Worship (5)

What should the songs we sing and play in church be like?

First, they need to be fitting for the occasion. One may have an eclectic taste in music ranging from Gregorian, baroque and classical to ragtime, blues, and rock and roll, but not every genre is appropriate for worship. Neither ragtime nor baroque are good vehicles for hymnody.

Consider this example: a minister may enjoy a glass of merlot but it would be disrespectful for him to bring it with him into the pulpit on Sunday whereas it would not be irreverent to have a glass of water on the pulpit. The purpose of having a glass of something to drink on the pulpit is to wet the whistle while speaking, and water is appropriate for that whereas the function of red wine is to enhance the taste of a good meal.

Beverages—water, wine, coffee, or another—are designed to perform certain functions. Similarly, music is designed to perform a certain function. It is not true that any piece of music can be performed for any occasion. When King Saul was depressed, David’s quiet, soothing music of the harp would revive him. When the little children of Jesus’ day wanted to dance they would blow on flutes. When the prodigal son returned home, his father ordered up such a party that the music could be heard out in the fields.

Tone and mood vary with the occasion, and so the kind of music we play must vary. We have access to an impressive range of styles of music to suit different occasions. The problem with much worship is not the music but the kind of occasion many seem to think worship is. There is a difference between the corporate worship of God and flipping hamburgers on the back patio.

Hebrews 12:28 & 29 says, “… let us … worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” As John Calvin said somewhere, our songs and music should have a certain weight and majesty.

Ragtime is not suitable for a wedding march. Imagine the bride and her father coming down the aisle to Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer. Intricate opera would not be suitable for congregational singing. Baroque music would not succeed in getting the crowd pumped before the team skates on to the ice. There is music for parades, weddings, funerals, a quiet evening at home, and for hockey games.

     

Music needs to fit the occasion just as clothing does. If you are going to change the oil in your car, you are not going to put on a tuxedo or an evening gown.

     

The architecture around us fits the occasion. There is nothing as beautiful as a medieval cathedral but it would not be your first choice for eating your breakfast and reading your morning paper.

So music needs to fit the occasion. And what is the occasion of worship? In worship one approaches God, Creator, Redeemer, and Judge. This needs to be done with reverence and awe.  

See also “Worship Music and Propriety” in Douglas Wilson’s Mother Kirk, Canon Press, 2001.

Worship (4)

What about hymns? Are we allowed to sing hymns in the worship service besides Psalms and canticles?

The church does well to be cautious about which hymns are sung. Hymn singing was favoured by Gnostic sects and Arianism and so the true and catholic church has rightly been wary of hymns. Many doctrinal errors were ingrained in hearts and minds because of what was sung. Arius (c. AD 250-336), who said that Christ was a created being and denied his deity, popularized his teaching by setting it to music. Hymns have often, over the millennia, introduced all manner of error into the church. This prompted more than one assembly to warn against hymns “made by man” as opposed to songs found in Scripture, which are the work “of men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

Hymns have also often introduced pietistic tendencies into the song of the church and the minds of the believers. Pietism places man and his religious experience in the center rather than the word and deeds of God.

And yet it is appropriate for us to sing hymns in worship. Psalms sing of our Lord Jesus Christ in prophecy whereas hymns sing about him and his work in fulfilment.  In our hymns we sing not only about the suffering of our Saviour, but also about his resurrection, ascension, and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is true that the Psalms as well address these redemptive facts, but in anticipation rather than in the time of fulfilment.

We can also look at the matter from a covenant perspective while bearing in mind where we are in God’s program of history. As people in covenant with God we are called to respond to God in all areas of life—activity, thought, speech, and song. God has called us to respond to him from the historical context within which we live.

The church must carefully study proposed hymns before they are sung in the public worship service. They need to be true to the teachings of scripture and in harmony with the confession of the church. Songs that meet those criteria, and others about which we will also write, can be said to be a faithful covenant response of God’s people to the words and acts of God in history.

The hymnody of the church should include songs written throughout the ages and world. The collection of the Book of Praise, although not perfect, is happily ecumenical and eclectic. It includes songs written in the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 8^th, 7^th, 9^th, 11^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st centuries and in different parts of the world.

The calling to write hymns and the task of the church to consider them for inclusion in its repertoire will only be complete when our Lord Jesus Christ returns on the clouds of heaven. 

Liturgical Improvements

As published in a recent Jubilee bulletin:

This past April, the consistory asked our pastor to write a column about “Our Liturgy,” which he did, twelve brief articles. The consistory received some very good feedback from the congregation by way of letters as well as comments and suggestions made at home visits. At its recent meeting, the consistory considered the feedback and the various points of our liturgy to see whether any improvements could be made, and decided that there were three areas where we should make some small changes to enhance our worship.
   1. Each service will commence with a call to worship immediately before the votum. The congregation will be invited to rise and the minister will read a brief call to worship, for example, some words of  Psalm 95:

  Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; 
       let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
  Let us come before him with thanksgiving 
       and extol him with music and song.
  For the LORD is the great God, 
       the great King above all gods.
  Come, let us bow down in worship, 
       let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
  for he is our God 
       and we are the people of his pasture, 
       the flock under his care.

   The call to worship will have the intention of focussing our minds on what we have come to do, to worship our great God.
   2. The congregation will recite the votum in unison. The votum belongs to the congregation, is our confession about in whom we place our trust, and is best said by all together rather than have the minister say it on behalf of the congregation. To create a good segue between the call to worship, the minister will say, “Let us together confess that” at which point we will together say, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, Amen.”
   3. We will also make a small change as to when we rise for singing. We will no longer stand in the morning for the song before the sermon; rather, we will always, morning and afternoon, rise for the song after the sermon. In liturgical studies, this song is sometimes called “the amen-song” and the consistory thought it would be appropriate for the congregation to rise as it sings its amen to the proclamation of the word. This means that in every service we will rise for the first and last songs, the one after the sermon, and in the afternoon, we will remain standing for the creed.
   We will be making these changes as of the first Sunday in September.
    May the Lord bless our worship!

Consistory

Assurance of Pardon?

Some churches have, as part of their liturgy, an “assurance of pardon.” After the law is read and prayer asking for forgiveness is offered, the minister assures the congregation that their sins are forgiven. I’m wondering whether that is necessary, or even right, for these reasons:

1. When I survey my congregation every Sunday morning, I do not see a group of people who yet need to have their sins forgiven; rather, I see a congregation of believers, children of God, who have gathered together in joy to celebrate the wonderful fact that they are the forgiven people of Christ. (This is not to say that each individual member, head for head, is in a right relationship with God, but the congregation is.)

2. I am not sure that we are required to go through a crisis every Sunday morning – of being held like a struggling spider over a flame, fearing we will be dropped in, but then, in the nick of time, having the minister assure us that our sins are forgiven.

3. The ultimate function of the law in our lives is not one of revealing to us our sins and misery (Lord's Day 2), but a rule for thankfulness (Lord's Day 32-44).

Our Liturgy - 12 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy –12

The Blessing

We begin the service by being greeted in the Lord’s Name; we end by being blessed in His Name. Usually we use the “High Priestly” blessing of Number 6:24-26 in the morning and the blessing of 2 Corinthians 13:14 in the afternoon. 

   Luke tells us, in Luke 24:50ff, that as the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, he had his arms stretched out over his disciples blessing them. He has ascended to heaven as our great high priest. We live under His blessing, and every Sunday we are sent into the world blessed by Him. Through the minister, the Lord blesses us. In our tradition, as in many, the minister raises his hands to symbolize how we live under the outstretched and blessing hands of Christ.

   It is good to reflect upon the solemnity of the words spoken over us. Just as the votum and greeting at the beginning of the service is not a “rap of the gavel” to indicate that the meeting has begun, similarly the blessing at the end is no mere indication that the meeting is over. Rather, solemn, beautiful words are spoken to us–words of peace. The peace we enjoyed and experienced as we were gathered for worship carries us along for the coming week.

   And we see that our entire Lord’s day liturgy is framed by God’s greeting and blessing. God welcomes us with words of grace and peace, and He sends us out with words of grace and peace. We do not end the service with a command, which can imply that the Christian life is about working to earn God’s favour. Neither do we end with a well-wish or a farewell. We end with a benediction, powerful words of blessing from God.

   The “Amen” that is said in response belongs to the congregation. Some congregations have the practice of speaking it in unison. Some sing a short three-fold Amen after the benediction. Something to think about.

   This brings to conclusions the little series on “Our Liturgy.” Undoubtedly, more could be said, but twelve instalments seem to be a goodly amount. I hope you enjoyed them.

~gvp  

Our Liturgy - 11 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy –11

Genevan Tunes

Although John Calvin is known primarily for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he is also rightly acclaimed for the Genevan Psalter, a project upon which he worked for twenty-six years, from 1536 until 1562. The impact the Genevan Psalter has had on the worship of Reformed churches cannot be overstated. Throughout the centuries the Genevan Psalter has appeared in many languages and in recent decades new versions have been produced even in Asia–in Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.

In the Geneva of 1536, to which John Calvin arrived, there was no singing in the worship service. The Reformers had rid the church of its clerical chanting but had not replaced it with anything for the congregations. Calvin and other ministers, concerned about a coldness of worship, petitioned the city council to introduce singing for the edification of the people. The proposal was not approved by the council.

In 1538, Calvin was expelled from Geneva and spent about three years in Strasbourg, where he served a French refugee congregation. There he experienced congregational singing. Everyone, men and women, boys and girls, sang the Psalms in unison in simple melodies under the direction of a cantor. While in Strasbourg, he began to develop a Psalter. In 1539, he published Aulcuns pseaulmes et cantiques mys en chant, a songbook of nineteen Psalms and two canticles, the Ten Commandments and the Song of Simeon. As well a metrical version of the Apostles’ Creed was included. Six of the Psalms were from Calvin’s hand while thirteen had been composed by Clement Marot, the distinguished poet laureate of the court of King Francis I of France.

Three years later, Calvin was back in Geneva, where he continued to develop the Psalter. He and the other Geneva ministers pursued the matter of congregational singing and were successful. The following, dated 1541, was recorded in the Ecclesiastical Ordinances:

It will be desirable to introduce songs in order the better to incite people to prayer and to the praise of God. To begin with, the little children shall be taught, and then in course of time the whole church will be able to follow.

His perseverance resulted in several other editions (1542, 1543, 1551). Calvin prepared a preface for his Psalter in which he wrote:

As for public prayers, there are two kinds: the one consists simply of speech, the other of song…. And indeed, we know from experience that singing has great strength and power to move and to set on fire the hearts of men in order that they may call upon God and praise Him with a more vehement and more ardent zeal. It is to be remembered always that this singing should not be light or frivolous, but that it ought to have weight and majesty…. Now, what Augustine says is true, namely that no one can sing anything worthy of God which he has not received from Him. Therefore, even after we have carefully searched everywhere, we shall not find better or more appropriate songs to this end than the Psalms of David, inspired by the Holy Spirit. And for this reason, when we sing them, we are assured that God puts the words in our mouth, as if He Himself were singing through us to exalt His glory….

At last, in 1562, the Psalter was complete. It included 49 texts prepared by Clement Marot and 101 from the hand of Theodore Beza, scholar and professor in Geneva. Calvin had withdrawn his own contributions, deferring to these two superior poets. The Psalter was a best seller in Europe: thousands of printings rolled off dozens of presses. Calvin’s songbook was eagerly embraced by Protestants and even by many Roman Catholics.

The peculiar beauty of the Psalter is its extensive variety of meter, rhyme schemes, and tunes. It includes more than 100 stanza structures, more than thirty rhyme patterns, and 124 tunes.

The “Genevan tunes” were mostly new compositions by musicians such as Guillaume Franc, Louis Bourgeois, François Gindron, and an unknown “Maître Pierre.” Although it was Calvin’s wish that each Psalm should have its own unique melody, this goal was not attained and some tunes were used for more than one Psalm. Several tunes were borrowed from Gregorian hymns; e.g., Psalm 80 is based upon the ancient hymn, Victimae Paschali Laudes.

The rhythm of the songs is simple, consisting of two values, half and quarter notes. The pulse or tactus, falling on the half note, should be about the same as the resting heart rate of an adult. In the whole Psalter, there are only a few melismas.

Rather than the major and minor keys, nine different modes are used for the tunes. The most common mode is the Dorian, which is the scale “D” to “D,” using only the white keys.

Calvin intended the songs to be primarily for the congregation, not the choir. The intervals between the notes are small and each tune is within an octave. He insisted that the congregation sing in unison, and so the Psalter did not have the music in various voices. Harmonies were written for all the Psalms, notably by the French composer of Calvin’s time, Claude Goudimel. These were meant for home and choir use.

The Canadian Reformed Churches have published several English versions of the Genevan Psalter. The first complete edition appeared in 1972. Over the past several years, the versified Psalms were completely revised. The aim of the revision was to improve their literary quality and to bring them into greater harmony with the biblical text.

May our God be “enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3) through the singing of the Psalms. To Him alone be glory, now and forever!

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 10 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy - 10

Principles for Christians Worship (2)

The Worship Sourcebook, © 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources, mentions eight principles for Christian worship. Such worship should be biblical, dialogic, covenantal, trinitarian, communal, welcoming, “in but not of” the world, and excellent. A few weeks ago we look at the first four; today we will look at the remaining four.
   5. Christian worship is communal. There is private worship, family worship, and then there is congregational worship. As a congregation there are different things we do together. We have our Bible studies and Love Ottawa! activities, but you really see the church in action when, on Sunday, we gather together to worship our common Saviour. Our unity with one another is deepened. It is remarkable that people who have vastly different interests, characters, personalities, hobbies, etc., yet gather together one day every week to read and listen, to pray and praise. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
   6. Christian worship is hospitable, caring and welcoming. Everyone needs to feel welcome here. As we gather, we are the house of God, the body of Christ. Christian worship is not self-centred. We seek the well-being of the other member and of the visitor. The first minute after a new-comer enters the church building is so very important. If he does not feel welcomed, likely he’ll not return. Our practice of greeters in the narthex is important to let someone feel welcome, as is noticing if a visitor needs a songbook. From my perch I see this happening. It’s good and let’s keep it up.
   7. Christian worship is “in but not of” the world. In many ways, our worship reflects the culture out of which we come. Patterns of speech and song, modes of dress, and sense of time vary widely from place to place. The worship of a Canadian church looks and sounds different from that of a church in Africa or PNG. At the same time, worship ought not be enslaved to culture. It needs to speak out against any aspects of culture that are opposed to the gospel of Christ.
   8. Christian worship must be excellent. Worship calls for our best because the Lord deserves our best. In preaching and listening, singing and accompanying, the Lord calls us to excellence. Where something is lacking, we strive for improvement. Striving for excellence starts before Sunday and includes things like getting a good night’s sleep Saturday night so that we come to church rested and ready to worship. Let us, in our worship, put forward the excellence of which our God is worthy.               ~gvp

Our Liturgy - 9 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy - 9

Principles for Christian Worship (1)

The Worship Sourcebook, © 2004, Faith Alive Christian Resources, mentions eight principles for Christian worship. Such worship should be biblical, dialogic, covenantal, trinitarian, communal, welcoming, “in but not of” the world, and excellent. In this article we will consider the first four; next week we will look at the remaining four.

   1. Christian worship should be biblical. In Article 7 of our Confession of Faith we say that “the whole manner of worship which God requires of us in written in [scripture] at length.” Scripture needs to regulate our worship. We need to heed the warning about false, improper worship. The essential things that scripture enjoins us to do in worship is to submit to the proclamation of the gospel, call upon God in prayer and song, participate in the sacraments, and give Christian offerings for the poor. Since the Bible focuses primarily on the person and work of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer from sin and all its nasty consequences, so must we in worship.

   2. Christian worship should be dialogic. In worship, God speaks and we respond. If you think of all the different components of our worship, you can see that it is a dialogue: God greets us; we respond with a song of praise; God speaks to us his law; we respond with a song of dedication and prayer; we hear the Word of God in reading and sermon; we respond with song, prayer and offerings; God speaks to us his words of blessing before we leave. All of life with God is dialogic. God would have a relationship with us. In our lives we listen to God and respond to him. We are relational beings, and this comes out in our corporate worship too.

   3. Christian worship should be covenantal. As we worship, the covenant of grace God has with believers and their children is renewed, affirmed, and sealed. The relationship that God welcomes us into is not a cold contractual relationship but a warm promise-based relationship of self-giving love. It is more like a marriage or family than a legal contract. Worship repeats God’s promises to us and calls for us to recommit ourselves to this covenantal relationship. One question to ask of any worship service is whether it has enabled us to respond to God’s goodness and grace as faithful and committed covenant partners.

   4. Christian worship should be trinitarian. In worship we address the triune God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–one God in three persons. He is holy God full of, love, beauty, and power. We worship God the Father who loves us with perfect fatherly love. We worship God the Son who entered into our humanity to redeem us from our lostness. We worship God the Holy Spirit who creates in us faith, comforts and guides us. We worship the triune God of heaven, but our worship is earthy because God has, through Son and Spirit, come to earth. As we worship our God, we use human words to read and preach, and tangible, accessible things like water, bread, and wine; melodies, rhythms, and harmonies. As we children of God worship our God, we stay focussed on him and not worship worship itself.

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 8 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy - 8

Profession of Faith

Every afternoon service we profess our faith, usually with the words of the Apostles’ Creed. It is one of the last things we do in our Sunday services. It seems appropriate to do so after having heard the Word of God proclaimed twice. We have heard the gospel, even twice, and we respond with a confident declaration of our faith as we prepare to enter the world once again as believers.

   The Creed is the briefest and most ancient statement of the Christian faith (for more information on it, please see the Book of Praise, p. 437). In just over 100 words, the gospel of salvation is summarized.

   Our practice is either to sing or recite in unison the Apostles’ Creed. This creed is very personal in that it is cast in the first person singular: “I, me, my.” It seems more appropriate for everyone to be saying it, together, rather than only the worship leader. As Romans 10:9,10 says: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” We believe with the heart and confess with the mouth.

 The Nicene Creed, which we use once in awhile, is cast in the first person plural: “We, us, our.” Hence, it is appropriate for the worship leader to read it on behalf of the congregation much like he prays in the first person plural on behalf of the congregation.

  Abraham Kuyper mentioned a third way in which the Creed could be recited in such a way as to show that it belongs not to the pulpit but to the congregation: by having a member stand and recite it on behalf of the congregation. Interesting, however, he preferred either that the congregation sing it or, especially, having the congregation speak it together (Our Worship, p. 158).

   We have a beautiful rendition of the Creed in Hymn 1A and a hymn based on the Creed in Hymn 1B. It’s fine to use Hymn 1B once in awhile, but we need to remember and realize that it’s not really the Creed but a hymn based on it.

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 7 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy – 7

The Offerings

The fourth commandment requires us to maintain the ministry of the gospel. It also requires us to attend diligently the church of God to do several things, one of which is to give Christian offerings for the poor. Please see Lord's Day 38 for more on this.

   Every service we hold two collections: one for the maintenance of the gospel ministry, and another for the support of the needy. The second collection is either for the local diaconal work or for some other work. E.g., last week we collected for our sister churches in Quebec.

   Most Canadian Reformed Churches have only one collection per service, for the needy. They have a box somewhere in the building, usually in the foyer, where the members can deposit their cheques for the ministry of the gospel. The “ministry of the gospel” covers everything included in the budget. Recently we received the church budget for 2010. Everything on it from the minister’s stipend and allowances to rent and insurance has to do with maintaining the gospel ministry. Because we do not own our own building where we could permanently affix a box or drawer of some sort, we have a collection “for the church.”

   There is something good about holding a collection “for the church” during the worship service. It is during the services that we receive, in real terms, the benefits which Christ gives us through the church–from sermon to a beautiful place to worship. As the first bag comes by, you have an opportunity to make your regular voluntary contribution for the support of the church’s ministries. It also teaches our children to give for the maintenance of the church. Let us not forget that it also provides a convenient way for visitors to give to the Lord as an expression of thanksgiving for how He blessed them on the Lord's day even though they were away from their own congregations.

   The Lord teaches us that we must care for the needy. The second collection is held for the diaconal work either in the congregation or in other places. Every year our deacon comes with a well researched proposal to the consistory as to which outside organizations for which we should hold collections, such as ERQ, Anchor, Campfire!, etc.

   As I wrote before, I am very willing to entertain specific questions. One of you asked whether it would be good for the minister also to participate in the collection. I do not know why he does not. This is just a guess, and I may be completely wrong, but I wonder whether it has to do with the style of pulpit in the European churches of old. From pictures you can see that often the pulpit was suspended on the wall or a pillar quite high above the congregation. In a very large building, and before electronic public address systems, this would have aided voice projection. Often the minister had to climb a rather long and narrow circular stairway to enter the pulpit. This would have made it very inconvenient for the deacon to receive a contribution from the minister. But, as I said, I’m guessing here.

   In my last congregation the suggestion was made that the minister also contribute. To be entirely honest, I pleaded “No,” not because I do not like to contribute to the ministry of the church and other worthy causes. My reason was very practical: I seldom carry money and I was afraid that I would likely often forget to take money along to church, which would have been embarrassing for both the deacon and me. It is not a very worthy consideration, but that was it. However, times change and I am certainly willing to consider making the change. The consistory asked me to write this series, and to see where we end up once it is over. This, too, is something that we can think about.

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 6 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy – 6

The Ten Words of the Covenant

After we sing the first song, a song of praise to our great God and Saviour, we listen to the Ten Commandments, also known as, the Ten Words of the Covenant or, the Law. Why do we do that every Sunday again?

   The law of God has a two-fold function for us as Christians. The Heidelberg Catechism points that out in a very clear way. In Lord's Day 2, under the heading of Our Sin and Misery, we are asked, “From where do you know your sins and misery?” We answer, “From the law of God.” God’s law is given there in the summary form the Lord Jesus taught, love the Lord your God and love your neighbour as yourself. The catechism could have, at that point, given the Ten Commandments, but since these are spelled out in detail later in the catechism, the law is given here in summary form. The law of love sets a high standard, one we could not, would not and did not keep. Hence, we needed, and were given, the Saviour Jesus Christ.

   The second way the law of God functions for us is as a rule for thankful living. This is spelled out extensively in the third part of the Heidelberg Catechism, the part dealing with our thankfulness. The second part of the catechism proclaims the gospel of salvation through Christ, and then the third part teaches us how to live in thankfulness for that salvation. Over a dozen Lord's Days (32-44) each commandment is treated separately and held up as solid teaching on how to live according to the specific commandments out of thankfulness and in a way in which we indeed show that we love God and neighbour.

   When we gather for worship and hear the Ten Commandments, it’s good to keep these two functions of the law in mind. It is not the case that we gather as unforgiven people who yet need to have their sins forgiven. We need to understand that well. We gather as the people of God who have been set free from guilt and sin by the grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When we, as the forgiven covenant people of God, hear the law read, we are reminded of what Christ has saved us from. We are reminded of our great and continuing need of Jesus Christ. As we hear the law, we are reminded of God’s high demand for obedience, our sin against the holy law of God, and we remember that the Lord Jesus came to give himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Then the second function of the law comes into view. It is set forth as a rule for thankful living, a standard for gratitude.

   After the reading of the law, I usually refer to a text of scripture that speaks about one of these blessed truths–either a text that underlines what Jesus has done to cleanse us of our sins, or a text that encourages us to live thankful lives.

   Because of these two functions, there has been discussion in the past as to where in the service the law should be read. Abraham Kuyper, for example, wrote in Our Worship that the law should be read after the sermon. God’s people should be sent back into the world after having heard and been reminded of this rule for thankful living. Interesting.

   Wherever it fits best liturgically, let us always remember who we are, the people called by God and cleansed with the blood of Christ. Let us go forward with the law of God on our lips knowing that the law no longer condemns us but teaches us to live obedient lives out of thankfulness for the mercy God has shown us in Christ our Lord.    

 ~gvp

Our Liturgy - 5 (Jubilee Bulletin)

We Sing!

A very important part of our liturgy (public worship) is our singing, which is a form of corporate prayer. The scriptures command us to sing: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19). “Singing” does not have one special place in the liturgy; rather, we sing throughout the worship service in response to the greeting, the law, the ministry of the word, etc.

   We sing psalms, canticles, and hymns.

   The psalms are the inspired 150 psalms of the book of Psalms. This is God’s first gift of song given to the church. Lately, we have been busy revising them. It is good to have them in contemporary English. When the Holy Spirit inspired them, they were written in the Hebrew of the day. We should sing them in the English of the day. There is a consistency to the Psalter since they were all written in the same language in the same era. Furthermore, at least exactly half have the same human author, King David. Seventy-three of the Psalms are identified as “of David” while we know from the New Testament that Psalms 2 and 95 were also penned by the “sweet psalmist of Israel.”

   We sing the psalms to tunes written mostly in Geneva during the Reformation, hence they are called “Genevan tunes.” John Calvin was pivotal in this. By 1562, in just twenty-five years, all 150 psalms had been versified in French and set to these tunes. The tunes are catholic in the true sense of the word. The psalms are sung to these tunes in many languages throughout the world, in French, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Portuguese, Indonesian, English, Afrikaans, Czech, and Italian. Calvin also taught us to sing in unison–not to say that there is anything wrong with harmonizing. But Calvin said it was good for God’s people to praise the Lord with one voice.

   Our hymn section contains canticles and hymns. Canticles are versifications of parts of scripture that are not Psalms. Famous canticles are the Ten Commandments and the Songs of Mary, Zechariah and Simeon. Our hymnary contains many other canticles as well (though we call them “hymns”).

   Then we also have what are more properly called “hymns.” They are not so much based on a specific passage of scripture as a song based on a theme or someone’s reflections upon an aspect of the gospel. The Canadian Reformed Churches have always said that such hymns are appropriate to sing in the worship service, providing they meet certain criteria. If you are interested in following this up, you can read the Principles and Guidelines as you will find them in the front of the Augment.

   Sometimes people observe that we seem to be a bit inconsistent in that while we are modernizing the language of the psalms, we are leaving many archaic expressions in the hymn section. There is a reason for that. As noted above, there should be a uniformity and modern tone to the psalms reflecting the modern and uniform qualities they had when first composed. The hymns, however, span both a millennium in time and the globe in space in their composition. A collection of hymns, by its very nature, will be eclectic. One cannot get around that. Just as the uniformity of the Psalter is part of its particular beauty, so the eclecticism of a hymnary is part of its peculiar charm. Furthermore, it would be inappropriate to alter well-known classic English hymns sung by Christians throughout the world. We do not want our own Canadian Reformed version of the classic English hymns. Also, some hymns are protected by copyright, and they may not be changed. For example, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” may not be published as “Great is Your Faithfulness” as it is copyrighted.

   And so we sing! May the Lord bless us as we sing to Him our songs of praise. "Praise the Lord … and sing praises to him, all you peoples" (Rom 15:11 NIV).

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 4 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Why two worship services?

I had mentioned that questions about our liturgy are welcome. I will try to answer them at the point that makes most sense in the flow of the articles. E.g., if you ask a question about the final blessing, it may well be in the final article–but I will get to it!

One of you asked me to address this question: “Why do we have two church services every Sunday?” Great question! Our church order even speaks about, in Article 52, Book of Praise, p. 670. There we read:

The consistory shall call the congregation together for worship twice on the Lord's Day. The consistory shall ensure that, as a rule, once every Sunday the doctrine of God's Word as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism is proclaimed.

There are two reasons why we have two worship services. The first reason has to do with sanctifying the whole day to the worship of God; the second reason has to do with the special character of each service.

Sunday is called “the Lord’s day.” One way in which the church has historically kept the Lord’s day is by making it a day of worship by gathering together in the morning and again in the afternoon or evening. In that way the day is better embraced by worship than if we gathered together just once. There is no command to gather twice; rather, there is a command to worship corporately the first day of the week, and a good way to do that is by spreading the worship throughout the day.

I have been told that in some African churches, the congregation comes together only once, but then they worship for hours on end. A missionary to Africa told me that you won’t get the people to come twice, but once they are there, they gladly stay all day worshiping, being taught, and fellowshipping. That sounds good too. People of different cultures work out the command to worship, learn, and fellowship in different ways.

The second reason has to do with the unique quality of the afternoon service. Typically, a section of the Heidelberg Catechism is explained in the afternoon. Shortly after the catechism was written, in 1563, it’s usefulness as a tool for teaching the congregations was discovered. For centuries now Reformed churches have been using this little book of comfort to teach and encourage the congregation. As you may remember, the Heidelberg Catechism is structured around the explanations of the Apostles’ Creed, the Word and sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. Although not exclusively so in either case, the AM sermon has more the character of proclamation while the PM sermon has more a teaching quality. In the AM sermon the minister digs deep into one text of scripture while in the PM sermon, the minister teaches more broadly a topic (e.g., Word and Sacraments, this afternoon) and shows expansively what the scriptures teach about that particular doctrine. Perhaps we can say it that way: While the AM sermon goes deep the PM sermon is broad.

As we faithfully attend both services, we get a balanced meal of deep textual preaching and broad doctrinal instruction. Both are needed. Regular “catechism preaching” is one of the great strengths of the Reformed church. By going time and again through the catechism, the congregation is firmly anchored to the sure doctrines of the Word of God.

Long live two worship services!

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 3 (Jubilee Bulletin)

The greeting

After the congregation speaks the votum, by which the congregation confesses that its help is in the Name of the LORD, the minister greets the congregation in the Name of the triune God. The greetings are taken from the opening words of various New Testament letters.

   It is good to note, at this point, that our liturgy is a covenantal dialogue. The whole worship service is like a conversation in which God and we speak and respond to each other.

   By way of the greeting, we are assured of God’s presence in our midst. We are not just a random group of people but a congregation of people called and gathered by God who are in covenant relationship with Him. When we hear the words of greeting, we can be totally confident that we are people of God deeply loved by Him.

   The greeting speaks of grace, peace and mercy. Despite our sins and shortcomings, God addresses us with words of undeserved favour, love and kindness. We are at peace with Him. The church is an island of peace in a restless world and God blesses us with His mercy.

   All of this is from God our Father who has adopted us into His family, through Christ Jesus who brought us into this good relationship with the Father by way of His obedience and his sacrifice on the cross for us, and communicated to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

   What a way to start the service! The sermons vary, and even if the sermon is strong on admonition, we may be assured that God loves us for the sake of Jesus Christ. We need never wonder where we stand with Him for He has greeted us with grace, peace and mercy. And no matter what, at the end of the service, God’s blessing is laid upon us.

   We all come to church in our own personal conditions. Some are happy, others are sad. Some are anxious, others are feeling very confident about matters. Healthy or ill, old or young, we are all different, and yet all the same. We are children of God, loved by God, greeted by the warm embrace of God.

   A few final words, yet, about the symbolism. We have our symbols: wedding rings, crosses, the sacraments. Perhaps not too many, but there are a few. The minister raising his hands for the greeting (and blessing) are also symbolic. Some ministers raise both hands for both although, I think, most ministers raise one hand for the greeting, which seems (to me at least) to be more fitting for a greeting whereas a blessing is better symbolized by the raising of both.

   May we worship today in a blessed environment as people greeted and blessed by our triune God.

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 2 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy – 2

   The “handshake” before and after the service is a symbolic and public indication that the minister is acting on the instruction of the consistory and under its authority. The consistory, in the Name of Christ, governs the worship service. It calls the congregation together and charges the minister to perform his task for the upbuilding of the congregation.

   The worship service proper begins with the votum, the last verse of Psalm 124, “Our help is in the Name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Essentially, it is a confession, and so we call it that in our order of worship.

   The votum, or confession, is more than the rap of a gavel that calls a meeting to order. It is transformative. Before it, we were a gathering of people whom the Lord had called to worship, but once we have confessed that we are helpless, were it not for the help of God who created all things, we enter into the high and awesome state of corporate worship. The votum can turn a casual get-together of individuals into a united assembly of people gathered before the face of God. Karel Deddens, in Where Everything Points to Him (Inheritance, 1993), says that the custom of beginning the service with this votum stems from the Middle Ages. So we are well in line, here, with the ancient church.

   It is very fitting to take words from Psalm 124 which speaks powerfully about God rescuing His people from every evil and attack–from angry men, engulfing floods. raging waters, snarling beasts and fowlers’ snares. God is our Creator and Saviour in whom we confess our trust.

   Some Canadian Reformed congregations have begun the practice of the congregation reciting the votum together. I think that is a good custom for it makes very clear that the votum belongs to the congregation. The people of God, assembled together, with one voice express their corporate and personal dependence upon God. Let’s think about that.

    If you have any questions that you would like me to address under this rubric, please ask. I have already received one: “Would it not be good for the minister to participate in the collection?” Great question! Stay tuned!

~gvp

Our Liturgy - 1 (Jubilee Bulletin)

Our Liturgy – 1

The consistory asked me to start a short column in the bulletin in which the various elements of “our liturgy” are explained. I am no expert in liturgical matters, but I have been leading congregations through the various elements of the Sunday liturgy for some years, and I have a few books on Reformed liturgy. So, thus begins a new column.
   I have used the word “liturgy" a few times already. The word simply means “public worship.” When we talk about “our liturgy” we mean the various parts of our public worship on the Lord’s day.
  When we gather for worship, we are meeting with the Lord God, the Maker of heaven and earth, and his Son Jesus Christ, with whom we have fellowship through the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 12:22ff indicates what is happening when we are in church: 22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
   We meet with God, and we meet with God’s people. Our gathering together on Sunday has  a vertical aspect to it and a horizontal. Hebrews 10:25 emphasizes the latter: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
  We meet with God as His covenant people. Our worship is “covenantal.” It is a dialogue of God speaking to us upon which we respond to Him in one way or another.
   We are called to worship. Some churches begin the service with a “call to worship.” Usually an appropriate Psalm or some other passage of scripture is read in which the congregation is “called to worship.” Many North American churches have such a call upon which the congregation then responds with the “votum”, “Our help is in the Name of the Lord, etc.” More and more Canadian Reformed Churches are now beginning their services with such a “call.”
   I must admit that I am somewhat ambivalent about it. On the one hand, who can saying anything ill about reading a Psalm (e.g., 95, 113, 122, etc.) before the votum? On the other hand, I am not convinced that it is necessary. When I enter the pulpit and see you, I see you as people who have been called and who have responded to the call. That’s why you are here! You heard the call. The Lord has called you out of your homes to come to church. You got into your car and drove to church because the Lord called you.
   I am willing to think more about whether we need to include a “call to worship” at the outset of our liturgy, but at the moment, I do not think something is missing because we do not include it.
   God has called you to worship. Keep responding to the call!

~gvp