The following is published in the October edition of our Church magazine Connexions.
I’ve been meaning to put something into print explaining the logic and structure of our worship services. This is my starting point, I’ll think about it and revise it a bit in the future.
I have found the brief books ‘Reformed Worship: Worship that Is According to Scripture’ and ‘The Pastor’s Public Ministry’ by Terry L. Johnson very helpful. I’m also looking forward to receiving my recently ordered copy of Bryan Chapell’s new book ‘Christ Centered Worship’.
Worship at mgpc
It is helpful to remember that when we gather Sunday by Sunday for worship that our Services are carefully structured and ordered.
This is not done out of an unthinking adherence to tradition, but through careful consideration of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Bible. We gather in obedience to the Scriptures, but we also recall the covenantal nature of our relationship with God. He calls and we respond.
Because we gather at God’s initiative, when we assemble for corporate worship we seek to include those actions which God in His Word has told us to do. Where the Word gives us freedom about how to do things we use that freedom wisely and constructively.
For instance, the Bible is silent about whether we read from book or screen. (The Bible writers knew of neither.) The Bible is silent about organ, piano, guitar or drums; pulpits or lecterns; pews or chairs; who takes up the offering. (Or whether it is collected as a formal part of the Service.)
God is the initiator and we are the respondents. This pattern is repeated throughout our worship.
God’s presence is recognized as we hear the call to worship. We respond in praise. We are also led by what can be called a ‘Gospel Logic’, which is to say that we are only able to gather acceptably before God because of the merit of the Lord Jesus.
Acknowledging the purity of His presence, we make a confession of sin in our prayers. We read from the Bible verses which grant us explicit assurance that we are forgiven and accepted because of Christ’s atoning work. Each of our services affirms the Gospel, even as it commences.
Because we are saved as His people, we have opportunity to nurture and encourage one another as His household, His family. We do this in the common affirmation of a creed and in our songs. On occasion baptisms remind us of our being united with Christ by grace through faith.
We seek to nurture the covenant people, children and adults, not with ‘special times’ set apart for them, but with expressions that are appropriate for differing levels of maturity. A significant prayer is offered which gives thanks and brings our needs before God’s throne of grace.
Each of our songs has been chosen with careful thought about its content. We seek to use songs with tunes that can be learnt and sung with enthusiasm, but not so simple as to become trite and distracting. Not every song will be everyone’s favourite, but every song is a fit praise for God.
Each week our songs are rehearsed before the service, anyone who wants to grow in their familiarity with our praise would be welcome. To assist us in tunefulness and tempo our singing is led by people who lead singing under the authority of the elder who is leading the Service.
Remembering week by week God’s nature, His triune presence amongst us and His saving work, we turn to His Word.
Significant portions of it are read, that we may honor it in its wholeness and not pick and choose through various small sections.
The Bible is preached. One of the passages that is read is carefully explained, so that people may understand the sense of it, and have some idea of how to respond with their heart, soul, mind and strength.
We then respond to God’s grace in prayer, by giving our offerings and by the observance of the Lord’s Table before going on our way.
We do this week by week, because God calls us to do, He knows our needs and provides the merciful blessing of corporate worship to help us grow in our appreciation of the Gospel and in our knowledge of His Word.
mgpcpastor's blog 
In terms of music style, would you categorise your praise as contemporary, traditional, a mixture of both, or something else?
Hi Ian ~
I’m tempted to say ‘discerning and singable’, but then I would say that, wouldn’t I?
We decided to incorporate organ led hymns and guitar/piano led songs in all of our services, where practical.
That allows the songs to be sung in the way that best suits them.
I also think that it represents a mutual submission to one another with regard to the personal preferences of our folk.
Our sources include the Rejoice! hymnbook of the PCA, New Creation Teaching Ministries (Adelaide), EMU Music Sydney, Sovereign Grace Music (US) and the Getty/Townend catalogue.
Not to keep any secrets, our weekly service orders are available on pdf at mgpc.org.au so you can see a broad sampling there. You can also use the ‘songs’ tab on this website to see some of my favourites each week.
We (primarily one of my elders and myself) try to choose material that is more content driven and are seeking to incorporate our songs wisely into the progression of our worship as responses, affirmations as well as praise. The contemporary use of music as a ‘sacramental substitute’ (we experience the presence of God through singing) is something we avoid.
We’re both strong singers, so we can lead and introduce material reasonably well.
The congregation have responded positively in that sometimes the material they sing is challenging, but they have progressed in their capacity for sung praise. Every song they known was new to them once, we’re just exercising some muscles (learning songs) that some of them haven’t regularly used.
Over a couple of recent Sundays we’ve taught them a newer tune to the hymn ‘A Debtor To Mercy Alone’ by Bob Kauflin of Soveriegn Grace Music before the start of the Service proper. I think this is a method that we’ll use again to introduce some material.
Our future aim would be to incorporate more material derived from the Psalms.
Welcome to Australia and the fellowship of God’s people in Port Lincoln. May the Lord bless your ministry there with fruit for the Kingdom and the glory of His name.