Sunday Morning Worship
Covenant Renewal?
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 called into the Lord's presence, cleansed from sin, renewed in our faith and trust in Jesus, instructed by his Word, strengthened as a community at the Table for sacrificial living in his kingdom, and sent out into the world once again with Christ's blessing.
Take a few minutes to read our Worship Guide if you want a short introduction to Christian worship at Providence. For a longer explanation you can read Pastor Meyers's book The Lord's Service: The Grace of Covenant Renewal Worship, which can be purchased here or from our book table in the foyer at church.
You can also download our weekly bulletins here.
White Robes?
The minister officiating in Christian worship ought to be dressed in a way that identifies him as the representative and spokesman of Jesus Christ. This is his calling and the congregation should be visually reminded of his responsibilities and place in the Sunday service. Traditionally, this means that the minister wears a white tunic or robe. These two sentences will likely raise all sorts of questions. Is this biblical? Or is this 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 anyway? These are the kinds of questions that I will attempt to answer in this little pamphlet.
First, the white robe, among other things, helps emphasize the office of the pastor and de-emphasize the personality of the man in the pulpit. Sometimes it is hard to be led in worship by an 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 has traditionally placed special robes on her ministers when they conduct worship.
The Lord’s Supper?
Communion is observed every Sunday as the climax of covenant renewal worship. We invite to the Lord’s Table all those who are baptized disciples of Jesus Christ, under the authority of Christ and his body, the Church. By eating the bread and wine with us as a visitor, you are acknowledging to the elders of this local church that you are in covenant with God as an active member of a congregation in which the Gospel is faithfully confessed, taught, and believed. If you have any doubt about your participation, please speak to one of the elders or the pastor before or after the service.
The Lord’s Supper is the highlight of the worship service. God’s final gift to us is the life-giving body and blood of our Lord. We celebrate the Supper every week because we believe that God always renews his covenant with us in a shared meal. The communion meal is a powerful and effective means of grace in which God strengthens his people for service (bread) and blesses us with peace (wine).