FAQ’s about Worship
WHEN DO YOU WORSHIP?
Our Sunday morning fellowship starts with Sunday School at 9:30 and our Worship service begins at 10:45.
HOW DO YOU WORSHIP?
We worship because Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified as atonement for the sins of his people, has been raised from the dead and declared with power to be the Lord of glory and the head of the church. Even the selection of the day on which we assemble is testimony to this single, central truth of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
We gather each Sunday morning at 10:45. God is always present in the life of a believer, but promises to dwell in a unique manner among his gathered people for worship. Worship is a principle way God trains us against the individualistic pressure of our culture. We have to learn to walk with one another, mindful of the limits, preferences, and abilities of someone else. We agree on the time to begin and to end and so we have to submit our autonomy to the good of others, at least for a while. We have to sing the same songs to the same tunes with the same timing and to accomplish that we have to work together. It is practice in humility and submission since someone else directs us when to pray and often for what to pray. We worship in Spirit and in truth, in reverence and also in joy.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO DO IN WORSHIP?
We believe in something called The Regulative Principle for Worship, which means that God is the one who tells us in his Word what we may and may not use in corporate worship. Since it is God who is the object of worship and it is to glorify him, he is the one who decides what is to be done. We only use elements in worship that have biblical justification – prayers, singing, confession of sin, confession of faith, reading and preaching of the Scriptures, etc.
WHY DO YOU USE CREEDS AND CONFESSIONS?
The short answer is because we find this practice in the Bible. From earliest times those who belong to Jesus Christ have been distinguished from others, not by their ethnicity, nor by their clothing, their education nor by their financial state but by what they – we – believe. We use historic confessions as a way to train our children and those who are new believers. We also use them as a means of mutual encouragement of to build up one another in love.
WHO ARE LEADERS FOR CORPORATE WORSHIP?
In I Corinthians 11- 14 the church is led in worship by various members from among the community of believers – men and women – who bring God’s word, and offer both prayers and songs. The pastors, officers and various members are asked to read the Bible, lead with music, offer prayers and conduct parts of the service.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU OBSERVE COMMUNION?
Our practice is to celebrate the Communion of The Lord’s Supper the fourth Sunday of each month. The Elders of the church may call for other times of communion as they believe the church has need. Our communion is not closed but it is guarded. By that we mean that we do not limit Communion only to those who are members at St. Andrews or of the Presbyterian Church in America. It is the Lord’s table and all who have truly placed their trust in him and who are members in a genuine church of Jesus Christ are invited to his table.
WHAT ABOUT RAISING HANDS DURING WORSHIP?
People seem to have different comfort levels for this practice. There is no doubt that in Old Testament Israel parts of worship were done with the raising of hands to God. Those who desire to raise their hands in worship to God are encouraged to do so.