Built on Biblical Patterns and the Means of Grace
The liturgy used in our morning worship service was formulated from those used in Presbyterian congregations during the Reformation period and follows the basic “gospel logic” found in passages of Scripture like Isaiah 6, the Lord’s Prayer, and the New Testament Epistles. Word, sacrament, and prayer predominate in this liturgy, for we believe they are the divinely appointed means of grace God ordinarily employs to convert sinners and perfect His saints.
For more information about our worship, see the OPC’s Directory for the Public Worship of God, which details the theology that informs our liturgy. Click here for access to all the selections in The Trinity Hymnal (Original Version). We currently use The Trinity Hymnal (Revised Version) in worship, as well as The Book of Psalms for Singing. (For more resources on psalters and hymnals, please click on our “Other Sites” tab to the left, and then scroll down to the “Music/Hymns” section of the list.)
Below is the liturgy which we typically follow during our morning worship serivce, with some minor variation on special occasions.
If you would like to witness our worship service, please visit our Facebook page by clicking here. We live stream the morning service on Sundays. Recordings of past services are available on our Facebook page.
Note: An asterisk (*) below indicates that the congregation ordinarily stands during that activity. A circumflex symbol (^) indicates that there is more information listed in the footnotes which follow.
ORDER OF PUBLIC WORSHIP
Morning Service^
PREPARATION
Prelude (Preparing for worship by meditation on God’s Word and by private, silent prayer)
PRAISE
Apostolic Salutation and the Votum^
*Call to Worship
*Prayer of Adoration and Invocation
*Psalm/Hymn of Adoration^
CONFESSION
Reading of the Law/God’s Commands
*Corporate Confession of Sin and The Lord’s Prayer (prayed in unison)
*Assurance of Pardon from God’s Word
*Psalm/Hymn of Thanksgiving
THE WORD
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Reading
Sermon (Click here to listen to a sample sermon from our pastor)
RESPONSE
Prayer of Consecration
*Profession of Faith (usually recitation of the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed)
*Psalm/Hymn of Response
Prayer of Intercession
*Dedication of Tithes and Offerings and Singing of the Doxology
THE SACRAMENT^
The Lord’s Supper^
*The Singing of the Gloria Patri^ or another Psalm/Hymn
*Benediction^
*Congregational Response (corporate “Amen” or singing of Ps. 72:18-19)
DISMISSAL
Announcements and Dismissal
Postlude
^The liturgy for the evening worship service is a simplified version of the morning order.
^The word “votum” is Latin for “desire” or “vow.” Liturgically, it refers to the pronouncement/declaration by the minister to the congregation of Psalm 124:8, “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” It is a biblical reminder at the start of worship that God is the only help for sinful man. It also serves as a reminder that God’s people should trust God alone as Lord over all of life. The Votum is not used in all OPC congregations, but it has a long standing history in the worship of the Christian Church in general and also in the Reformed tradition.
^In accordance with Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 and the practice of Christianity since the time of the Apostles and the Early Church, we believe congregational singing should include metrical psalms as well as time-tested, orthodox hymns.
^Whenever a baptism is observed (or new members received), it is done immediately before the Lord’s Supper. On such Sundays, this section of our Liturgy would read “The Sacraments.” We affirm that there are only two sacraments in the Church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
^Due to our belief that it is a means of grace and that it was very likely the practice of the Early Church (see Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7, and 1 Corinthians 11:17-22), we have chosen to observe the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper every week; however, not all OPC congregations observe the sacrament this often, nor do the doctrinal standards of the OPC require weekly observance.
^The Gloria Patri (Latin for “Glory be to the Father”) is a hymn from the Early Church (circa 2nd Century) praising the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is sung not only because of its origin in the Early Church but also and more importantly as a reminder that the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is the center and focus of our woship and that there is no other God beside Him.
^The benediction is a Scripture blessing pronounced by the minister on the congregation at the close of the service. Ordinarily the benediction used is either the High Priestly blessing recorded in Numbers 6:24-26: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” or some variation of the Apostolic blessing as found in 2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.”