The Hows and Whys of Presbyterian Worship
If mission is the 'hands' of the Body of Christ, and music is it's soul, then worship is the very heart of a church. All that we are, all we do is rooted, shaped, and informed in our worship. Called by God into a particular community of faith, we gather in response to that call to be formed as God's people. Worship is the main influence on our faith, and it is the most visible demonstration of our faith.
In worship, we gather in the presence of the God who has created everything, and shaped us in the divine image. We are sustained by the presence of Christ, who is revealed in the Word (Scripture) which is read and interpreted each week (in a variety of ways), as well as through the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth into the world, carrying God's grace, hope, reconciliation and peace to a world in need of these gifts.
Presbyterians call themselves people of the Word and Sacrament. This means that all of worship - hymns, prayers, special music, sermon, offerings, even silence - flow out of and enhance the readings of Scripture for a particular day. Communion (the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist) is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, as well as on special days such as Maundy Thursday, Christmas Eve, and so forth. The Sacrament of Baptism is observed whenever a family presents a child to be baptized into the faith, or when a person who has reached the age of discernment chooses to be baptized. We believe that if you have been baptized in a previous church, you do not need to be re-baptized in order to become a member of our congregation.
