UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Principles & Practice of Preaching
Philip Blackwell30 November 1972
Slightly revised and computerized - 30 December 1986
Rewritten and footnoted from a more thouroghly Reformed perspective - 30 November 1996
A few NOTES added here and there to explain where I am at today - 23 April 2000
The following Article reflects
the Administration
of And is not to be construed as
the official policy of any Reformed &
Presbyterian
Christ
Covenant Reformed (PCA)
denominations footnoted
or listed in these assorted papers.
I. The Message to be Proclaimed.
1 John 1: 5 "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all." 1Before turning to a methodology of proclaiming the Good News at a Worship Service, it is necessary to clarify just what this Good News Really is. The Apostle John summed it up very nicely in his first letter, but to provide nurture week after week in worship we need to teach and preach the whole council of God. Our primary source for understanding God is the record of his revelations, which is contained in the Old and New Covenants of the scriptures.
"In turning to the Bible we find four concepts of God that must be regarded as definitive for the ordering of Christian worship. These are God's universality, which means that he is limited neither by race nor space; God's holiness, which includes both the numinous and the ethical; God's righteousness, which defines his dealings with mankind; and God's mercy, which overarches every divine attribute and action."2
Our understanding of God must naturally influence our worship of Him. If He were seen as a celestial potentate, we would employ elaborate ceremonial rites to flatter his vanity; if He was remote and indifferent, we would try to arouse his pity; if he was angry and aggrieved, we would placate him with sacrifices. However, since the four concepts quoted above reflect the content of the Bible and the faith of the Church, then "it follows that the liturgical forms and practices of the church must be so shaped to embody and reflect this faith." 3 Therefore, the content of our message has a vital bearing upon the form of our worship. This paper is concerned primarily with a form that conveys that essential message, content will be considered only as necessary for illustration.
II. Our Understanding of Worship.
"Since the Holy Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice, the principles of public worship must be derived from the Bible, and from no other source." 4"Public worship must be performed in spirit and in truth. Externalism and hypocrisy stand condemned. The forms of public worship have value only when they serve to express the inner reverence of the worshipper and his sincere devotion to the true and living God." 5
If we are to proclaim the Good News at, in and through the Worship Service, we need a thorough understanding of what takes place during such a service. After a careful study in Seminary and twenty-some years of leading worship, this writer would suggest that five themes: Revelation, Recognition, Relationship, Reverence and Renewal are basic to a worship experience.
First, worship is revelation, because God makes known His love. He reveals Himself to us in Word and in Deed. He revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush. He revealed Himself in acts of history, the most important being the sending of His own Son. He reveals Himself in the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, and in the quiet assurrance that He is present.
Second, worship is recognition, because he makes a claim upon our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can recognize God's revelation to us. We can see who our Redeemer is, what He has done for us, and what He requires of us.
Third, worship is relationship, because God abides with us. In worship we speak to God and He speaks to us through His holy Word. Our worship has the character of a conversation, of dialogue with our God through His Holy Spirit. Worship is a personal encounter in which we make known our adoration, our thanks, and our needs; our answer is found in discovering His will for our lives.
Fourth, worship leads us to reverence, because God wants us all to acknowledge our spiritual need for Jesus Christ. This reverence is the necessary outworking of God's Holy Spirit within us which causes us to give glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "At the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 6
Fifth, worship is renewal, because God wants us to be like Christ. Once a man has encountered God, it is but a short step to renewal.
Worship is a cleansing, vitalizing, sanctifying act because when man is completely emptied of all selfconcern, God enters in and takes over with the result that the course of life is set in the direction of holiness and service. 7
Our understanding of worship must influence the format of our worship services. Now that our homework in understanding our message and our need for worship is done, we may turn to the task at hand: Proclaiming the Good News through the form of the Worship Service
III. The Medium as the Message.
"The medium is the message" implies that the invention of a dichotomy between content and method is both naive and dangerous. It implies that the critical content of any learning experience is the method or process through which the learning occurs. 8
If the above humanistic convition is valid for any classroom, how much more is it also valid for a worship service in these declining years of the twentieth century. In our discussion we must be aware that the form of the service is an intregal part of the message. If the act of worship is to have any meaning, if it is to convey any message at all, it must assume an authentic shape.9 So many times the order of worship in any given church is only the result of a contemporary experiment tacked onto an older tradition. Many church members haven't the slightest idea why things are done in the order that they are. If the form itself does not convey some message other than "This is the way we have always done it" or more likely in our time "This is the way to attract more people", than the form says nothing at all.
From the earliest times, the form of Christian worship has in some way reflected the basic message. As early as the second century, Christian worship assumed a more or lesss definitive outline. There was a Liturgy of the Word, and a Liturgy of the Upper Room. 10 These forms took their shape from the simple principle that "Worship depends upon revelation; and Christian worship is the Church's response to the whole biblical revelation." 11 These liturgies were the direct outgrowth of the preaching of the Apostles to non-believers on the one hand, and the fellowship of the saints in Holy Communion on the other.
Since any number of strangers may turn up on a particular Lord's Day, and given the exceptionally busy schedule of today's hectic lifestyle, the once common practise of believers preparing for woship the evening before leads us to add a period of preparation, because "no one is ready for the high experience of public worship." 12 A general outline of the service may look something like this: 13
OUR PREPARATION TO HEAR GOD'S WORDTHE PROCLAMATION OF GOD'S WORD
OUR WORSHIP OF THE TRIUNE GOD
The purpose of the first portion is to emphasize the greatness of our God, His holiness, righteousness, mercy, and universality. If we are to be prepared to hear His word, we must recognize who He is. If recognition takes place, then relationship becomes possible.
The purpose of the second portion is to allow God to reveal Himself through His Word, as it is read and preached. Here the Preacher must subordinate himself completely to God's will and revelation, so that the message the people hear is God's, and not that of the preacher. Special care should always be given by the preacher to neither add nor take away from the clear sense of the Scriptural record. Relationship takes place when God speaks to us through the revelation of His Word.
The purpose of the third portion is to channel our worship of a righteous and holy God who loved us so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. Our response to God's Word must be made in a respectible and orderly fashion. This reverential awe in our worship involves the giving of our tithes, offerings, and our fellowship in prayer and service. If the act of worship has had meaning, then it will emerge in a way of life , reverence becomes our common attitude and renewal becomes possible.
This, then is the goal of the form. Properly done, the Medium can become an important part of the message. There remains task of completing the form and examining each element in detail, to see if it supports the message of that portion of the service which it serves.
A completed order of worship under the guidance of a local session may look something like this:
ORDER OF WORSHIP OUR PREPARATION TO HEAR GOD'S WORD RECOGNITION
R E L A T I THE PROCLAMATION OF GOD'S WORD REVELATION
O N S H I P OUR WORSHIP OF THE TRIUNE GOD REVERENCE
R E N E W A L
IV. Commentary on the Elements of the Form.
Announcements & Prayer Concerns. 33 Their purpose is to call attention to the work of the congregation, the work of the denomination, and to issues worthy of prayer. Care should be taken to not insult the intelligence of the congregation by simply reading those already printed in the bulletin.
Prelude. 16 The purpose of this element is to set the tone for the service. "Mood Music" if that idea isn't sacreligious! This period also provides the time for the congregational prayers of preparation before worship.
Prayers and Meditation Before Worship. 15 The purpose of this element is to prepare each member of the congregation for the Worship Service proper.
Call to Worship. 17 This is no more than the name implies. "A good Call to Worship appropriately declared can make the people both still and to know that God is God." 18 Recognition can begin.
Doxology. 36 This serves to emphasize the awe we have before the Triune God as we stand before Him.
Prayer of Adoration. 20 This prayer re-emphasizes the idea behind the hymn of praise. Recognition is re-reinforced!
Prayer of Confession. 21 Once God is recognized for who and what he is, the congregation may realize who they are, and may realize their need for confession. "To remember all that God has done for us in Christ is to be confronted with the fact of God's astonishing love and our own unworthiness." 22
Assurance of God's Grace. 23 The purpose of this element is to declare the everlasting promise of God that whoever comes to Him in penitence and faith will receive pardon. Relationship becomes possible.
Spiritual Song. 19 The purpose of this song is to assist the congregation in expressing the joy that we have in the Lord who has done so much for us in and through salvation. We are very careful to limit the use of these and to verify that the doctrines expressed by the writer are correct in their context.
Children's Lesson. Where there are enough small children young enough to listen quietly and politely this is a good break for them to be up and around before going to the nursery or back to sit with their parents.
Responsive Reading. 25 The purpose of this is to continue the response to God's assurance. Appropriate for this purpose are the Psalms and certain psalm-like passages within the Bible. This reading also serves to reveal something of the nature of God, as He revealed Himself to the psalmists.
A Psalm for Singing. Some years ago when members of our congregation wished to incorporate Spiritual Songs into our worship, I agreed on the condition that we would also turn to the Psalms for a portion of our music as well.
Prayers of Intercession. 34 The purpose of these prayers is to channel the response of the congregation to at least serve their neighbors by praying for them. With true relationship on the part of individuals with God, this becomes the most that can be done!
Prayer for Illumination. 26 The purpose of this prayer is to communicate the desire that the Holy Spirit might animate the read Word and control the preached word, that both might be received by the people in faith and obedience. 27
The Old and New Covenant Lessons. 28 The purpose of reading from both testaments is to emphasize that God is unchanging, throughout all ages.
Meditation or Sermon. 30 The purpose of the sermon is to proclaim responsibly the whole counsel of God, as it applies to our contemporary life.
Related Creedal Statement. 31 The creed serves to summarize the revelation of God which the whole scripture proclaims. Portions of the Westminster Confession or other suitable Reformed Creeds and Confessions may also be used as well as the Apostle's Creed. Usually we reserve the Nicene Creed for Communion Sundays (which are held in any month with a fifth Lord's Day or as needed)
Hymn of Dedication. 32 The purpose of this hymn is to emphasize the message of the sermon. It also serves as a response for the congregation to the Word which has been preached.
Sentence & Offering. 35 The purpose of this response is to encourage and enable the congregation to give their tithes and offerings to the work of Christ's Church.
Anthem or Response. 29 The Anthem may provide a thankful response to Grace of our Lord and continue the idea of dialogue, or relationship throughout the service. When there is no special music or Testimony we use the song "He is Lord".
Prayer of Thanksgiving & Lord's Prayer. 37 Here the congregation is led in responding with a grateful heart for all that God has given. In the words of Christ, all the prayers for the day are summarized.
Closing Hymn, Charge & Benediction. 38 The last hymn may be used for praise, thanksgiving, or a call to service or renewal. In the Charge, the service is summarized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Benediction the congregation is blessed, in the hope and prayer that they might do God's will.
Special Note: You will notice that the order of the footnotes are scrambled. This is because I have learned that the ordering of a service must meet the needs of the congregation and take into account the skills of your elders, organist & song leader and engage the local culture that you encounter. V. CONCLUSION.
This Medium may attempt proclaim the message through the highest standards of content and worshipful attitude maintained by the preacher and the congregation. However, this author has learned down through the years that the work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary in all of our hearts as we prepare to declare our love for and awe in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory in His Church and through His saints. Amen.
FOOTNOTES 1 Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978 1984 by International Bible Society. NOTE: Due to the continuing debate over providing a unisex version of the NIV, we no longer use that text exculsively. We use the New King James Version in worship, but twenty years of notes and preaching is a handful of documents to go back and update!
2 Frederick W Schroeder, Worship in the Reformed Tradition, (Philiadelphia: United Church Press 1966), p. 51 Hereafter referred to as: Schroeder, WRT.
3 Ibid., p. 49
4 Office of the Stated Clerk of The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America, Part III, "The Directory For the Worship of God", (Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education & Publications, 1995), 47-1. Hereafter referred to as: PCA, DoW. NOTE: In 1982 I left the old liberal denomination and came over to the PCA. Since this paper was written when I was still in the UPUSA, which has since changed its name again, I have not taken the Herculean task of redoing all of the research necessary for the presentation of this paper! I was fortunate to have graduated from seminary with my faith and doctrines of grace intact!
5 Ibid, 47-5.
6 Schroeder, WRT, p. 36.
7 Ibid., p. 22.
8 Neil Postman & Charles Weingartner, Teaching As A Subversive Activity, (New York: Dell Publishing Company, 1969), p. 19. NOTE: Yes, I know that many of the resources on this list would be considered liberal - please remember in the seventies, there were very very very few good solid conservative books for Seminary students! There were even fewer good honest theologians as well!
9 Donald MacLeod, Presbyterian Worship, Its Meaning and Method, (Richmond: John Knox Press, 1965), pp. 21-25. Hereafter referred to as MacLeod, PW.
10 Ibid., p. 22.
11 Ibid., p. 22. Quoted from: Raymond Abba, Principles of Christian Worship, (New York: Oxfored University Press, 1960), p. 103.
12 Ibid., p. 22.
13 To this portion of the service should be added the celebration of the Lord's Supper. However, I feel that this topic is beyond the scope of this paper.
14 Dropped!
15 Joint Committee on Worship, The Worshipbook, Services, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970), pp. 15-17 Hereafter referred to as: JCW, WBK70. General Division of Publication of the Board of Christian Education of the UPCUSA, The Book of Common Worship, (USA: BCAUPCUSA, 1946), 9th Printing, 1966, pp. 3-7. Hereafter referred to as: BCE, BCW46., JCW, BCW66. All three of these books have several pages devoted to prayers for the congregation to use in preparing for worship.
16 MacLeod, PW, p. 31.
17 Mention and discussion of the Call to Worship is made in the following: UPCUSA, DOW, 19.05; JCW, BCW66, p. 140f; and MacLeod, PW, p. 31
18 MacLeod, PW, p. 32.
19 UPCUSA, DOW, 19.05 suggests a hymn or psalm of praise, but is not concerned with the proper place. JCW, BCW66, p. 141 suggests one prior to the Prayer of Confession. MacLeod, PW, p. 32 suggests a processional hymn at this point and a later hymn of praise after the assurance of grace p. 35. In the interests of symplicity I feel this Hymn should be the hymn of praise, this way, if you don't have a choir worthy of a procession, you can forget it. Also, I feel that this first hymn is very important for setting the tone of the service, this could easily be downgraded if attention was fixed on a procession. NOTE: At this late date, since spiritual songs are so great a part of the religious landscape any and every church has to take them into account no matter how we might feel about their incredible "lightness" of content. The greatest exception I have to their use is when churches open with fifteen or twenty minutes of "singing themselves silly" to create an emotional fix as a subsitute for any intelligent discerning of the presence of the Holy Spirit!
20 This prayer is omitted in: JCW, BCW66; JCW, WBK70; and UPCUSA, DOW. However, it is present in BCE, BCW46 in all five ordrs of worship. MacLeod, PW, p. 33 stresses the importance of this prayer. I agree. How can one feel like confessing sins unless one is overwhelmed by the magnitude of God. Recognition is at stake here, without it, confession is only liturgical. I am also very hesitant of having a read confession, I think a period of silence would be much more fitting for the occassion. NOTE: I have changed my mind on the usage of the confession- I now believe that they are necessary as a means of maintaining doctrinal integrity!
21 This prayer is mentioned specifically in: UPCUSA, DOW, 19.05; JCW, BCW, p. 141; MacLeod, PW, p. 33f; and is provided for in JCW, WBK70, and BCE, BCW46.
22 JCW, BCW66, p. 141.
23 The assurance of God's Grace is provided for in some way in all of the following: MacLeod, PW, p. 35; JCW, BCW66, p. 142; JCW, WBK70, p. 26f; UPCUSA, DOW, 19.05; and throughout BCE, BCW46.
24 The use of the Gloria Patri seems to be more traditional than required. JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23 & 27; BCE, BCW46, p. 12 allow its use. JCW, BCW66 places it on an equal footing with other hymns and psalms. NOTE: Using it to the tune of "Old Hundredth" also identifies us as being Presbyterian in heritage.
25 David Hugh Jones: Editor, The Hymnbook Committee, The Hymnbook, (USA: John Ribble, 1955), Eleventh Printing, pp. 467-538 provides responsive readings from all portions of the Scriptures. This has been the practice of the Church, to use any portion of Scripture, usually in place of either the Old or New Testament Lesson, whichever was not being used as a text for the sermon. MacLeod, PW, p. 36f suggests that this is not the proper role for the responsive reading. It it is to be allowed at all, he would like the readings to be restricted to the psalms, arguing that the responsive reading is not the proclamation of the word, but that the use of the psalms should be as prayers and hymns, in response to God's Word. For this reason I have chosen to use the responsive reading from the Psalms as a response to the Assurance of Grace. However, since they are a part of our canon, I have placed the reading at the beginning of the Proclamation of the Word. Their purpose, besides response, should allow the congregation to settle down from the first part of the service, during which they have been standing. NOTE: I have also learned the value of singing back to the Lord the wonderful treasures of the Psalter.
26 This prayer is mentioned in: MacLeod, PW, p. 36; JCW, BCW66, p. 142f; JCW, WBK, p. 27f.
27 MacLeod, PW, p. 36.
28 The reading of the Scripture is an intregal part of the service, and according to UPCUSA, DOW, 19.06 is absolutely necessary. JCW, BCW66. p. 143f: JCW, WBK70, p. 28; and BCE, BCW46, throughout.
29 While allowed in all references, usually without prohibition, MacLeod, PW, p. 38 suggests that it is necessary to break monotony.
30 The place of the Sermon at this point is the consensus of JCW, BCW66. pp. 17-19; and JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23; and MacLeod, PW, p. 39. Only BCE, BCW46 places the sermon elsewhere, usually apart from the Lessons and towards the end of the service.
31 Some sort of creed is suggested, by all resources: MacLeod, PW, p. 39f; JCW, BCW66, p. 144f; JCW WBK70, p. 29f; UPCUSA, DOW, 19.08; BCE, BCW46, throughout. The very existence of: The General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, The Constitution of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Part I, "The Book of Confessions", (Philadelphia: Office of GAUPCUSA, 1967) presupposes the possibility of using several. However, there is some suggestion that the Nicene Creed might best be used in conjunction with the Lord's Supper. For a general service it seems lengthy. As for the use of some of the modern creeds, most are so watered down as to be practically useless. Since, the Apostles' Creed is so well known and so long accepted, it is my first choice. Strike one up for Tradition and Biblical Faithfulness!
32 Such a Hymn is allowed by UPCUSA, DOW, 19.08; JCW, BCW66, pp. 17-19; JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23 & 30; but is not mentioned by MacLeod, PW. I feel a hymn is called for here, one chosen to empasize the message of the sermon. This would allow for unity and reinforcement, and would further the response of the congregation, besides waking up some of the sleepyheads!
33 Not provided for by MacLeod, PW; but recommended by JCW, BCW66, p. 145; UPCUSA, DOW, 19.11 and JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23 where they are referred to as concerns of the Church.
34 Universal acceptance among: MacLeod, PW, p. 40; JCW, BCW66, pp. 145, 26-29; JCW, WBK70, pp. 31-33, 111-113, 179-202; BCE, BCW46, pp. 323-344, 366-374; and UPCUSA, DOW, 19.08. The importance of this prayer can be noted by the rather extensive sections devoted to model prayers in the above publications.
35 The Sentence is common to: JCW, BCW66, p. 34; JCW, WBK70, p. 34; UPCUSA, DOW, 19.08 emphasizes the importance of receiving an offering. As such, the offering is a valid and important response in the life of the Church.
36 Like the Gloria Patri, the Doxology is optional, but usually mentioned: JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23 & 34; JCW, BCW66, pp. 17-19 & 29; BCE, BCW46 throughout.
37 No mention is made of the Lord's Prayer by MacLeod, PW, in conjunction with the offering and prayers of thanksgiving. However, this position is favored by: JCW, BCW, p. 35; JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23 & 36. There is no set place in BCE, BCW46. I think it belongs here in the last prayer of the service, since at best we still leave so much out of our prayers at worship. Thus the Lord's Prayer may serve as a summation of all our prayers. NOTE: I no longer use it every single week, but whenever it seems appropriate.
38 The closing hymn followed by the benediction is universal in all the Presbyterian sources used: UPCUSA, DOW, 19.10; JCW, BCW66, pp. 17-19; JCW, WBK70, pp. 21-23; and BCE, BCW46, throughout.
BIBLIOGRAPHY Crown & Covenant Publications. Trinity Psalter.
(Pittsburg: Crown & Covenant Publications, 1994)
Wonderful version of the ancient psalter which allows different tunes to be chosen and used in conjunction with the Trinity Hymnal.Frame, John M. Worship in Spirit and Truth.
(Phillipsburg: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1996).
FaddishGeneral Assembly of the PCA. The Book of Church Order of the Presbyterian Church in America,
Part III, "The Directory For the Worship of God",
(Atlanta: Committee for Christian Education & Publications, 1995)
Basically a biblically restored version of the liberal manuals available in the seventies!Great Commission Publications, Inc. Trinity Hymnal, Revised Edition.
(Atlanta: Great Commission Publications, Inc, 1990)
Basically The Hymbook lovingly revised and updated!International Bible Society. Holy Bible, New International Version.
(East Brunswick: International Bible Society, 1973, 1978, 1984)
Be careful if they print a uni-sex version! This version was once my best loved until the corporate raiders decided that they might do anything and everything with it because they hold the copyright!Jones, David Hugh: Editor. The Hymnbook.
(USA: John Ribble, 1955) Eleventh Printing.
Excellent for its time and still goodMacLeod, Donald. Presbyterian Worship, Its Meaning and Method.
(Richmond: John Knox Press, 1965).
Very valuable bookPostman, Neil & Weingartner, Charles. Teaching As A Subversive Activity.
(New York: Dell Publishing Company, 1969)
Faddish!Schroeder, Frederick W. Worship in the Reformed Tradition.
(Philadelphia: United Church Press, 1966).
Useable