​WORSHIP AT THE MISSION

 

Music

Since the Lord’s earliest dealings with Israel, music has played a crucial part in the worship of the people of God. When the Lord’s people praise him in song, the Lord inhabits that praise, and delivers his people. Our worship is a time of self-offering to God and welcome of the Holy Spirit to move freely in our midst to do in us what only he can do—to heal, save, and deliver His people and make us more like Jesus.

 

Prayer

We participate in a rich form of call-and-response prayer. This approach to prayer finds its origins in the worship of the ancient Hebrews (Ps. 136) and was used by ancient Christians to dramatize the dialogue between God the Father and His Son, and between the Son and His Church. By this and other spiritual practices, we believe we are formed as disciples and followers of Jesus as we seek to hear God’s voice and respond.

 

Preaching

We believe that in preaching, the Word that the Living God has spoken to the world speaks to us afresh. Since the first century, “the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets” have been expounded during Christian worship because we believe that the grace of the Lord is present to enable us to do the will of the Lord as we seek to be the hands and feet of Christ in our city and beyond.

 

Confession

In a letter to Jewish Christians written shortly after Jesus died, his own brother writes, “confess your sins to one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). During our weekly worship services, we practice confession to give public voice not only to our own sins but also to our shortcomings as a community. Through this collective rhythm of humility, acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and turning back toward God, we seek the grace and intimacy with God that is our source of life.

 

Communion

The highlight of our worship is the gathering around the Lord’s table, where we follow the Lord’s command to remember him. The Christian practice and sacrament of communion finds its roots in the ancient Jewish Passover Seder. In communion, we remember the mighty act by which God has redeemed the world in Christ. In receiving the bread and wine, we believe that we are nourished and fed spiritually by this remembrance.  Having been gathered around the table of Jesus Christ and nourished there by Christ himself, we then are equipped to head out into the world on mission as his hands and feet.

 

 

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