Church of the Cross

A Conversation On Worship

A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR:

I remember the day early in our marriage when we first set foot in that all too strange Presbyterian church. One of us was home, the other was lost.

I was raised a “Bapticostal” (half Baptist–half Pentecostal). The folks in my childhood church loved Jesus, gave heartily to missions, and prayed like no others that I have known. My father and grandfather were deacons, my mother played the piano, and my grandmother played the organ. It was wonderful, and I was introduced to my Savior there. When I was in college I was challenged to make sure all my beliefs lined up with Scripture. I was surprised to find that some of the things I had believed my entire life were not scriptural at all.

Back to the balcony of the Presbyterian church - I wasn’t terribly excited about attending, but it came highly recommended by a professor who said that the Word of God was preached there. Begrudgingly I attended that first service and immediately felt out of place. Every aspect of this worship service was foreign to me (standing up, sitting down, responsive readings, confession, sacraments, and robes). I was a little lost and more than a little confused.

Though everything was new and different I remember being excited that the sermon actually came from the Bible instead of a sermon based on the minister’s diary entry that week or Ten Ways to Have a Better Marriage, Five Ways to Gain Wealth God’s Way or Three Ways to Live Up Instead of Being Down. I had been thirsting for God’s Word. I needed more than self-help. I needed outside help. As we returned week after week, I asked questions and began to understand why Presbyterians do what they do.

I don’t think Presbyterians have it all figured out. We certainly do not. We have much to learn from our Anglican, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Baptist, Catholic, and Orthodox brothers and sisters. However, I have found a home here where the faith is not based on today’s fads. It is based on the ancient, historic faith of the men and women of Scripture and believers who have gone before us. I invite you to come for a few Sundays and observe what we do and get to know who we are. I invite you to ask questions. I invite you to come and struggle with us. You’ll find that we are a broken group of misfits, failures, and fools who are on a spiritual journey in Christ.

On the following pages our liturgy is explained. It is not exhaustive, but I hope it begins to answer some of your questions. Please feel free to contact me to discuss any questions you may have.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,

Rev. Aaron J. Scott 512.753.2626 or aaronscott@cotcsm.org

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WHAT IS WORSHIP AT CHURCH OF THE CROSS? “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2

Our word for worship is derived from the old English word worth-ship. We can define worship as recognizing the worth of God and in return giving God what He is worth. Humans are vessels created to worship! A wise Christian once said that, “Worship is not part of the Christian life; it is the Christian life.”

True worship occurs when we set our affections on God. Our affections are not merely emotions but our motives. They are the very things that motivate us daily and that which we truly treasure. If we do not worship God, we will worship other finite things (Romans 1:25). We set our hearts on relationships, careers, money, accomplishments, approval, comfort, power, and control – often deriving our meaning and sense of self-worth from them. Some of these are even good things that we have exchanged for ultimate things. Our affections, motivations, heart desires need to be adjusted to worship rightly. When we worship God we pull our affections off those things and set them on God.

Liturgy - n. the work of the people. First, if liturgy is a frightening word, realize that every church, no matter how casual, has a liturgy - printed or not. It is the very way and order in which worship is organized. Much of the liturgy at Church of the Cross is antiphonal (responsive) in character. These antiphons echo the rhythms of heaven, for throughout Scripture deep calls to deep, day answers to night, mountain calls to valley, one angel calls to another, God calls out to his people. And since we hear God calling out to his people through creation and His Word we respond in worship. We do not gather together to be entertained, but rather to participate in the worship of our God and King with our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.

In our service we offer our worship to God. This is done in four different phases of our liturgy: Liturgy of Celebration - We enter into God’s presence with a call to worship, respond to God’s call in prayer and singing, and ascribe to God the worth due Him.

Liturgy of Confession - Having approached God in all His glory our idols are brought to light and any illusions of self-righteousness melt away. We approach God in cleansing honesty, giving our sins to Him and receiving His pardoning mercies.

Liturgy of Consecration - Having spoken to God we now listen as God speaks to us through the reading and preaching of the Word.

Liturgy of Communion - Finally, after encountering the written Word, we further partake of Jesus the Living Word through communion where we experience through the outward, physical elements of bread and wine the inward, spiritual realities of the grace of Christ.

How do I know I’ve worshiped? Ask yourself, “Has my mind grasped (or wrestled with) the Truth? Has the Truth touched my emotions? Has the Truth led to a changed life?” If all three are not organically connected, worship may be an intellectual event, an emotional experience, or a volitional pressure – but none of these alone is worship. You know you have worshiped when ”the mind descends into the heart”. So worship is not an intellectual ascent rather it is the Gospel working its way to transform the whole person. Worship transforms us from the inside out.

As you read and sing and participate, ask God to empower you to worship with your entire being. Like all skills, worship becomes easier the more you do it. Turn off the auto-pilot and worship as though God is truly present with us today– for He is.

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THE CALL TO WORSHIP“...for his steadfast love endures forever.” - Psalm 136

God always takes the initiative. If there is ever any movement of the individual toward the divine, it is God who has prompted it. Many people reach a point in their lives when, for whatever reason, they decide to “take up” religion. To whatever degree there is sincerity in the effort, Scripture says it was as a result of God’s prompting, because the default setting of the human heart is autonomy. (Psalm 14:2-3).

This is also the case in worship. When we seek entrance into God’s presence to worship, it is always at his gracious invitation that we do so. Just as we would not think to casually “drop in” on a king or president, neither do we simply “drop in” on God in worship. He must invite us; grant us an audience; usher us into his presence. Even the angels themselves tremble in his presence. For example, when the angel Gabriel rebuked Zechariah for questioning his word, he said “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you...” (Luke 1:19). Gabriel’s authority was implied by his unfettered access to God Almighty. The ancients understood this. As God’s presence enshrouded Mt. Sinai, the people stayed back at a distance in terror and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself...but do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18-19).

That is why we have a call to worship in our liturgy. We are acknowledging at the outset that we are not here due to our initiative, on the basis of our authority, or through the qualifications of our righteousness. We are here because God has invited us to come. He calls us to this meeting. We have been granted an audience with the Great King.

Most often a Psalm is used to usher us into God’s presence during the Call to Worship. This is modeled after Israel’s worship in which the priest would call out part of a Psalm and the congregation would reply in unison. Psalm 136 reflects this congregational antiphony where the continual refrain in reflecting upon God is, “...for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalms 120-134 are known as the Psalms of Ascent that the Israelites would sing and call out to one another as they ascended the hill to worship at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

This is the amazing thing: God wants to fellowship with us. He wants to share His presence with us. He delights to call us His people, and welcomes us as a loving parent would welcome their child. That is the confidence we have in Jesus Christ. For Christ has gone before us, as a great High Priest, and given us a righteousness we could never earn that qualifies us to enter God’s presence. And so we come with humility and confidence, reverence and joy.

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CONFESSION OF SIN “For the Christian, all of life is repentance.” - Martin Luther

The reason all of life is repentance is because as we come into a relationship with a holy and righteous God we begin to see ourselves in a true and proper light - as sinners. Acknowledging and confessing one’s sin is not just something that is done when one first becomes a Christian. Our sin is continual, so must be our repentance. Confessing sin is not only an internal, private action; it is also meant to be communal and public. At COTC we begin by confessing our sins corporately and then privately. We do this because this is what we observe in Scripture.

In Ezra 10 and Nehemiah 9 the people of Israel (men, women and children) publicly confess their sin to the Lord, “And the Israelites stood and confessed their sins”. James 1:5 reads, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” See also Daniel 9 and Mark 1:5.

We follow this public and corporate confession of sin with a private confession of sin. We confess to God that we have sinned in thought, word and deed. Again, we find this pattern in Scripture in Psalm 51 where David confesses his sin of adultery and murder. Again in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” And in Psalm 38:18, “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.”

ASSURANCE OF GRACE AND PARDON“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13

Confessing our sin is only half of the Gospel. God has promised to forgive our sins, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” - Jeremiah 31:34b. (See also Micah 7:18-19; Psalm 130:3-4, 7; Isaiah 44:21-22; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Hebrews 10:4, 12, 14). This is the role of the Assurance of Grace and Pardon.

It is not enough to intellectually assent that our sins are forgiven in Christ. We are creatures of flesh and blood, and it is helpful for to us to hear these words of grace spoken by the minister for our assurance. Here, the minister does not himself forgive our sins: He declares God’s forgiveness on the basis of Christ’s merits alone. This follows the pattern the Apostle Peter sets forth when he does the same in Acts 2:38, “Repent every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”. The rest the disciples are then sent out to declare to those who believe In Jesus that their sins are forgiven (Acts 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 26:18, 2 Corinthians 2:10, I John 2:12) .

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THE LORD’S PRAYER The Disciples’ Prayer

Prayer is at once the most simple and yet most profound activity of the human soul. To pray is to dare to enter into God’s presence and answer Him, thus joining in the conversation. Thus, the person who takes prayer seriously recognizes the challenge involved – not to simply babble in the presence of the creative genius of the cosmos.

By the same token, prayer is not some mystical language that only saints and angels understand. Prayer can be as simple as one word, or even “...groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Perhaps it was this tension of prayer being both an act of great transcendence, yet personal immanence that led Jesus’ own disciples to request of him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Jesus responded with what we now call The Lord’s Prayer, which is part of our worship service every Sunday. Notice, it is not a prayer meant to be prayed singularly. Jesus teaches that this prayer is to be prayed corporately. That is why it is written in the first person plural, our and us.

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) gives us a framework for all our prayers.

First, we begin with praise and adoration - “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Prayer should ordinarily begin with praise and thanksgiving, acknowledging God’s goodness and reign over our lives. We also pray for God’s holiness and reign to be over all of creation, fully, once again.

Second, in prayer we seek to align ourselves with God’s will and agenda for our lives, rather than rushing ahead to establish our own - “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we approach God with an attitude of humble submission, we are enabled to more clearly perceive God’s plan for us and take encouragement from the fact that we are God’s children and citizens of his Kingdom.

Third, we then enter into the phase of prayer where we make our requests - “Give us today our daily bread, forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” By beginning with worship and submission, we are now ready to give to God our deepest desires and longings in prayer and are also now prepared to receive God’s answer, direction, and encouragement.

Finally, we end with an acknowledgement that all of life, including our prayer, is ultimately part of God’s great plan to restore creation and increase His glory - “For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” Pastor and author Eugene Peterson writes, “Prayer is access to an environment in which God is the pivotal center of action….Persons who pray give themselves to the personal intensities that become awe before God and in intimacy with God. And they change the world. As individual instruments play their role in an orchestra, our prayers are part of the great orchestral score that is making a beautiful symphony of praise to God.”

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THE SERMON

Preaching is the authoritative proclamation of God’s Word, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. The authority of preaching is not inherent in the preacher, but rather in the text itself. At Church of the Cross, we preach God’s Word, by exegeting and explaining the text and then offering an application of the text for today’s hearers.

Preaching is one of the primary means God has ordained for the propagation of Christianity. As the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Romans 10:13-14).

In recent years the sermon has become the focal point of most Protestant services. The success of many churches is inordinately tied to the preacher’s “performance.” An excessive emphasis upon the sermon as the focal point of worship often results in a “Cult of Personality” centered upon the minister. This is an unfortunate trend, for it both excessively elevates and cheapens the role of the preacher. The preacher’s job in preaching is not to entertain, but to faithfully teach and apply the Bible with integrity, respect and relevance.

At Church of the Cross, the sermon is only one aspect of the worship service. We hear, read, sing, preach and pray Scripture each week. Our order of worship is so filled with Scripture in our call to worship, songs, confession, readings, prayer, and communion that if the pastor had a heart attack and was unable to preach, the congregation could still say that they had engaged fruitfully in worship.

The success of the service is not based on the pastor’s sermon but rather the Holy Spirit applying the Word of God to our hearts. We are a group of sinner-saints reminded that outside of the Triune God (the Father’s steadfast love, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance) we have no hope.

We believe that preaching should be centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If the Gospel is rightly preached, then it will both convict and comfort. God, through the Holy Spirit, will convict the worshiper of sin and comfort the worshiper with God’s grace. The Apostle Paul tells us that the goal in preaching is to “...preach Christ and Him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2).

Before most sermons the minister will pray Psalm 19:14 which says, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be holy and pleasing to you, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer”.

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THE LORD’S SUPPER (Eucharist, Communion)

Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-23; I Corinthians 10:14-22; 11:17-24

“There is no use trying to be more spiritual than God. God never meant man to be a purely spiritual creature. That is why He uses material things like bread and wine to put the new life into us. We may think this rather crude and unspiritual. God does not: He invented eating. He likes matter. He invented it....” - C. S. Lewis

Perhaps no other element in Christian worship is more mysterious and misunderstood than the Lord’s Supper. In this sacramental breaking of bread we remember the body of Jesus, which was broken for us on the cross. In the drinking of wine (the fruit of the crushed grape) we remember the blood of Jesus, which was shed for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord himself established this practice on the night before his crucifixion, when he told his disciples “Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19).

Why do we call Communion a sacrament? A sacrament is a thing set apart as sacred. It is an outward and visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace. And herein lies its mystery: for God uses these physical acts as a means to convey a spiritual truth. Part of what makes the Eucharist so special is that it adds physicality to our worship. We are not mere disembodied spirits but creatures of flesh and blood, and so God uses the ingesting of bread and wine as a means to communicate his mercy and encourage our faith.

Two extremes are to be avoided here. One is the view that the bread and wine somehow mysteriously change into the actual body and blood of Jesus (known as transubstantiation). The other is that there is no real presence of Christ in the Supper – it is only a memorial or a metaphor. Between the two errors lies the truth – Christ is not corporeally present but spiritually present in the Elements, and the Supper is not a mere metaphor but a metaphor set free to become the very thing it suggests.

Thomas Howard said, “In the simple act of taking bread, and of blessing, breaking and giving it to his disciples, the Lord gathered up all the mystery of the gospel: that the Word must become flesh, and that this flesh must be broken for the life of the world....At that supper table with his friends, Jesus revealed himself for what John the Baptist had hailed him as long before: the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. Here is my body. Here is my blood. This is the whole Old Testament now brought to its fulfillment. And you, my friends, are invited, not only to be spectators or merely to recall what I am doing. You are invited, at this table, to participate in the mystery.” WARNING: This is a family meal. It is to be shared with all who are desperate. It is for those who see their sin, who hate it, and know that only the bloody sacrifice of Christ represented in the bread and wine can make us clean. It is a meal for all baptized Christians who trust in Christ alone as their Savior and Lord, are at peace with their neighbor, and seek strength and grace to live more faithfully. It is dangerous to eat the body and blood of the Lord otherwise. (see I Corinthians 11: 17-34)

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THE OFFERING - Giving or Alms“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each one must

give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - II Corinthians 9:6-7

Why do churches collect an offering? There is a need to pay for the usual and necessary expenses of the church and there is a need to collect money to help the poor and support missions, etc. (I Timothy 5:17-18; II Corinthians 8:1-15; II Corinthians 9:1-15; Acts 2:45; 4:32-37). But three key questions remain:

1) What is the place of the offering in the context of worship?2) How much should one give?3) What is the proper motivation for an individual to give?

The place of the offering in worship is quite simple – giving is part of how we worship. No less than the singing, prayers, sermon or communion, the offering is also one of the important ways God calls us to honor him. In commending the Macedonian Christians for their financial generosity, the Apostle Paul wrote, “... they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” (2 Corinthians 8:5) Their gift was primarily to God, and the Apostle’s ministry was merely the conduit through which it was given. So after we have received Holy Communion we place our financial offerings in the offering box as a act of worship. We use the offering as a time to not only give of our possessions, but also of ourselves to God. By presenting our financial gifts to God along with the other worship we bring, we are acknowledging that everything belongs to Him, and is a gift from His hands. We declare His ownership of our possessions, and ourselves as stewards of His blessings.

How much one should give was clearly answered in the Old Testament with the introduction of the tithe (10%). (Leviticus 27, Numbers 18, Deuteronomy 12, 14, 26). The Israelite was to give his first fruits of what he produced or earned to God. Giving 10% was part of God’s law and we believe that God has changed our motivation for giving through Jesus Christ. So how much should one give to the Church? The simple answer is that it is no longer a law. 10% is a good place to start but one should pray and ask the Lord to lead them to the amount they should give.

Now, what is the proper motivation to give? Clever preachers often use techniques such as guilt or the “carrot” of future blessings to motivate their flocks to, “Take the hand of faith and dig deep!” This is absolutely crazy, and will ultimately result in resentment and miserly giving. Again, to quote the Apostle Paul, “Each person should give what they have decided in their heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Joy should be the overriding motivation that determines the amount of our gift. We give to God because we have first received from God.

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THE BENEDICTIONThe Good Word

The word benediction comes from the Latin word for “good saying” or “good word." In worship we partake of the mercy and grace of God, and thus as we go forth from the service we go with the peace and blessing of God upon us.

A benediction is simply God conferring a blessing upon His people. Throughout the Scriptural narrative God blesses His chosen people, starting with the man and the woman in the Garden (Genesis 1:22, 28; 5:2). The Old Testament records numerous God-initiated blessings over the patriarchs, the nation of Israel, the kings, the prophets, and others (Genesis 9:1; 12:2-3; 14:19; 49; Numbers 6; 22-23). When God instructs Israel in proper God-worship He instructs the first Israelite priest, Aaron, to bless the people in this way, “...Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, ‘ The Lord bless you and keep you;  the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;  the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’ So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-27).

The New Testament record is full of blessing as well. Jesus blesses children and the people in the Beatitudes (beatitude means “blessing” - Matthew 5:3-11). Additionally, the Apostles in the New Testament pronounce blessings on the people and end the majority of their letters in a blessing or benediction (Romans 15:13; 16:24; Colossians 3:15-17; Ephesians 6:23-24; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:20-21; 2 John 1:3; Jude 24-25). The historic Church has also practiced this as part of concluding worship. Because of God’s grace which is given us in Christ, we may indeed enjoy a good word of blessing.

Often the minister will raise his hands while giving the benediction. Some in the congregation will raise their hands in a receiving manner to receive the blessing of God. This practice is part of the biblical record and a common tradition in many churches throughout the ages.

Christ gave himself for the life of the world, and our worship becomes meaningless if we do not go forth into the world to serve and minister in Christ’s name. Thus we take the blessings of grace as summarized in the benediction and take them into the marketplace to reflect God’s glory to all of creation.

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ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF OUR LITURGY

THE APOSTLES’ CREED c. 200 A.D.

Creeds are summary statements of belief, and have been used by Christians for centuries as both a means of learning and expressing their faith. The name “Apostles’ Creed” does not indicate its authorship, but rather its source as a written summary of apostolic doctrine. It is the most universally recognized and read statement of faith in the Christian Church. For centuries Christians from many traditions have used this creed as a teaching outline, a guide for true doctrine, a faithful summation of the Christian faith, and an affirmation in worship. Although The Apostles’ Creed is ancient and widely used, Protestants have always viewed this and other written creeds as subject to the authority of the Bible from which the historic creeds were derived. Among Western European and American Protestants a movement arose in the 19th century which discouraged the use of creeds or other written statements of faith. However, the use of creeds is both historic and biblical, with the Apostles themselves often quoting from various ancient creeds in their writings to teach and encourage the churches (I Timothy 1:15,16; 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Philippians 2:5-11). So, on Sundays we join our voices with the saints and martyrs who have gone before us, and whose lips and lives expressed the words of this creed.

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THE NICENE CREED c. 325 A.D.

In the third century A.D. a great controversy arose within the Christian Church. The issue concerned the nature of God and how the members of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit relate to one another. More specifically, the debate revolved around questions regarding the nature of Jesus Christ: was he fully God, fully man or something in between? In order to address the growing controversy and maintain the peace and purity of the Church, over 300 bishops gathered to settle the issue at the first great ecumenical council, the Council of Nicea.

On one side were those who held to the teachings of Arius, a priest from North Africa who taught that Christ was not the Son of God, but more like a spiritual superman who had exceptional wisdom but was not himself divine. On the other side were those led by Alexander, the Bishop of Alexandria, and his deacon, Athanasius, who held to the historic Christian understanding that Jesus Christ was God made flesh, possessing two simultaneous natures both human and divine.

After lengthy study and discussion the Council sided with Alexander and affirmed the historic understanding of the Person of Christ. The Nicene Creed was a re-affirmation of the truths proclaimed at Nicea, and thus declares: “We believe one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.”

Christians throughout the centuries from many traditions and denominations have used historic creeds such as the Nicene Creed to publicly confess their faith in worship, to demonstrate the essential unity of Christ’s Church in all its manifestations, and to teach Christian doctrine.

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BAPTISM "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and was void, and darkness was over

the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:1-2)

Out of these chaotic waters the Triune God brings forth dry land and other created things. As God’s redemption unfolds in the biblical narrative, the reader finds that water is increasingly significant to the story. God purifies His creation by water in the biblical account of the Noah and the flood (Genesis 6-8). When the Israelites are fleeing Egypt during the Exodus God causes the waters of the Red Sea to part so that His chosen people may pass through unharmed (Exodus 14:21-30). Other Old Testament accounts where water is significant include, but are not limited to, the accounts of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-15) as he was healed by the waters of the River Jordan and of Jonah's repentance (Jonah 1-4) when he was surrounded by the vast seas in the belly of the great fish.

The New Testament opens with the incarnation and baptism of Jesus (Matthew 1-3). In Matthew 3 the last of the Old Testament prophets, John, baptizes Jesus and others with water for the remission of sins. He was preparing the way for the Messiah who would baptize with both water and fire and would come ―"...not by the water only but by the water and blood" (I John 5:6). Finally, we see Peter filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit addressing the crowd in Acts 2:37-39, responding to the question “What must we do to be saved?” Peter answers, “Repent and be baptized…for this promise is for you and your children.”

We believe that Jesus instituted two sacraments: baptism and communion. Baptism is the way that people enter the community of the church. In the Old Testament circumcision was God's sign of His special relationship with Israel and set the Israelites apart as God's chosen people. They were to be physically (and spiritually) different from the other pagan nations that surrounded them. God commanded that Abraham, all his male children and all his male servants should be circumcised, including infants (Genesis 17:1-14). Those who received the sign of the covenant of circumcision were treated as beneficiaries of God's blessings on the community and were expected and instructed to be followers and servants of the Most High God.

In the New Testament baptism is the sign of the new covenant that God has made with the Church through Christ Jesus - the sign of belonging. Colossians 2:11-12 reads, “In him [Christ] also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Baptism signifies one’s belonging to God and entering the community of faith (Matthew 28:18-20). Both adults and children were circumcised in the OT, so baptism is received by adults and children, even infants (Acts 2:37-39; 16:31; 18:8; I Corinthians 1:16; 10:2; Romans 6:3-4; I Peter 3:21).

Baptism is a wonderful picture of the way God saves his people. We do not baptize ourselves; we are baptized (by another). We are recipients of God’s grace. We do not deserve it or earn it. These days baptism is often viewed as a sign of my love for Jesus. We would do well to study, reflect, discuss, and pray so that we might see baptism as a sign of God's incredible love for us as He calls us to life within his body, the Church!

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THE MINISTERIAL ROBE "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard,

on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!" Psalm 133:1-2

The question is often asked, “Why does the minister wear a robe?” The answer is not because he is extra holy and has special access to God. Quite the opposite. The robe is designated in part, to de-emphasize the personality of the minister (a refreshing concept in a time when American Protestantism has become so personality-driven.) The robe represents the office and calling of the minister, and directs our thoughts to the fact that in worship we enter into the presence of God, not the Cult of Personality.

A second reason is that in the Bible, clothing and calling are often connected; a person’s calling or office—together with whatever authority is connected with the office—is often symbolized visually by the clothing the person wears. Aaron and the other priests were given specific instructions about the garments to be worn when they performed their duties as priests in the Tabernacle (Exodus 28, 39; Leviticus 8:1-13). Young Samuel's mother made him a robe each year as he ministered before the Lord (1 Samuel 2:18-19). The purpose of the robe is to cover the individual and accent his God-ordained office or calling.

Thirdly, the minister leading the worship plays a symbolic role during the service. When he leads the congregation in prayer, he symbolizes Christ leading the church in prayer before God. The same is true when preaching the Scriptures, administering Communion, etc. The robe is not meant to place the minister above the congregation, but to set him apart from them because of his unique office during the Lord’s Day worship service. Present day vocations also require special dress: military personnel, police officers, doctors, firefighters, judges, postal workers, etc. Most vocations/companies require workers to wear special badges or uniforms that are meant to be worn while performing their duties. Worldwide, American Protestant ministers are among the few Christians who do not wear ministerial garments during services.

Finally, the minister is not a businessman or CEO of the ecclesiastical corporation (the image that is conjured up when the pastor wears a business suit). The ministerial robe reflects the dignity and reverence of our worship services, with a style that is free from the tyranny of contemporary fashion. It represents the fact that our access to God is not predicated on our social class or economic status. All have equal access to our Heavenly Father.

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THE USE OF PRINTED PRAYERS

“How can I pray what someone else wrote? The words are being forced on me.” This is a common objection to the use of pre-composed, written prayers. Yet such prayers should be a regular part of congregational worship for several reasons.

First, pre-composed prayers are biblical. There are numerous examples throughout the Bible where set prayers were used in congregational worship. (See Ezra 3:10,11; Nehemiah 12:45,46; Acts 4:25,26.)

Second, written prayers encourage congregational participation. It is not the minister alone who is “qualified” to pray. The restoration of congregational prayer was one of the hallmarks of the Protestant Reformation, part of the doctrine known as the priesthood of all believers.

Third, written prayers teach us how to pray. They help train our minds to pray biblically, and can guide and assist us in composing our own prayers.

Fourth, prayers said in unison manifest the unity of the Church. We pray together as the corporate body of Christ, not just as a bunch of individuals.

Fifth, written prayers broaden our horizons. Left to ourselves most of our prayers would be for sick people or saying grace at meals, which are worthy prayers. However, written prayers lead us beyond our narrow parameters to intercede for individuals and situations we may have never before considered.

How to use printed prayers. It is, of course possible, to merely read the prayers without paying attention to them. Our minds are prone to wander. (This is equally true of spontaneous prayers – especially rambling ones.) But as you read, concentrate on the words and remember that God is present with us and is listening to every word.

THE PUBLIC READING OF SCRIPTURE

The reason we read Scripture during worship is simply because we see this being done all throughout the Scriptures from Ezra reading the Law to the people, to Jesus reading Scripture in the synagogue, to Paul in I Timothy 4:13 commanding Timothy, a young minister, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.”

We practice listening rather than reading along. This gives us the unique opportunity to hear the Word. We typically practice lectio continua - which means that we continue each Sunday reading through a certain book of the Bible so that over a period of time we go through an entire book.

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Pentecost - Irish Green

Advent - Blue Epiphany - D. Green

EASTER - Gold

Lent - Grey Holy Week - Red

Sunday Worship 10 a.m.San Marcos Academy

2801 Ranch Road 12| San MarcosMailing Address: PO Box 1571| San Marcos, TX 78667

512.268.3608 | www.cotcsm.orgAaron J. Scott, Pastor| aaronscott@cotcsm.org

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