The topic of liturgy, often talked about as "the way we do things in Church" is a thorny issue. Many among us, perhaps the older members, would not want to change anything in the worship services. Often young people think that there is need for drastic change. Few people have no opinion. As you see then, I have been asked to speak on a rather dangerous topic. If I suggest change, I'll be in trouble with your moms and dads. If I maintain that change is unnecessary, perhaps you as the younger members of the church will think that I'm out of touch with reality. It doesn't look like I'll be able to get out of this unscathed.
The title given to my talk was given by the organizers of this weekend. In the title you will sense that I do not want to change. If you are one of those who are in favour of changing the Liturgy to something, say more vibrant, or with more participation of the congregation then you have chosen the right speach to listen to. I want to show you that Reformed Liturgy is Vibrant, it is full of participation, and it is full of deep devotion.
I know that you do not want to have a complex theological discussion on this topic but I thought that we should have a look at some of the historical background of our liturgy and then examine the its structure with a special emphasis on psalm singing as we find it in our Book of Praise.
We could go back as far as the early church and see how the worship developed between the time of the Book of Acts and the Reformation but that would mean that we would be here for a long time. Rather, we should simply turn to Acts 4:42, 44 & 45:
And they devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers... And all who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need.
In these verses we see the foundation of the liturgy of our Churches. There are four elements: The teaching of the apostles, the breaking of bread, praying and the giving of alms. These four things are also the things given in Q&A 103 of the Catechism in reference to the fourth commandment.
What does God require in the fourth commandment? First, that the ministry of the gospel and the schools be maintained and that, especially on the day of rest, I diligently attend the Church of God to hear God's Word to use the sacraments to call publicly upon the LORD and to give Christian offerings for the poor.
These four things make up the liturgy of the Churches of the Reformation: preaching, sacraments, prayers and alms giving. If we study the writings of the early Church, and there are many writings available, we can see that these four things were present. However, these elements of worship were slowly swallowed up into the magical mystery of the developing Roman Mass.
If we read answer 103 again we notice that the four elements demand the participation of the congregation. You confess there that your are required to HEAR, to USE, to CALL and to GIVE. The Catechism is a personal confession. You say that I must diligently attend the Church of God so that I might hear the Word, I might use the Sacraments, that I might pray and so that I will be able to give to the poor.
The Roman Mass had removed this all from the liturgy. In the days of Calvin and Luther the Mass was said in Latin and so was any Bible reading. There was virtually no preaching and much of that was also in Latin. Now remember that these were German or French or Dutch or English speaking people who had no ability to understand Latin. The Mass had become a magical ceremony in which the pomp and circumstance overshadowed the meaning of the Lord's Supper. The priest would stand with his back to the congregation and whisper the words which would change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The believers were not allowed to drink the wine for fear of spilling it or of leaving some on their lips. The bread was placed on their tongue so that not even a crumb would fall on the floor. The prayers were in Latin and the people could not understand a word. The faithful were also required to place their financial sacrifices in a box when they came to the altar to accent the sacrificial character of the Mass. This was no longer the giving of alms as much as it was symbolic of sacrifice. The congregation also no longer sang. It was the choirs of monks who did the singing. This singing was complex and out of the reach of the abilities of the people.
The whole of the Liturgy had become perverted. There was absolutely no participation by the congregation. They could not understand a word of the service. They did not use the sacraments but they simply had them given to them. The mass was celebrated whether there was anybody besides the priests or not. You could even hire priests to say Masses for you after you were dead. The more you payed the more the priests would pray.
It was these wrong teachings that the Reformers attempted to change. And change it they did. In the decades after the beginning of the Reformation the Reformers attempted to redefine liturgy as the public and communal worship of God by the congregation. The worship service, (that is what we call it)--- The worship service was again understood as the time and place where our covenant God comes and meets with his people.
John Calvin said, "no assembly of the Church should be held without the word being preached, prayers being offered, the Lord's Supper administered, and alms given [Inst.4.17.44]." Along with Calvin and the other reformers there was a return to a Biblical style of worship. The reformers rejected the mysticism of the Roman mass.
At this point I would like to shift the focus of our attention to a very particular aspect of the worship, the singing. So far we have paid little attention to the singing of the congregation. There is no mention of it in the passage we read from Acts, there is no mention of it the Catechism and there is no mention of it in the quotation I gave you from Calvin. We find, however many references to the singing of songs in Scripture. One that comes to mind quickly is in Matt 26:30 where Jesus and the disciples, after the supper in the upper room, sing a hymn and then go to the Mount of Olives. We also have reference to singing psalms in Eph (5:19) Col (3:16) Heb (2:12) James (5:13) Rev (14:3, 15:3). We see then, especially in the passages in Revelation 14 and 15, that the worship of God is integrally tied to singing.
Calvin speaks of this in his preface to Psalter. This psalter is the one which we find the source for our Genevan Tunes in our Book of Praise.
I would like to read some of this preface to you:
"As for public prayers, there are two kinds. The ones with the word alone: the others with singing. And this is not something invented a little time ago. For from the first origin of the Church, this has been so, as appears from the histories. And even St. Paul speaks not only of praying by mouth: but also of singing. And in truth we know by experience that singing has great force and vigor to move and inflame the hearts of men to invoke and praise God with more vehement and ardent zeal. Care must always be taken that the son be neither light nor frivolous: but that it have weight and majesty (as St. Augustine says), and also there is a great difference between the music which one makes to entertain man at table and in their houses, and the Psalms which are sung in church in the presence of God and his angels. But when anyone wishes to judge correctly of the form which is here presented, we hope that it will be found holy and pure, seeing that it is simply directed to the edification of which we have spoken." [Quoted by C. Garside Jr. in "Calvin's Preface to the Psalter: a Re-Appraisal." Reformed Music Journal October 1990.]
There are a number of things of interest for us here. The first is that John Calvin considers singing, especially congregational singing to be a form of prayer. There is the kind of prayer that consists of words only, which we hear with our ears and repeat in our hearts -- That is what you should be doing when the minister or elder is praying in church. And there is the kind of prayer that we sing. If we stop and reflect for even a moment we would have to agree with the 4th century Church Father, Augustine that these musical prayers should be neither light or frivolous. They should have weight and majesty. There is a great difference between what we would consider entertainment and what we do and sing when we are worshipping the great God of the universe. We sing the psalms, we pray the psalms in the presence of God and to his glory.
I would like to point out one other thing that Calvin says.
"... the ancient doctors of the church frequently complain of this, that the people of their times were addicted to dishonest and shameless songs, which not without cause they referred to and called mortal and Satanic poison for corrupting the world. Moreover, in speaking now of music, I understand two parts: namely the letter, or subject matter; secondly, the song, or the melody. It is true that ever bad word (as St. Paul has said) perverts good manners but when the melody is with it, it pierces the heart much more strongly, and enters into it: in a like manner as through a funnel, the wine is poured into the vessel; so also the venom and the corruption is distilled to the depths of the heart by the melody." [Garside in "Calvin's Preface.]
This has a bit broader application than just church liturgy. He tells us when bad words are accompanied by melody it pierces the heart and like wine through a funnel so the poison and corruption enters the heart. This might have some application to the modern music that many of you indulge in. Perhaps you should stop and meditate on your listening habits and examine whether the drug induced, sexual and occult music on Popular radio is compatible with your Sunday Psalm singing.
Now back to Psalm singing. Many people have asked, "Why do we sing the psalms?" Again Calvin gives us an answer.
"Moreover, that which St. Augustine has said is true, that no one is able to sing things worthy of God except that which he has received from him. Therefore, when we have looked thoroughly and searched here and there, we shall not find better songs nor more fitting for the purpose, that the Psalms of David, which the Holy Spirit spoke and made through him. And moreover, when we sing them, we are certain that God puts in our mouths these, as if he himself were singing in us to exalt his glory. [Garside in "Calvin's Preface.]
Calvin tells us that there no more fitting songs can be found than the ones which God himself has given us. We can be certain that when we sing these songs that God himself has given us the words.
These psalms were by and large the songs that the OT believers sang in their worship in the Temple. The Psalmists, David, Asaph and others were men inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words that the people could use to praise their God. We can also use them.
So we see then that Calvin brought Psalm singing back into the worship service of the Congregation. The monks had been singing them for centuries. Some of you may have heard of Gregorian Chants. Only well trained singers could manage the tunes. You need to imagine that the Benedictine monks sang all 150 psalms every week. And this was simply the Latin text set to music.
Calvin brought the Psalms into the life of the believers. Before the Reformation believers did not even have a Bible that they could read or understand and now they could memorize vast portions of the Psalter, all-be-it in a rhymed version. Calvin and the Reformers wanted to purge all foreign elements from the worship services. In the 19th and 20th centuries other things have found their way (back) into the worship services: choirs, soloists, testimonies, "sharing", individual prayers, drama and dancing. But these elements intrude into the covenant dialogue between God and his people. It's rather like having a conversation that someone keeps interupting and silencing God and his people. A church service should not become a time for performances or entertainment. Performances can be upbuilding but people go to church to hear God's Word, to use the sacraments, and to respond in prayer and with gifts, within the covenant community.
From here I want to examine the liturgy as we find it set up in our Churches. There are variations as we go from Church to Church in our federation but the liturgy is rather predictable. This uniformity helps us to feel at home wherever we worship. I moved from the West Coast, 5000 kms away, and when I come to worship on Sunday I know that things will be much the same as from where I come. The Churches have agreed that there is benefit to having a similar liturgy, a similar order of worship, throughout the federation. This order of worship is printed in our Book of Praise on pages 581-583.
I would like to run through Liturgy B for the morning service and give some comments on the different aspects of it. We will see the Biblical basis for the different parts and for the whole.
Starting then with the
Votum: This is the word we use to name the opening words of the service. "Our help is in the name of the LORD." This comes directly from Ps 124:8. This is a confession on the part of the congregation and is spoken by the minister. You should notice that the minister has not yet raised his hands when he says these words. He speaks them for the congregation as a confession of faith in God. Here together the people of God have assembled and having stood in unison at the beginning of their worship they with one mind publicly confess that they are completely dependant on God.
Salutation: The minister raises his hand (or hands) in greeting. As a congregation, as the assembly of the elect, the believers have confessed that their only help is in the name of the Lord. The Lord now comes with his Greeting. This greeting is taken directly from the NT. These words are words that the inspired apostles wrote to the Churches of the NT era and to us today. These apostolic greetings point to the rich promises of the Covenant God. If we read Lk 10:5-12 we hear the words of our Lord Jesus Christ himself. “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’"
If the greeting is accepted, the blessings of the Lord will be poured out on that house. If these words are not accepted with a believing heart, the curses of the Covenant come into effect. It will be more tolerable for Sodom than for those who do not accept the blessing in faith.
Think about that. These words, "Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ," are the greeting from God our Father and Creator and from Jesus Christ our redeemer. What attitude do you have when the minister speaks these words. Are you slow to stand up? Do you talk to your neighbour? Or are you busy looking up the psalm in your book? This blessing comes with the promise of Grace and with the demand to accept the blessing in faith. It is not a prayer, or a request. It is a greeting from the Lord God himself.
Congregational Singing: In our song the congregation responds to the blessing of the Lord. This psalm should be a reflection of the faith response of the people. Ministers try to find psalms that are applicable to this response, but too many of us simply mouth the words without knowing why we are singing this particular one at this time. Remember, these Psalms are metrical versions of the inspired word of God.
The Ten Words of the Covenant: This element of liturgy was re-introduced to the worship service by Calvin. It was important to the OT worship but had been lost.
The character of these words is important. The opening words.. "I am the Lord your God" again contain the promise of God. This promise comes in the form of a statement. God is faithful to us and simply declares to us that he is our God. He is the God of the Covenant and he reveals himself to us in his Word. This law exposes our sin and sinfulness and is a rule for thankfulness. In response to this God who promises that he our God we are to live in a right relationship with him and with our neighbour. We cannot escape the covenant responsibility laid on us. This is in the same vein as the covenant blessing at the beginning of the service. The Law demands a response of faith. This response is expressed by the congregation in the next song that is sung.
Congregational singing: This selection could be a confession of sins, eg Ps 51 or a confession of faith eg. Ps 23, 26. There should be some connection between the song that was sung in response to the blessing and just prior to the Law. It could be more verses of the same psalm.
Prayer: This prayer consists of public profession of sins. Having heard the Law the congregation confesses its sin before the holy God and asks for forgiveness. Then the congregation prays for the grace of the Holy Spirit and for spiritual renewal so that we can go forward into the week serving him. This prayer also should include request for illumination by the Holy Spirit so that the preaching of the Word will have effect in our lives.
{Absolution} in Calvin's Geneva the minister would read a passage from scripture in which he would pronounce forgiveness of sins for the congregation. We no longer do this but perhaps we should. We need to remember that it is only on the basis of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ that that the worship service can proceed.
Scripture Reading: The service now moves to the central aspect; The Word of God. In the days of the Reformation when few people could read and even fewer had Bibles the pulpit was the main place from which believers heard the Word of God. Large portions of Scripture would be read, each Sunday in succession; much as your father reads from the Bible in your families. (This tradition of daily mealtime Bible reading is a good tradition for it helps each one of us to become more and more aware of the content of scripture). In our services we no longer need to have this type of Bible reading so the reading is focused on the preaching of the word. Often there will be an OT and NT passage which have bearing on the text for the sermon. Each one of you should have your Bibles open reading along. It is much easier to hear and remember the passage if you do that and the sermon will have a much greater impact on your lives.
Sermon: As we have heard earlier, this is the proclamation of the Word. When the word of God is preahed, the Holy Spirit is at work. In the preaching of the Word, God speaks to his people. When a minister is preaching we need to set aside our preconceived ideas and listen carefully. He is explaining what the Bible means. This is not just an intellectual exercise but is the way which God has chosen to work faith. (Romans 10:14-17). The Catechism also teaches us that faith is worked in us by the preaching of the Word. I want to remind you that the preaching is not a spectator sport. We live in a spectator culture. We watch TV. We watch athletes play. We even got to watch the Gulf War from our living rooms. Yes, we want to be entertained. Worship, however, demands your participation. We noted earlier that we have to Listen to the Word of God and apply it to our own lives. To often we can hear the comment, "To bad so and so wasn't in church. That was a good sermon for him." Or over coffee we hear, "The minister did well, (or poorly) today." It used to be in Scotland that the question was not, "How did the preacher do today?" But, "How did you get on under the preaching today?" Ask yourself that on Sunday. As you leave Church ask yourself, "How did I get on under the preaching? What did the LORD of heaven and earth, who is my God and my Father teach me today?" Apply the words that you hear to your own life and let me tell the preaching won't be boring. Uncomfortable maybe, but not boring!!!
Responsive Song: This psalm selection should contain an affirmation that the congregation has heard the Word as proclaimed.
Profession of Faith: This is in the afternoon service. Note that it comes after the Ministry of the Word which normally would be based on the order of the Heidelberg Catechism. This is the proper place for the Apostles' Creed. Placing the Credo here accents the different character of the afternoon service. There is a flow from morning to afternoon. First the Law, then confession of sin, the forgiveness, then the proclamation of the Word from a scripture text, then proclamation of the Word as the church confesses it and then the confession of faith. Being a oncer does not mean that you miss one of two services. Rather it means that you miss half of a unified Sunday. Oncers leave the covenant conversation with God unfinished and broken off.
Due to constraints on time we will not enter the field of liturgy as it is worked out in the Forms for Baptism and Lord's Supper. We will only notice that in liturgy B they come after the preaching. First the preaching by which faith is worked in our hearts; Then the sacraments by which faith is confirmed and strengthened.
Prayer: This is the prayer in which the congregation give thanks to God for all his gifts: His Son, His Spirit, His Word and all the covenant blessings which he showers on us. At this time we also pray prayers of intercession for individuals of the congregation, for the needs of the Church and for the needs of the World.
Offertory: This is the fourth element of our liturgy. We have had a look at preaching, sacraments, prayers (spoken and sung) and now the congregation participates in Christian alms giving. It is everyone's responsibility to help provide for the needy. This is the way in which we exercise our fellowship in worship. We acknowledge that all we have comes from the Father in heaven and so we are willing to help those in need.
There is an important distinction that needs to be made here. Turning to Q & A 103 again we read that the first thing we need to do in honouring the sabbath is to ensure that the ministry of the Gospel and the schools be maintained. To maintain the ministry of the Gospel means that we need to contribute to the Church annual budget. This is NOT done by putting money in the collection bag. To often people say that they put their church donations in the bag. But this is incorrect. The donations, the gifts to the Church are an obligation which everyone has. It is not an optional thing. Everyone who has income should be donating a regular part of their earnings to the support of the ministry of the Gospel. The collections in the church service are a collection for the needy in the community.
Closing song: Once again the congregation participates in offering lyrical prayers to God. This is done by singing a song of praise and thanksgiving.
Benediction: At the end of the service the minister once again raises his hands; this time "over" the congregation and blesses them. This is the Aaronic blessing with which the OT believers were also blessed. To often these words are simply the sign that dismissal is at hand. It's kind of like the Amen at the end of the sermon. Its the signal that the service is over. People are fumbling for their coats. Looking for their books and continuing their chat that started during the collection.
This blessing is the blessing which God gives us to carry us through the week. Without our lives would be meaningless.
We have seen then that the four basic elements of worship that we find in Acts were lost by the Roman Church. These principles were re-established by the Reformation Church and maintained till our own day.
This worship demands your participation in all four elements and demands obedience on our part. The Lord has come to meet with his people and we should be there ready to worship and praise him in all his words and works.