Presbyterian Church In America

Discussion of worship issues within the Presbyterian Church in America centers on interpretation of the regulative principle embodied in the Westminster Confession. More than all other ministries related to worship, concern for evangelism drives worship renewal in this church.

The hallmarks of the Presbyterian Church in America are, first, Reformed orthodoxy and then second, evangelism. Not surprisingly, most discussions of worship in this Presbyterian body arise out of one or both of these contexts. The Regulative Principle of Worship Theological consideration of worship within Reformed orthodoxy focuses on the regulative principle of worship. That principle is set forth in the Westminster Confession, which forbids worship "?not prescribed in the holy Scripture?" (XXI, 1). On this principle, "?whatever Scripture does not prescribe is forbidden,?" as opposed to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican worship, which assumes that whatever Scripture does not forbid is permitted. The regulative principle, however, is subject to a qualification since the Westminster Confession indicates that some circumstances of worship and church government are to be determined by "?the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word?" (I, 6). Some in the Presbyterian Church in America would also claim that other qualifications of the regulative principle are implicit in the Confession's system of doctrine. Proponents of the regulative principle defend it by appealing to Scripture's concern for purity in worship, its disapproval of worship "?according to the imaginations of [peoples'] own hearts,?" and its condemnation of those who would add to the Word of God. All officers in the Presbyterian Church in America subscribe to the regulative principle as part of the Westminster Confession. However, there are those who minimize and those who maximize the qualifications of this principle. Those who minimize the qualifications and press its literal meaning as stated in the Confession tend toward a very plain and even austere form of worship: no choirs or soloists, no symbolic decorations (not even the cross), no lay leadership in worship, no testimonies, no altar calls, and traditional music only, with special emphasis on the Psalms. This type of worship is most easily described in negative terms, since few things are literally commanded in Scripture for Christian worship. Some in the Reformed tradition have argued that the regulative principle requires use of the Psalms exclusively for Christian hymns and forbids the use of musical instruments. Only some congregations of the Presbyterian Church in America take this extreme position, though this position is mandated in some Reformed congregations and denominations. Even in churches whose adherence to the regulative principle is relatively unqualified, it is possible to increase congregational participation through such liturgical elements as unison prayers or antiphonal responses. Some churches will use features of worship found in the original Reformed liturgies of Geneva, Strasbourg, and elsewhere. Even relatively nonliturgical churches will sometimes include the regular sequence of the service: reading of the law, prayer of confession, and assurance of pardon. Evangelism and Worship Others in the Presbyterian Church in America press the qualifications of the regulative principle and therein find more areas of freedom in worship. Most who defend such freedom argue that it should be employed in the service of evangelism; thus, the second hallmark of the Presbyterian Church in America enters our consideration. Currently, a denominational study committee is dealing with matters of worship. Significantly, however, that committee exists not by direct mandate of the General Assembly nor of a presbytery, but by the order of Mission to North America, the committee responsible for domestic church planting. Seeking to establish guidelines for church planters, the committee is asking, "?What sort of worship shall we have in the new churches??" Thus, the discussion of worship falls into the context of evangelism. As an example, there is considerable discussion in the Presbyterian Church in America about the worship practices of the nondenominational Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago. Some Presbyterian Church in America church planters have sought to emulate the worship style of the Willow Creek seekers' service by incorporating drama, contemporary music, and multimedia presentations in the Sunday service while reserving the sacraments for more traditional midweek services. Apart from questions about the view of the Sabbath underlying this approach, the main question is: "?To what extent should we use our freedom in worship to speak the unbeliever's language, to meet the unbeliever on his or her own terms??" Other Presbyterian Church in America churches view the Sunday worship not primarily as evangelism, but as a meeting of the body of Christ to worship God. These churches, nevertheless, seek to make worship intelligible to any unbelievers who may be present (1 Cor. 14:24–25) through friendliness and informality and through contemporary music and language. These churches sometimes describe themselves, in the context of the Willow Creek discussion, as "?seeker-sensitive, but not seeker driven.?" Other churches in the Presbyterian Church in America seek to evangelize by contextualization, by adapting the Presbyterian worship style to ethnic and socioeconomic groups other than the upper middle-class whites who dominate American Presbyterianism. The New City Fellowship of Chattanooga, Tennessee, has a black pastor and a white worship leader (recording artist James Ward). The church's music is influenced by many traditions, including black gospel. Many Presbyterian Church in America leaders see that church as a model of contextualization in worship.