Our Job as Members: Worship
Exodus 34:29-35, II
Corinthians 3:7-18
Review
Members of Christ’s body through faith in Jesus as Lord
Members of a congregation take on responsibilities
Members of a Presbyterian congregation can look to the
resources
of our history
3 weeks of final
consideration: Worship, Discipleship,
Glory to God Today, worship:
Webster's Definition: worth, repute, respect, reverence paid to
divine being
A Summary from the Book of Order: Directory for Worship
“Time: Christians
may worship at any time, for all time has been hallowed by God.”
This hallowed sense informs the 7 day week, daily worship
and church year
“Space: Christians
may worship in any place, for the God who created time also created and ordered
space”
“Matter: God created
the material universe and pronounced it good.
The covenant community understood that the material world reflects the
glory of God.
Elements of Christian Worship: prayer, scripture read and proclaimed,
baptism, the Lord’s Supper, self-offering, relating to Each other and the world
Gatherings: Prayer,
service of wholeness, evangelism, mission, special groups, welcome, ordination,
reconciliation, marriage, death
Exodus and Law, tabernacle,
the golden calf, the law re-introduced
40 days and nights, Moses
chiseled the stone with the commands of God.
What do we learn about God in this passage?
The Lord’s presence shines
bright and glorious (God is light, and
in him there is no darkness)
The Lord’s transforming glory
causes closeness and distance
There are always vain
attempts to cover up the glory of God.
Vain is the key word in this sentence.
God’s light accompanies his
commands.
God has intent and
instruction for human beings in order for God’s will to be accomplished
People sensed the greatness
of God by way of the radiant faces
How does Paul compare the Old and New Covenant?
Death by way of law v. life
of the Spirit
Glory v. more overwhelming
glory
Condemnation v. justification
temporal v. eternal
We learn that it is not good to veil God’s glory,
in whatever form it is. The New covenant gives us
boldness. Turning to the Lord, veil is
taken away, freedom is experienced and a new charge is given: mirror the glory of God, let the Spirit shine (holy, not yours), we
reflect his glory more and more. We are
being transformed into Christ’s image.
We can learn what worship is by looking at the strength's that Paul lists regarding the new covenant:
Life of the Holy Spirit,
overwhelming glory, by Christ’s justification, eternal
How is your face shining?
How are you shining forth the
glory of the Lord?
Our job as members: worship, worth giving to God. God is worthy!
All of life can be worship:
Commit your ways to the Lord.
Pray to the Lord in all
situations and seek the glory of God in all aspects of life.
Words, deeds and thoughts
offered to God.
Book of Order Worship
Highlights from Book of Order: Directory for Worship
Christian Worship:
An Introduction
Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise
and honor, glory and power to the Triune God.
In worship the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in
their lives. As they respond to God’s
claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and
renewed. In worship the faithful offer
themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.
The Spirit of God quickens
people to an awareness of God’s grace and claim upon their lives. The Spirit moves them to respond by naming
and calling upon God, by remembering and proclaiming God’s acts of
self-revelation in word and deed, and by committing their lives to God’s reign
in the world.
In the person and work of
Jesus, God and a human life are united but not confused, distinguished by not
separated.
The people of God response
with words and deeds of praise and thanksgiving in acts of prayer,
proclamation, remembrance and offering.
In the name of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christian
community worships and serves God
(1)
in shared
experiences of life
(2)
in personal
discipleship
(3)
in mutual
ministry
(4)
in common
ministry in the world
Time, Space and Matter:
Time: “Christians may worship at any time, for all
time has been
hallowed by God.”
This hallowed
sense informs the 7 day week, daily worship
and church year
Space: “Christians may worship in any place, for the
God who
created time also created and ordered
space”
Matter: “God created the material universe and
pronounced it
good.
The covenant community understood that the
material world reflects the glory of
God.”
Elements of Christian Worship: prayer,
scripture read and proclaimed, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, self-offering,
relating to each other and the world
Ordering Christian Worship: Gathering
around the Word, Proclaiming the Word, Responding to the Word, Sealing of the
Word (Sacraments), bearing and following the Word into the world
Gatherings: Prayer, service of wholeness, evangelism,
mission, special groups, retreats, welcome, ordination, reconciliation,
marriage, death
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