The longest, and most contested debate at the September 2023 meeting of the General Assembly was about services of worship. Specifically: can a service of worship include an acknowledgement of country.
The Assembly readily acknowledged prior occupancy of Australia by indigenous people, and how European settlement brought much hurt as well as the blessing of the gospel. It gave a suggested wording for acknowledgment of country by churches on various occasions but decided that it does not belong inside services of worship. If you want to read the full decision on this, follow this link.
The debate over acknowledgement of country raised a core question: what can and cannot be included in a service of worship? Our church looks to the Bible as its standard. After all, the God whom we worship is entitled to tell us how he wants to be worshipped.
In keeping with other churches, we agree that we must do what God commands for worship and not do what he forbids. What about the many areas of worship where the Bible silent? Do we do what a majority of the congregation want? Or do we do what the worship team or the pastor want and like? Or what our culture says?
It’s a Presbyterian distinctive that everything we do in a service should either be expressly stated in Scripture or derived from Scripture. As someone puts it: we sing God’s word in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. We hear God’s word as Scripture is read, explained and applied. We pray God’s word in Biblically-shaped prayers. We see God’s word in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Our Confession of faith helps us out in matters where the Bible is non-specific. It says: there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed (Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6).
The reference to the ‘general rules of the word’ is helpful. Here are some Biblical principles that can guide us when deciding on grey areas of church life. They are also useful guides in personal conduct.
- What glorifies God? (1 Cor 10:31)
- What builds up believers? (1 Cor 10:24)
- What helps bring unbelievers to faith? (1 Cor 9:22-23)
- What avoids needless gospel offense? (1 Cor 10:32)
- What is in decency and good order? (1 Cor 14:30)
Sound application of these principles will help keep worship within Biblical bounds and avoids a fruitless search for a specific text to justify everything that we do.
So, let us use common sense (‘Christian prudence’) when we plan acts of worship. And likewise, with ‘the light of nature’, including being sensitive to our cultural context. Above all, may our acts of worship exalt God’s name, extend his kingdom, and do his will.
David Burke