Order of Service
Our Order of Service
It may come as a shock to you, but all churches have a “liturgy.” This word simply refers to an order of doing things. No matter what church you’ve attended, that church has a general pattern or order they follow in their worship service, even “contemporary” churches. At Ascension Reformed Church, we believe that the way we worship should re-enforce the message of the Bible to both our souls and our bodies, rather than manipulate your emotions.
The Bible clearly demonstrates that God is the One to initiate covenants with man, whether that was in the Garden, with Abraham, through Moses, or in the New Covenant. Man, then, becomes God’s covenant partner, but only as a recipient and image-bearer, never as God’s equal. Therefore, our worship is “responsive” – God initiates with us through His covenantal word, and we respond to Him in confession, prayer, and song. In other words, worship is “dialogical”.
Below is an explanation of what we do in worship
God Lifts Us Into His Presence
Just as we would not barge into the Oval Office or a King’s throne room, we await God’s summons and invitation in the Call to Worship. This is a Scripture text that commands us to worship. Given that we are not able to worship God in our own power and strength, we confess that “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth” and pray for His help. God responds by greeting us. Thankfully, He greets us in “Grace and peace” - not in justice and the condemnation we deserve - so we sing a song a praise.
Call to Worship
Votum and Invocation
God’s Greeting
Song
God Renews His Baptismal Promise
After entering the presence of our Covenant Lord, it’s important that we’re reminded of our standing before God and our identity in Christ. Therefore, we first hear His Law read to us. It speaks justice and righteousness, so our sin and misery are manifest. We, then, respond by confessing our sins to Him. Thankfully, God has not left us under the Law. He sent Christ to fulfill its demands for us, so we then hear a reading of Gospel comfort and respond by confessing our faith. Our minister, then, pronounces God’s pardon upon those that trust in Christ, so we answer God by singing His praise, normally with the Gloria Patri. Being washed of our sins in Christ is the promise of Baptism, which promise is renewed during this part of the service.
Reading of Law
Confession of Sins
Reading of Gospel
Confession of Faith
Absolution (aka Declaration of Pardon)
Song of Thanks/Praise (normally, the Gloria Patri)
God Speaks His Covenant Word
In our Communion Service, our minister ordinarily preaches through a book of the Bible, section-by-section, what is often called “expositional” or “expository” preaching. (Our Catechism Service, on the other hand, is characterized by doctrinal preaching.) After hearing God’s word read and preached, we respond in song.
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Reading
Sermon
Song
God Seals His Covenant Word
Finally, we turn our attention toward the Lord’s Table. This begins with our longest prayer of the service, the Prayer of Intercession. We pray for our governing authorities and society, the Christian Church (including ourselves), unbelievers that need the gospel, and those who are suffering. We ask the Lord to gather all sinners to the heavenly banquet, which we are about to receive a foretaste. The Supper is another administration of God’s word, and, like Baptism, it is a visible message to us; we refer to it as the “visible gospel.” It is a sign and seal of the covenant that was just preached, once again directing us to the comfort we have in Jesus Christ. Our celebration of the Supper is joyful, instructive, reverent, and prayerful. At the close of our worship, the Lord sends us forth with His blessing in the Benediction. Just like God had the first word in our worship, He also gets the last word. After all, He is the Covenant Lord, and we are mere servants.
Prayer of Intercession
Lord’s Supper
Song of Consecration
Benediction
Threefold Amen