Worshiping with Joy and Reverence
To worship God is the highest activity that any human being can engage in. At the heart of Christianity is our relationship with Jesus Christ, both individually as Christians and collectively as the Church. The Bible is full of images to show us what it means to worship together, we are the many members of one body, we are the countless branches from the true vine, we are adopted sons and daughters of the King.
One of the greatest privileges we inherit is participating in worship with our brothers and sisters. Our churches worship through prayer, song, liturgy and sacrament. During many of our services, the person leading will wear vestments (robes of office) representing the authority placed on him. This practice goes back to the vestments ordained by God for the priests of Israel to wear in their service at the temple.
We are not simply spectators of worship, we are participants. During service, we use our voices and bodies to worship God; singing and praying together, as well as sitting, standing, kneeling and potentially raising hands or making the sign of the cross.
Liturgy
The Bible does not lay out a specific “Order of Service”, but is full of songs, prayers, teaching and guidance which Christians throughout history have used to worship God in many forms around the world.
The Confessing Anglican Church recognizes the depth, cultural history, and beauty of traditional Anglican Liturgy as laid out in the Book of Common Prayer. Our churches offer services containing elements of this pattern ranging from simpler, less formal variations which may be more welcoming to newcomers, as well as Liturgical services which have a higher degree of structure and formality. We see the beauty, joy, and richness which can be found in many expressions of worship, but hold the Book of Common Prayer as the ‘Gold Standard’ with its deep theology, polished beauty, and reverent forms. Having a liturgy puts the word of God in our mouths, reminding us of His promises and drawing us into His presence. Because some of the words we say each week are the same, we soon begin to memorize them, which fosters deeper meditation and understanding of their meaning.
Having these words of prayer and promise written on our hearts and minds is a great help in times of struggle when we may not have any ability to pray in our own words. In such times, the liturgy speaks for us – giving voice to our pain and calling our loving God to intervene. The familiar words become stepping stones showing us the path forward when we feel unable to find our own way, sustaining us when we crave God’s presence.
