
accompanied that necessary part of corporate worship. Those acts may be identified by different names and be
clustered under different headings, but essentially they are these:
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| a. | | Invitation to the Lord's Table.
The minister who is to lead the congregation in celebrating the Lord's Supper invites all who
believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to participate in this celebration. |
| b. | | Words of Institution. Scripture
passages which establish the warrant for this celebration are read or recited by the one who is
designated to officiate at the communion table. Appropriate words are found in I Corinthians
11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:19-26, and Luke 22:19-20. Other passages of scripture which
relate Jesus' meeting with his disciples for a meal after the resurrection may also be used for
this purpose. |
| c. | | Prayer of Thanksgiving.This prayer
most often includes an expression of thanksgiving to God for who he is and what he has done in
Jesus Christ, a calling upon God to send the Holy Spirit upon the elements and the people, and an
offering of the lives of the people to be used by God. |
| d. | | Breaking and Pouring.Action at
this point in the liturgy is most meaningful. The acts of breaking the bread and pouring the wine
dramatically remind us that Christ's body was broken and his blood was shed for all. It is
important therefore that such action be thoughtfully done and clearly visible to all present. A
loaf of bread of sufficient size needs to be provided for the breaking, and a chalice and flagon
are necessary for the pouring. After the pouring, the chalice can be elevated for all to see. If
the act of pouring is omitted, the chalice may still be elevated. |
| e. | | Partaking of the Elements.
Different ways of distributing the elements have developed in the life and worship of the church
which are appropriate. Congregations of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church/Cumberland Presbyterian
Church in America have traditionally followed the procedure of serving the worshipers in their
pews. Using this method, the minister may partake of the elements, then serve the ruling elders,
who in turn serve the congregation; or the minister and ruling elders may serve others first and
then serve one another.
Another method used is having the members of the congregation come forward to partake and be served
by the minister and ruling elders. Still another approach is to have the worshipers come forward
and be served while seated at a table.
In each method used, worshipers may stand, sit or kneel.
Many worshipers have found the use of one loaf of bread and one cup (traditionally called the
"common cup") for all worshipers to be most meaningful. Some congregations use the common cup only
for the minister and the ruling elders. |
| f. | | Post Communion Prayer.A prayer of
praise, commitment and intercession may follow the distributing of the elements. A canticle of the
church or a hymn may appropriately follow this prayer. |
| g. | | The Dismissal/Charge/Benediction.
Corporate worship may conclude with a dismissal signaling the concluding of worship, or a charge in
which the people are exhorted to go into the world to be the people of God, or a pronouncement of a
blessing upon the people, or any combination of the three. Leaders are encouraged to use biblical
material for this act. |
Like the prelude this music should be chosen with corporate worship in mind. Moreover, if it is to be a part of
worship, then all present should be requested to remain silent and listen to the postlude and make it a part of
their worship. If this is to happen, it means that in most instances the postlude will be brief. If the postlude is
not to be understood as a part of worship, then it is recommended that it be removed from the order of worship and
that the service conclude with the dismissal or benediction.
Persons responsible for designing corporate worship will need to think through how the making of necessary
announcements will relate to corporate worship. Some congregations will choose to present all necessary
announcements in a bulletin and expect the worshipers to read them without any mention of them being made as a part
of worship. Other congregations may decide to make announcements prior to the beginning of corporate
worship. Another option is to make announcements after corporate worship.
Those congregations which decide it is the wise choice to make announcements as a part of worship should give
thought to how this can be done without disrupting worship. One possibility is to make announcements just prior to
the Prayers of the People, and incorporate the concerns of the announcements into the prayers. Whenever
announcements are made as a part of corporate worship, they should be restricted to announcements which relate
directly to the on-going mission of the congregation and have relevance for all members of the worshiping
community.
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2. An Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper |
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| | Prelude |
| | Opening Sentences |
| | Hymn of Praise |
| | Call to Confession |
| | Declaration of Pardon |
| | Psalter Reading |
| | Gloria Patri |
| | Prayer for Illumination |
| | First Scripture Reading |
| | Sermon |
| | Ascription of Praise |
| | Creed |
| | Hymn |
| | The Prayers of the People |
| | The Offering |
| | Offertory Anthem |
| | Prayer of Dedication |
| | Hymn |
| | Benediction |
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3. A Second Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper |
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| | Prelude |
| | Opening Sentences or Call to Worship |
| | Prayer of Adoration |
| | Hymn of Praise |
| | Prayer of Confession |
| | Assurance of Pardon |
| | Responsive Reading |
| | Gloria Patri |
| | Invitation to Give |
| | Giving of Offering |
| | Doxology |
| | Prayer of Dedication |
| | Prayer for Illumination |
| | Scripture Reading(s) |
| | Prayers of the People |
| | Sermon |
| | Hymn of Consecration |
| | Benediction |
| | Silent Prayer |
| | Postlude |
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4. A Third Order for Corporate Worship Without the Lord's Supper |
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| | Prelude |
| | Opening Sentences or Call to Worship |
| | Processional Hymn |
| | Prayers: Adoration (the people standing) |
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Confession (the people seated) |
| | Assurance of Pardon |
| | Psalm |
| | Gloria Patri |
| | Scripture Reading(s) |
| | Anthem |
| | Sermon |
| | Creed |
| | Offering |
| | Prayers of the People |
| | Lord's Prayer |
| | Recessional Hymn |
| | Dismissal and/or Benediction |
| | Postlude |
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