Position
The following description serves as the common biblical basis for Christian
worship: Worship is an ascription of worth, adoration, and praise to God; includes
confession
of sin and surrender to the true God; is a God-initiated engagement of God and
the worshiper, as well as a corporate engagement among the worshipers; strengthens
and is strengthened by the Christian community and its shared memory; and reflects
the mighty redemptive acts of God.
When God's people worship with pure hearts and
in authentic community, effective evangelism is the natural outgrowth. The
basic pattern for Christian worship includes gathering as a covenant community,
proclamation
of the Word, celebration of the Lord's Supper, and going out for service
in the world. Authentic worship has an intrinsically sacramental character
and is enriched
by the diverse backgrounds of participating believers.
History
Synod 1964 appointed a liturgical committee to review liturgical literature
in the light of history, theological content, and contemporary needs
and to study liturgical practices in the churches in the light of
Reformed principles and synodical decisions. The committee's report
came to synod
in 1968 and was recommended to the churches for study and consideration.
This report encapsulates the basic understanding of Reformed worship
in the CRC.
Thirty years later, in 1994, CRC Publications
asked synod to commission a new report in light of the many changes in synodical
decisions as well as in worship practices in the churches over three decades.
The new committee built on the biblical-theological framework of the 1968 report,
using the report as the starting point for its reflections. The committee came
to Synod 1997 with a report entitled "Authentic Worship in a Changing Culture," which
analyzes contemporary cultural forces at work in the church and reflects theologically
on those changes with a view to helping church leaders make decisions about worship
that are biblically and theologically informed and culturally discerning.
References
Acts of Synod 1964, pp. 59-60, 133
Acts of Synod 1968, pp. 64-65, 134-98
Acts of Synod 1994, pp. 379-80, 526-27
Agenda for Synod 1996, p. 84
Agenda for Synod 1997, pp. 86, 93-144
Acts of Synod 1997, pp. 664-68
