On my desk is a tome entitled “Reformation Worship,” edited by Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey. It’s 688 pages of historical material and commentary on “Liturgies from the past for the present.” I reference it off and on and find that this subtitle holds true. Browsing through old liturgies causes me to evaluate and consider why and how God’s people have worshipped in different contexts for centuries. I pick it up each year about this time leading up to what’s become known as Reformation Sunday.
Many reformation era leaders (Luther, Bucer, Calvin, etc.) developed orders of worship that still influence us today. We sing Psalms because of their work. How we approach confession or the Lord’s Table is informed by their labors. Like the orders that Calvin and Bucer developed, our typical communion service looks quite a bit different than a service without the sacrament. Both the heart and the form of those services still inform worship services in many thousands of churches.
There are also some notable differences compared to our contemporary context. For example, the confession of sin is often near the very beginning of the service, sometimes directly after the call to worship. At Christ Covenant Church our confession of sin is usually after a call, adoration, hymns of priase, and scripture. Logically, it makes good sense to move directly into confession after being called to meet with a holy God! One of my seminary professors (Dwight Zeller) promoted the “confession of sin early in the service” approach saying, “it’s good to wash your hands before you eat.”
For this Reformation Sunday I have not make any major changes to our order. I have no felt need to cause confusion just to make a point. However, to reflect many of the 14th and 15th century services the order is slightly different, as are several element titles. The assurance of grace is called ‘words of comfort,’ and the pastoral prayer is called ‘prayer of intercession.” Also, for example, we are using Psalm 124:8 for our call to worship, which is what John Calvin’s used for multiple years in a row (it was called a ‘votum,’ which was a declaration that should result in seeking the Lord).
Reformation Sunday is not a formal church calendar day, but it is a good prompt for us to consider our heritage. Though we don’t use every element in the exact same way each week, the influence is clear. Each year I am reminded that we should be grateful for all we have inherited from our fathers in the faith.