For hundreds of years churches were accustomed to having the following as a part of their liturgy (or order of worship):
- a call to worship
- a time of confession
- the preaching of God's Word
- the Lord's Supper
- and a benediction
It's important to note that these elements are not mere formalities...
... God uses them to minister to us, and equip us for service in His kingdom.
Think about it:
With the Call to Worship, God calls you to break from the struggles
of the world to find rest and renewal in Him.
Then, He calls you to confess your sins so you would again experience His forgiveness and be free from the burden of guilt.
After that, there is the preaching of God's Word... whereby God gives you your marching orders for the coming week.
And then He feeds you at the Communion Table, to
be nourished by Christ for the coming days.
And finally, He sends you out with His blessing, so you can go back to your calling in this world with the assurance of His favor.
Now... I don't know about you... but I need the grace that comes through all of these things every week.
And I assume you'd benefit from them as
well.
So... if you are a part of a church that has these elements as a part of its worship, be thankful... and be mindful of what God is doing for you through them.
If your church is missing some of these elements, you might want to ask your pastor -- respectfully, of course -- as to why.
Get Dominion,