Reformed Worship Style

	As Reformed Christians we believe Christian worship is all about God. We are a community of believer’s who have assembled together in Logan, as we have for almost one hundred years, to worship and give glory to God. We are a family called together by Christ to serve God in this place. Some of us have known each other for decades and some for only months, but together we are a family of the faithful and we greet one another with joy and expectation as we gather together once again to worship God.
The music helps us set an atmosphere where we as God’s people can enter into a worshipful heart and mind. Music is a major element of Presbyterian/Reformed worship. From the beginning of the service with the prelude to the end with the postlude, music plays a significant role within our worship of God. Presbyterian worship is participatory, it is not something we watch or observe happening, it is something in which we are active participants. The call to worship draws us in as a community of faith participating together in the worship of God. From the call to worship to the benediction, praise, honor, glory and power belong only to God. Worship within the Presbyterian tradition is centered upon the Word of God and it is important that the congregation hear the Word of God from both the Old and New Testaments. "Prayer is at the heart of worship. In prayer, through the Holy Spirit, people seek after and are found by the one true God who has been revealed in Jesus Christ. They listen and wait upon God, call God by name, remember God's gracious acts, and offer themselves to God. Prayer may be spoken, sung, offered in silence, or enacted. Prayer grows out of the center of a person's life in response to the Spirit. Prayer is shaped by the Word of God in Scripture and by the life of the community of faith. Prayer issues in commitment to join God's work in the world." (Book of Order W-2.1001)		Other Topics about Presbyterians Brief Statement of Faith Jesus Christ Reformed Tradition Holy Spirit Our Confessions The Bible Sin & Salvation
	"The great vocation of the minister is to continuously make connections between the human story and the divine story." - Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Living Reminder
An Outline of the Service for the Lord's Day Gathering Call to Worship Hymn of Praise, Psalm, or Spiritual Confession and Pardon Response to Pardon The Word Children's Message First Scripture Reading Choir Anthem or Special Music Sharing Joys and Concerns Prayers of Intercession and Lord's Prayer Second Scripture Reading Sermon Hymn (On special occasions sacraments of baptism or the Lord's Supper may be celebrated) Affirmation of Faith The Sending Forth Offering and Doxology Prayer of Thanksgiving Closing Hymn Charge, Benediction and Blessing (Based on special events, the above order may be altered)		Church's Liturgical Year Ordinary Time Advent Christmas Epiphany Transfiguration Ash Wednesday Lent Palm Sunday Holy Week Maundy Thursday Good Friday Great Vigil of Easter Easter Sunday Ascension Pentecost Trinity Sunday All Saints Christ the King Other days World Communion Sunday Reformation Day Youth Sunday
We have available upon request a short booklet called "An Introduction to Sunday Morning Worship at the First Presbyterian Church, Logan." This booklet explains the different elements of our worship service to aid people to a better understanding of worship. Contact us to request a copy.	SERMON "The preached Word or sermon is to be based upon the written Word. It is a proclamation of Scripture in the conviction that through the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ is present to the gathered people, offering grace and calling for obedience.... The sermon should present the gospel with simplicity and clarity, in language which can be understood by the people....the preaching of the Word shall ordinarily be done by a minister of Word and Sacrament. (Book of Order W-2.2007) "Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God's service in the world." (Directory of Worship) Finally, we offer our most radical act of worship when we allow God to lead us out of the sanctuary and back into God's world. We, Reformed Christians believe that our final act of worship is found, not in the pews or even in the hallway as we exit the church, but in the streets, the malls, the offices and the schools throughout God's world, where the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simultaneously scrutinized, confronted, maligned and eagerly sought.