Our Worshiphttp://www.providencestlouis.com/our-worship/en-US2012-02-13T02:15:01ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Why Does the Pastor Wear a White Robe?http://www.providencestlouis.com/our-worship/2009/9/28/why-does-the-pastor-wear-a-white-robe.htmlAdministrator2009-09-28T20:32:11Zalb jeff meyers jeff meyers pca jeffrey meyers jeffrey meyers pca liturgy pca presbyterian church in america providence pca providence reformed presbyterian church robe worshipDrawing on the wisdom of the historic Church, especially the Reformation tradition, our worship is grounded in the Word of God. We want to be sure that the inquiring visitor as well as the committed member will understand the biblical explanations for our corporate, Sunday morning worship life, and so be able to worship intelligently with us, experiencing the fullness of reverent worship and praise.

Why does the pastor wear a robe? Does this mean something? Is it biblical? Or is it something that has just always been done that way? Isn’t this too “Catholic”? Does the robe mean that the pastor is better than me? Closer to God than I am? Is he a priest? Why does the pastor lead the entire worship service? These are the kinds of questions that I will attempt to answer in this brief article.

Clothing and Calling

1. The robe, among other things, helps emphasize the office of the pastor and de-emphasize the personality of the man in the pulpit. Sometimes it’s hard to be led in worship by a elder or pastor who is a good friend or a peer or even (especially) one who is younger. To help us get over this feeling, the church in general, and the Reformed church in particular, has historically placed special robes on her ministers when they conduct worship. This helps the people to remember that it is not just good ol’ Jeff Meyers up there; rather, it is God’s appointed minister leading us into God’s presence and speaking God’s Word to us. Strictly speaking, the worship service is not conducted by Jeff Meyers anyway, but by the robe of office which Jeff Meyers happens to be filling at the current time. We submit to the office, not to the man, during worship. (The concept of submission to church office is eminently biblical: Acts 20:17, 28-35; 1 Cor. 12:28; 16:16; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Thess 5:12, 13; 1 Tim. 3:1ff; 4:14; 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17; & 1 Pet. 5:1-7.)

]]>Our Sanctuaryhttp://www.providencestlouis.com/our-worship/2009/5/2/our-sanctuary.htmlAdministrator2009-05-02T18:01:00Zjeff meyers jeff meyers pca jeffrey meyers jeffrey meyers pca pca presbyterian church in america providence pca providence reformed presbyterian churchOur sanctuary is "half-round" and helps the congregation remember that we worship together as the Body of Christ and not just as individuals.

Use your mouse to look around.  You can zoom in by holding down the shift key and zoom out with the control key.

]]>Covenant Renewal Worshiphttp://www.providencestlouis.com/our-worship/2009/4/3/covenant-renewal-worship.htmlAdministrator2009-04-03T15:37:17Zjeff meyers jeff meyers pca jeffrey meyers jeffrey meyers pca pca presbyterian church in america providence pca providence reformed presbyterian churchEvery week on the Lord's Day the Triune God graciously calls us together in order to serve us. Yes, we gather to be served by God. This is fundamental for community. The Father draws us near in his Son by the Spirit in order to serve us.  We then gather at his call to receive his good gifts and respond with thanksgiving and praise.

This is a simple explanation for what we mean by "covenant renewal worship."  In the Bible the word "covenant" refers to a formal, structured personal bond between people.  God has entered into such a personal bond with us.  Every week he renews that bond so that we might be assured of his faithfulness and love.  His serving us and repeatedly gifting us with life, forgiveness, knowledge of his will, and nourishment at his Table is his way of renewing his covenant with us.

For this reason, Sunday must be central in the life of our congregation. On this day, we are cleansed from sin, renewed in our faith and trust in Jesus, instructed by his Word, and strengthened as a community at the Table for sacrificial living in his kingdom.

Every Sunday the congregation assembles to take full advantage of every good gift the Lord himself desires to give us. We receive the gifts of the ministry of the Word and Sacrament in the Morning Service. Afterwards we sit under Bible teaching in Sunday School as children and adults. In the afternoon we rest from our normal six-day work. Finally, we conclude the day by returning in the evening for a more intimate meeting of praise, prayer, Bible teaching, and fellowship.

If you would like to study this question a bit more, you can download a pdf of a condensed version of Pastor Meyers's book The Lord's Service here.  The full version of the book can be purchased here or from our book table in the foyer at church.

You can also download our weekly bulletins here.

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