05-Materials Worship Lessons, Announcements
CHAPTER V MATERIALS OF WORSHIP LESSONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, OFFERING i. READING the Law, and later the Prophets as commentaries upon the Law, was an important part of public worship among the Jews from the time of Moses and Joshua (Judges 8:34; Deut. 29). This custom was adopted by the early Christian Church, which soon added the Gospels and Letters to the Hebrew Scriptures. It has been approved by all important branches of the modern church, except the -early Puritans of New England, who countenanced no liturgical use of the Scriptures down to a comparatively late period. Gladden quotes from the diary of the Rev. Stephen Williams, a Congregational minister of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, under date of March 30, 1:75S: “This day I began to read the Scriptures publicly in the congregation.” His biographer notes that this was a bold innovation which was sustained in that parish with great difficulty. 1 The approved method of using the Scriptures publicly was to read a portion, expounding it section by section, leaving nothing to private interpretation. Increase Mather declared: “It cannot be proved that Dumb Reading, or Public Reading of the Scriptures without any explication or exhortation is part of the Pastoral Office.” This smacked too much of the popishness from which New England Puritans had fled. 2 At the present time Scripture reading occupies a prominent place in the worship of all Protestant bodies. The Methodist order provides for two lessons one from the Washington Gladden, The Christian Pastor, p. 150. Used by permission of Charles Scribner’s Sons. a T. Harwood Pattison, Public Worship, p. 147.
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Old Testament, generally from the Psalms, read responsively, and the other from the New Testament, read by the leader to the congregation. The first lesson affords an opportunity for the congregation to express its collective praise directly. Only the poetical parts of the Scriptures are adapted to this manner of reading the portions in which thought answers to thought and the words are arranged in balanced phrases. The congregation is limited practically to the Psalms, parts of Job, the Prophets, and occasional lyrical passages in the New Testament for such lessons. In The Methodist Hymnal the Psalter is arranged with readings for morning and evening worship of each Sunday in the year, and also for certain special days like Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving. The imprecatory psalms have been omitted, and David speaks, for the most part, “like a Christian.” The leader is not obliged to use this Psalter. He may use any lesson from the old Testament. But the Psalter will be used regularly by the pastor who appreciates the value of democracy in public worship. Any lesson may be used on any Sunday, but to avoid the monotonous repetition of a few favorite selections and to enlarge the acquaintance of the congregation with the devotional literature of the Scriptures, the lessons should be taken in order, beginning preferably with the first Sunday of the calendar year.
If the Psalter is used regularly in only the morning services, the evening lessons may be used appropriately for morning worship on alternate years. No direction is given in the order concerning the posture of the congregation in using the Psalter, and practice varies on this point. The psychological result is better if the congregation shall stand. The signal for rising should be as inconspicuous as possible. Certainly no bald request need be made by the leader, nor awkward upward gesture with the arms. It may be generally understood that the rising of the choir is the sign for the congregation to stand. Or, having allowed sufficient time for each person to find the selection after the announcement has been made, let the MATERIALS OF WORSHIP 71 announcement be repeated, at which time the congregation will stand. For example, “The lesson in the Psalter for the morning of the twelfth Sunday/’ Time. “The lesson for the twelfth Sunday.” Congregation stands. Or, after announcing the selection, let the minister be seated. When sufficient time has elapsed for all to find the proper page, let him stand to read, and his rising will be the signal for the congregation to rise. An organ interlude might serve the same purpose. The manner in which the Psalter is used varies greatly.
Some communions favor chanting by the congregation in unison, or by the congregation or the choir and the minister antiphonally. Generally, however, the reading is responsive the leader reciting the verses with odd numbers and the congregation those with even numbers. The reading on the part of the congregation should be characterized by unity and strength of volume, in which, nevertheless, the spirit of thoughtfulness and devotion appears. On the part of the minister there should be intelligent expression no intoning or mechanical chanting of the words which will call forth a proper response from the congregation, but nothing in voice or manner that will attract especial attention to himself. He is acting as a part of the congregation in this exercise and should perform his duty in the light of that fact. The second lesson is read aloud by the leader alone. The aim is didactic to impress some truth or duty upon the congregation rather than to express worshipful feelings, though, of course, both these ends may be served. It is the custom of many pastors to select a lesson connected with the text of the sermon. This is done when the sermon is regarded as the primary event in the service, to which everything else is subordinate. But we have seen that the controlling ideal should be worship, not preaching, and under this ideal the lesson is coordinate with the sermon and may be independent of it. It need not teach the same truth expressed in the sermon. Indeed, in the interest of variety 72 THE PASTORAL OFFICE it is better if it shall express some other truth. And in the course of a year’s ministry all the important Christian truths should be presented through this medium. The Anglican and Episcopalian communions accomplish a comprehensive presentation of biblical teaching by arranging the lessons in such a way that the Old Testament may be read through once and the New Testament twice each year in public worship, provided worship is conducted daily. John Wesley provided for the same complete instruction in the “Sunday Service” which he arranged for American Methodists. This service has never been popular, however, and each pastor selects his own lessons. As a result there is no such symmetrical teaching of biblical doctrine through the reading of the Bible as is true of those churches which use a liturgy. ’ To accomplish this without a liturgy the minister must give much more careful attention to the selection of his lessons than many do. To guard against a narrow range of choice, let a record be kept of all the lessons used during the year, and plan deliberately to read from the less familiar portions of the Bible as well as from the Psalms and the New Testament. Many in the congregation hear little, if any, Scripture outside the church service.
How shall the lesson be read? Certainly not in the mechanical fashion that too frequently mars Protestant worship, whether liturgical or nonliturgical, nor dramatically after the manner of elocutionists. It is obvious that the reading should interest and instruct the congregation.
Yet how rarely does it compel the attention of the worshipers! It is essential, first of all, that the reader should re-create for himself in imagination the very thoughts and feelings which the author tried to express. This cannot be done except by much study of the lesson beforehand, study that will familiarize one with the circumstances under which the selection was written and reveal the purpose of the writer, awakening one’s sympathetic interest in that purpose.
Suppose, for example, the minister should brood over Paul’s MATERIALS OF WORSHIP 73 defense before Agrippa until he sees before him the prisoner in chains, pleading in dignified and earnest fashion more for his cause than for himself, choosing carefully each word and arranging his argument with a view of making the best impression upon his judge, could he then recite that address in the lifeless or careless manner characteristic of many who read the Scriptures in public? When the reader enters sympathetically into the thought and feeling of the writer, that fact will show itself in the inflections and modulations of the voice. The preacher who uses his imagination thus will unconsciously make the reading of the second lesson an event in every service, for he will interpret the Scripture in a way to be remembered, and that without interrupting the reading by comments of his own, “as the manner of some is.” At the beginning of the lesson, let the leader announce where it may be found. At the conclusion, let him announce simply, “Here ends the reading of the lesson.” To exclaim, as some do, “May God add his blessing to the reading of his word,” is a pious affectation that grates upon the sensibilities of those who would avoid the appearance of unreality in worship. If the lesson shall have been read properly, be sure God will have already blessed it. If not, the reader has made it impossible for his prayer to be answered. On entering the pulpit, the “pulpit Bible” should be opened, even though one intends to read from his own personal copy. This is the most important part of the furnishings of the church. It contains the truth which is to be read and interpreted by the minister. From it radiates the light which is to illuminate the minds and warm the hearts of all who worship. In recognition of that fact, let it be opened at least symbolically, and remain open until the conclusion of the service, 2. ANNOUNCEMENTS. Nothing more seriously deflects the movement of thought and feeling in worship than a large number of announcements, especially if they are con 74 THE PASTORAL OFFICE cerned mainly with the social affairs of the church. An ideal time to make them would be before the opening hymn. The late arrival of many who should hear them, however, makes it necessary to give them at a later time. The next best place is just before the offering. When it can be afforded, the church should publish all announcements in a weekly bulletin. This bulletin should never contain business advertisements. When they are thus printed, there is no need of doing more than to call the attention of the congregation to them in the briefest manner. Where a bulletin is not used, the leader should have the announcements sufficiently well in hand that he can state the essential facts about each one in the fewest possible sentences. It is always his privilege to edit notices in the interest of economy of time and the best good of the service. Circumstances should be very extraordinary to warrant taking more than four or five minutes for this part of the service. It is better to use only two or three.
3. OFFERING. The offering need not retard the service, though some hypersensitive persons complain of it and seek a device which will do away with the necessity of mentioning money in public worship. On the contrary, if it be truly an act of worship, performed in a religious atmosphere as an expression of genuine devotion to God and his church, it may enrich the service. Giving is the very essence of all worship, and as long as it shall be necessary to maintain Christian institutions, it will be a part of true worship to offer material as well as spiritual gifts in the place of prayer.
It is customary for the leader to make the offering the concluding announcement. If it is to be devoted to some special cause, that fact may be stated briefly. Then let the collectors come in a quiet and orderly manner to the communion rail to receive the plates either from the leader or some one of their own number. The minister may recite one or two appropriate verses of Scripture on delivering the plates to the collectors. On their return, let the leader make a brief prayer of thanksgiving and consecration, plac MATERIALS OF WORSHIP 75 ing the offering in some inconspicuous place within the chancel. If the plates are not to be returned, then the prayer should be made as they are distributed, the ushers waiting reverently until it is finished. The spirit of worship will be greatly stabilized if the organist shall play softly or a good soloist shall sing during this part of the service.
Conducted in some such reverent manner, the offering can be made a genuine “means of grace.” The following are excellent models for the offertory prayer: 3
ACCEPT these our offerings, God, we beseech Thee, which now we seek to dedicate to the service of Thy Holy Church, and grant us ever to have grateful hearts, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
HEAVENLY FATHER, Who hast given us all things richly to enjoy, graciously deign to receive -these our gifts which now we lay upon Thine altar, and bless us both in the use and the giving of Thy mercies, for Jesus’ sake, GOD, who dost teach us by this act of worship /that it is more blessed to give than to receive, graciously accept these our offerings and give us the right spirit both in giving and receiving, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. In many churches the congregation consecrates the offering by rising and chanting Number 740, The Methodist Hymnal, “All things come of thee, Lord, And of thine own have we given thee.”
BOOKS RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER STUDY Arthur S. Hoyt, Public Worship in Non-Liturgical Churches.
R H. J. Newton, The Conduct of Public Worship, Chapters I-V.
S. S. Curry, Vocal and Literary Interpretation of the Bible.
R. W. Rogers, Book of Old Testament Lessons for Public Reading in Churches.
“From A Pulpit Manual, by James Burns. Used by permission of The Pilgrim Press.