More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. — Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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Worship: 10:30am Sundays
at Breakwater School
more info…
Our worship services are special times when we come into the presence of God. As a community, we are connected both with other believers today, as well as believers throughout the centuries. It is for this reason that we seek to combine both the best of praise available today with the historical songs and statements of faith.
Date
The Third Sunday of Easter[1]
We gather on the Lord’s Day each week to celebrate Christ’s resurrection and worship our enthroned King. We have used the church calendar as a way of acknowledging His lordship over all time and to point us to the culmination of all time in His imminent return.
Welcome and Silent Preparation – Pastor
The welcome should be warm and gracious and take into consideration those who have never been with us before. What would you need to know to enter into this worship service if it was your first time visiting? How would you welcome people into your own home? Surely we must not do less in welcoming them into the Lord’s home among His people.
Gathering to Worship the Redeemer
This section involves our entrance together into God’s presence for worship.
Prelude – Composer
The welcome should be warm and gracious and take into consideration those who have never been with us.
* Call to Worship – Pastor
We believe that in gathered worship we are entering into God’s throne room through Christ. God Himself calls us into His presence to worship Him and bow down. We together have a role in calling one another to biblical worship and this element is stressed here in the beginning. We use God’s Word to beckon one another into this sacred assembly.
* Hymn of Exultation (Full voiced song) -Composer
We usually begin our prayers together by singing. This follows a long pattern of the Songs of Ascent making use of biblical language and Scripture-shaped songs in calling upon the Lord and asking Him to warm our hearts to His worship as we come into His presence.
*Prayer of Adoration
Concluded by praying together The Lord’s Prayer) – Elder/Deacon generally
Having exhorted one another to this glorious task and singing our majestic Savior’s praise, we join now together in a prayer specifically delighting in His character. The tone of adoration fits with our coming in Christ recognizing the gospel truth that it is Him who has first loved us and that we now love Him in response to His gracious covenant relationship with us as His people.
Repenting Together by God’s Grace
Scriptural Call to Repentance (Scripture Passage) - Pastor
Even as we take on our lips words of praise for this great God we are confronted with the truth of Scripture that on our own we stand before Him as covenant-breakers worthy only of His wrath. This same gospel beckons us to come calling on His mercy. The biblical passage read should remind us of these realities.
Song of Preparation (Usually a lament of sin) – Composer
We sing of our need for forgiveness, of God’s holiness and our sin, of the brutality of Christ’s sacrifice. This is a prayer leading into confession that is designed to remind us of the depth of our depravity.
Corporate Confession – Pastor
We pray together a scripted prayer confessing our sin particularly as a people. The collective nature of this prayer helps us to realize and repent of our sins together both by commission and omission. We are currently on a monthly rotation of four confessions, including Psalm 51and Luther’s prayer.
Silent Reflection/Confession Please take a few moments to pray privately.
We each pray silently personalizing the collective prayer and confessing any specific individual sins that might otherwise hamper our ability to enter into worshiping God today.
Proclamation of Forgiveness (Scripture Passage) – Pastor
God’s Word does not leave us in penitence, but lifts us up with the proclamation of restoration in the good news.
*Song of Renewal (Celebrative song) – Composer
This is the response of God’s people receiving His forgiveness and rejoicing in His goodness to us.
*The Peace of God This is an opportunity to extend the grace of Christ to one another.
Receiving His peace we in turn extend that to others. This is the gospel pattern and we participate in it together right where we are. We need to lead our people in not just shaking hands and nodding at one another, but working out the reality of what we have just experienced.
Prayers for Christ’s Church and the World – An officer generally
Praise Requests
This mutual blessing of one another is followed by our lifting up one another’s needs and interceding on behalf of our neighbors, family, and friends. We praise and thank Him for those answered prayers and continue bringing Him all our cares and concerns.
Greeting and Announcements - A lay person
Children ages 3-6 are excused to Kids’ Quest at this time.
This immediate application of the gospel in the passing of the peace and intercessory prayer is followed by our looking together at specific ways we are seeking to live this out through the various activities and ministries in which we are participating together. This is much more than an infomercial, it places these ministries in their right context of worship.
Proclaiming God’s Word
How are we to do these things? We need to be instructed by God Himself and so we turn to His Word.
*Scripture Reading (Scripture Passage) - A lay person
The passage for the sermon is read as the assembly stands out of respect for God’s Word and our readiness to go and do what He commands.
The Sermon “Title” – Pastor generally[2]
The sermon should show us Christ in the passage and exhort us to obey His commands because of who He has made us to be as His co-heirs.
The Offertory (Contemplative Melody) – Composer
Having been instructed by Christ’s Word we worship Him by giving back to Him His tithes and our offerings. This demonstrates all that we have is His and we are willing to worship Him with all that He has laid at our command.
*Affirmation of Faith Creed/Catechism[3]
The full-life worship demonstrated in the offering is conjoined with a specific gospel articulation of our faith. We stand with a whole train of saints across the globe and throughout time as confessional followers of Christ. We are currently on a monthly rotation of the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds, Westminster and Heidelberg Catechisms.
*Creedal Song “Title” – Tune
The historical link to saints who have gone before us is underscored as we sing an ancient prayer
We are currently on a monthly rotation of the Doxology, Holy, Holy, Holy, Aaronic Blessing, and Holy, Holy .
Celebrating Holy Communion
The Word is followed by the sacrament.
Having received our marching orders and pledging ourselves in offering and song we come to the Lord’s Table to be strengthened and renewed in our covenant union with Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving - Pastor
The elements of bread and wine/juice are set apart for this holy use instituted by Christ in the Passover context.
Words of Institution & Invitation - Pastor
The purpose and instructions of Christ are explained and His people invited to come and sup with Him and one another and His banquet table.
Approaching the King’s Feast
Participants and those who would be prayed for come forward.
*Communion Song (Song tied to sermon conclusion) - Composer
This is the people’s response in faith to the Word & Sacrament. Here we join together and praise our King for His promises which we have heard and believed. This sung prayer is our collective commitment to the gospel.
Commissioning for Service
This section prepares us to move out into the world in our Father’s business of seeking and saving the lost.
*Concluding Prayer – Pastor
We call upon God to go with us as He has promised and lead us as the Church militant in extending His Kingdom to the ends of the earth.
*The Benediction (Scripture Passage) – Pastor
The pastor blesses the people for the service to which God has called them.
Postlude (Joyful tune) – Composer
Please stay and enjoy some refreshments after the worship service.
Fellowship in the Spirit is a central part of worship. It is good and right for God’s people first and foremost to include visitors in this community enjoyment of one another.
[1] Explanatory note of season/feast/day.
* Please stand, if you are able. Thank you.
[2] The regular preaching is to be done by the pastors, but may be any man approved by the session.
[3] Historical note to provide context for creed/catechism.
