ten ren Re ae ase ee tee ee Or ail - poe sse hs De a Sete Ne ee et oe lease so ane ete ere eran ie St Ne oe tate ine te pe ne tien atta eM na Be ete a BESS sn agama atin austen trie SemeBSaT SAEs acne reat innate te nS ta ES ote ene ete a ae eter ete ee eee ee a nea a a ae a a vn Ait i ete Seen oe ssatinsianaag on Pinatas TE PRL ERA TEAL me ae tet mis an eet Se ane ge ee Se Tm ae se cae eg Ne ETT Sts ST tere SR eS eet TS Mowe Ree ey rT Ls en a sen RE RAE AE LIE AAD ea Oe em OSE At ee a INT secret te eno ion te : hae ea mse tl2 8 et nae NAIR, ee es Tit a a sens mh ne oe Em tem ge me a NN ea eae mappa ian Testor Sene ett pa et Pt ak ante ne genentting nat “ae hoe “oe ante rls a na ong eae acid ay eh ae ate ean ay Pat ae ae mire tee ame ene a a tT ce ct meas new peat ten ee eT a ge ten Ee SR ST" et ein Tone Se ag nent ee Mien ene ran ese Ee ti ttn eines ee na Pane ene a Te ee nT cee Pe ee en Sa Se ee a sate Smee pe nee cen aia SON ond r tr Fhe * patel reas WA AME eee a ake ee ee nate ee ea tie et et ete lat ite SSR IN Ta waa Tete nee se ante Tae Pe nation ST a nee et te eS ee nee ee ener ee ee snap ate ae mea on as See a See ttn ae Tin ee eT TN PE EIEIO ee tego ame gene am nee amen pee toe ae She senna ce ise Dean eT Se ee Te eat me ne et mn ae ane he ttt tte eae ne tte a seeotagtty ee ea Ppa pg a Tehet ae ee ee eres Ral eaaeninains tied Ber taint : mareng ethan ees wom mig ne ttn - wpe ee a Tete he eaten mae De Pea ma ne Ni Sie eect daineine te mid etn po ee ae eet meee aM eget og em Ff a ee ae ete Tet ine pat yams ah a eta ions aia” zenety Sema et Rings Herma arnt PAe a ee cote acer se went ee Tene ee ee ce inated aT ant ncn aN EN imitans Bee an eee AAR LN tT ME NE REI TON eee nna nae te te teen ti Pl et ag ce fre Bi "i Senger a= athe mam ioe neta Semen a sao nace tt mi ant Pa tame Mie Mt I SN das a ee. caeertene corte ar ml a petianl ee een a stiri he a eae om LIENERT SET IAL, PAL LIA AOD SLE I IIAP ANAL EIT” a me ere ete at tet en ee eer ee a i PE Ae me mete Cant ee a int ee re et ITE ie mI att a rita Seo Ribrme te a ee eee ae ee pa ene al ee tO oe pentane nee ee eet pea a A Fa et pa aga eB Ea a ne Noel a re te ne ee ee ee ree ae me me ae eae ag at ence toe ge gest ee OR LO ot nat OO ae a EA Sete é ee Pal Rin AE nae pn salt al re St oe EOS ee ene nT ns A gate a IS AO ee ae ae on mea geet TS te ee ae Cr pce REA ORFs eee inte ee GOO Pc ES Ee ee ee a Tm tenet oat in Smet ro airon pe nen tn ncn cna wel A A tt im at a ett et ES PO eR A ett ees a ee eee seein at top atta. Pentel eT cee ee ee ie ne atone ey A niin SAT tgs Wl a PLM SA Bias Bs WRAY a 8 GP Sclater, John Robert Paterson, 1876-1914. The public worship of God Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2021 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https://archive.org/details/publicworshipofgO0Oscla THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD LES NO ei haere cae J. BR. P. SCLATER Ae AT, JY COR ake Ly A 5% i Mer a Ny THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD BEING THE LYMAN BE*®CHER LECTURES ON PRACTICAL THEOLuUL. AT YALE, 1927 BY J.R.P.SCLATER, M.A.(Cantab.) D.D. (St. Andrews) MINISTER OF OLD ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH, TORONTO, CANADA AUTHOR OF ‘‘MODERNIST FUNDAMENTALISM’” GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1927, BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD hier! fr soo PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIOA TO THE DEAR MEMORY OF JOHN SCLATER PREFACE When the invitation came to me to deliver the Lyman Beecher lectures, a familiar quotation came into my mind and remained there,—sutor, ne supra cremdam: and I determined that this cobbler, at any rate, would endeavour to stick to his last. After all, the purpose of the lectureship can well be served, when a working minister frankly speaks out of his own experience and ex- plains, as best he can, the methods which he has found effective in practice. The work of the ministry has mostly to be done by the rank and file: and it is, perhaps, not unseemly that one of their own number should have an opportunity of discoursing upon the problems he has met and has tried to solve. These particular lectures (except the last one) were delivered extempore, with only rare refer- ences to notes; and I have not found it possible entirely to recapture them in book form. Con- sequently, certain passages have been omitted al- together, especially in the chapters on prayer and vil Vili PREFACE preaching. In the lectures, I ventured to give practical examples of the disastrous results of haphazard and careless methods of preparation and delivery—examples which lose their force unless illustrated alike by voice and gesture. For the rest, however, the book follows closely the content, if not the manner, of the spoken addresses, While, in work of this kind, a man draws for the most part from his own experience, it is inevitable that he should be indebted also to previous writers. An article by Dr. Stalker on preaching suggested the passage dealing his- torically with the art; and three of the quotations in the last chapter were drawn from Dr. Moffat’s “Literary Illustrations of the Bible.” But one apparent source of inspiration was not, in point of fact, known to me, until the lectures were com- plete. Readers of Dr. Sperry’s “Reality in Wor- ship” will notice an extraordinary similarity be- tween some of the ideas in chapter one of this book, and those that are to be found in a cor- responding chapter of Dr. Sperry’s work. He, I notice, remarks a further correspondence in Dr. Vogt’s “Art and Religion.” I can only say that these lectures were finished before I had read PREFACE IX either of these books—though I have studied them both since with delight and profit. Any indebtedness that I owe, in this region, is to a teacher of the previous generation. In the chapter on prayer, I have paid a tribute to the influence and example of the late Principal Oswald Dykes of Westminster College, Cam- bridge. It is to that fine student of all things _worshipful that I, and many others also, owe any sensitiveness to devotional seemliness that we possess. In particular, the scheme of the mean- ings of the Sacrament in chapter six is based on a scheme which Dr. Dykes used for instructing eatechumens. I have altered it somewhat; and, for the form of its explanation, I am entirely re- sponsible. Nevertheless, the original suggestion came from him. I had his permission to make what use of it I would; and, during all my minis- try, I have founded upon it when teaching the meaning of the Holy Communion. Chapters three, four and five contain work that was done some years ago, when I had the privi- lege of holding the Warrack Lectureship on Preaching, in Scotland. And that leads me to record the real debt which any working minister, who lectures on worship, must owe, but can never ae PREFACE pay. His true teachers are his people. They endure his mistakes; they encourage him to do his best; and by their friendship and loyalty help him to grow. I have been minister of four churches. First in Derby, then in Edinburgh, then in Parkdale, Toronto, and now in my pres- ent charge. I found kindliness in them all. In- deed, young ministers may take heart. Their work will bring them in touch with the best that is in people; and they will be able to thank God upon every remembrance of them. Most of my working life, however, has been spent in the sec- ond of these—in the New North Church of Edin- burgh, with all its memories of students and of friendship rich and rare. The members of that church, and especially those who worked inti- mately in it, will allow me here to remember with unfading affection “the friends I lo’ed sae weel sae lang ago.” To my present congregation (which [I like to link with the New North) I am equally indebted. They, also, are friends indeed. In particular, thanks are due to my secretary, Miss Elsie Watt, for indefatigable and very competent assistance, and to my colleague, Dr. J. E. Munro, and Miss Agnes Swinarton for reading the final proofs. PREFACE x1 One thing about the ministry is that there are always willing folk about, ready to lend a helping hand. There is a great deal of sheer kindness in this world; and we ministers get our fair share. At any rate, one “poor brother” has found that true in Scotland, and finds it true now in Can- ada; and endeavours to give God the praise. J.R. P. ScLater. Old St. Andrew’s Church, Toronto, Canada. May 30th, 1927. CONTENTS Tue OrpER oF WorSHIP . Pusiic PRAYER . Tue SPpoKEN Worp. Tuer PREPARATION OF A SERMON . Tue TEacHING Mgruops or Our Lorp . THe SACRAMENT Tue CELEBRATION . Tuer GUIDANCE OF THE WISE . PAGH THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD THE PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD CHAPTER I. THE ORDER OF WORSHIP. HE public worship of God is the concern of every man. Both those who share in it and those who do not, are enriched by its reality and reverence, or impoverished by its lack of them. For it is the chief of all the ordinary means for keeping alive the sense of the Unseen in the com- munity. The weekly services of the Church, on a day traditionally set apart for them, have an effect on society beyond that which they exercise _ upon the actual worshippers. The church bell, and the sight of families wending their way to the sanctuary, are not without influence upon those whom Sunday calls only to somnolence or golf. Cases are not unknown of men, who normally acknowledge God by proxy, waxing vigourous in defence of weekly worship, and even 17 18 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD joining in it, if they feel that the practice is in danger. For they know full well that, at least, it keeps a window open to Jerusalem in their children’s hearts—and even, it may be, in their own. If public worship is to render all the service it can to society, its component parts need to be dis- cerned, that none may be omitted. The object of this great act is, of course, God Himself; but the worshipper is man—whose sole endeavour, at such a moment, should be to present himself as he really is, before his Maker. Consequently, times of worship are occasions when man is brought face to face with himself, and reminded of the large, pathetic facts of his own life. They afford almost the only ordinary opportunities for him to take a steady look at the mystery, which is himself. In business he has no time to re- member: in pleasure, his anxiety is to forget. Few men, apart from the hours of worship, ever stand at gaze before the facts of birth and death, before their own pitifulness and splendour, their transience and their permanence. Yet all men know that it is only those who take thought upon these things, who grow in wisdom. And it is no small service that the Church renders, in a world THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 19 of shadows and the pursuit of shadows, when it affords opportunity to behold the tears of things and to touch the trappings of mortality, and thus -to move upwards to the place where the Eternal — dwells. Hence, no apology, surely, is needed for begin- ning with a consideration of the best means of arranging services which have so deep a signifi- cance. Indeed, it is a comfort to observe the in- terest that is being shown in all our Reformed Churches, in the matter of a proper Order of Service. The ancient fears, that due arrange- ment and preparation of worship savour of the Pope or of Black Prelacy, have been largely assuaged: and all our branches of the Church are engaged in the production of service books, which purport to be guides to ministers and congre- gations. Some of us have observed with delight what attention our people are willing to give to discussions of the ascending scale of meanings, which a rightly ordered act of worship ought to possess. Moreover, the unlovely has had its day and tawdriness is following it into banishment. Squat ugliness is no longer regarded as a mark of spirituality; nor is it thought necessary to be formless in order not to be formal. These are 20 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD happier days for all who care for beauty of ex- pression. Perhaps it is a reaction from the war: but more men care for loveliness than was the case a quarter of a century ago. But a situation of that sort is full of danger. In the rebound from the bare, it is easy to fall into the meaningless. In practice, the “beautify- ing” of our services often means the introduction of responses or of music, which have no relation to a concerted act of worship; just as the “decora- tions” which are splashed about our walls have no relation to the fact that they are the walls ofi a church. Indeed, some modern “beautiful” ser- vices are more distressing than the stern worship that had a loveliness of its own, because it sought none. Tor these old services possessed a unity peculiar to themselves. They proposed worship through the mind, with no appeal to the senses at all; while their modern successors, by ranging aimlessly up and down the gamut of religious expression, lose unity, and thus the first condi- tion of beauty. Consequently, all ministers need to give time and thought to the structure of their services. In making the suggestions that follow, I have par- ticularly in mind those, who, being of the Puritan THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 21 and Covenanting lineage, find themselves in con- gregations, which have not much of this world’s gear, and cannot command the services of first- rate musicians or erect churches of architectural distinction. Some books that have recently ap- peared contain admirable guidance for parishes inhabited by millionaires. But most men work amongst poor folk and inherit buildings in which ornate worship is as out of place as etchings in a kitchen. What is needed is an appreciation of the principles of reformed worship, together with a simple outline of the ascending movements in- volved, which may either be left simple or be adorned with all that art can supply. It is to the discovery of such principles, and to the de- vising of such a scheme, that we must now set ourselves. I. But we must first clear the ground. We all know that in the matter of order we have come into hopeless confusion. In many of our churches, even now, nobody (with the possible exception of the minister, and he is a doubtful exception) knows what is going to happen next. “It is true that most city churches have printed 22 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD orders; but whether the next hymn is to express praise, or penitence, or the missionary spirit, is a secret hidden until the hymn-book be opened; and when it comes to prayer, the congregation wanders, as on uncharted seas, moving from thanksgiving to intercession, from adoration to confession, and back again and round about and up and down. The result is that we sing with the spirit, but not with the understanding ; and that the “long prayer” has become a clear invitation to inattention. Cuan My a al And yet there be some that say, why have an order at all? For, say they, an order becomes a routine, and a routine is the parent of arut. It > is familiarity, they maintain, that breeds inatten- tion; whereas the unexpected and the diversified are the sources of sustained interest. In their support, they cite the example of such men as Dr. Joseph Parker and Mr. Spurgeon. The former often followed his own fancy in the matter of order, while the latter, in his advice to his students, explicitly told them to change the order at their will. Their modern pupils lend ready ears to such counsel. It is reported that a minis- ter, not long ago, was perturbed by the routine of Holy Communion, and so, to give variety, he tn te i = a. THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 23 sometimes administered the bread first and some- times the wine. Anything f for a change! An in- stance such as that puts a fool’s-cap on the whole tendency, but rather undeservedly; for there are _ certain types of service in which the unexpected plays an important part; and, in suggesting guiding principles, it is necessary to distinguish services of that sort. Now, there are two classes of services: as minis- ters have for long acknowledged by attempting a different type of sermon in the evening. My plea is that the distinction should be marked also _ in the tone and order of worship. ‘The two sorts may be called (1) Services of Worship and (2) Services of Mission. ~The former of these are a supreme task of the Church and are ends in them- selves. The latter are means to an end—namely, the extension of the kingdom. In Services of Mission, we may aim at diversity as much as we please, within the bounds of decency. As to that I have nothing to say; each man must work out his own methods, with due regard to his own per- sonality and the type of community in which he is working. But in the case of Services of Wor- ship, the situation is altogether different. In them the congregation is engaged, as a unity, in 24 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD an act which requires a common understanding of every movement. The purpose cannot be ful- filled unless every member knows what he is do- ing and why he is doing it: and all this is impos- sible without an order. Moreover, an order is demanded by two com- plimentary facts: namely, the Diversity and Unity of every congregation. Each body of wor- shippers is diverse, because it contains individuals in every kind of religious mood. One man will chiefly desire to confess his sins, while the next man’s heart will be a tumult of thanksgiving. All of these moods have to be met; and an order is essential to secure that they shall be met. Otherwise, the leader will impose his own mood on the people, a thing that happens every Sabbath Day. But no less important is the unity of a congregation. The Object of Worship is One; and there is a “man in men,” that responds uniformly, in normal circumstances, to His pres- ence. Moreover, in the movement of “the man in men” towards God, all the diverse needs of the congregation are met. Our task, then, is to discover that normal response, and then to ex- press it in the sequence of our worship. Md r ¥ rh i ' de 4 <- Y ‘ 4 j rm ) ¥ | Ri . THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 25 II. Two principles immediately make themselves manifest, without which no worship can be ade- quate. We may call them the principles of Al- ternation and of Ascension. Each deserves a little separate study. 1. The Principle of Alternation. When a man approaches God, he will remem- ber on the one hand, that it is God that he is | approaching, and, on the other, that it is he that 1S approaching God. Inevitably, he will tend to swing from the thought of the holiness of the Worshipped, to the unworthiness of the wor- shipper: from God’s law, to his own need of help: from the knowledge of God’s everlasting mercy, to the answering thankfulness of his own heart. He will move rhythmically between Vision and Response. His worship will become an exchange between perception and his reaction thereto. Re- ceiving from God and giving to God will follow, wave-like, one upon the other. At this point, I find myself in some disagree- ment with those who see in worship only a series 26 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD of developing attitudes on the part of the wor- shipper. They begin with Vision, indeed, but then proceed through Humility to Vitality and thence to Illumination and Dedication. That is good and helpful, as far as it goes; but it seems to miss the point that each response of the soul is conditioned by a new perception of God. True worship begins and ends with Vision, just as Dante’s upward flight of the soul began with the sight of the Hill of Cleansing and ended with the flash of the unveiling of the Divine Reality. And as it thus begins and ends, so worship de- velops with new unfoldings of the Divine char- acter, which call forth new answers from men, who, all the while, are drawing nearer to God, and, thus, discovering more clearly the Heavenly Father’s face. Each Vision and Response is con- nected both with that which goes before and that which comes after; but they have a special rela- tion to each other. A rightly ordered service thus consists in a sequence of pairs, consisting of a thought of God and the answer thereto, until we reach the final unveiling of the God of Grace and love and communion, in remembrance of whom we leave His house, to take up confidently our daily tasks. { i ) 2 ; ‘ ? ‘ id THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 27 2. The principle of Ascension. In any considered approach to God, various emotions, it is clear, are developed in a normal mind. But it is not so generally recognized that, ordinarily, these are developed in an ascending scale. If we take the religious movement of the race as a whole, as it is displayed in the Bible, we can perceive an_ ascension from fear to awe, from awe to joy, and from j joy to love. Our own experience corroborates this. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the end of the story is to know and to rest in the love that passeth knowledge. And, midway, fear blends with awe: and awe at God’s majesty moves into awe at His redeeming passion, whence springs joy that to ourselves is given new power and new life. From this we discover our key to the prob- lem as to how worship must psychologically pro- ceed. Beginning with an attempt to see the Vision of God high and lifted up, we progress along an inevitable movement of consequent fear blending into awe, and thence to a new unveiling of the Divine nature, whence spring joy and love. Once a minister has this sequence of mood clearly in his mind, the ordered ascent of his prayers will 28 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD be secure; and there will be no more of the un- charted seas. He has discovered a guiding prin- ciple that will not fail him; for it is implanted in human nature, and, therefore, in his own. But the ascent is not steady. As each new vision of God is perceived, there are often back- washes of feeling. ‘This is especially true in the initial stages of worship, where we are thinking of God’s holiness and of our inability to meet His demands. This backward swing must, I think, find expression in our order, as will hereafter be indicated. But the main movement is upwards, until we are lost in wonder, love and praise. I daresay you have seen those clever gymnasts, who, beginning on a low-set trapeze, by a swing forward and backward gain momentum to catch a trapeze higher up, and so gradually ascend from bar to bar, until they reach the highest set before them. It is a crude image; but it may serve. In the main, our progress is simply up- ward in worship: but we require the backward movement to pass from fear and awe to joy. The depth of our need, and the depth of the waters crossed to satisfy it, must be realized before we can worthily praise the Deliverer. And all this THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 29 a leader in worship will have in his mind as he sets himself to his task. III. Now that we have cleared the ground, and laid down these general principles, it is possible to deal with those practical problems, which are our chief concern. Let me ask you to imagine a body of normal people met together on a Sunday morning in an average church for the main act of weekly worship. Conceive them dropping in by twos and threes until eleven o’clock strikes, and the duty of the day has to be begun. What has to be done first? The answer is easy: we _ must draw near to God. We are not ready to worship yet. We have to “go unto the altars of the Lord.” Our bodies may be in church, but ‘our minds have to be brought and kept there, too. Wherefore, we set down first this highly im- portant matter of | The Approach. _ This consists of three steps: first, the call to _ attention; second, the attempt, in common, to _ realize the presence of God; and, third, the re- 30 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD quest for Divine aid in the enterprise on which we are about to engage. Now, all this is of real importance. “Well begun is half-done.” It is the first step that goes far to determine all the rest; and a minister should put forth a good deal of effort to create stillness and a sense of the Unseen at the begin- ning. Before the service opens, the average wor- shipper is anything but concentrated on the mat- ter in hand. We are all human, and thoughts naturally wander about the church, noting late- comers, suspecting absentees and appraising new attire. God forgives it all, no doubt, for it is He that hath made us, and He remembers that we are dust. But it makes it the more important — that certain preliminary steps should be taken to unify the congregation upon the duty before them. So first there comes— (a) The Call to Worship, which takes the place of the “bell” in the Roman services. It may take the simplest of forms: indeed, the words “Let us worship God,” said by a man who is listening to them himself, are all that is needed. But we must give them their full value as we say them. Let them (or whatever other words we use) be preceded by a slight pause, after we ; 3 ‘ THE ORDER OF WORSHIP © 31 stand up. Our object is to still our people; and silence on our part is often the most effective way to do it. And as we utter the call, let us make an honest effort to hear it ourselves. We shall, thereby, communicate the stillness which our own hearts feel. | And what follows, inevitably, upon the call to attend? Why, clearly, a concerted attempt to secure, In common— | (b) The Realization of the Presence of God. Silence again is helpful, followed by such words as these, said or sung together—“ Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” It is difficult to find words more suitable than those of the Sanctus in Isaiah VI to express the united sense of God’s majesty, which a congregation ought to endeavour to feel as they approach Him. Unfortunately, this sometimes is used in historic liturgy at quite a different part of the service; and we ought to follow historic usage, when we can. But the au- thority of Isaiah for the use of these words, as the expression of our first Vision of God, may | justify us in departing from the later, though _ venerable, practice. However, we must find _ words of some kind, which can be used in common 82 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD by the people, to express a thought of Him to whom they are approaching, which will stir in them that sense of right fear and awe, which is the beginning of wisdom in worship as in every- thing else. Assuming, then, that the people’s attention is rightly directed and that they are, severally, re- minding themselves of the separateness of the object of their worship, what happens next? The answer suggests itself. They must ask God, without whose help no man can even approach Him, to aid them in their service. This they do in— (c) The Prayer of Invocation, which is a call to God for aid in a particular enterprise—namely, the enterprise of that morning’s worship. ‘Too | much care cannot be given to that prayer. A minister who does not know exactly how he is — going to phrase it, before he goes into the pulpit, ~ is seriously amiss. It should be short, cast in the — collect-form, and should concern itself solely with the matter in hand. A perfect example is the opening collect of the Anglican Communion ~ Office—“O, Thou before whom all hearts are — open”: and a man, who finds the composition — of prayers especially difficult, might do worse © THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 38 than use this so expressive and so apt invocation of God’s help every Sunday. Its delivery should never be hurried; each phrase should be quietly emphasized; so that all the worshippers may be touched with a sense of the magnitude of their request, as they appeal to God to cleanse the thoughts of their hearts that they may worthily magnify His holy Name. With these three steps taken, the Approach is ended. We have gone unto the Altars of the Lord. We are ready now to enter on the morn- ing’s noble task, which henceforth must proceed upon the natural ascending alternations of Vision and Response. You observe that the alternation _has already displayed itself. The thought of God has sent us asking help to worship. We shall find that a similar interchange will compel itself into our service to the end. Iv. The Act of Worship. A. good image of our attitude as we enter on our enterprise is that suggested in the most _ familiar of the songs of Ascent. We lift up our eyes unto the hills in— 34 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD (a) The Opening Adoration. ‘This is rightly and properly sung by the congregation together. We have to discover some hymn, which will con- nect itself with the Approach and will conclude with a statement of some aspect of the majesty of God, in which we can worthily adore Him. There is none better than that “grand old Puri- tan anthem,” the 100th Psalm, set to Léon Bour- geois’ noble tune. It carries on from what has gone before, with its call to the whole earth to “sing to the Lord with cheerful voice’; and it ends with the Vision splendid of Him whose ~ “truth at all times firmly stood and shall from — age to age endure.” ‘Those who are in perplexity — to find hymns which precisely fit into the various © parts of the service—and it is a sore business — to light on exactly what we want—might do a deal worse than take a look at the Scottish — Metrical Psalms. 'They will find them peculiarly — rich in the noblest and simplest forms of opening Adoration. | This done, there can be no question what we — must do next. The effect of the first unveiling of God has been the same on humanity from the | beginning: and it will be the same until that end comes, when sin shall be no more. ‘The THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 35 knowledge, that the Lord our God is righteous altogether, forces into our minds that related painful knowledge, that our thoughts are not His thoughts nor our ways His ways. Wherefore, our own nature compels us immediately to— (b) The Prayer of Confession, and for Par- don and Peace, about which we need say little, except that it should be brief and as intimate, definite and sincere as we can make it—never forgetting, of course, that we are praying in public and on behalf of a congregation. Parts _ of the 51st Psalm will give us a model. | “There “may, however, be some difference of opinion as to what should follow. Many of our teachers send us at once to the regions of God’s loving-kindness, whence He sends His healing and His strength. But I cannot think that the matter is quite as simple as all that. God does not let us off just because we say we are sorry; and He never, in any circumstances, ceases to de- mand obedience to His moral law. That surely ought to be expressed in every service. The weakness of some modern worship lies precisely here—that we have failed to make manifest austerity, and sternness, as if the godly | life were roses, Toses all _the..way. Calvin knew better, 36 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD when he began every service with the recitation of the ten commandments. Somewhere in the order there ought to be given a glimpse of the high and lofty places of that Law, which Christ came not to destroy but to fulfil. And, if it comes in naturally anywhere, it comes in at the point we have now reached. It is true to experience, that the first response of the Divine to the peni- tent is a renewed demand for obedience. A sense that we must never desert from the paths of righteousness comes over the mind, when earliest we turn to God; and we realize that, whatever God may be going to do as a result of our cry for mercy, He is not going to change His mind about — | godliness. ‘This we may term— (c) The First Divine Response, which will consist in a short reading (or singing) of some passage of Scripture, which sets forth the moral responsibilities which God insists we shall shoulder. The usual plan would, of course, be to recite the ten commandments: but these basal statutes of the embryo Hebrew state do not “strike to within,” on the modern mind. I think it better to vary the passages here, using Deut. VI:1-9 as the norm. But, whatever we may do in the selection of passages, we must not fail to 4 | he i &. ia he oe? eae eT ae a THE ORDER OF WORSHIP = 37 bring in some clear expression of the moral law. - Otherwise, we shall be true neither to the human nature we are expressing, nor to the God whom we are worshipping. And what next? Again, we have only to ask our own hearts. What do we do, when con- science is hammering at us—when the stern Voice within is calling? We go down on our knees and tell God that, if obedience is to be forth- coming, He must help. Instinctively there fol- lows— | (d) The Prayer for Aid. Very likely, we shall find it best to use a hymn or anthem for this. I am not concerned with the mode in which we work out the details: I am anxious only about the framework. And, at this point, a very human ery for the gift of the Divine strength must come in, or our worship will again be untrue to our need. And then, what? Why, the Christian Evangel tells us. We have not only said that we are sorry, but we have faced the fact of conscience and have consequently flung ourselves on God: and the Bible was written and Christ lived and died that we may believe that God hears that 388 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD cry and answers it. Wherefore, put down at once— (e) The Second Divine Response: which also should consist of a passage or passages from Scripture, telling of the Divine Compassion; of the Love that will not let go; of the “how much more” of God. ‘Now, this opens a vexed and difficult quéstion. You observe that we have at most two readings from Scripture, and that each is prescribed as to subject. That implies that large portions of the Bible will never be read at the main occasion of worship; and that the old idea of a lectionary, which gradually takes us through the whole of the Scriptures, will be set on one side. I know that many people gain their only knowledge of the Word through reading from the pulpit— more’s the pity. But that, surely, is only a reason for securing that the passages read shall be of the highest religious value. The ,Anglican ser- vice, so beautiful with all its shortcomings, is often hopelessly jarred by a couple of long, irrelevant lessons from the two Testaments. People who worship are hungry sheep, and should be fed from the Word of God. It seems a pity to offer them David’s pebbles from the THE ORDER OF WORSHIP — 39 brook, or the measurements of the Tabernacle, in place of bread. Consequently, some of us will be of the opinion, that, in order to secure the full emotive sequence of the service, a lec- _ tionary should be chosen which will confine it- self, first, to the expression of the demands of righteousness, and second, to a statement of the Everlasting Mercy of Him who makes with -us a Covenant of Aid. And, if any one objects that he wants to read a passage suitable to his sermon, I reply that he can do that immediately before he gives out his text, if he has a mind to: and, further, that if passages setting forth God’s Jove in redemption are not relevant to his preach- ing, he had better take a thought and mend. So here, in a passage taken from the N.T. (or, better, in short passages from both Testaments), we are given a Vision of the God of grace, “visi- bly in the world at war with sin.” Whence, by natural alternation, we proceed to— ({) The Related Responses of Thanksgiving and Intercession. 'The former of these may be given in prayer-form or in song, or in both. It may be expressed by the people together, or by the choir. But let it be thanksgiving: and let 40 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD it be emphatic—for we have a multitude of bene- fits for which to give thanks to our Father. And here, let me digress into a protesting ques- tion. Who started this trick of beginning ser- “with the entertaining aift, possessed by his race, for inversion? It is quite obviously and start- lingly wrong, if the progress of an order of wor- ship is to be psychologically true. The right place for a Doxology (or, better, the Te Deum) is after the second Divine Response. We may suppose the reason for its introduction was the. — semi-laudable desire to “brighten” services: but I confess that I never see prosperous citizens fling back their shoulders, and, full- throatedly, praising God from whom all blessings flow, at the moment when they ought to be trying to be still and know that He is God, without feeling that I have strayed into a Rotary or Kiwanis * convention instead of into a church. No doubt the practice will be difficult to stop: but one can at least deliver one’s soul by protesting. , Following upon the Act of Thanksgiving, there naturally comes the Act of Intercession; unless, indeed, some form of Creed is used. If so, this is the place to recite it. ‘The difficulty is THE ORDER OF WORSHIP § 41 to find a form of words at once historical and expressive of sincere, modern belief. If the Church is to declare its faith, it must be the faith of the living Church that is declared. A simple Creed, in the language of Scripture, would be a great gain, if we could all agree on it. Mean- time, most of us will tend to move straight on to the Act of Intercession, which follows so reason- ably on Thanksgiving. We have been shown our Heavenly Father listening to our cry and, like children, we want to tell Him all about it—es- pecially, about the hidden desires of our hearts for those we love. And we have been reminding ourselves of all the good things we have received, and, surely, like Christian folk, we want others to share in them, too. So, we intercede. Now this is the high-water mark of endeavour in our worship. It takes the place of the Sacra- “ment the ordinary service: for, in part, it is sacrificial. When we intercede, on the one hand we ask from God what we desire to obtain for others, but have no means of securing, apart from God: on the other hand, we offer ourselves, implicitly, as agents, by whom the benefits for which we plead may be granted. This is, mani- festly, a high and serious business: and the con- 42 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD gregation must be keyed up to it. For this is the moment of Dedication. Intercession is a poor half-thing, if we do not desire the objects, which we are asking at God’s hands, sufficiently to be able to say, whole-heartedly, that we are willing to be used by God for their accomplishment. If reality in worship is to be secured, the people must be alive and purposeful at this point: and the minister will give great pains to keep atten- tion and to create an atmosphere of urgency dur- ing this prayer. It is rather humbling that it is notorious that the Intercession has often been the most wearisome part of the service. The next chapter will deal with the minister’s task as a leader in prayer: but here it is sufficient to say that, whatever else he prepares for, he € must pre- pare for the act in which he and his people put themselv res ii God’ S hand as His servants. ~ ‘When the Intercession is ended, I like to sum up all our prayers in the prayer of our Lord, I think it comes best as a climax, and, unquestion- ably, it should be used at every service. But, never gabble it, as some so painfully do. De- liberately restrain the pace of utterance, in order that each clause may be duly alive in the mind. And, it is not a bad thing to have it printed in THE ORDER OF WORSHIP = 43 front of you, where you can see it. Memory plays strange tricks with us in the pulpit—es- pecially with familiar words. I have thrice, in public, stuck completely in this prayer: and the memory of that discomfort makes me always read it. And, then, when all has been gathered up in Christ’s own words, it is seemly to follow with— (g) The Symbol of Dedication, in the Offer- tory, and some worthy word of Consecration and renewed offer of service—a word in which it would be well if the people could join. If they do not, there is something to be said for always using the same form of words, which the people, knowing, can readily follow and adopt. Vv. Now, at this point, if we choose, we may lift the congregation to the height of the Benediction, and the morning worship will be complete. We have moved from Preparation to Vision, from Vision to Humility: from Humility we have _ gained a new, austere Vision which has deepened Humility; thence we have risen to the Vision gracious, which, giving Illumination, spells Vital- 44 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD ity; and, then, after consequent Thanksgiving, we have dedicated ourselves to that God, whom we finally see as the changeless God of all grace in the Benediction. Our worship, if we choose, is complete. But Protestantism believes in the vital impor- tance of the illumination of the mind. Where-— # fore, we round off the service with a particular | unveiling of God and His will through : a hitman personality—that is, with a Sermon. The minis- ter ceases to be “the man-in-men”’; he turns from being the representative of the people to become a teacher and, possibly, a prophet. In order to let the mind move easily from the dominant acts of thanksgiving and intercession, he asks the congregation to sing a hymn appropriate to his sermon. He then preaches—always remember- ing that he and his people are still worshipping God. A quiet dismission hymn is, I think, de- sirable to let down attention before the people go into the street: but it should be short, simple and always familiar—a “grave, sweet melody.” Then, with the ancient words of blessing—and let it be remembered that the benediction is a benediction and not a prayer—the eyes of the congregation are turned to the God of grace and THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 45 love and communion; and, with that comforting vision before us, we turn again to the daily ways of life. Now, this puts the sermon where it belongs. It has a place, a great place and a place all its own, in the scheme of worship: but it is a sup- plementary place. It gives an opportunity for “particularizing” Vision; and therefore it is an act of great dignity. But it is not the crown of worship: and the other parts of the service are not “preliminaries.” Protestantism did a great service when it reéxalted preaching: but it went off thé rails when it did so at the expense of praise-and prayer.” Preaching will not lose, but gain, whén itis seen in proper proportion, and when it is rightly related to other acts, in which worship obtains a more complete expression. Vi. The Practical Application of the Order. Such, then, in outline is our scheme—the frame-work into which we have to fit the details of service. None of us will deny that the prac- tical difficulties of adhering to a psychological sequence are serious. Apart from finding suit- 46 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD able hymns and readings, what are we to do with Announcements, and Children’s Addresses, and Anthems and Solos and Responsive Readings, and all the little diversities, with which we endeavour, usually dismally, to “brighten” the service ? As to Announcements we are all agreed: they are a public nuisance. Cut them down, if you cannot cut them out. Print them, if possible, and tell the congrégation to read them. If that ; is too expensive, let them come after the worship-— Series is complete, Just before the hymn béfore the sermon. In any casé, decline to allow your pulpit to be made the free advertising-agency for all the events of the parish. Only announce churchly doings. And, above all, please do not be funny. Perhaps some psychologist can ex- plain why the giving out of announcements in church is such a temptation to alleged humour- ists. Not, indeed, that humour is out of place in preaching, as we shall see later on, from the greatest of all examples. But the kind of wit- ticisms to which the intimations tempt us are, as Dr. Johnson called the merriment of parsons, — “mighty offensive.” It is best to be on the safe — side, and delete them altogether. THE ORDER OF WORSHIP = 47 Children’s Addresses, also, are on the whole, best omitted. It is true that people like them; but that does not prove a great deal. It is human to like candy. As a rule, these addresses affect the atmosphere and break the continuity. If the children are to be directly addressed, let the re- marks to them be woven into the main sermon. For the rest, let the young children go out, and be looked after suitably by skilled women. And let the older ones sit still, and learn, by suffering, in their youth. ~The “diversifyings” of the service can be left to each man’s individual taste; always provided that they fit into the general scheme which we have been considering. Liturgical and respon- sive forms of prayer or praise can, obviously, be easily used. So can responsive readings, though, I confess, I quéstion their worship-value. When thei# curious mumble comes up from the congre- gation, it is as if the clock had been put back, and grown folk were little boys and girls at Sun- day School again. After all, the Psalms were meant to be sung, and not read, antiphonally. If we can rise to antiphonal singing, well and good. However, there is no law against a man adopting any method which keeps the attention 48 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD of the congregation on the business in hand; but, every device must be estimated by its value for worship, and no diversity must be permit- ted which intrudes on the psychological order. Many of the “items” and “numbers” intended to brighten, sin dreadfully against that canon. They are, all too frequently, meaningless inter- jections suitable enough at an entertainment, but hopelessly out of place in church. After all, a church service is not an entertainment: it is an act of worship. The distinction is simple: and may reasonably be observed. There remains the question of our music—a much more difficult matter. The mere choosing of hymns is a delicate task. We have to remem- — ber the point in the service at which a hymn is to come; the festival, it may be, of the Church year, which falls on the Sunday for which we are preparing; the diverse tastes of our musical high-brows and musical low-brows; and we must not forget old-time associations of particular words and tunes. No wonder so many ministers are prematurely bald. Above all, you have to remember your organist and choir. An ingen- ious commentator has suggested that St. Paul’s thorn in the flesh was the music committee at aay a = ~~ THE ORDER OF WORSHIP = § 49 Corinth. Musicians, perhaps because they use that thought-medium which is supposed to be the language of heaven, are occasionally a little unearthly here below. Sometimes, one feels that _ Providence has compensated them for their noble gifts by denying them a whole share of common- sense. At any rate, a young minister will be very lucky if he does not find, sometime in the course of his career, that his church music affords him personal, as well as liturgical problems. This, at least, we all need to remember—that choirs are part of a congregation set to lead in a particular effort of worship, and not a separate guild with rights and privileges of their own. The ideal will be reached, when the whole con- gregation takes enough trouble about the music to become its own choir,—a consummation de- voutly wished, I am sure, by all musicians. As things are, however, we must do with things as things will do with us; and our choirs are not only necessary, but are, normally, very helpful aids to worship. Some simple rules can be laid down, within whose bounds choirs should work. They should, for instance, sit as in a church and not as if at a concert. The half-moon ar- rangement in front of the pulpit, to which many 50 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD of us are condemned, is the worst conceivable. It is bad for the music, and distracting to the at- tention both of choir and congregation. The proper place for them is a chancel or the back gallery. They should not attempt music beyond their range. ‘That is a pearl of wisdom, if you like. But people, apparently, dislike acting on the over-obvious. And their music should be churchly. Some of the solos sung in church only save themselves from being infuriating by being so comic. Those of us who are saved from this trial have much to be thankful for. On the other hand, good anthems and solos sung in sympathetic voices by singers who are themselves religious, have a worship value of the highest degree. They can take the place of prayers—very many of our hymns are suitable for that, too—if they are properly placed in the order of service. If co- operation is secured between the minister and — the musicians—and it is usually easily enough ~ obtained—and if there is mutual understanding as to the progression of the service, the choir — part can be of the first importance in creating — atmosphere. THE ORDER OF WORSHIP 51 But responsibility in the matter of music does. not end with the choir. It lies at least as heavily on the congregation. ‘There are two kindnesses which we may reasonably ask from our people in this region. First, those who cannot sing, should not. Congregational singing should not only be congregational, but singing. ‘There are many amongst us. whom the Lord evidently meant to sing with the spirit and with the under- standing™also; and to leave it at that, A man with~a voice that has been treated with a fret- saw may want to sing: but, in common Christian charity, he should restrain himself. And, second, a congregation should educate itself in taste in psalmody and endeavour to get away from our distressing hymn traditions. It was Luther, I am told, who first said that the Devil should not have an exclusive right to the best hymn tunes: and it was Mr. Spurgeon who more re- cently gave voice to that opinion. It is a pity that these eminent men gave expression to such foolishness. The truth is, of course, that the Devil never had, nor can have, any of the best tunes. He jazzes and syncopates and is melodiously saccharine: but he hates the best tunes, and, knowing their influence for good, 52 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD he tries to put the man in the street up against them by calling them “high-brow.” An organ- ist who stands up against all that type of opinion deserves respect: for he is standing for that beauty which is truth. And congregations—to say nothing of ministers—will endeavour to learn, from the men who know, how much deeper worship may be when the hymns have the dignity of plain-song, the strength of old chorales, and the rich nobility of the psalm tunes our fathers loved. Well, these are practical matters, which young ministers must work out for themselves—with this comfort, that the reverent development of public worship is a man’s job. If any one can say that he has helped to make more worthy the services of the Sanctuary, he can say that he is one of the company of God’s workers, who have made two blades of grass appear where one grew before. The work demands patience, no doubt: but the result will crown the task. Vil, Sometimes an example is more helpful than many precepts. Wherefore, I venture to append THE ORDER OF WORSHIP = 53 an order of service, with the details filled in, which is arranged upon the principles we have been considering. It is, you observe, of the simplest sort. We can, none of us, deny the beauty of more elaborate services: but, on the whole, we shall not err if we seek simplicity to a greater degree than is now common. For simplicity and nobility are born friends. In any case, simplicity is no foe of the psychological order, as you will see if you glance at the following. ORDER OF SERVICE. I. The Approach (or Preface) 1. The Call MINISTER. O come let us wor- ship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker: for He is our God. 2. The Realization PEOPLE. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His giory: 3. The Cry for Help MINISTER. Almighty God, un- to whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthly magnify Thy Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. II. The Worship Psalm. All people that on 1, Vision earth do dwell. & Prayer of Confession, and for Humility Pardon and for Cleansing. o4 PUBLIC WORSHIP OF GOD . Vision & Deepened Humility . Vision bringing The Law. Deut. 6:1-9. The Anthem. Incline Thine CBD. ots The Lesson. Romans 8:31-39. Vitality and Illumination Hymn of Thanksgiving, All & Hail the Power of Jesus’ name. . Thanksgiving, IntercessionPrayer of Thanksgiving, Inter- & Dedication . The Particular Vision & Iliumination . The Final Vision & Gift of God. cession and Lord’s Prayer. Offertory. MINISTER. Receive these sym- bols of Thy people’s labour, Lord, and be pleased to use alike them and us for the Kingdom of Thy Son, for His Name’s sake. (Announcements, if any.) Hymn, Oh Master let me walk with Thee. Sermon. Psalm 23:3. (Brief Prayer.) Hymn, The King of Love my Shepherd is. The Benediction. You see how that service swings in alternation, and how it ascends until at last we stand before the God who blesses us—the God of the Ever- lasting mercy, who calls us into communion with Himself, giving us that universal grace, which is His changeless gift to His children. If we and our people can reach thither for a moment, and find our hearts softened and comforted, we may know the labour of our worship has not been in vain in the Lord. i ee — oy eee 4 eh. 5 Le eae