“Not everything you have heard about Presbyterian worship is true.” That is a statement I have found myself saying to many of the worship staff and volunteer leaders I’ve worked with over the years. There is a notion at Presbyterian churches that every Presbyterian church follows the same worship style, uses the same order of worship, and adopts the same practices for performing individual parts of worship. That is, in fact, not true. “But Pastor, everyone knows that Presbyterians are the ‘frozen chosen’ who never lift their arms in worship!” Again, not true…well, maybe the second part is a little true (I hope you can sense my humor).
The Presbyterian Church of Novato is a member of the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, called the PC(USA). Our denomination has a constitutional document called the Book of Order. It helps define our beliefs and practices. The Book of Order offers responses to several questions about worship. In my experience as a pastor, some long-term Presbyterians believe they know exactly how Presbyterians are supposed to worship, but few have slowed down to read the Book of Order, which outlines the PC(USA)'s approach to worship.
This month let’s look at the Book of Order and explore some of what it says about worship. To do that, I’m going to ask a few important questions and share with you the responses found in the Book of Order’s section on Worship.
Do Presbyterians have a fixed order of worship they have to follow every Sunday?
Great question. A particular section in the Book of Order that addresses this is called “Form and Freedom.” Below is a quote from that section,
W-2.0102: Form and Freedom
Christian worship has always been marked by a tension between form and freedom. Some traditions have emphasized established orders of worship, seeking to be faithful to the Scriptures. Others have resisted fixed forms of worship, asserting our freedom in Christ. We acknowledge that all forms of worship are provisional and subject to reformation according to the Word of God. Fixed forms of worship are valuable in that they offer consistent patterns and practices that help to shape lives of faith and faithfulness. More spontaneous approaches to worship are valuable in that they provide space for unexpected insight and inspiration. In whatever form it takes, worship is to be ordered by God’s Word and open to the creativity of the Holy Spirit.
Did you catch what the Book of Order said about all forms of worship? “All forms of worship are provisional and subject to reformation…In whatever form it takes, worship is to be ordered by God’s Word and open to the creativity of the Holy Spirit.” Some of you might be surprised to hear that Presbyterians are, in fact, not the ‘frozen chosen’ who never make changes to how they practice corporate worship, but instead are part of a living, creative, Spirit-led worshiping tradition that has been marked by regular changes to the order of worship and to how individual parts of worship in the order are performed.
Are there discernible parts of worship I should expect to experience on a Sunday morning, a wider movement that I’m guided through with others?
Yes, there are. The Book of Order suggests that the larger flow of corporate worship is marked by four kinds of movement: it begins with gathering, moves to the four central practices of prayers and singing, as well as the Word and Sacraments, and concludes with sending. Within these four movements, there is freedom in the order of worship used and how the individual parts of the order are performed. The Book of Order does not provide a complete list of the order's parts because it anticipates creative differences among local congregations. It only encourages the use of a basic pattern of parts (see W-3.0102). See relevant sections below.
W-3.0102 The Pattern of Lord’s Day WorshipW-3.0103 The Order of Worship
The Service for the Lord’s Day includes other actions as well: gathering and singing, confession and pardon, prayer and offering, blessing and sending. Through all of these actions, we are drawn into Christ’s presence and sent out in the power of the Spirit….
WorshipW-3.0103 The Order of Worship
The order of worship offered here for the Service for the Lord’s Day is rooted in Scripture, the traditions of the universal Church, and our Reformed heritage. In particular, it seeks to uphold the centrality of Word and Sacraments in the Church’s faith, life, and worship. This description of the Service for the Lord’s Day is presented as one commendable model but is not intended to exclude other ways of ordering worship. Other patterns may be appropriate in the context of a particular congregation or culture, provided that they are faithful to the Word, open to the Spirit, and dedicated to the glory of God.
Did you catch what the Book of Order said here? “This description of the Service for the Lord’s Day is presented as one commendable model, but is not intended to exclude other ways of ordering worship.” The PC(USA) anticipates that within its more than 8,000 churches spread across the U.S.A., each congregation will adopt and follow different orders of worship and use a wide array of worship styles for musical parts. If you visit other PC(USA) churches, you will discover that each church’s worship practices and approach are different. A vital part of being faithful to the Word and open to the Spirit’s leading for Presbyterians has been an embrace of creative, living worship practices that have led to changes in the order of worship over time.
Do Presbyterians use only one musical style and instrumentation, and only Presbyterian hymnals for the songs used in worship?
No. Presbyterian churches are not constrained to any one musical style or set of instrumentation, or, for that matter, to only using Presbyterian hymnals or a formal songbook. A helpful section in the Book of Order addressing this question is called ‘Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs’.
W-3.0203 Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
For millennia the people of God have sung psalms as praise and prayer to God. Early Christians continued to sing, pray, and study the psalms, interpreting them in the light of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Singing psalms remains an important part of the Reformed heritage. To the psalms the Church has added other hymns, canticles, and spiritual songs. Through the ages and from varied cultures, the Church has developed many other forms of congregational song, accompanied by a great array of instruments. We draw from this rich repertoire in the Service for the Lord’s Day, singing glory to God.
You may not be aware of this, but there is a movement among certain Protestant Christians called the ‘exclusive Psalmody movement’ that holds that the only songs that should be allowed in worship are the Psalms that appear in Scripture.
Far from agreeing with this movement, the Book of Order speaks in as wide and inclusive a language as possible, saying, “To the psalms the Church has added other hymns, canticles, and spiritual songs. Through the ages and from varied cultures, the Church has developed many other forms of congregational song, accompanied by a great array of instruments.” The songs used in weekly worship, for as long as the Church exists, will include new music and instrumentation, from new, yet unforeseen musical styles and approaches. Simply put, “to the psalms the Church has added.” We are still adding to this very day.
While some of us who have worshiped at the Presbyterian Church of Novato may have well-worn assumptions, perhaps they could even be called ‘expectations’ about the kind of order of worship followed on Sunday and the kinds of musical instrumentation and songs sung. It appears from what I shared above that Presbyterian worship is full of surprises.
Presbyterian worship is living, creative, and Spirit-led while remaining rooted in Scripture, the traditions of the universal Church, and the Reformed heritage. If you would like to explore the wider discussion of Christian worship, below are a few of my favorite resources.