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 a natural result. The basic pattern for Christian worship includes gathering as a covenant community, proclamation of the Word, celebration of the Lord's Supper, and going to serve 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 titled "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
- Agenda for Synod 2000, p. 133
