A Gospel-Driven Liturgy

God Calls Us

God initiates and invites us, promising that when we gather together as his people, Jesus will meet us in power (1 Corinthians 5:4). The call to worship reminds us that true worship is not passive, like a spectator sport or entertainment. Instead, true worship is active, requiring the full engagement of body, mind, will, and emotion.

God Cleanses Us

Because of God’s grace, we can be radically honest about our faults. We confess our sins to God both corporately (reading the printed prayer in unison) and individually (in silent prayer). This is followed by a beautiful moment: God promises to cleanse our sins through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to renew us by the work of his Holy Spirit.

God Consecrates Us

In this movement, God consecrates us (sets us apart) for his service. In response to the forgiveness we have received, we pledge our allegiance to our Lord and Savior (in the creeds), commit our resources to his service (in tithes and offerings), pray for our community and our world (in the pastoral prayer), and encounter the beauty of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures (in the message).

God Communes with Us

The Lord’s Supper has always been a shared, joyous family meal for those who follow Jesus, looking back to his once-for-all sacrificial death and looking forward to his return. Christ gives himself and his life to us, uniting us with Himself and with one another. As the bread is broken, we are made whole. We touch the candle of our souls to the fire of His Spirit.

God Commissions Us

Our worship service concludes with a benediction, God’s promise that he will go with us as we take the grace we’ve just experienced and share it with our valley and our world. We receive this blessing with our head and hands up and our eyes open. Just as we began with God’s gracious invitation, so we end with his gracious promise to be with us and empower us for his mission.