The Lord’s Service: Covenant Renewal Worship
There is a slogan of the Reformation,
“Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda”
Reforming Worship
The Church reformed and is always reforming according to the Word of God. The Reformers lived by this principle in all aspects of the Christian life. Our understanding of the Scriptures and authority was reformed. Our understanding of salvation was reformed. Our understanding of people, families, and work was reformed. Everything was reformed.
One aspect of the Reformation that many sometimes overlook is the liturgical reformation that happened in the Reformed Churches. From Luther, Calvin, the French and continental churches to the Church of England and the Scottish Presbyterians, all went about the reformation of the corporate worship of God’s people on the Day of the Lord, and all in accordance with the Word of God.
These liturgical reformations have stood the test of time. Even today, if you were to walk into a conservative presbyterian church, the worship would be in accordance with Directory for Publick Worship, created in the 17th century alongside the Westminster Confession of Faith. If you were to enter into a faithful Anglican Church, the worship would be in accordance with one of the many editions of the Book of Common Prayer, which was created and compiled during the English Reformation by Thomas Cranmer.
Even today, the liturgical reformation of the Church continues. Whether you know it or not, many faithful reformed churches in the 20th century did not make it a habit to partake of the Lord’s Supper weekly (sadly there are still many churches in the 21st century that don’t). But it was such men like James B. Jordan and his newsletter Biblical Horizons and Rite Reasons, that many churches began to reform their worship, and now many reformed churches come to the Lord’s Table on a weekly basis.
A Liturgy For You
It is in the vein of the Reformation, that I present to you a completed Liturgy that can be used in the churches of Jesus Christ today!
It is by no means perfect and is free to be edited by those who see fit to edit it. But I hope those who do look at it will appreciate the work and effort that has been put into it.
I will leave a link at the end for a printable version of this liturgy.
It is my hope and prayer that God’s people will use this liturgy in their churches, and that our Triune God would be magnified in it.
