“We order our worship first and foremost by the authority of the Word of God, and acknowledge that there is always room to reshape its order as needed as we seek to be ordered by that authority.” (W-2.0102)

This is a quotation from the Book of Order, one of two volumes that contain our Presbyterian constitution. The way we order our worship has a theological underpinning. You may have noticed in recent Sundays that we have shifted the order of some parts of the worship program. We want to give you a short summary of the theological reason behind these changes.

In our Reformed Theology, the Sacraments of baptism and communion are the Word of God enacted and sealed in the life of the Church. Therefore the Sacraments follow the Word proclamation and act as a response to the Word. For this reason we moved the celebration of the sacraments to follow the reading of scripture and the sermon.

The same applies to the offerings. The directory for worship in the Book of Order teaches that “the gifts we offer express our stewardship of creation, demonstrate our care for one another, support the ministries of the church, and provide for the needs of the poor.” (W-3.0411) We give our offerings as a response to the free gift offered in Christ through the power of the Spirit. So out of our belief that the offering is a grateful response and an act of thanksgiving for the life offered in Christ and proclaimed through the Word, it is most appropriate that offerings follow the proclamation of the Word and the celebration of the Sacraments.

The other part we have moved is the passing of the peace. We moved it to follow the prayer of confession and the assurance of God’s grace. When we have faced the sinful state of the world and of our lives, confessing our unworthiness to enter into God’s

presence, and after proclaiming the forgiveness we earned through the mercy and grace of God, we then exchange the sign of peace as a sign of our reconciliation with God and with each other.

This was a brief sketch of our reformed theology. Please do not hesitate to approach us with any questions you might have.

Yours in Christ,

Rola