This morning you will notice a few alterations in our liturgy that we wanted to go over with you beforehand.
First, we will no longer be announcing any of the hymns or psalms beforehand. We will try to give you a moment to locate where we are in the bulletin, but are trying to keep the stage directions from intruding into the play.
Secondly, because worship is a conversation between God and His people, we wanted the congregation to have more to say (outside the psalms) than simply amen. While we will continue to say amen (and urge you to maintain your heartiness in saying it), in several places we will be giving different responses. Before the prayer of adoration is the sursum corda, which means “lift up your hearts.” I will say “lift up your hearts,” and you will respond with “we lift them up to the Lord.” At the end of the assurance of pardon, I will say “Your sins are forgiven through Christ,” and you will respond with “Thanks be to God!” At the reading of Scripture, the one reading will conclude with “The Word of the Lord,” and you will say “Thanks be to God!” All these responses are in the bulletin for you.
The last addition is in our confession of faith. After we are done saying the Apostles’ Creed, each week we are going to have a responsive reading from the Heidelberg Catechism. That catechism is divided into 52 Lord’s Day readings, and so we will work through it in the course of one year. We have linked the reading to the church year, so we are beginning today with Lord’s Day #6. We encourage all of you to go back and read through the first five with your families in order to get current, and then prepare your little ones for Lord’s Day # 7 next week.
Worship is warfare, and worship is work, and sometimes both involve learning something new. But as we labor together, never forget that worship is also our joy and delight.