“I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about you; it’s all about you, Jesus.”

Matt Redman, from his song, “Heart of Worship”

Worship that is Christ-Centered and God Honoring

"Worship" comes from the concept of "worthy ship" – actions which show someone or something is "worth it" - worth the drive to the concert, the cost of the autographed ball, the sacrifice of time for the seminar, the price of the engagement ring.

We want our worship to show that God is the focus of our gathering. At a birthday party everything we do, give, sing and eat is centered on the person with the birthday. In worship everything we do, give, sing and eat should be centered on God. If the focus is people, then we say things like "the songs didn’t appeal to me" or "the sermon didn't relate to me." If the focus is God, we should read and hear talks, sing songs, and eat a meal focusing on God's awesomeness in power, the goodness of His person, the richness of His mercy.

A too common MIS-understanding of liturgy is "ceremony." The word for ceremonial worship is..."ceremonial." Liturgy means "work of the people." So liturgical worship is 'participation worship.' When church events become a performance or entertainment, the leaders on stage "service" the crowd/congregation, whose role is to consume: the music, the message, the 'package.' Liturgy helps prevent an audience mentality; it encourages participation. The people come to “serve-ice” God: they seek forgiveness, read scriptures aloud, lead and join in the prayers, come forward at the invitation to the Lord's Supper.

One of the best attempts at Christ-focused worship was the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. To Americans, whose Prayer Books and liturgies have strayed farther and farther from the Gospel-centered order of 1662 used by so many Anglican Christians worldwide, Grace’s worship may seem "new." In fact, it is much older than even the American 1928 Prayer Book (which moved backwards from the improvements made by the architect of English worship: Thomas Cranmer). Thus our worship is based on a liturgy that is anchored in the Reformation's insights and that has stood the test of time.

Our favorite compliment we get is "What a God-centered worship service that was," because it truly is all about Him.

Come worship with us, and help us to focus on Christ.

Welcome	We introduce the theme for worship and any changes we may need to know in order to provide God with a time that pleases Him
Opening Hymn	We sing God’s Praises – songs of thanks and praise for who God is
Prayer of Preparation	We ask for God’s Holy Spirit to direct and motivate our worship
Summary of Law or the 10 Commandments	We hear God’s Law or Jesus’ Summary of the Law: this sets the standard for real living and reminds us of our need for Perfect Savior (in Advent and Lent we hear the 10 Commandments)
Prayer for Mercy	Confessing we cannot keep God's Law in letter or in spirit, we ask for God to apply the New Covenant (Jer. 31), and insert His ways into our hearts
Prayer of the Day	We pray asking God to give what we need, based on the theme for the time of year or worship service theme
Bible Readings	We hear God’s Word –  2 to 3 Readings from Scripture, including the Gospel
Apostle’s or Nicene Creed	We affirm our faith – standing, we together pledge our faith in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Sermon	We hear God’s word explained – we listen to a children’s moment, and a sermon which opens up the Bible for us to apply to our lives
Offering	We give presents to God – all things come from Him, and we offer gifts with a thanks for all He has given us
Prayer of the Church	We pray for ourselves and others – We ask God to help us, our leaders, His church, the sick and suffering, and those who do not know Him as Lord
Preparation for the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion	We prepare to come to the Lord’s Table: we must be sincerely repenting of sin, truly reconciled with others, and intending to live a new life, following God and His ways
General Confession	We confess our sins – Responding to 1 John 1:9, we ask God’s forgiveness, silently and then together
Assurance / Comforting Words	We receive assurance of God’s mercy – a minister speaks ‘Comforting Words’ from God’s Word and declares God’s forgiveness
“Lift up your hearts...”	We gather to celebrate Holy Communion
Sanctus (Latin for 'Holy')	We glorify God – as in Isaiah 6, we sing ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’
Prayer of Consecration (To Set Apart for Special Usage)	We remember Christ’s sacrifice – “we proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns” (1 Cor 11:26)
Receiving Communion	We receive God’s gifts – paid for by the Lord’s death, we come forward to share in the Lord’s Supper
Songs	We sing songs of thanks, of confession, proclaiming who God is
Post Communion Prayer	We give thanks – With thankful hearts, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God’s service
Blessing	We receive God’s blessing – per a Kenyan blessing, we send all our problems to Christ’s cross, and receive His grace
Dismissal	Dismissal - We depart for service! Go and serve Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit!