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Article 52 Worship Services

The consistory shall call the congregation together for worship twice on the LORD’S DAY. The consistory shall ensure that, as a rule, once every Sunday the doctrine of God’s Word as summarized in the Heidelberg Catechism is proclaimed.

Notes

C.O 55, C.O 56, C.O 61 these are all about having a high view of the Church order.
Key Points:

• Worship services are held twice on Sundays.
• One service should include Heidelberg Catechism preaching.
• Worship is a holy assembly with divine blessings.

Biblical Basis for Worship Services

• Morning and evening sacrifices in the temple
  • Psalm 92:2 — "Your faithfulness in the morning, and your faithful love at night."
  • Psalm 141:2 — Prayer as the "evening offering."
• Old Testament Sabbath to New Testament Sunday, continuity of the Fourth Commandment, but with the day changed.
  • First day of the week as a Triune Day: The beginning of the Father’s creating work. The Son’s resurrection. The Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost.
• New Testament churches met on the first day of the week
  • John 20:19, 26
  • Acts 20:7
  • 1 Corinthians 16:2
  • Revelation 1:10
• Historical evidence
  • Pliny to Trajan (A.D. 112): "They were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing a hymn to Christ as to a god...and then reassemble for a meal later on."
• Synod of Dort’s position
  • Adopted six points regarding the Lord’s Day (VD & M, 276).

Catechism Preaching

• Practiced by Lutherans, Zwinglians, and Reformed churches.
• Defended as essential by Gresham Machen’s era:

  "The doctrine of the importance of doctrine."

• Explaining the Apostles' Creed, Ten Commandments, and Lord’s Prayer
  • This essentially means explaining the Heidelberg Catechism.
  • Should this also include the Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort (once every three years)?

Resources & Further Discussion

• Mark Jones, "The Death of the Evening Service - Reformation 21"
• Language Consideration:
  • Should we say "The church meets in the building/auditorium" instead of referring to the building itself as "the church"?

Blessing in Worship

• 1 Peter 1:2 uses the optative rather than the indicative, meaning: "May Yahweh bless" is a valid and appropriate liturgical expression.

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