A Sunday Designed for Spiritual Formation (Part 2)
In my previous post, I made the case that every church is liturgical, whether they know it or not. We’re all being spiritually formed by our habits and practices, for better or for worse. As church leaders, our goal is to be intentional about the practices that make up our meetings and the ways we hope people will be shaped by them.
In this post, I’m sharing some of the liturgical elements that are part of our meetings at New Community Church (Tacoma, WA). Here’s what we’re doing on a regular basis:
Welcome
As people arrive, they’re warmly welcomed by a team of greeters. Our worship leaders also greet people and make a special effort to welcome anyone who is new. This is a statement that all are welcome to come and experience the risen Savior. More important than the fact that a greeter or the worship leader is welcoming them, Jesus is welcoming them. No matter what they’ve done, thought, or said, they are welcomed by Jesus into the presence of the Father through his perfect sacrifice.
Worship
This is the essence of Christian life. We are worshipers. We are those who come to declare with great joy all that Jesus has done for us. We sing truth, engaging our hearts, minds, and bodies.
Physical expression during worship is key to spiritual formation, because we have given our whole lives and whole selves to Jesus. Research has also shown that physical movement helps people learn and retain knowledge. This is why liturgical churches invite people to kneel, stand, and motion with their hands. Our bodies are in agreement with our minds and souls. Not to mention, the Bible is full of instructions for us to come and dance, bow, kneel, lift our hands, lift our eyes, etc.
Contributions
When we come together, we expect God to speak to and through more than one person. We make room during our worship time for people to bring words, pictures, encouragements, songs, and even tongues and interpretations. Again, this is not just for the sake of spontaneity; it is for spiritual formation. We are all capable of hearing from the Holy Spirit, operating in his gifts, and contributing to the building up of the church. Since we are all called to imitate Jesus in his love for the church, we should all be looking for ways to build it up!
Sending Out the Kids/Greeting Someone Nearby
Kids participate in the first part of our meetings, and then we send them to their own classes. During this time, we also invite adults to greet someone nearby. This is a key component of our meetings and an important statement we make as a church. I may not know the person next to me very well, but I know that in Christ, any dividing wall of hostility that may exist between us has been torn down. We are united by his work and our job is to “keep the unity” (Ephesians 4:3).
Every week, this part of our meeting makes a statement about reconciliation. And it would be good for us to occasionally mention that we have something bigger in mind than the one-minute meet and greet. I mean, where else does anything like this happen in our culture today? Different races, different socio-economic groups, people who speak different languages, all declaring this wonderful truth: we are one in Christ!
Announcements
When we make verbal announcements in our meetings, we view it as a time of invitation. It’s a time to invite people not merely to events but to apprenticeship to Jesus. Everything we do as a church is aimed at this goal. So, we invite people to come and be a part. Again, this is yet another call to be intentional with your Sunday morning and your life.
Teaching the Word
We honor the Word of God as the primary authority in our lives. The reading of the Word, submission to the Word, and the humble teaching of the Word are key to spiritual formation. When we ask people to say out loud, “This is the Word of the Lord,” after the day’s text has been read, it serves as a reminder that we are not just hanging our philosophy on some ancient writings. The church is to be shaped by the Word, not the other way around.
Silence and Reflection
We slow down for one minute to process what we’ve just heard and to hear from the Holy Spirit. This, again, shows reverence for the Word of God as we don’t just rush on to the next thing. It also gives people the chance to invite the voice of the Holy Spirit into their lives and to ask him how they should apply what they’ve just heard.
Communion
Next, we ask people to get up from their seats and physically come to Jesus by taking communion. It may not be possible for all churches to do this, and it’s not possible for all individuals, either. If someone in our meetings is unable to physically move to the communion tables, we bring the sacraments to them. In most cases, though, we love the physical response of getting up and coming to the table. It’s a response the church has made for centuries. We remember with a physical response, the sacrifice that is sufficient for us, yesterday, today, and forever. We join with all of Heaven in celebrating the Lamb who was slain.
Prayer
We invite people to receive prayer for anything going on in their lives. This is a statement that we believe God can “do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). Again, through this action, we are pointing people to Jesus. We contend for power encounters. We desire breakthrough in those very moments. We stand and pray with those who are learning to be with Jesus through suffering and hardship.
Sending
“This is not an ending point; this is a sending point.” This is my abridged version of the benediction I used to recite in my younger years. The church must be taught that Sunday is a celebration and training time, but we are just as much the church on Monday as we are on Sunday. We want to send them out in the power of the Holy Spirit and in community. They are not alone; they have the Spirit and they have their church family.
Conclusion
This list doesn’t take into account special events like baby dedications, baptisms, and welcoming new members to the church. All of those celebrations are a part of intentional spiritual formation, too. Again, I am not suggesting that your church become a “high church.” I am suggesting that we use every element of our meetings to shape people and call them to apprenticeship to Jesus. Whether or not you incorporate these ideas into your meetings, I hope they’ll help you think about the things you’re currently doing and how they might contribute to the spiritual formation of your church.
