The Elements of Christian Worship
In the Old Testament, worship was on Saturday, celebrating God’s finished creation. But His work of redemption was finished at Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week. On multiple Sundays, the resurrected Lord visited the assembled church establishing a new day for corporate worship (Luke 24:1-3, John 20:1,26, Acts 20:7-9, 1 Cor 16:1-2, & Rev 1:10). We also have the example of the apostles in the early church as they worshiped on the first day of the week.
Worship’s who, what and where, and why
Who? God alone initiates the church’s corporate worship. What? He summons us, not privately, but corporately, through the Word and His Holy Spirit (John 4:19-24). Where? Into His heavenly presence (Psalm 100, Hebrews 12:22-24) Why? To adore and obey Him as we hear from Him in the reading and especially the preaching of His eternal Word (2 Tim 4:1-2).
What is an “element” of worship?
The elements of worship are those things that God requires to be done in corporate worship. That is, they are not negotiable or optional items. They alone make up the core of corporate worship, and they must be included if we are to worship God as he has directed properly. (Deut 12:32; Matt. 15:9; Acts 17:23-25; Matt. 4:9-10; Deut. 4:15-20; Ex. 20:4-6; John 4:23-24; Col. 2:18-23). An “element” of worship is not to be confused with a “circumstance” of worship. Some examples of the latter are as follows: the time of the worship service on the Lord’s Day, using hymnbooks or an overhead projector, using pews or chairs, using a sound system, etc.).
What is the “regulative principle of worship”?
The regulative principle of worship is a core doctrine of the Reformed tradition (see WCF 21.1). When we gather in worship, we must worship God in the way he commands and no other way. That is, we do not offer “strange fire” to God (See Lev. 10). Instead, we offer to him that which he demands of his people. We cannot imagine or devise other ways that God has not outlined in his Word (either by direct command or good and necessary consequence).
~The Elements of Worship~
The Call to Worship
It is God alone who graciously invites his people to worship Him. He does so through an ordained minister of the gospel primarily through a reading of God’s Word. In this call, we are invited to do what we are created to do –worship, as one body, the true and living God. (Psalm 100).
The Reading of the Law
The Law reflects God’s perfect and holy character. It tells us what He requires of His creatures, especially those redeemed by God (Ex. 20:1-2, Deut. 5:6). Through the reading of the royal demands of God, we are convicted of sin (Neh. 8:1-3, Luke 4:16-21, Is. 6:1-5) and look to the promise that God will forgive all those who humbly come to Him.
The Corporate Confession of Sin (Prayer)
The corporate confession of sin is an expression of the body of the reality that we fall short of God’s glory daily in thought, word, and deed (Gen. 6:5, 8:21, Rom. 3:9-21, James 3:2-13). The reading of the Word of God (Neh. 8) brings conviction to our hearts. Therefore, we respond directly to a holy and forgiving God, confessing our sin and humbly seeking His mercy (Rom. 6:3-18, Ezra 10, Neh. 9; cp. Lev. 1-9 and Dan. 9). Confession of sin is the right response of worship to our holy and triune God.
The Assurance of Pardon
The corporate confession of sin and the attending assurance of pardon by a holy God reminds us that we need an hourly call to believe the gospel. We do not just repent once but live a life of repentance (Mark 1:14-15). We do not merely believe once but live a life of faith (Rom. 1:14-15, 14:23). Thus, we need a regular reminder of the sufficiency of Christ’s substitutionary law-abiding life and wrath-satisfying death for our sin (2 Cor. 5:17-21). When we come to a holy God in worship, confessing our sins, we are granted forgiveness by a faithful and just God Who, in Christ, freely forgives us (1 Jֹohn 1:9; Matt. 11:28-30, Ps. 103:8-13).
The Corporate Confession of Faith
The term “creed” means “I believe.” There are many creeds in the Bible (Deut. 6:4-5, Eph. 4:3-6, 1 Tim. 3:16, to name a few). Creeds are the universal (i.e., “catholic”) church’s attempt to summarize the Scriptures' saving truths. That is a power given to the church by the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 3:14-15). Creeds, therefore, sit under the authority of the Scriptures. Creeds also connect us with our brothers and sisters around the world (Rom. 1:8), and in all times (Heb. 3:1-6), as we confess the one true faith. With scriptural creeds, the church has historically used the following examples in worship: The Apostles’ Creed, The Nicene Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith, including the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Prayer
Corporate worship should include four types of prayer: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (A-C-T-S). On the confession of sin, see above. The prayer of adoration (a.k.a. “The Invocation”) is a prayer of worship. In it, we address the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him (Matt. 6:13) and asking Him to meet with His people as He has promised to do. The prayer of thanksgiving is a prayer of gratitude for all that God has done for His people, typically focusing on His great work of salvation wrought by Jesus Christ. The prayer of supplication (a.k.a. “The Pastoral Prayer”) is a prayer of petition, laying the needs of God’s people before the throne of grace, seeking His help and favor in all that affects them (1 Peter 5:7).
The Singing of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
The apostle Paul instructs the church at Colossae to “teach and admonish one another, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col. 3:16, see also Eph. 5:19). In worship, the object of our singing is the triune God for all He has done for His people. Additionally, we sing to encourage one another as we lift our voices to Him. There are numerous illustrations of the people of God singing together throughout the Scriptures. (For example, Ex. 15, Deut. 32 as well as many of the Psalms).
The Tithe and Offering
In corporate worship, we receive much from the hand of God. We enjoy His presence and the blessing that comes with Him being amid His people. We give to Him, not only our voices as a reflection of our heart of gratitude and adoration, but also through our gifts – our tithes and offerings. Through this act, we publicly acknowledge that all that we have is due to a gracious God who provides “our daily bread” (i.e., all that we need in this life, Matt. 6:11). In the New Testament church, the people of God give cheerfully to Him because He has so graciously given us everything in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 9:6, 7).
The Reading of Scripture
We read Scripture in worship because God’s people are primarily marked by a knowledge of, and communion with, the true God of the Bible (1 John 2:13-14). It is critical that you not only hear the Scriptures read but also know them and practice them in your life. (Ps. 119:105, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, James 1:22-25). Therefore, we obey the command to read the Scriptures in worship publicly (1 Tim. 4:13), following the illustrations to do so given throughout the Scriptures (For example, see Neh. 8).
The Preaching of God’s Word
Paul's instructions to Timothy form the basis by which we preach the Word of God in worship. First, the instructions are regulative in the church. Second, the instructions are formal. He says to “preach the Word.” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). When an ordained minister of the gospel stands before the people of God in corporate worship, he is to speak the Word of God to the people of God. Preaching is not a lecture. Preaching is not merely teaching. Preaching is not offering opinions or “sharing” (Larger Catechism 159). Preaching is the authoritative declaration of the Word of God to the people of God. When it is faithfully preached, it is the living voice of Christ speaking to His people (Rom. 10:15, Heb. 5:4, John 10:27).
The Benediction
The term “benediction” comes from the Latin word benedicere, which means “to speak well.” A benediction is an act of God upon the people of God as He blesses them after they hear His Word. There are numerous benedictions in the Bible (e.g., Num. 6:24-26; Heb. 13:20-21). The benediction is not merely the end of the worship service. It is an act of a gracious God to and for His people as they are sent out into the world.
Pastor Hill is grateful to a friend and fellow minister, Rev. Joshua Sparkman, for some brief contributions to this article. Rev. Sparkman is the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church PCA in Mobile, AL.