How Do Presbyterians “Do” church?
Hyperlink to video series and study guides:
http://www.theocademy.com/lessons-for-ruling-elders-and-deacons
The material below is a concise and integrated summary of the information presented in both the videos and the study guides and is intended as an introduction to viewing the videos (average length of 15 minutes per video) and completing the study guides.
Video #1/Study Guide #1 – Ordered Ministry
Three forms of leadership of a church (Ordered Ministry)
1. Teaching Elder (minister/pastor – moderates Session)
2. Deacons (Missions – compassion, witness, service; face, hands, and feet of each church/EPC) While many churches have both installed elders and deacons; at EPC the Session, as well as congregation members, fulfill the traditional service roles of deacons. EPC does not have an installed deaconate.
3. Ruling Elder (Session; discern God’s will for EPC; heart and head of church/EPC)
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Why did I agree to be a ruling elder?
2. What strengths do I bring to service as a ruling elder?
3. In what areas of service can I grow?
General questions/answers:
1. Who do Presbyterians believe are “called” to ministry?
Answer:
All are called by God to minister to others (especially those considered to be “only” laity; i.e. non-clergy).
2. What is the “first job” of Ordered Ministers within the church?
Answer:
Discern (i.e. perceive/recognize) God’s will for the church.
Video #2/Study Guide #2 – Being Leaders
Conflicts arise when I know something others do not, or others know something I do not about a given situation, issue, or project (the “Hidden Area”). Ideal is to strive for more “Open Area” – meaning a state in which facts, perceptions, dynamics, feelings, awareness, and history are shared with all those involved in setting boundaries for the church.
Boundaries are to be established only upon a solid foundational basis (as discerned by the ruling elders). If there is pushback (and there usually is), reexamine the foundational basis, if the foundational basis is sound – then hold the line on the boundary; if the foundational basis is flawed – then pivot and modify. If discernment by ruling elders is done properly, holding the line on established boundaries should be the more frequent occurrence.
Over-functioning of individuals within the church deprives others of the opportunity for growth in their relationship with God.
Under-functioning of individuals within the church deprives the under-functioning individual of the opportunity for growth in their relationship to God.
Resiliency is the quality that is developed to hold the line on boundaries set by the ruling elders and involves approaching those who push back against those boundaries with the “why” (see #5 below for explanation of the “Why”) of the foundational basis for the boundary.
Video #3/Study Guide #3 – Who is the Church?
Questions to ask yourself:
1. When you think about God, what words come to mind?
2. Why is the Church important to the life of a Christian?
3. How has the Church made an impact on your life?
General questions/answers:
1. Who is the Church? (Capitalized to represent the universal church, not EPC; Christ’s Church – the body of all believers throughout time (past/present/future), place (locations) and walks of life (societal status))
Answer:
The Church is not about humans; it is about God. The Church depends on God, God does not depend on the Church. The Church is all those who have ever or will ever worship God.
2. How does God relate to the Church?
Answer:
Through Christ, who is the Head of the Church. The Church is the body (face, hands, and feet) of Christ. Members of the Church are all equal to each other, as followers of Christ. Christ is the Hope of the Church – through him the Church is assured that we will never be forsaken, and we are not alone.
3. What does it mean to be “in” the world rather than “of” the world?
Answer:
The difference between being God-focused or self-focused. Those “in” the world, but not “of” it are God-focused.
The Church is called to:
Worship God – glorify and enjoy God.
Tell other people about the Good News of the resurrected Christ.
Follow Christ’s example with and in our daily walk of life.
Work with others for the flourishing of God’s whole creation (“others” includes people outside of the Church because God’s mission is not just about the Church, He has a greater plan of which the Church is a part, but only a part)
The Church must avoid thinking that it is the Head, only Christ is the Head. We are not in charge of God’s mission, God is. (Commentary - Christ prayed for the cup to be taken from him if it was within God’s will, but that God’s will be done (this tends to indicate that even Christ is not privy to all of God’s plans).
All of God’s promises are answered with a “yes” in Christ; (Commentary - God is loving, forgiving, and patient and the Church should be as well in relation to others to the best of our abilities).
Video #4/Study Guide #4 – What is the Church?
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Why did you become or remain a Presbyterian?
2. What do you believe should be our priorities as the Church?
3. How should those priorities influence our actions as an individual congregation within the Church?
General questions/answers:
1. What are the “Notes” of the reformed church?
Answer:
Statements that distinguish the reformed church from the Roman Catholic church
a. The Word of God truly preached and heard – taking biblical text and applying it to the lives of the congregation (most Roman Catholic bishops at the time did not preach the Word during Mass)
b. The sacraments rightly administered - rituals that take you to the depths of spiritual teachings (Roman Catholic communion added extra concepts not found in the bible, expressing the Eucharist as a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice (referred to as the “non-bloody sacrifice”) rather than as a feast of Thanksgiving; reformers wanted to eliminate the non-biblically based “extra stuff”
c. Church discipline uprightly ministered – accountability, spiritual support for each other, and community in covenant with each other
2. What are the “Great Ends of the Church”?
Answer:
6 reasons God continues to gather faithful men and women (grouped by themes):
a. Church’s relationship with God:
i. The maintenance of divine worship
ii. The preservation of Truth
b. Church Members’ relationship with each other:
iii. The shelter, nurture & spiritual fellowship of God’s children
c. Church’s relationship with others outside the Church (outreach):
iv. The proclamation of gospel for salvation of humankind
v. The promotion of social righteousness
vi. The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world
3. Why is it important for elders and church members, not just pastors, to have the ability to understand the Word of God within historical and current context?
Answer:
Elders and church members need to be able to understand the relevance of biblical text to their own lives; elders are charged with discerning God’s will for the congregation and church members are charged with implementing God’s will for their congregation.
The Church is:
One (many churches/denominations, but One Church)
Holy (God calls the Church the Holy bride of Christ)
Catholic (meaning universal)
Apostolic (meaning the same teachings as the apostles)
Video #5/Study Guide #5 – Being a Confessional Church
The Book of Confessions consists of eleven documents compiled at different times in history from around the world and contain the official theological documents of our denomination. The Confessions are not scripture but play an important role in interpreting scripture. They include many voices and perspectives that together form collective wisdom.
The banners in our sanctuary each represent a different Confession.
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Who/what do you turn to for guidance when faced with a difficult decision?
2. What experience do you have using our “Confessions”?
3. Why is it important, as a Christian, to be able to state what we believe?
General questions/answers:
1. In what way does the “Book of Confessions” guide us and act as a “conversation partner”? Answer:
The Book of Confessions plays a special role in helping us interpret scripture (a study guide of sorts) acting to provide an interpretive key so that scripture makes sense; reiterates common themes.
2. Why we have so many creeds/statements of faith/confessions?
Answer:
Repeatedly renewed to meet differing situations; attempts to reconcile our current circumstances with God’s revelation in scripture.
3. What about when the creeds/statements of faith/confessions seem to, or actually do, conflict with each other (example – 16th Century Scots Confession [3.22] and 20th Century Brief Statement of Faith [10.4] seem to conflict regarding the role of women in teaching/leadership roles within the church)?
Answer:
Video does not provide a strict direct answer, but rather talks about the similarities and common themes of the creeds/statements of faith/confessions, describing them as:
a. not representing a narrow or static view
b. like a wide river that is not “one size fits all”
c. is the collective wisdom of the church, collected from around the world and through time (over many centuries)
4. What are the reasons/situations giving rise to new creeds/statements of faith/confessions?
Answer:
a. Identity forming moments (Brief Statement of Faith – resulting from the unification of
the northern and southern Presbyterian churches
b. When there is a threat from within (clarification is needed) – Apostle’s Creed was issued to counter teachings of Roman Emperor Marcian who espoused a duelist view of God (God of the Old Testament was a vengeful lesser god and New Testament God was merciful, loving and the father of Christ), hence the statement in the creed that “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord…”
c. When there is a threat from outside the church – Barman Confession, to counter the attempt by Hitler to highjack the reformed church and its leaders for his own purposes, stated that the church can never be an organ of the state; the church has only one Lord/God
d. When a time comes that the church must make a statement in order to maintain credibility of the church to proclaim scripture – such as when scripture was being used to justify Apartheid in South Africa
Belief = the foundational understanding of the way God works in and through the world.
Golden Circle of beliefs:
WHAT (we do)
HOW (we do what we do)
WHY (purpose, cause or belief which prompts action)
WHY is the most important. Without knowing the WHY, the WHAT and HOW are meaningless.
The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20)
Make disciples;
Baptize disciples;
Teach disciples to obey.
WHY – to teach what we have been taught about relationship with God.
Video #6/Study Guide #6 – The Confessions
Questions to ask yourself:
1. When joining a conversation in the middle, what does it take for you to get on the same page as other participants?
2. How would it help us as congregational leaders to know the history of the (universal) church?
General questions/Answers:
1. What is important to understand in order to fulfill our promise to be instructed and led by the Confessions?
Answer:
a. to know where they agree and disagree
b. to understand the purpose of each
c. to understand the context (what prompted each to be issued)
d. what informed (influenced) the writing of each
2. What are the Ecumenical Creeds?
Answer:
Early centuries
a. Apostles Creed – baptismal liturgy; personal declaration of faith (“What I believe”)
b. Nicene Creed – 325 AD, time of debate and crisis; debate of relationship between God and Jesus; 381 AD, revision, debate on relationship between God/Jesus and the Holy Spirit; church becoming unified body with official standing (legally recognized by the Empire); collective declaration of faith (“What we believe”)
3. What are the 16th Century Confessions (1560s)?
Answer:
Based on Doctrine of Justification – man as guilty sinner before God sitting in judgement; written to differentiate reformed (protestant) church from Roman Catholicism
a. Scots Confession – author John Knox (feisty; condemned to life as galley slave for reform actions), full on protestant reformation at its height; mature Christian movement, established protestant (reformed) church, had support of clergy but not the crown, opposed by Mary, Queen of Scots, who was Roman Catholic
b. Second Helvetic Confession – author Heinrich Bullinger, 2nd generation leader; written in time of peace as his personal creed/systematic theology of reformed faith; written with approval of clergy and the crown; adopted by reformed church when made public
c. Heidelberg Catechism – author Elector of Palatinate (Germany); established regional reformed protestant faith but had to be coherent with Lutheran Augsburg Confession
4. What are the 17th Century Confessions?
Answer:
Author Westminster Assembly
a. Westminster Confession of Faith
b. Westminster Shorter Catechism
c. Westminster Larger Catechism
All 3 documents were collectively referred to as the “Westminster Documents” and provided a coherent system of thought (inner coherent sense of reformed faith as a whole), valuing intellectual rigor over pastoral sensitivity until 1967.
5. What are the 20th Century Confessions?
Answer:
a. Theological Declaration of Barmen – (1930s) author Carl Bart/Confessing Senate; Hitler was trying to co-opt the church as a Nazi church; context in which it was written is made clear through the preface to the document; written to publicly establish that the church has rights to its own proclamations, leadership and authentic life independent of society
b. Confession of 1967 – movement away from Westminster influence; based on Doctrine of Reconciliation – man at enmity with God and needs to be at peace with God and each other; time of great turmoil and chaos
c. Brief Statement of Faith – (1980s); author – General Assembly committee; reunion of northern and southern church; modern document addressing many issues including roles of men/women in the church
Video #7/Study Guide #7 – The Brief Statement of Faith
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Of what you’ve learned about the Book of Confessions so far, what has stood out the most?
2. Have you ever written your own personal statement of faith before? If so, what was the occasion?
A Brief Statement of Faith starts with Jesus Christ. It is not meant to be comprehensive because it recognizes and acknowledges the preceding Confessions, it was written with the expectation of interpretation and is intended to be used in liturgy. Presbyterianism does not have prescribed beliefs, but rather teachings of the “Great Theme of the Reformed Tradition” – namely – The Sovereignty of God, the Authority of the Bible as the written/living Word of God and Grace through Faith in Christ Jesus
General questions/Answers:
1. What do Presbyterians believe?
Answer:
A lot of things; the saying is - if you put four (4) Presbyterians in a room you are going to have five (5) opinions.
2. What do Presbyterians teach?
Answer:
a. Sovereignty of God – In life and death we belong to God; God’s providential care for all of creation, including us; the grace of God precedes all other understanding; the religion of Christianity comes from and through Judaism (the faith of Israel); Christians are adopted children of God; affirmation of our faith in Jesus with delicate and respectful gratitude to Judaism as its own religion
b. The Triune nature of God (Father/Son/Holy Spirit, the 3 in 1) – it begins with grace, moves to Jesus’ actively loving those around Him, then to God who created us in His own image, reinforces that He loves us still and teaches that salvation is bestowed by God – not earned and we are to bless others as we have been blessed
i. Creator/Abba/Father – the fullness of God is reflected in all people, denying God’s image in someone else lies about that person and about who God is; addresses how we violate the image of God in ourselves and in each other; we deserve God’s condemnation (death) – meaning that the Goodness and Glory of God makes our brokenness apparent, we fall short of the Glory of God; God as Father and Mother expands our biblical understanding of the full nature of God
ii. Jesus is how we know God to have revealed Himself to us, Jesus is fully human and fully God which prevents Jesus from being viewed as simply a prophet/ teacher; he was God in the flesh; he didn’t just point to God, he is God; not just a messenger sent by God; we see who God is when we look at Jesus; what do we see Jesus do? – He was active – proclaiming the reign of God, preaching the Good News, teaching by word and deed, blessing, healing, eating with outcasts, forgiving sinners and conquering death; when God came among us, we rejected Him, but He loves us still
iii. Holy Spirit – hard to pin down, but vital; the giver/renewer of life; justifies us by grace through faith
(1) grace does the work
(2) faith is a gift of the Spirit which frees us to love God and binds us to each other in one body, the body of Christ, the Church
The Church is a social body combined through communal worship of God, with the Creator and Jesus still present in the social body.
The same Spirit that inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life, engaging us through scripture (the written Word), the Word proclaimed (scripture preached), the waters of baptism, the bread of life and the cup of salvation.
Liturgy means the work of the people. It is active verb ministries (doing not just saying) of blessing others as we have been blessed. The work of the people in the body/Church is to worship God, hear the Word of God in scripture, to hear the Word of God proclaimed in preaching and to enact the sacraments where God is reliably there to nurture our faith by being present to us; the Spirit gives us the courage/the nerve to do these things; the Spirit helps us to proclaim the Good News, to hear the Good News, to witness to it in our life and in our work for justice in the world; Church truly exists when the Spirit awakens us to faith – activity of the Holy Spirit transforms our actions into faith, binds us with all believers in one body, claims us in baptism, feeds us in the sacrament and calls us to ministry.
Summary – An amazing God called us, created us, and made us to love the world and even when we mess that up, this same amazing God, loves us, forgives us and redeems us and then gives us the courage and ability to get back up and continue working to love the world just as Christ did.
As stated in the Brief Statement of Faith – “With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Video #8/Study Guide #8 – Principles of Order & Government
Questions to ask yourself:
1. How would you respond if a friend asked you, “What’s so special about the way Presbyterians govern themselves?”
2. Think about the ways you have made decisions as part of a group in the past. Which strategies have been effective? Which have crashed and burned?
3. In the ‘model of communal discernment’ (see last section below), ask yourself - I most resonated with…..?
4. Question asked when you were ordained - Are you willing to do church the Presbyterian way and to be corrected when you don’t?
Polity = a set of principles to guide the 1789 General Assembly and future generations as they work to
spread the grace and peace of Jesus Christ in the U.S.
General questions/Answers:
1. What are the historic principles of Church order?
Answer:
a. God alone is Lord of the conscience (not the state, the session, the congregation, the Presbytery or GA) – conscience is to be driven by God through the Word, worship and study of scripture
b. Corporate Judgment – authority of religious organization to be able to govern themselves, elect their organization leaders, freedom to worship and exercise corporate judgement over the life of the church (in short - separation of church and state)
c. Officers – God calls certain members of our community to serve as deacons/elders
d. Truth is in order to Goodness – the truth matters because it produces results that show love and compassion and the will of Christ for the world
e. Mutual forbearance – people of good conscience, good faith, good Christian life can differ, do not assume that everyone must be the same (homogenous), forbearance honors and celebrates the diversity of people, opinions and thoughts
f. Election by the people – those who lead should be chosen by those to be lead
g. Church power – affirms that church power is present only to guide us to live holy and faithful lives
h. The value of ecclesiastical discipline – if we must exercise discipline of a member, that discipline cannot go beyond the life of the church.
2. What are the principles of Presbyterian Government?
Answer:
a. One Church – all churches make up the One Church (universal- catholic) and are accountable to each other and must seek to build up each other to be a faithful Church
b. Governed by Presbyters – ruling and teaching elders
c. Gathered in Councils – session/presbytery/synod/GA; presbyters live out their responsibilities to strengthen the church, pray for the church, to make decisions for the
church and build up the church
d. Seek and represent the will of God – councils should pray before any meeting, study scripture and be engaged in pastoral ministry; discern the mind of Christ and the Will of God for the church (not the will of the congregation, pastor, presbytery, synod or GA)
e. Decision by majority vote – once all deliberations, consultations, discussion have been made, the majority vote decides
f. Review and Control – if there is an unresolved controversy or error among us, we go to the next largest group for assistance in resolving the issue
g. Ordination by Council – only councils like the session or presbytery have authority to ordain members to service, not individuals (ordination is always a collective act of a council not the single decision of an individual even if the individual is a pastor or elder)
h. Shared power, exercised jointly - no unilateral decisions
i. General authority of Councils – councils and groups of councils should have the necessary authority to carry out their mission from God
Presbyterians believe: that God alone is the Lord of the conscience; in the sovereignty of God for the world; that God has called us to be a missionary community reaching out into the world, doing so with decency and order so as to be open to the Will of God and the Holy Spirit. God leads each individual to a deeper and more faithful discipleship, but we believe that we do this thing called the Christian life better in groups. We place high value on being “Intentionally Together”.
Guidelines for Communal (group) Discernment (perception/recognition):
1. Community gathers in Christ – to pray; build community (get to know each other), affirm a covenant (principles of interactions) and clarify the issue (get everyone on the same page);
2. Community listens to the Holy Spirit – listen; let go (personally and collectively let go of assumptions/preconceptions/expectations/history), reflect on scripture (passages specific to the issue at hand, general themes of scripture), share information (to be prepared ahead of time if possible), list options and weigh options (open conversation, good upon good [which option produces most good], advantages/disadvantages, negatives first/then positives;
3. Community goes forth as God’s people – choose; choose direction (stated as a declarative statement [we believe God is calling us to...], no requirement that decision be unanimous, remember - majority vote), rest with the decision (what sense of peace and movement toward God does this decision bring you? What sense of distress and movement away from God does this decision bring you?) and make a formal decision (consider the format for communicating decision).
Video #9/Study Guide #9 – The Councils of the Church
Questions to ask yourself:
1. When you hear the word “polity”, what thoughts or memories come to mind?
2. What do you know about parliamentary procedure? What purpose does it serve?
3. Why is it important for everyone in our group to use the same “handbook” or “ground rules” when we are making decisions?
4. What do you think should happen if these ground rules come into conflict?
General questions/Answers:
1. What is the scriptural foundation for the establishment and use of councils in the governing of the church?
Answer:
Acts 15:1-35 Council of Jerusalem – subject was whether Gentiles that were believers had to be circumcised and obey the laws of Moses – many in the congregations were saying “yes”, but council determined otherwise based on collective discernment through the Holy Spirit
2. Why do Presbyterians have Presbyteries? Why isn’t a single congregation sufficient in themselves to be the church?
Answer:
Congregations are called to share with others both within and beyond the congregation the task of bearing witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the world; councils are a fundamentally biblical vision that no congregation exists alone, but is rather a part of a broader community of people that support and strengthen one another to be faithful to God’s mission in the world (i.e. “Intentionally Together” we do this thing called the Christian life better in groups – see Installment Summary #8).
3. What is the particular responsibility of all the councils of the church?
Answer:
To nurture, guide and govern those who witness as part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the end that such witness strengthens the whole church and gives glory to God by helping congregations (and the church as a whole) be more faithful participants in the mission of Christ.
4. What are Presbyters?
Answer:
Teaching and ruling elders as called or elected by a congregation.
5. What are the four (4) councils of the Presbyterian Church?
Answer:
a. Session (Presbyters) – council for a congregation made up of spiritual leaders from the congregation that are elected by the congregation with the Pastor acting as moderator; responsible for praying together, seeking the mind of Christ, guiding/leading the congregation in the Church’s mission and administration to accomplish its responsibilities
b. Presbytery – council for all the congregations within a specified geographical region made up of a balance of teaching and ruling elders from the various sessions within the region acting as the basic form of governance for the Church; responsible for assisting congregations in all matters involved in calling a Pastor to serve and assisting those Pastors once called, especially by intervening in times of difficulty for a congregation within the region, provide assistance in creating new congregations or merging existing ones, election of commissioners to the Synod and General Assembly and provide leadership to congregations within the region as to matters of common mission
c. Synod – council for at least 3 Presbyteries in a geographic region made up of at least one teaching and one ruling elder elected as commissioners to the Synod by each Presbytery in that Synod; mandated responsibilities for coordinating work of the Presbyteries, addressing any Presbytery specific problems or problems between Presbyteries, administrative and/or judicial review, witnessing on a national level and unmandated responsibility of creative work as discerned by each Synod (for instance this video series done by the Mid-America Synod)
d. General Assembly – council for the Synods made up of commissioners elected by the Presbyteries; responsible for creating a common union/community/mission for the whole church, outreach to the world church on matters of world mission, seek to discern mind of Christ and will of God for the whole church, and to shape the faith and the order of the church through the constitution by presiding over constitutional changes.
6. What aspects are common to all councils within the church (ways to measure our faithfulness to God’s mission)?
Answer:
a. Notes of the reformed tradition:
i. Gospel is rightly preached and heard
ii. Where the sacraments are rightly administered
iii. Where the community is nurtured and disciplined to grow into the body of
Christ
b. Common patterns of organizational life – parity (equal number) of teaching/ruling elders
on all councils
c. All councils have same officers – Clerks and moderators
d. All councils are accountable to one another and serve one another
7. What are the foundational principles of parliamentary procedure?
Answer:
a. Rights – majority rule as to votes, but all have the right to be heard before a vote is
called; once you have spoken, yield any second speech until all others that wish to speak have been heard for the first time
b. One thing at a time – one idea or one issue only is to be discussed or voted on at a time
to keep everyone on the same page
c. Balance – each Motion or amendment to a Motion gets its own vote
d. Courtesy – decorum and courtesy are required, no personal attacks, discussions are
focused on Motions before the governing body that is voting
8. How are issues presented?
Answer:
By Motions which are voted upon in proper order until a matter is resolved (i.e. action
is taken); parliamentary procedure requires working to a “yes” – you can’t just vote “no” on a
motion to approve; you must take the extra step of voting “yes” on a motion to disapprove.
9. What are the steps of parliamentary procedure?
Answer:
a. Introduce business (make a motion)– proposal submitted via Motion for approval or disapproval
b. Amend a Motion – change, add, delete provisions in Motion, each amendment gets a
separate vote to approve or disapprove
c. Refer a Motion – to someone else and have them get back to you
d. End Debate – “move to table” is used to suspend discussion or “move the previous
question” is used to end the discussion and vote
e. Address the way procedures are handled – “suspend the rules” to avoid a rule that is a
stumbling block to a resolution; “rise to a point of order” to ensure proper procedural steps are taken; “move to reconsider” to address perceived improper action; “call for a division of the house” to turn voice vote into counted vote; or “rise to a question of privilege” to point out impediments to full participation by anyone
f. End the meeting – “move to recess” or “move to adjourn”
Emmanuel Presbyterian Church is part of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee (“PMT”), which in turn is part of The Living Waters Synod.
Video #10/Study Guide #10 – Dynamics of Worship
Questions to ask yourself:
1. What has been your favorite worship experience? What made this time so special?
2. Are there “essential elements” to worship? If so, what are they? If not, why not?
3. What aspects of God’s character are worthy of “all honor, praise, glory and power”?
4. What of God’s wisdom and knowledge are worthy of “all honor, praise, glory and power”?
5. What acts of God are worthy of “all honor, praise, glory and power”?
6. In what ways has worship helped you become more like your answer to #3 above?
7. How has worship given you a deeper understanding of who God is and/or who you are?
8. Has a worship experience ever helped you to gain a clearer vision of God’s calling on your life?
General questions/Answers:
1. How does the PC(USA) Directory of Worship describe worship?
Answer:
Christian worship joyfully ascribes all honor, praise, glory and power to the Truine God.
2. How does worship help us get a better understanding of God? Of ourselves as humans?
Answer:
Worship is recognizing the blessing of God’s entanglement in our lives. During worship (not just formal worship services, but all times of worship), God is lovingly, powerfully and joyfully present. Through worship we come into awareness of our weakness, our frailty, our poverty, but we are blessed in these which allows us to walk with our weakness with a sense of rejoicing. Worship is responding to God’s claim on our lives through the redemptive action of Jesus, leading to transformation and renewal. Worship services are a gathering of believers who bring all pieces of our lives which God reconciles into a coalescent tapestry. Worship is a time of rest, a time/place of discovery that we are pilgrims on a pilgrimage which allows the flourishing of human life through worshipful community to reflect God’s glory.
3. What role does language play in worship?
Answer:
Language is a tool of worship which teaches us a common vocabulary for glorifying God. Presbyterians use of liturgy means “public service/worship of God”. It is the responsibility of elders in a church to help the congregation to be comfortable expressing their thanks and praise to God. All are theologians (even if we do not know it) through the deepest, most heartfelt joy or sorrow resulting in groans, sighs and expressions of wonder at a heart level of communication. Our language does not comprehend all that God is, but it may help us understand who God is.
4. In what different ways does worship help us as Christians to understand (and organize) time?
Answer:
Worship can be at any time, yet God set apart the 7th day of creation as a Holy Day of rest (the Lord’s Day). Many refer to the 7th day after Jesus’ resurrection as the 8th day in recognition of the inauguration of the new creation in Christ. As Presbyterians, the liturgical calendar is a way of recognizing/acknowledging that our time is subsumed by God’s time. The liturgical calendar is divided into two major times and a third which is our way of naming time and recognizing it as a significant part of our faith life:
1 and 2 are the Christ cycles – Easter and Christmas (plotting the narrative story of Jesus) and the third is Ordinary time – more classically reformed understanding of continuous reading of scripture.
5. What is our chief purpose as humans (created beings)?
Answer:
To glorify God and enjoy him forever.
6. What does it mean to “worship” and how is that impacted when the subject of such worship is God?
Answer: (from Paul Basden’s book The Worship Maze)
Worship means to recognize and to declare a person’s worth. For Christians, worshipping God means we are called to declare the absolute worthiness of God and the relative worthiness of everyone and everything else.
7. Why would a triune God create a world?
Answer: (from Tim Keller’s book Jesus the King)
“If he were a unipersonal God, you might say, “Well, he created the world so he can have beings who give him worshipful love, and that would give him joy.” But the triune God already had that – and he received love within himself in a far purer, more powerful form than we human beings can ever give him. So why would he create us? There’s only one answer. He must have created us not to get joy, but to give it. He must have created us to invite us into the dance, to say: If you glorify me, if you center your entire life on me, if you find me beautiful for who I am in myself, then you will step into the dance, which is what you are made for. You are made not just to believe in me or to be spiritual in some general way, not just to pray and get a bit of inspiration when things are tough. You are made to center everything in your life on me, to think of everything in terms of your relationship to me. To serve me unconditionally. That’s where you’ll find your joy.”
Video #11/Study Guide #11 – The Word in Worship
Questions to ask yourself:
1. Question asked of all new elders during ordination - Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?
2. How and when do you use scripture?
3. Are there any parts of the Bible that you especially like? Why?
4. Are there any parts of the Bible that particularly confuse, frustrate, or scare you? Why?
General questions/Answers:
1. What is the relationship between the word (lower case “w” - scripture) and the Word (upper
case “W” - Christ)?
Answer:
The scriptures (the word) are a witness (testimony/record) of Christ’s (the Word’s) life,
teachings, actions, etc… The word (scriptures) points to the Word (Christ) – revealing his divinity/identity in God, his purpose (sacrifice) and his teachings (his call to us).
2. Why do modern Christians still need biblical witness?
Answer:
It is the only way we know (the record of) what Jesus did in his life, what he said (his teachings)
and his actions.
3. How does scripture “infuse/infect/inspire/influence” worship?
Answer:
Scripture provides an enormous variety of what worship looks like and an understanding of
what we mean by being in worship of a Triune God; worship is governed by the
testimony/witness of scripture about the Word of God (Christ); hymns are interwoven with scripture.
4. How may the word be proclaimed in worship?
Answer:
Through sermons
Through any faithful communication of the scripture’s testimony of who Jesus is,
what he taught and how he lived/died/was resurrected in whatever form it takes, as long as it is faithful to the word of God
Hymns
5. How does proclamation fuel ministry?
Answer:
By being specific to the needs of a particular congregation and for all ages within the congregation; it should engender a response from the congregation to God’s Word; it should equip the congregation to go out into the community to embody the light/teachings of the Word and to proclaim the word through our words and actions in the community; it provides a consistent reminder of the greatness of God in forgiving our brokenness and His faithfulness and righteousness; it is intended to create responsive disciples who then act out their worship in the community
6. How would you pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination about Rev. 2:1-7?
Answer:
(This answer will be different for each person)
Interacting with the word:
A. Biblical understanding is a gift from God
i. What does the prayer for illumination say:
“Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today.”
ii. Why is the Prayer of Illumination important?
The Presbyterian Understanding and Use of Holy Scripture states “The work of interpretation leads to God’s authoritative and convincing word for us only through the illumination of the Holy Spirit.” The prayer for illumination centers our hearts and minds on God and calls upon Him to empower the Holy Spirit within us to allow understanding of scripture and joy in that understanding.
B. Biblical interpretation must be taken seriously
Can we simply rely on the illumination/revelation of the Holy Spirit when studying scripture?
No, we must also prepare ourselves in order to make the most of our Biblical study; we need to use the most reliable manuscripts available, defer to Hebrew and Greek when translations are not clear and be informed by trusted biblical and theological scholarship.
C. Christ is at the center of the whole Bible.
The grand sweep of both the Old and New Testaments is primarily concerned with the person and work of Christ.
D. We should prioritize the plain sense of the text.
Although some scripture may require analysis, dissecting, or probing to get at a deeper meaning or significance of an idea, do not overlook the clear meaning that is right in front of you – the simple and straightforward meanings are usually the best ones.
E. Scripture is its own best interpreter.
Before going to outside sources to find clarification of biblical passages, look first to the Bible itself to see what it says about any issue/concern; look for how the passage fits into larger biblical themes, are there other passages which might speak to the same issue/concern, etc…
F. Biblical study is guided by the rule of faith.
We were never called to be theological “Lone Rangers” – we are also meant to take into account the rich history and tradition of study and reflection (creeds and confessions) when we interpret scripture.
G. Biblical study is guided by the rule of love.
Properly interpreted biblical passages will help us to love God and one another better.
Video #12/Study Guide #12 – The Sacraments in Worship
Questions to ask yourself:
1. How and wen does EPC celebrate baptism? The Lord’s Supper?
2. How would you reply if a friend asked you, “Why are baptism and communion called sacraments?”
General questions/Answers:
1. Why are the sacraments called “signs and seals” of God’s grace?
Answer:
The sacraments play a part in encouraging us to encounter God’s grace; they play a tangible part in our receiving of God’s grace; Second Helvetic Confession 5.169 – the sacraments are the way God seals his promises and outwardly represents those things which He inwardly performs for us.
2. What is the significance of the symbol of water within baptism?
Answer:
Water is necessary/essential to life and is a basic element of life; water represents God’s gift of and renewal of life; water cleanses us, renews us; water is not just displayed, but physically felt during baptism; observers are reminded of their own baptism.
3. What does baptism mark in the life of a Christian?
Answer:
It is the way in which we acknowledge that God has called us to a place and we take our place in the community of faith; it is a ritual of initiation and welcome into the body of Christ; it is testimony to our conviction that God renews us transforms us, accompanies us through life; it is the beginning of death and resurrection with ongoing quality to living out the Christian life; God claims us and as a created and claimed being we inherit an obligation to live out the reality of God’s embrace, forgiveness and his reforming and renewing of life, both as individuals and as part of the community of faith; it represents God’s gift (not an action on our part, but an acknowledgement of God’s action) which is why Presbyterians baptize babies.
4. What does the Lord’s Supper reveal about our relationship with Jesus?
Answer:
God nourishes our spirit through Christ’s teachings about God; we take in (literally) the actuality of who Christ is (Emmanuel – God with us) with Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us.
5. What is the significance of the symbols of wine and bread within communion?
Answer:
Basic elements representing Christ’s body and blood sacrificed for us; sign of God/Christ becoming part of us; we are called to become the reality of Jesus with one another as the community of faith.
6. In what ways are the sacraments a “mystery”?
Answer:
Sacraments begin with God, not us; they call us to action with each other; we call upon God through the Holy Spirit to be present with/in us, to feed us spiritually so that we may share our experience of God’s grace with others; we cannot fully and completely understand all that God’s grace means – it is too wonderful, too deep, too all encompassing – words and definitions are insufficient to do justice to the depth of God; we must learn to feel without intellectual understanding, to embrace the wonder of God’s love for us; it is an understanding of the soul, beyond words, beyond poetry, beyond the mind.
The sacraments are two means by which the rhythm of God’s plan of death to life (grace) is revealed and
celebrated:
Baptism – a ritual of initiation and welcome (death, new life):
Death (to sin)
1. How does baptism symbolize death?
Answer:
In response to Christ’s laying down his life for us, we lay down our old sinful life in exchange for new life as a new being in Christ; cleansed by water.
2. What are we dying to when we are baptized? Why do we have to die to it?
Answer:
Slavery to sin; sin separates us from God.
New life (covenant relationship with God through Christ)
1. How does baptism give us a new way of being/knowing/doing?
Answer:
Allows us to receive the Holy Spirit which changes us from within and acts as a demarcation in time/space between our old sinful self and our new self in Christ; Introduces us to the community of faith within which we can receive support and outlets for following Christ’s example to honor, glorify and praise God.
2. Why is baptism a one-time event?
Answer:
Once God claims us, we are claimed; God does not catch and release – once we are His, we are His for all time.
3. How does baptism give us a new corporate identity in addition to our new individual one?
Answer:
We are a member of the Church universal (catholic church) as a believer in Christ
covered by his faithful/sacrificial life, death, and resurrection; we belong to a body of
believers that act both individually and as the collective body of Christ to bring glory to God.
Lord’s Supper
Death (to sin)
1. During the Lord’s Supper, whose death are we “remembering”? Why do we need to remember it?
Answer:
Christ’s sacrificial death to free us from the slavery of sin; to remind us of how far God was willing to go to redeem us from sin, how much He loves us.
2. Why is Christ’s death something we celebrate?
Answer:
It is death to the slavery of sin (to our separation from relationship with God) and is our only way to be reconciled to God, to be allowed back into a relationship with God.
New life (sustained life; covenant relationship with God through Christ)
1. What is the “new covenant” that Jesus talks about? What “old” covenant does it replace?
Answer:
The “new” covenant is a reconciliation which allows us to once again be in relationship
with God, through Christ, as we were in the beginning before sin entered the world
through human disobedience to God’s will (one man [Adam] separated us from God,
another [Christ] reconciled us to God); the “old” covenant was with Abraham and
represented God’s promise that through Abraham the world would be blessed; the new
covenant was a fulfilling of the old covenant promise.
2. Why is the Lord’s Supper repeated often even while baptism is a one-time event?
Answer:
The Lord’s Supper is a way to remember and celebrate God’s sacrifice of Himself for us,
whereas baptism is an acknowledgement of God’s permanent claim on our lives.
3. How do the symbols of bread and wine play into the idea of sustained new life?
Answer:
Christ is the sustenance (bread and wine-sustaining force) of our renewed
life/relationship in/with God.
Video #13/Study Guide #13 – Prayer and Song in Worship
Questions to ask yourself:
1. How does EPC incorporate music within worship? What types of music are commonly used? What are your preferences?
2. How does the kind of praying EPC does as a congregation compare with the admonition to “pray without ceasing”?
If you want to know what we believe, watch how we worship. Lex orandi lex credenda – The law of praying is the law of
believing. You will not do it if you do not believe it.
General questions/Answers:
Song/Music as worship
1. How does music draw us into the community of faith?
Answer:
Acts as an introduction to the party; is the common language of worship; creates a shared bond that begins the congregational relationship.
2. How do songs help us to express our faith?
Answer:
They represent a long tradition of shared expressions of faith; provides poetic expression and a common focus and reflection of the beauty of our Creator.
3. How does music draw us into deeper worship?
Answer:
Along with prayer it provides the congregation with a faith voice and allows for active participation in worship:
Doxology (ministry to God) – music as prayer to express adoration, confession, devotion, intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving.
Edification (ministry to the church) – the medium and message of music can build up the body of Christ in ways that teach us important truths about our faith, can encourage believers to keep the faith in hard times and encourage us to return to faith when we stray.
Proclamation (ministry to the world) – music can draw non-believers into a relationship with God and with us as a congregation; it has an evangelical purpose that communicates the truth of the gospel and the glory of God.
Prayer as worship
4. What is a comparison of prayer and living out a relationship?
Answer:
Prayer is not just conversing with God, it is being in relationship with God, speaking not just with our mouths but with our hearts; prayer is sitting with God (being in His presence – speaking, listening, sitting quietly) just like we do in relationship with each other only more profound.
5. What role does language play in prayer?
Answer:
Not required to communicate with God, He can hear our hearts without words; sometimes distracting; sometimes used to try to distance ourselves from God to make the encounter seem safer – read prayers written by others, read our own prayers without feeling the prayers (using prayer as a key or passcode to God rather than as an open door to invite Him in); allows us to focus on God; the language of prayer is a tool, not a destination.
6. Why are there so many different kinds of prayers?
Answer:
The variety of prayers is often linked to the many aspects of God (Creator, Savior, Healer, Redeemer, Christ, Holy Spirit, Judge, Jury, Helper, Father, Mother) and the richness of God’s image; without variety in our prayers we limit our understanding of these many aspects of God; we often pray based on the circumstances of life currently affecting us; there is a vast diversity of followers of Christ and prayer is a way to show responsiveness to the needs within a particular congregation or during a particular time in the history of a congregation.
7. How should we take diversity into account within (and as we plan out) our worship?
Answer:
Identify and respect diverse backgrounds; build community through common yet inclusive expressions of faith and worship; use worship not only to express our ongoing relationship with God, but also with one another.
Prayer – Jesus taught us not to get all wrapped up in “crafting the perfect prayer”; pray with your heart, not your head; KISS – keep it simple and straightforward; use your everyday language and references that are meaningful to your life.
Matt 6:7-13 NRSV – “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Pray then in this way:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial but rescue us from the evil one.’
Adoration pray to express our love and praise to God for who God is.
Confession pray to admit the fact that we have lived in a way that runs counter to God’s plan, both for our own lives and as part of the world at large.
Devotion pray to affirm and celebrate God’s ownership of our lives.
Intercession pray to ask God to step in and take control of a situation we (or others we know)
are facing (this is to be done with the mind of Christ – i.e. you may ask for a specific/ preferred outcome, but acknowledge that God’s will is preeminent; Christ asked for the cup to pass him by, but that God’s will be done).
Supplication pray to ask God to provide us with what we need.
Thanksgiving pray to praise God for what God has done, both in our own lives and in the world.