Pentecostal Worship

The structure of Pentecostal worship has been and generally continues to be comprised of three basic units:

Preliminaries Sermon Invitation/Altar Service Within this tripartite structure, spontaneity and informality are the key operatives that flesh out the basic form. The inclusion, order, and length of preliminaries such as congregational singing, testimonies, manifestations of the Spirit, special music, and prayer (to name a few possibilities) are generally different from church to church and service to service. Pentecostals shy away from codifying and writing down an invariable liturgy because of their belief that Spirit-led worship means flexibility in following the changing promptings of the Spirit. Nevertheless, in actual practice each Pentecostal church and pastor generally settles on an order of service that tends to be fairly constant. Though the congregation seldom has the written order, worship leaders often have copies. This alleviates the need for a "master of ceremonies" having to announce each part of the service as it progresses. In keeping with the Pentecostal predilection for spontaneity and extemporaneity, yet in recognition of the practice of using a somewhat similar order of service from week to week, it would seem useful to develop an outline for a Pentecostal morning worship service that centers around the gospel and takes into account the Pentecostal historic heritage. This is only a suggested order, of course. Changes due to time constraints and other considerations as the Spirit directs may be made. The Basic Pattern Preparation for Worship. One means of preparation is a Saturday intercessory prayer meeting for the following day's service. This may take any number of forms: "¢ A general prayer meeting at church for the entire congregation. "¢ Specific organizations within the church (choir, board, teachers, Women's Missionary Council) providing prayer support (may meet at church or in various homes). "¢ All members of the assembly praying individually in their homes for the Lord's anointing on Sunday's services. "¢ Fasting, confession, and penitential emphases on an individual basis. The time immediately before the service should be spent in repentance, reflection, and contemplation. Prayer may be silent or aloud (Pentecostals often pray aloud all at once). Visiting, talking, and other distractions should be avoided. Opening Acclamation. This is an opportunity to affirm the sacred nature and purpose of the meeting. The acclamation may take various forms: "¢ A brief scriptural statement such as Psalm 41:13 or 72:18–19. "¢ A call to worship such as Psalm 95:1, Psalm 99:5, or Psalm 100:4. "¢ A song by the congregation and/or choir such as "All Hail King Jesus" (Dave Moody); "Brethren [People, Christians] We Have Met to Worship" (William Moore), stanzas 1 and 4; "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" (Oliver Holden), stanza 1. Invocation. This is a gathering prayer, which sets the stage for what is to take place. It invites the Almighty to visit his people and reminds the congregation that God is worshiped through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Songs of Praise. The emphasis should be on hymns rich in biblical and theological content. They should focus on God rather than on the individual. Avoid musical expressions that are trite or overly emotional. Congregational music ministry should reflect much prayer and creativity. Plan well, and plan long-term. The spiritual impact of congregational music is a direct result of the seriousness with which the church's leaders view this aspect of church worship and are willing to make it all that it can be in any given situation. (See Discipling Music Ministry: Twenty-first Century Directions [Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers], 112-42). Avoid stereotyping the direction of the song service. Do not always end with slow worship songs or begin with fast, peppy ones. Above all, use music whose composition is compatible with the integrity of Scripture. Do not use music as entertaiment or emotional manipulation. Prayers of the Assembly. Leaders should vary: pastor, elders or others leaders, choir, or members of the congregation. The idea is to pray together as a community with fervor and with intensity on a wide range of topics. The people should be given a chance to voice their own petitions. Pastoral Greeting. A time of informal welcome to all, especially newcomers. Congregational Witness. Shared praises, admonitions, and words of edification and encouragement by members of the assembly give a sense of family community. General ground rules should apply: brevity (two minutes), emphasis on the positive, the focal point of each witness to bring glory to God. Persons may be asked in advance or invited to share extemporaneously. Giving of Tithes and Offerings. The manner of collection and its accompanying activity may be varied: "¢ The congregation may process to the altar and place their tithes in the offering plate on the Table. This symbolism of placing the work of one's hands on the altar for God is very powerful. "¢ Ushers may take the offering. It is best to accompany the taking of the offering with some important activity so that its meaning be heightened. To think of this as dead time and to treat it accordingly with background music is to strip the act of its symbolism. "¢ A choir anthem may be sung. "¢ Well-prepared vocal or instrumental music may be sung or played. "¢ Congregational singing of an appropriate song is possible. Choir Anthem. If the choir has not sung an anthem at the offertory, it may do so at this point. The Reading of Scripture. The public reading of Scripture harks back to the practice of the synagogue and the New testament church. It is good if the sermon is based on the readings, but if that is not always possible, the value of reading Scripture in worship is not diminished. God's Word, read under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, stands on its own merit. Having a common link or theme between passages from the Old Testament, Psalms, and New Testament is highly recommended. There are numerous lectionaries from which common readings may be drawn. The Old Testament passage is read by a lay member of the assembly. The psalm should be sung (it was written to be sung and was always done that way in Old and New Testament times—see Discipling Music Ministry: Twenty-first Century Directions, 119–23, for further explanation and instruction). The congregation may remain seated. The New Testament text is read by another member of the laity. It is suggested that reading may be assigned well in advance for the sake of practice. At this point a short chorus with words on an alleluia theme, or on the theme of the importance of God's Word may be sung. The pastor may move to the pulpit and the people may stand as a sign of respect for the words of Jesus about to be read. The Gospel reading is done by the pastor. If three readings and a psalm are not feasible, at minimum something from the Old Testament and New Testament should be read. The importance of publicly reading God's Holy Word cannot be overestimated. Sermon. The sermon may or may not be taken from the previous Scripture readings. Congregational Song. This hymn or series of choruses may be linked to the sermon, invitation, or the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Commmunion: Pastoral Instruction and Admonition. The service of the Lord's Table is so filled with significance that the congregation would profit from a short, succint reminder about the nature and meaning of Communion. Blessing over the Bread and Cup. The blessing may be done by the pastor or one of the elders. Distribution and Partaking of the Bread and Cup. The people may come to the altar to receive the bread and cup, or the ushers may distribute them at the appropriate time. Silence is best during the distribution and partaking of the Lord's Supper. However, if the time is lengthy, music based on the themes of Christ's death and resurrection may be played or sung. (Refrain from always using sad and doleful music). Song(s) of Thanksgiving. It would be fitting to sing a cappella one or more meditative songs or choruses of thanksgiving for the gift of God's Son. Invitation/Altar Service. A general invitation or a more specific one—for salvation, anointing with oil, or recommitment—may be given. Closing Song. The subject matter of this song will depend on circumstances. It might be one of invitation, praise, or benediction. Benediction. These words of closure may be given from the rear of the church so that the pastor will be in position to greet the people. Body Ministry and Acoustics The Pentecostal tradition encourages body ministry—individuals in the congregation ministering to one another. This often takes the form of a member of the congregation addressing the entire assembly with a tongue, interpretation, prophecy, word of knowledge, admonition, scriptural quotation, or word of edification quite extemporaneously from one's location in the pews. It is not practical to have microphones readily available to everyone. Yet unless everyone can hear, the ministering word is of little use. The answer to the widespread problem of being unable to hear well is a worship space which is acoustically "live." (A lengthy reverberation time with a proper decay curve will enhance the spoken word so that it may be understood at any point in the room without electric amplification.) Body ministry is maximized when such conditions exist. The fine acoustics necessary for this particular Pentecostal emphasis is the result of architectural foresight and planning, especially when the building seats over two hundred people.