The Shape of the Liturgy
Listen to our teaching series on the different aspects of our Sunday liturgy.
For many of us, liturgical worship is something new and different. However, for the majority of Christian history, it was unthinkable to worship any other way. In liturgical worship, we recognize that we are taking part in something much larger than ourselves. We join our voices with all of the Saints—past, present, and future—who worship our Lord Jesus Christ, and cling to the saving power of the Gospel. At its heart, this is what liturgical worship is all about; the worship of our Triune God.
Liturgical worship moves us beyond ourselves, our preferences, and our absorption with modern trends, and turns our gaze heavenward, as we behold Christ clothed in the Gospel. As the church turns her eyes to Christ, he turns his gaze upon his beloved bride, and redeems her from her fallen state. Liturgical worship is simply one way that Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, forms his people into his image, shaping them over time by the prayers, songs, sermons, and sacraments, which he uses to redeem his lost people.
Our liturgy is comprised of four main movements:
01. We Gather
02. We listen to the Word
03. We come to the Table
04. We are Sent
01. We Gather
The Procession
Our liturgy opens with the procession. During the opening song, the cross is carried down the main aisle of the sanctuary. The cross leads the procession because Jesus is the only one who can lead us into God’s presence, and it is only through him that we can rightly worship the Father.
The Acclamation
Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
As we gather together we offer up a blessing of praise to God, declaring the primary purpose of our gathering—to worship God and celebrate the coming of his kingdom.
The Prayer of Purity
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Based on Psalm 51, the Prayer of Purity helps us openly acknowledge that we cannot rightly love and worship God without the redeeming work of the Holy Spirit.
Song
The songs we sing at the beginning of our gathering are often a way we proclaim the glory and majesty of our God. We sing together to remember what God has done and is doing in our lives, in our community, and in our world. We sing so that our hearts and minds might be filled with joy and wonder as we gather before him.
The Collect
Each Sunday, churches around the world pray the same prayer together to “collect” our hearts and remind us of God’s character and redemptive work in the world.
02. We listen to the Word
The Readings
We believe God speaks to us through the Scriptures. Each reading concludes with “This is the Word of the Lord” and the congregation responds “Thanks be to God”, recognizing God’s Word is a gift to be received with gratitude. The Gospel passage is read in the center of the room to represent that Christ has come among us through the Incarnation. As the Gospel passage is introduced we pray that God’s Word “would always be on our minds, upon our lips, and deep within our hearts.” As we pray these words we make the symbol of the cross over our foreheads, lips, and hearts to physically reinforce what we are praying.
The Sermon
The sermon is an explanation and application of God’s Word for God’s people. Through inspired preaching, God encourages, comforts, corrects, and transforms our lives to make us more like Christ.
The Creed
Through the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed, we affirm together the foundational truths of the Christian faith. Though churches differ in how they practice and express their faith, the Creed reflects our union with all Christ followers around the world and throughout the history of the Church.
The Prayers of the People
During the prayers, all are invited to sit, stand, or kneel as we pray for the global Church, the nation, the world, all those who suffer, and the specific needs and concerns of our local community. Throughout the prayer, the congregation responds in unity with “Hear our prayer”. Finally, the leader invites all those who are gathered to pray in their own words, either silently or out loud.
Confession of Sin
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.
The corporate confession of sin gives us space to reflect upon our need for God’s mercy and grace amidst our sinfulness. At the end of the confession, the priest assures us that our sins have been forgiven because Jesus has already taken the consequence of our sins upon the cross. The confession of sin and assurance of pardon remind us of our daily need to re-hear the Gospel truth that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
The Peace
Before we come to the Table to celebrate the Eucharist together, we reaffirm that we are at peace with one another. We affirm that God, through Christ, has brought us together as a community.
03. We Come to the Table
The Offering
The offering is more than just collecting money so we can keep the lights on. It is an act of worship by which we acknowledge our dependence upon and gratitude towards God for the many blessings in our lives.
The Eucharist
The body of Christ broken for you. The blood of Christ shed for you.
The Eucharistic meal is a celebration of the past, present, and the future of God’s grace towards us. Our Eucharistic Liturgy is a combination of the Liturgy of the Anglican Church of Kenya and the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. All are welcome to come to the Table. Those who have put their faith in Jesus and been baptized in his name partake of the bread and the wine (we have grape juice and gluten-free wafers available upon request—just ask the servers when you come forward). When you come forward, receive a piece of bread and dip it into the chalice. We ask those who have not yet put their faith in Jesus and been baptized in his name to come forward and cross their arms to receive a prayer of blessing.
04. We Are Sent
The Kenyan Blessing
All of our problems, we send to the cross of Christ. All of our sins, we send to the cross of Christ. All of the devil’s works, we send to the cross of Christ. All of our hopes, we set on the risen Christ.
This is perhaps the most unique moment of our liturgy. The cross is the central symbol of the Church because Jesus’ sacrifice is the remedy for all of our problems, all of our sins, and all of the devil’s works. And only the risen Christ can bear the weight of all of our hope. Together we joyfully proclaim the redemption we have in him.
The Recessional & Sending
Let us go forth in the name of Christ! Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Our liturgy ends similarly to how it begins—the cross going before us, reminding us that Jesus goes before us as we are sent out on mission to love and serve the world and proclaim the good news of the coming kingdom of God to all of creation.