When we say, “There is much to learn of the Word of God in every service,” what do we mean?

It means, for one thing, that a large majority of Presbyterians—90% of pastors, 77% of elders, and 73% of members—feel that the bible is “the word of God, to be interpreted in historical/cultural context.” 15% of members, 17% of elders, and 4% of pastors feel the Bible is “the literal word of God.” Only 10% of members, 5% of elders, and 6% of pastors say it is not “the word of God.”

It also means that our worship service is not just an act of praise and worship of the Triune God in whom Christians believe, althogh it is that. Nor (still less) is our worship service designed mainly to make us feel good about ourselves, although Christ’s Gospel certainly intends to lift us in well-being, hope, and usefulness.

Our worship service is a vital engagement with the Word of God—meaning,

• The living Word: Jesus Christ
• The written Word: the Bible, the church’s Scripture
• The preached Word: the interpretation of Scripture through proclamation

This is the faith of the reformed churches, and we plan our worship services accordingly. The Study Catechism of the PC(USA) puts it in question-and-answer form, as follows:

Q. What do you mean when you speak of “the Word of God?”

A. “Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death” (Barmen Declaration, Article I).

Q. Isn’t Holy Scripture also the Word of God?

A. Yes. Holy Scripture is also God’s Word because of its content, its function, and its origin. Its central content is Jesus Christ, the living Word. Its basic function is to deepen our love, knowledge, and service of him as our Savior and Lord. And, its ultimate origin is in the Holy Spirit, who spoke through the prophets and apostles and inspires us with eager desire for the truths that Scripture contains.

Q. Isn’t preaching also the Word of God?

A. Yes. Preaching and other forms of Christian witness are also God’s Word when they are faithful to the witness of Holy Scripture. By the power of the Spirit, preaching actually gives to us what it proclaims—the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word in the form of faithful proclamation.

Q. Does the Holy Spirit ever speak apart from God’s Word in its written and proclaimed forms?

A. Since the Spirit is not given to the church without the Word, true proclamation depends on Scripture. Since the Word cannot be grasped without the Spirit, true interpretation depends on prayer. However, as the wind blows where it will, so may the Spirit speak or work in people’s lives in unexpected or indirect ways, yet always according to the Word, never contradicting or diluting it.

Understood this way, the Word of God is central to every worship service.

• We praise, worship, and give ourselves to Jesus Christ, God’s Son and the captain of our salvation. He is alive, and present to us through the Holy Spirit. We are alive as Christians only as his life becomes ours, and as we know him to be our strength and comfort. In the Lord’s Supper we receive his body and blood to nourish us in devotion and service.
• We read, hear, and consider the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, as it comes to us in the set readings and the responsive psalm.
• And we listen as the pastor interprets and proclaims that Scripture, and as we encounter Scripture in our hymns, prayers, and anthems. John Calvin taught that the church must not only “hear” the Word of God, but also “rightly receive” it.

Because of all this, the reformed worship service is structured so that the reading and interpreting of Scripture stand at the center or middle of the service. In the earlier part of the service we approach the Triune God through prayers and praises, and in the later part of the service we respond to the Word of God through the confession of our faith, our gifts, and our prayers of intercession.

And because of all this, there is much to learn of the Word of God in every service!