An Adventist Model Of Worship

Early Adventist worship was simple, informal, and vigorously nonliturgical. When the first church Manual was adopted, reluctantly, in 1883, it made no mention how regular worship services should be conducted. It did, however, lay down some guidelines for the "ordinances of the Lord's house," meaning the Lord's Supper and the accompanying foot-washing service. Indeed, the earliest mention of an order of service for Adventist churches appears to be in a book published in 1906 by a prominent Colorado pastor, H. M. J. Richards.

This order of service is presented below. Scattered hints in earlier sources mention such elements as "prayers, singing, exhortation, and preaching" (see D. M. Canright, "A Few Thoughts About Meetings," Review and Herald, vol. 28 [Oct. 30, 1866], 173). Text: Silent Prayer Opening Hymn Public Prayer Hymn Sermon Hymn Benediction Commentary: The minister enters the pulpit and kneels for a few moments in silent prayer to God. All the people bow their heads and unite with their minister in silent prayer, imploring the Divine blessing upon the services of the hour. Then the minister announces the opening hymn, then all stand and join in singing. After this the minister and all the people kneel in prayer, while he leads them in a public extemporaneous prayer of moderate length and appropriate to the needs of the people and subject of the sermon. Usually a second hymn is then sung, and the sermon follows this. The service is concluded by another hymn sung by the entire congregation, after which the benediction is pronounced by the minister. (H. M. J. Richards, Church Order [Denver: Colorado Tract Society, 1906], 64). Even this order of service was not ironclad. Richards allowed for some variations, such as "special music," including sacred solos, duets, quartets, or anthems; and also occasionally "a short Scripture reading at some time before the sermon; and at times a short prayer is introduced after the sermon, when the Spirit so directs." Richards' only concession to liturgical propriety was his insistence that no announcements intrude on the worship service and that the benediction be pronounced by an ordained minister. Ten years earlier the same reservation had been expressed, describing a benediction as "a blessing pronounced upon the congregation. In doing this the minister usually raises his hands and blesses the congregation in the name of the Lord, pronouncing grace, mercy, and peace upon them. This function … ought to be confined to ministers of the gospel." (G. C. Tenney, "To Correspondents, #68" Review and Herald 73 [March 31, 1896], 202).