Sunday Morning at Trinity
At Trinity Church we believe that the essence of true worship is covenant renewal. This means that our Sunday worship is a reaffirmation of God's promises. Our service is "antiphonal" with congregational responses scattered throughout (In the following example of a service the congregational responses are indicated in bold font). We worship God with our spirits, our hands, and our voices, employing various appropriate body postures (such as kneeling for the confession). Each part of our worship is designated by bold/underllined font type below. The Call to Worship involves God coming near to us and calling us out of the world into His presence. The Confession involves God reminding us what He has done for us in Christ and declaring His interest in restoring us again to His favor in Christ. After confession of sins, we are reminded that God continually tears us from our old sinful ways and renews His love for us in Christ. The Consecration involves God speaking to us through His Word: read, sung, and preached. We, His people, respond by giving ourselves and our gifts as fitting offering. Communion is God inviting us to dine with Him at His Table and our response is memorializing His covenant and enjoying His faithful provisions at the family feast. The Commission and Benediction involves God blessing us and charging us to extend His kingdom into the future and into the world, making disciples of all nations. We are dismissed from God's special presence, transformed, renewed and equipped for this task. A typical Sunday morning worship service follows along these lines:
The Lord's Service at Trinity Church
Welcome
Call To Worship: (God summons His people)
Choral Introit
Invocation: "Grace, mercy, and peace be to you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"..."Amen!"
Scripture Reading, Summons, and Salutation:
"O magnify the LORD with me!"
"Let us exalt his name together!"
"The Lord be with you."
"And also with you."
Prayer: Congregational Response: "Amen!"
Exhortation
Congregational Response: A hymn or psalm (page numbers listed in the bulletin) sung with piano accompaniment and followed by "Amen"
Confession: (God cleanses his people)
Scripture Reading (listed in bulletin)
Pastor: "We invite all of you who are able to join us kneeling as we confess our sins together."
Prayer of Confession*
A period of silent personal confession. At the end of the silence the congregation prays together:
"Most Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen."
This is followed by the Agnus Dei (sung with piano accompaniment)
(Men) O Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
(Women) O Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
(All) O Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, grant us Thy peace.
Declaration of God's Grace
Congregational Response: Gloria Patri (congregation stands and sings with hands raised)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end, amen, amen.
Consecration: (God equips and prepares His people)
Cantor: "Lift up your hearts!"..."We will lift them up unto the Lord!"
"Let us give thanks to the Lord!"..."It is meet and right so to do!"
Sanctus: (sung with piano accompaniment)
Holy, holy, holy. Holy is the LORD//Holy, holy, holy. Worshipped and adored//He without beginning, ageless and the same//Is and ever shall be. Glory to His name.
Holy, holy, holy. Holy is the LORD//Holy, holy, holy. Worshipped and Adored//Lord of hosts thy glory, from thy throne outpoured//Fills the earth and heaven. Holy is the LORD.
Praise and thanksgiving are given to God in song (Two hymns or psalms are sung with piano accompaniment)
Reading of the Universal Word* (the congregation is seated)
*After the Old Testament and Epistle readings, the reader will say: "The Word of the Lord!" which is followed by the congregants' response: "Thanks be to God." After the gospel reading, the Elder will say: "Glory be to you O Lord!" which is followed by the congregants' response: "Praise be to you, O Christ!"
Prayer of Thanksgiving (one of the men will have prepared a prayer during the week)/Tithes and Offerings (tithes are placed in a basket as you enter the sanctuary)
Congregational Response to the prayer: A hymn or psalm sung with piano accompaniment (optional dismissal of Little Saints for childcare occurs during this period)
Preaching of the Particular Word
Pastoral Prayer (ending with the Lord's Prayer)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but delvier us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever amen.
Congregational Response: Apostle's Creed (congregation stands and sings with piano accompaniment)
I believe in God the Father, Almighty maker of heaven of earth. And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried. He descended into hell, the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe a holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen, amen.
Communion*: (God nourishes His people)
*At Trinity Church we take communion weekly
Invitation and Meditation
The passing of the Lord's peace*
"The peace of the Lord be with you"
"And also with you"
(*or some similar and appropriate display of Christian affection)
The Bread: is blessed and the congregation sings a hymn or psalm with piano accompaniment as the bread is distributed. We partake together as a body.
The Wine: is blessed and the congregation sings a hymn or psalm with piano accompaniment as the wine is distributed. We partake together as a body.
Prayer
Commissioning: (God blesses and sends out His people)
Announcements/Charge
Closing Benediction
Congregational Response: Sevenfold Amen (Sung acapella)
Next week's Service Details