Reformed Liturgy
God’s Call, Our Worship 

Patuloy sa ating pag-aaral ng Reformed Liturgy. Ito ay isang bagong series na ating sinimulan last week. Itong ngang liturgy ay tumutukoy doon sa order of worship, or kung i-search n’yo sa Google kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng liturgy. It is the customary way that a religious group orders their worship. Iyon yung kanilang kinagawian.

So sa ating pag-aaral ng Reformed Liturgy, titingnan natin kung paano ang mga tradisyon ng pagsasaayos ng pagsamba in the Reformed Churches, kung saan tayo ay tumatayo at kinikilala ang ating sarili na ito ay ating sinusundang tradisyon. Ito nga ay sa ating pagnanais na pagbutihin sa kahit anumang paraan ang ating sariling pagsamba na ginagawa. Hindi necessarily na ating babaguhin yung ating liturgy, though pwede rin na ating itong pagdesisyonan na gawin. Pero kung sa ating pag-aaral nito ay makita lamang natin kung paano natin mapaigi, mapabuti yung mga ginagawa natin, at mabigyan lang natin ng lalim yung nagagawa natin, maganda na itong naidulot natin. Nakapulot na tayo ng mga aral mula dito sa mga Reformed at napainit natin ang ating pagsamba.

So last week, tiningnan nga natin bilang isang introduction kung ano ang ginagawa ng Reformed Churches generally sa pagsamba. At ito ay natutunan na nga natin sa Regulative Principle of Worship. Ayon sa Regulative Principle, ang dapat ginagawa lamang sa pagsamba ay kung ano ang mga iniutos ng Diyos, hindi yung mga sarili nating pasya na iniisip natin na baka makalugod sa Diyos o matuwa ang Diyos kung ito ay i-alay natin sa Kanya, kundi kung ano ang Kanyang hiniling, yun lamang ang ating gagawin.

At sa pagsusuri ng Biblia, ng Reformed Tradition, ay ito ang kanilang nakita na mga ginagawa nga sa pagsamba sa Diyos. Ang nakalista sa 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 22 — actually yung prayer ay nakalista before that — pero sa Chapter 22, Paragraph 5, ay ito ang makikitang laman, mga dapat gawin at hinihingi ng Diyos na paraan ng pagsamba sa Kanya: prayer, Scripture reading, preaching, singing, and baptism and the Lord’s Supper. So nakita na ito yung mga laman ng isang worship.

Ngayon, sabi si John Calvin ay maaari mo actually itong ma-consider na tatlo lamang: “There are briefly three things which our Lord commanded us to observe in our spiritual assemblies, namely the preaching of His Word, prayers, public and solemn, and the administration of the sacraments” — yung tinutukoy na baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Sa pagpapaliwanag ni John Calvin, ito yung preface to the Geneva Psalter. Sa Geneva nag-ministeryo si John Calvin, at nung gumawa siya ng naging hymn book nila, mainly composed of Psalms, ay pinapaliwanag niya na ito yung mga hinihingi sa atin.

At makikita natin na itong limang inilista sa Westminster Baptist Confession of Faith ay maaaring mapasailalim dito sa tatlo na Word, Prayer, and Sacraments. Yung Scripture reading at preaching ay pareho ring ministering the Word. At yung prayer and singing ay parehong pananalangin. At yung sacraments, yun yung tinutukoy na baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Tingnan ninyo sa Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 88. Tinanong: “What are the ordinary means by which God blesses us?” — kung ano yung pamamaraan ng Diyos. At ang sasabihin doon ay His ordinances: the Word, Prayer, and Sacraments. So mayroong ganung klaseng continuity ng pag-unawa kung ano ang ginagawa ng sambayanang Diyos sa pagsamba sa Kanya: Word, Prayer, and Sacraments. Kung maging mas detalyado sa listahan: prayer, Scripture reading, preaching, singing, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.

Ngayon, ang gusto nating pag-aralan ay kung ano ang ginagawa ng Reformed Churches in ordering these elements. At ito ang sinasabi sa Orthodox Presbyterian Church Directory of Public Worship. Yung Orthodox Presbyterian Church ay isa sa mga naunang Presbyterian Church sa America. Nang galing sa PCUSA, yun yung mas matanda. Pero eventually ay nagkaroon ng concerns yung mga theologians sa Princeton, mainly si John Gresham Machen. Nagkaroon siya ng concerns sa pagkakaroon ng liberalistic ideas ng mga Presbyterian ng PCUSA. Kaya sila ay gumawa ng isang bagong denomination na eventually tinawag na the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Actually, yung Orthodox Presbyterian Church ang gumawa ng tinatawag na Trinity Hymnal. At kung familiar tayo doon bilang mga Baptist, meron kasing eventually gumawa ng Baptist version noong mismong hymnal na ginawa ng Orthodox Presbyterian Church. So pinalitan lamang yung Confession of Faith na nandoon sa dating Trinity Hymnal ng Presbyterians (which is Westminster Confession). Ngayon, ang ginagamit siyempre ay yung London Baptist Confession of Faith.

Ngayon, ang mga Presbyterians ever since nung gumawa sila ng Westminster Confession of Faith, maliban sa Confession of Faith ay gumawa sila ng Book of Church Order at tinatawag na Directory of Public Worship. So nung Westminster Assembly pa lamang, yung mga Presbyterians kapag gumagawa ng Confession of Faith ay may kasama ding Directory of Public Worship. Yung Orthodox Presbyterian Church meron silang sariling version; yung Presbyterian Church in America meron din sila. Yung other Reformed denominations, yung Dutch Reformed, meron din silang equivalent, though hindi nila tinatawag na Directory of Public Worship. Yung mga Baptists ay walang ganyan dahil hindi tayo isang denomination; hindi kasing connected yung ating bawat local church katulad ng mga Presbyterians.

So sila ay may Directory of Public Worship, at ang mainly kukunin ko ay yung sa OPC dahil mas simple yung Wording. At yung sa PCA ay in general pare-pareho halos ang kanilang sinasabi, even i-trace mo up to yung sa Westminster Assembly, pero gusto kong kunin yung sa kanila.

Sabi nila dito: “The Lord Jesus Christ has not prescribed a set order for public worship. Rather, He has given His Church a large measure of liberty in this matter.” So hindi nga naman makikita talaga sa Biblia na inuutos, “Ganito kayo magsimula, ito ang isunod ninyo, ganito ang maging flow ng inyong worship service.” Wala tayong makikitang ganun. Pero ito yung dinadagdag nila sa kanilang Directory of Public Worship: “This does not mean that it is fitting to ignore proper and Scriptural patterns of worship that have been historically observed by the Church, particularly in the Reformed tradition. The order of worship should be so structured that there will be an enlightened movement on the part of the congregation from one element of the service to the next. When each act of worship is full of meaning, the order of the elements will assume a coherent, edifying form.”

So hindi dahil na sa Biblia ay wala tayong makikitang prescribed order ay kahit ano na lang ang gagawin natin. Yung dati naming joke sa dati naming iglesia, kapag sasabihin nagsasawa na sila doon sa program, ang lagi naming minumungkahi ay: “Sige, sa closing prayer tayo magsimula.” Yung ganitong klaseng pagsasaayos ng worship ay hindi na pinaghahalo-halo lang natin yung mga elemento, o gusto lang natin mairaos na daanan lahat ng mga sinabi sa ating elements na Word, Sacrament, and Prayer. Tapos basta gawin lang natin ay okay na.

Ang sinasabi nga ay meron naman tayong makikitang Scriptural patterns of worship kung paano nila ito isagawa. At meron ding Scriptural patterns of worship that have been historically observed by the Church, at tayo nga — particularly — sinusundan natin is the Reformed Tradition.

At ang kanilang layunin: the order of worship should be so structured that there will be an enlightened movement on the part of the congregation from one element of the service to the next. So yung tinutukoy dito, yung congregation dapat nakakasunod, and also that with understanding ay naiintindihan nila yung meaning ng kanilang mga ginagawa.

So ito ang gusto nating matutunan sa ating pag-aaral ng liturgy of the Reformed Tradition. At kaya sa ating lesson ngayon, ang ating titingnan ay particular kung paano nagsisimula ang traditional worship service. At ito ay tumutukoy doon sa tinatawag traditionally na the Call to Worship. Tayo nga din ay nagsisimula sa isang tinatawag na Call to Worship sa ating worship service.

So sa ating pag-aaral ngayon, gusto kong tingnan natin yung particular na pasimula, at yung mga susunod na ating pag-aaral ay yung sunod-sunod na sequence sa isang traditional worship service, upang makita natin yung meaning ng bawat ginagawa in a traditional Reformed liturgy. So ngayon, ang ating pag-aaralan ay itong tinatawag na Call to Worship.

At itong Call to Worship, sa pag-unawa in the Reformed Tradition, ay tinatawag na God’s call. At kaya nagsisimula ang Reformed Tradition in a Call to Worship dahil nga meron silang malalim na pag-unawa sa isang worship service. Kung naka-attend kayo o nanggaling kayo sa ibang evangelical groups, ay minsan ang pagsisimula ng pagsamba ay either may tumutugtog lang na banda, tapos unti-unting lalakasan, tapos biglang may lalabas sa likod at iilaw na yung spotlight, o kaya may usok, tapos maglalabas siya doon parang concert o “Handa na ba kayong lahat?”

So usually ito ay naka-pattern either sa isang concert or sa isang noontime show. Itong ganitong klaseng pattern ay isang nakita nila na gumagana sa mundo para ang mga tao ay magkaroon ng sigla—magsimula tayo sa mga mabilis at malalakas na kantahan, at sa ganung paraan mailalagay yung mga tao sa mood na gusto nilang mapunta ang mga tao.

Pero dahil nga may iba at may pag-unawa ang Reformed Tradition sa pagsamba, ay ginagawa nila ito nang may kaseryosohan, at ang nakita nilang isang magandang panimula ay ang magsimula sa tinatawag na the Call to Worship.

Sabi ni Bryan Chappell sa kanyang book na Christ-Centered Worship, “In the historical practice of Christian churches across many traditions”—so ito ay hindi lamang sa Reformed Tradition; marami actually talaga may Call to Worship, maging yung pinanggalingan kong church before na hindi at all Reformed—“a Call to Worship typically is a few lines of Scripture or a combination of Scripture texts expressed by a minister or worship leader at the beginning of a church service.” So magsisimula yung worship service traditionally, and across many traditions, sa pamamagitan ng isang panawagan sa pagsamba, at ang ginagamit dito ay salita mismo ng Diyos kung saan ang Diyos mismo ay nananawagan ng pagsamba.

Isang halimbawa sa Psalm 96 ay makikita natin yung mga salitang “Sing to the Lord,” “Ascribe to the Lord glory,” “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” Kung tingnan natin ito ay talagang ipinag-uutos verbatim, in imperative form—iniutos na sumamba kayo sa Diyos. So by starting a worship service with those Words from God, ay para bang ang Diyos mismo ang nananawagan by His own Word; dahil naniniwala tayo ito ay salita ng Diyos, by His own Word Siya ay nag-uutos na sumamba.

At sabi sa, kadalasan, pagkatapos ng ganitong Scripture reading from a psalm usually, ay sabi ng Directory of Public Worship, “It is fitting that the congregation respond to the Call to Worship in Words of Scripture, or with singing, or with prayer, or with all of these.”

So kadalasan ganun ang ginagawa: merong tatawag ang Diyos ng pagsamba—yun yung Call to Worship—at tayo ngayon ay tumutugon. Yun yung ating isasagawang pagsamba: tayo ay tutugon. At usually, ang immediate response to the Call to Worship ay either with singing, with prayer, or with all of these.

Halimbawa, maaari tayong sumagot in Words of Scripture. Halimbawa, narinig natin yung panawagan ng Diyos at sinabing “Sing to the Lord,” “Ascribe to the Lord glory,” maaari tayong sumagot in the Words of Isaiah 25:1: “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.” So maaaring sabay-sabay bibigkasin yan ng mga tao bilang tugon doon sa panawagan ng Diyos. Ang mga tao naman ay sasabihin, “Oo nga, we will worship now, dahil tumawag ang Diyos sa atin.” So that’s how we may respond to the Call to Worship in Words of Scripture.

Maaari din naman na pagkatapos ng panawagan ay we respond in singing. Halimbawa: “All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, alleluia, alleluia.” So yung awit na iyon ay a fitting response to a Call to Worship—na tinawagan tayo na sumamba, at ngayon tayo naman ay may ganun ding panawagan sa ating puso, “Lahat nga, sumamba,” at inaawit natin ito. So maaaring ang tugon doon sa Call to Worship ay with singing.

Or with prayer. At sa ibang mga denominations, even in Reformed churches, meron silang written prayers na nakasulat sa kanilang bulletin o naka-flash sa harap o memorized na ng mga tao, at ito’y lahat sinasabay-sabay nilang prayer. Halimbawa, ang Prayer of Invocation ng URCNA, yung United Reformed Churches of North America—sa kanila ay ganito ang form: “Almighty God, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the gracious power of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.” Lahat sila ay sabay-sabay nananalangin ng ganitong klaseng prayer bilang tugon doon sa panawagan na sila ay sumamba.

So bakit ganito ang ginagawa in worship? Bakit may Call to Worship at bakit may tugon? At kung sa iba o marami ay naging kagawian lamang ito, kung titingnan natin sa Reformed Tradition, meron silang malalim na pagninilay-nilay tungkol sa gawain na ito at merong dahilan kung bakit ganito ang kanilang naging tradisyon.

At ito ang gusto kong maging pagtuunan natin ng pansin sa pag-aaral nito—ito ang ilang prinsipyo kung bakit nagkaroon ng ganitong kagawian in the Reformed Churches.

Una, sa pananaw ng Reformed Churches: worship is a meeting with God. Ito ay sa pag-unawa ng Reformed Churches: worship is a meeting with God. Ito ang sinasabi muli sa Directory of Public Worship: “An assembly of public worship is not merely a gathering of God’s children with each other, but is before all else a meeting of the Triune God with His covenant people.”

In the covenant, God promises His chosen ones that He will dwell among them as their God and they will be His people. So ito makikita natin sa Exodus 20.24, “In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.”

Ito yung pagkatapos ng pag-uutos ng Diyos tungkol sa anong klaseng mga altar at kung paano sila sasamba through the altars, ay ito ang Kanyang sinabi, “In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.” At maaari natin itong makonekta doon sa sinabi ni Jesus sa Matthew 18.20, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them.” So merong presensya, may blessing of God’s presence in a gathering where God has caused His name to be remembered.

Kaya dahil ganito ang pag-unawa ng Reformed Churches sa worship, ay nagkakaroon sila ng ibang pagtingin doon sa nangyayari during worship. Mayroon tayo nagkikita lang na gagawin natin for each other, ang tingin natin makabuti for ourselves, kundi merong nangyayari more than us meeting together; it is a meeting with God.

At isa pang prinsipyo na nakapailalim doon sa gawain at sa pag-a-arrange ng Reformed Churches is that God speaks to us through Scripture. Worship is a meeting with God, and God speaks to us through Scripture. Sabi nila sa Directory of Public Worship, “Because a service of public worship is in its essence a meeting,” so nakakonekta doon sa previous point, dahil nga ito ay isang meeting of the Triune God with His chosen people, “a worship service consists of two principal parts: those elements which are performed on behalf of God through a representative voice, and those elements which are performed by the congregation through their own or a representative voice.”

So, ito yung nakikita ng Reformed na nangyayari kapag merong halimbawang Call to Worship and everything that follows. Ito yung tinatawag na the Dialogical Principle of Worship. Dahil nga ito ay meeting with God, merong dialog na nangyayari. Through Scripture, God is speaking to us, and in our prayers, we respond to Him. So, yung pagbibigay ng Call to Worship na ang Diyos ang unang nagsasalita in the meeting, ang sabi ng ibang writers ay we give the first Word to God na Siya ang unang nagsasalita tumatawag sa ating pagsamba. Nagsasalita ang Diyos through Scripture at yun ang unang nangyayari.

Dahil ganito yung principal parts, ganito yung sabi ngayon nila tungkol sa Call to Worship. Sabi dun pa rin sa Directory of Public Worship, “God having summoned His people to assemble in His presence to worship Him on the Lord’s Day, there ought to be a call to the congregation, in God’s own Words, to worship Him. He who performs this element serves as God’s representative voice.” So ito yung nangyayari kapag may tatayo dito at babasahin ang salita ng Diyos, panawagan ng Diyos ng pagsamba. Binibigyan natin, or para tayong nagiging microphone ng Diyos, na ito yung Kanyang sinabi. Siya mismo ang nananawagan; makikita natin mismo sa Banal na Kasulatan na Siya ang naguutos na Siya ay sambahin, at by reading it aloud ay nahihahatid natin yung Kanyang panawagan. So, yun yung nangyayari in a worship service in the understanding of the Reformed Churches.

Sabi ni Bryan Chappell sa Kanyang book, Christ-Centered Worship, “God’s Word exhorts His people, shout for joy to the Lord, and worship the Lord with gladness.” Yun yung mababasa sa Scripture. In writing these Words under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist is actually speaking for God. Dahil nga he is writing in inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as he calls the ancient people to worship. The example should remind us that a contemporary worship leader who uses the Words of Scripture to call the congregation to worship still speaks on behalf of God. Nung psalmist, by inspiration, kaya yung Kanyang panawagan is from God Himself; etong worship leader ngayon na siya ay nagbasa ng sinulat ay still an inspired Word of God. Yun ay nanggaling pa rin nga sa Espiritu ng Diyos. And in reading it aloud, it is as inspired as it was first given to the psalmist. So, ang nagbabasa nito ngayon ay siya pa rin naghahatid ng panawagan ng Diyos and he still speaks on behalf of God.

Kung ganun, na ito ang nangyayari sa isang Call to Worship, ay nagkakaroon nga ng pag-unawa tungkol sa ating pagsamba na ang Diyos ang tumatawag at yung Scripture na binabasa is not just a Word na nakalagay sa book, kundi it’s a living Word, it’s an actual call from God. Kung ganun, may masasabi ito tungkol sa worship. At sa naging pananaw nga ng Reformed Churches, dahil in the Call to Worship God Himself is calling us, ay napapaalala sa atin: worship is called by God’s initiative. Ito’y nagmumula sa ang Diyos ang nauna na siyang tumawag sa atin.

Sabi ni Bryan Chappell, “The host of the worship service is divine. We do not invite Him to be present; He invites us to come before Him. God calls us from all other preoccupations to join the people He has redeemed in recognition, praise, and service of His omnipresent glory.” Ito’y nagpapaalala ng isang katotohanan: yung pagsasagawa ng isang Call to Worship sa panimula ng ating worship service ay naghatid sa atin ng katotohanan na ang Diyos ang naunang tumawag sa atin. At ito’y totoo in many different ways. Uno sa lahat, yung pagliligtas niya sa atin na ginawa niya bago tayo magtipon dito, yung pag-iingat niya sa atin sa nakaraang linggo, and all through our lives from the time that we were born. At bago pa ang lahat, from before the foundations of the world, tayo ay Kanyang pinili. So, nauna talaga ang Diyos na siyang umibig sa atin. And especially also, He appointed the day. At kaya yung day na dumating ay isa rin mismong panawagan ng Diyos sa atin.

At again, we reiterate that by having a Call to Worship at the beginning, binibigyan natin muli ng paalala na ang Diyos ang tumawag sa atin. And it shapes our approach to God na maunawaan Siya nga ang naunang tumawag sa atin. Ito ay alinsunod sa paniniwala nga in Reformed Theology na ang tao ay malayo. There’s a tinatawag na creator-creature distinction. At dahil sa distance between the creator and the creature, ay hindi maaaring mag-angkin yung creature ng worthiness to come before God. Kita natin yan sa simula pa sa Westminster Confession, Chapter 7, Paragraph 1. May similarly Worded sa atin sa LBCF. Mayroon lang ibang Word na ginamit. Pero sa Westminster Confession, sabi, “The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part.”

So dito nga, sa pag-unawa ng Reformed Churches, doon sa distance between God and man, na ang creature is so radically different from the creator, ay ganun siya kalayo na hindi maaari na, sabi, they could never have any fruition of Him. Wala silang maaangking reward or blessing na worthy sa kahit anong magawa nila, given na napakalayo nila from God. At ang tanging paraan lang na magkaroon ng relationship to God, ang tao is that God condescends to him first. And so, medyo naisasalamin dyan, naisasalamin sa isang Call to Worship ang katotohanan na ganito nga kalayo ang tao sa kanyang Manlilikha, at sa pamagitan lamang ng Kanyang paglapit sa atin, tayo makalalapit sa Kanya.

At so, kung ganun na ganun kalayo ang tao sa kanyang Manlilikha, at Siya ang naunang tumawag sa atin, ang isa pang magiging implikasyon nito sa ating pagsamba ay na dapat tayong sumamba ng may pagpapakumbaba. We worship in humble obedience. Sabi ni Bryan Chappell, “Because the Call to Worship is from God, we are reminded that He always initiates and we respond.” At mapapaalala sa atin na yung pagsamba na ating ginagawa ay hindi natin kusang loob na sarili natin tayo lang, na mayroon tayong naisip na mabuti tayo, “Tara, gawin natin ito para sa Diyos, mukhang nakalimutan tayo ng Diyos nitong nakaraang linggo, kaya tayo ngayon ay tawagin natin Siya para bumalik naman Siyang pagpalain ulit,” o parang “Gisingin natin, baka tinulugan tayo ng nakaraang linggo.” Hindi ganun ang ginagawa kapag tayo ay nagtitipon, kundi na tayo ay tumutugon sa naunang panawagan ng Diyos sa atin. So Siya ang naunang tumawag at tayo ngayon ay tumutugon lamang.

So ito ang sinasabi sa Belgic Confession, Article 24. Ito ay patungkol sa paggawa ng good works in general, pero kung i-apply natin ito sa worship, ay makita natin na nagtuturo ito na sa ating pagsamba dapat tayo ay may pagpapakumbaba, given that it is simply our obedience to a call from God. Sabi, “We do good works but not for merit. For what could we merit? We are indebted to God rather than He to us for the good works we do, since it is He who is at work in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Let us keep in mind what is written, ‘So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” Ito yung nabanggit ko kaninang talata sa aking pangaral, at ito nga ay in the Reformed Confessions na dapat ganito ang ating ugali sa pagsunod sa kautusan ng Diyos, na ginagampanan lamang-lamang natin ang pinag-uutos sa atin, kaya’t hindi tayo dapat nagmamalaki. Hindi “Okay, present ako, okay ako’y gumising ng maaga,” hindi anything worthiness in us ang ihaharap natin sa Diyos, kundi nandito lamang tayo tumutugon sa Kanyang panawagan.

Actually, itong lenggwahe na ito about being unworthy servants sa pagsunod ng Diyos, mayroon din ganyang similar statement in the Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 16 of Good Works, Paragraph 5. Anyway, ito ay isa sa lahat ng Reformed Confessions. Ito ang tinuturong maging ugali natin tungkol sa pagsunod: tayo ay magpakababa dahil iniuutos lang ito sa atin ng Diyos at ginagawa lamang-lamang natin ang iniuutos Niya. So, dahil ang Diyos ang siyang naunang tumatawag at yun ay dramatized for us through the Call to Worship, we worship in humble obedience.

And besides doon, dahil nga napapaalala sa atin through a Call to Worship na ang Diyos ang tumatawag sa atin at Siya mismo ang naunang lumapit sa atin, we worship in assured faith.

Sabi sa Baptist Confession, Chapter 6, that is of the Fall of Man, Paragraph 3, “Adam,” or ang Word na ginamit doon ay Our First Parents, pero ang tinutukoy nga ay si Adam, “Adam being the root and by God’s appointment, standing in the room instead of all mankind, the guilt of the sin was imputed and corrupted nature conveyed to all their posterity, descending from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.”

So, yung kanina sinasabi sa Chapter 7, na yung hindi pa nahuhulog si Adam, ay wala siyang pag-asa na makatanggap ng pagpapala mula sa Diyos, liba na lamang na ang Diyos ang maunang bumaba, mag-condescend sa kanya. And that was referring to Adam bago siya mahulog. Pero ngayon na tayo nga ay kasama na sa the fallen race, na nahulog na tayo, mas malayo pa tayo ngayon kaysa nung si Adam was first created. At kaya nga mas wala tayong pag-asa than Adam, na kailangang magpakababa ang Diyos na lumapit sa kanya.

At ito nga ang sinasabi, ang tanging paraan para tayo ay makalapit sa Kanya ay itong ginamit na word dito. This is unique to the Baptist Confession. Sabi sa huli, “Unless the Lord set them free.” Ang tanging paraan for the fallen man to have any hope of getting away from their corruption, makaahon mula sa kanilang pagkakalubog sa kasalanan, is that the Lord set them free.

At so, yung panawagan ng Diyos actually also contains an assurance for us na ang Diyos ang tumatawag sa atin. Hindi tayo nagpe-presume in our fallenness or sinfulness that we are worthy to come before God, kundi ang Diyos mismo ang tumawag sa atin from our fallenness. That should give us assurance that we have the right to go there; we are simply obeying the call of the God who called us.

Sabi nga ni Bryan Chappell, “By a Scriptural Call to Worship, we understand that God welcomes us to His presence and invites us to participate in His purposes. Though we are weak, He is welcoming. Though our iniquities are great, He remains inviting. The Call to Worship necessarily and simultaneously commends God’s worthiness and consoles us in our unworthiness. We can come to Him, He wants us, and He delights in our praise. All this reminds us that God has established our relationship with Him by His grace.”

So, doon sa panawagan in the Call to Worship, hindi naman doon verbally inispell out pa na makakalapit lamang kayo by grace, through Christ, through faith. Hindi naman sinasabi yun normally explicitly doon sa mga sansalimbawa. Pero the fact that God is calling us even as we are fallen sinners, tayo na mga nakakilala na sa Panginoon at sa Kanyang biyaya, na buksan na ang ating puso sa pananampalataya, yun ang pinapaalala sa atin na tinatawag tayo ngayon at tayo ngayon ay lumalapit lamang, not from our unworthiness but from the grace of God, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

So, dahil ang Diyos ang nauunang tumawag sa atin as dramatized to us through a Call to Worship, yung ating pagsamba ay ginagawa natin with assured faith, dahil tinutugunan lamang natin yung panawagan ng Diyos na tumawag sa atin.

At dahil nga ganun na meron tayong assured faith to worship God, ang ating pagsamba bilang tugon sa panawagan ng Diyos, we worship with reverent joy. Sabi muli ni Bryan Chappell, “With the Scriptural Call to Worship, God invites us by His Word to join the worship of the ages and the angels. God does not simply invite us to a party of friends, or a lecture on religion, or a concert of sacred music. He invites us into the presence of the King of the Universe, before whom all creation will bow, and for whom all heaven now sings. With the Call to Worship, God’s people are invited to participate in the wondrous praise that already and eternally enraptures the hosts of heaven. This awesome news and great privilege should be reflected with appropriate enthusiasm and joy by the worship leader in the Call to Worship.”

This awesome news and great privilege should be reflected with appropriate enthusiasm and joy by the worship leader in the Call to Worship. Such a call will typically lead directly into a corporate or choral hymn of praise as God’s people respond to the blessing of worship into which they are called.

So, dahil nga yung panawagan na nariinig natin is a Call to Worship, at hindi lamang a call, yung ginamit niyang mga examples, a call to a lecture on religion, or a call to a concert of sacred music, kundi a call to join the heavenly worship that is already happening. Yun yung nangyayari when we are worshiping. Kaya tinatawag tayo ng Diyos by His Word na lumapit sa Kanyang harapan, at yun ang ginagawa natin, nagkakaroon dapat tayo ng pag-unawa that there is something deep na nangyayari sa ating pagsamba.

Diyos ang tumatawag sa atin na mga makasalanan at hindi karapat-dapat na humarap sa Kanya, pero tinawag Niya tayo at kumilos Siya sa atin at binigyan Niya tayo ng pananampalataya at binalot sa dugo ni Hesukristo, at kaya ngayon tayo yung nakakatayo sa Kanyang harapan. At tayo ngayon sasamba with joy and thankfulness, given that that is what we are being called to do. We are called to a very glorious thing, to worship.

So, bilang conclusion tungkol sa Call to Worship, God’s call and our worship, sabi ng Orthodox Presbyterian Church sa kanilang Directory of Public Worship, “By the Spirit of the Exalted Christ, God draws near to His people and they draw near to their God. They come by grace to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, joining innumerable angels and all the people of God in joyous and reverent communion with Him. God’s people not only are to come into His presence with a deep sense of awe at the thought of His perfect holiness and their own exceeding sinfulness, but also are to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise for the great salvation that He has so graciously wrought for them through His only begotten Son and which He applies to them by His Holy Spirit. All are therefore to worship with sincere devotion, reverence, and expectation.”

Doon sa panimula ng Call to Worship, and given all the theological truths that we embrace as a Reformed Church, na doon sa Salita ng Diyos, God truly, really speaks. Kapag binasa natin, yun nga ang panawagan ng Diyos mismo ang ating narinig at yun ang nangyayari sa ating pagtitipon.

Ngayon, some of my opinions on it, just magbigay lang ako ng ilan. Hindi ibig sabihin ito na hindi magkaroon ng Call to Worship traditionally ay hindi na biblical yung worship. Pwede magsabi na baka hindi naman nga nagkaroon ng ganun klaseng panimula ang mga worship service during Jesus’ time, halimbawa. And I do think it is appropriate to even start with just prayer. Pero mahalaga na mapunta into that spirit, and I think those truths that are represented by having a Call to Worship ay magandang mapaalala sa atin na Diyos ang tumawag sa atin at tayo ay magpapakumbaba sa Kanyang harapan, and we worship Him with reverence and joy for calling us so graciously into His presence.

So, maaaring gawin yun without a Call to Worship. Dutch Reformed Churches, actually, yung mga nagsusubscribe to the Three Forms of Unity, madami sa kanila ay hindi nagsisimula with a Call to Worship sentence. They start with what they call a votum, or ngayon ang tawag na ay onze hulf, or the Dutch Word, Our Help. At sinasabi, tinatanong sila, congregation, parang ganun yung simula, “Congregation, who is your help?” “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Ganun sila magsimula. And so, may nahihahatid pa rin sa kanila, biblical truth, that they are dependent on God and they worship in humility before Him and with reverence to Him.

So, hindi naman kailangan na ganitong mechanical yung ginagawa may Call to Worship, pero isang magandang ipipicture sa atin, with the understanding of Reformed theology, na ito nga ang nangyayari when we worship. We were called by God to His presence and we respond with a joyful, reverent worship.

Q:

Sabi mo po yung Call to Worship is God’s invitation to us to participate in His purpose and He welcomes us to His presence. But God’s call, bakit kaya hindi nalang siya i-identify as God’s Call to Worship instead of Call to Worship alone?

A:

Hindi ko po alam. Parang yun lang talaga yung naging tawag traditionally, Call to Worship. Pero yun naman talaga ang pag-unawa na ang Diyos na Diyos ang tumatawag. That’s why they traditionally use a Scripture Word na mismong imperative verb or may imperative form, command na tinatawag ng Diyos mismo na Siya i-tumawag. Pero yun talaga tinawag na Call to Worship.

Q:

I was just thinking, kasi if it’s God who’s calling us for that perfect attention before the worship, parang just conditioning that it’s God who’s calling us to pay attention for the worship. So, I was just thinking if instead of Call to Worship, why not God’s Call to Worship instead? So yun lang naman po yung naisip ko. 

Yun lang talaga yung traditional na tawag. Halimbawa din yung “Preaching of the Word”; we highlight that as God speaking. Ang pangaral ng salitaan ng Diyos is really the Word of God speaking to you. So ganun din sa pagbabasa, the reading of the Word. May mga paraan to impress upon people that it is the very Word of God, that it is God Himself who is speaking to us through His Word.

Hindi naman nakadepende sa what we call it, kung Call to Worship o ano pa ba. It is in the manner, also in the teaching, in the understanding of people, na maunawaan nilang that is what’s happening when the Word of God is read among them. So may mga pamamaraan to do that.

Halimbawa, kagawian ko na sinunod ko from sa pag-aaral ko ng gawain ng Reformed Tradition, na in reading the Word, halimbawa nagbabasa ako ng Scripture sa panimula ng aking pangaral, sinasabi ko yung formula, “Hear the Word of the Lord,” o “Pakinggan ninyo ang salitaan ng Diyos.” Ito ay ginagamit na formula ng mga prophets. Kasi nila sinasabi, “Hear the Word of the Lord,” at to impress upon them that it is really the Word of God.

So may mga ganitong ways or cues to really impress upon people that what they hear is the Word of God. Pwedeng halimbawa sa Call to Worship, noong ako dati nag-lead, sinasabi ko, “Pakinggan natin ang panawagan ng Diyos sa ating pagsamba.” Sinasabi ko yun, ang Diyos ang tumatawag sa atin. O minsan sabihin mo lang, “Ang Diyos mismo ang tumatawag sa atin, pakinggan natin ang salitaan.” Madaming mga ganitong klaseng maaari nating sabihin to really impress to people that it is God speaking through His Word.

Naalala ko merong isang, I think it’s in Jeremiah pero hindi ko alam kung anong mismong verse. Pero sinabihan si Jeremiah, “Say to the people, thus says the Lord.” So, noong tinawag si Jeremiah at sinabi sa kanya na maghatid ng mensahe, ay inutusan siyang sabihin na magsimula doon, “Thus says the Lord,” kasama sa pinapasabi sa kanya. So, “Say to the people, thus says the Lord.” It’s a way to impress to people at idiin mo sa kanila, Panginoon ang nagsabi nito, hindi ako.

So ganun din sa magmiministeryo ng salitaan ng Diyos, maaari nating bigyan diin in that way, such formulas. Hindi naman magical yung mga formulas pero we communicate to people, really impress it upon them that it is the Word of God when we read to them.

Q:

Brother, yung question ko lang naman, yung inaaral natin is regarding sa Church service or worship service ng Sunday. Can we also apply din ba yung mga elements? Not all. I believe yung sacrament, di naman pwede yun sa family devotion or sa family worship. Pero can we also apply ba yung Call to Worship? Wala naman kasi akong program talaga, kapag nag-discuss ako sa family worship namin. Wala akong sinusundan. Minsan nga magpe-pray lang kami, then message, tapos prayer ulit. Minsan naman kumakanta kami. May mga hymn din. Pero minsan naiisip ko din na ganyan.

Actually, nung nag-umpisa pa lang ako, nung i-establish ko yung family worship namin, lagi akong may Call to Worship. Parang ini-invite ko nga sila. Tapos lalo nung na-build up pa nung inaaral nga namin yung dialogical nature of worship, parang nakakita ko dun na ang ganda-ganda pala talaga nung Call to Worship. Kasi si God mismo yung nag-i-invite sa atin. Parang may technicality ba doon? 

A:

Even nga yung public worship, hindi naman prescribed by God na magsimula with a Call to Worship. Meron nga din mga Reformed churches who do not start with a Call to Worship. So kung yung public worship, hindi kailangan magsimula doon. Siyempre, yung private worship also ay hindi required to start that way.

Ang mahalaga nga is to reflect on the truths communicated to us by having a Call to Worship. It is God who came to us. Yung na Siya yung tumatawag sa atin. We are sinners, hindi worthy to come before Him. But in His grace, He called us, and so we have that privilege to come to Him. So we come to Him with humility, faith, and thankfulness. Kahit magsimula ka in prayer, pwede mong macommunicate yun actually by praying or some other way or a song. So many ways to do that, pero basta makuha yung spirit of worship.

And also in private worship, masyado din tedious to go through a programmatic series. So baka mas maganda yung organic way, pray, Scripture, sing.

Q:

Brother IE, na-appreciate ko yung series ng liturgy. Ang question ko ngayon ay paano ang i-approach natin yung mga ibang groups na not following that liturgy, yung Call to Worship, which yung opposite.

A:

Of course, pag diniscuss natin sa kanila yan, offensive kasi contrast yan dun sa practice nila.

Ang question ay, papaano natin sila i-approach in a way na hindi naman offensive.

Though offensive talaga kasi talagang contra sa practice nila. Pero meron bang paraan na maikokorek sila in a way na hindi naman nakakasakit?

Paano ba yun? Paano mag-correct ng someone in a different group?

Well, usually, it's a tradition that they embrace after a long study. So may conviction talaga sila na nangyari dun. Yung pag-correct ng ganun klaseng conviction happens through a very long discussion. Mahaba and very technical.

So halimbawa, a Catholic or merong traditions of worship na kailangan mo makonvince away from. Para makonvince siya, mahabang-mahabang usapan yun.

Pero halimbawa, random evangelical na usually ang karamihan sa tradition ng isang vanilla evangelical church ay hindi pinag-isipan or hindi masyadong pinag-reflectan. So minsan, i-bring up mo lang sa kanila yun casually. “Hindi ba ang worship needs to be reverent?” Or even just that question: “Hindi ba ang service sa ating worship ay to be with reverence and awe? Paano na-reflect yun sa ganyang klaseng worship?”

Minsan also, tingin ko dapat hindi na rin tayo masyadong matakot na mag-offend, especially when it comes to worshiping God. Ang usapan dito ay na magbigay ng pagsamba sa harap ng kabanalan ng Diyos. And it's a very dangerous thing to allow them or to approve of them or to communicate to them that it's okay kung talagang very wrong yung ginagawa and offensive to the holiness of God ang kanilang ginagawa.

So to that, marapat handa tayong mag-offend there. Pero yung certain convictions, in general, to correct someone, correct with patience and teaching, yun yung payo naman sa lahat ng klase ng correction.

Q:

In the Call to Worship, you mentioned about appropriate enthusiasm. What are the biblical ways to demonstrate it? What are the biblical or the Christian ways to demonstrate it? And now, with that, should this be observable?

A:

Ayan. So yung appropriate enthusiasm, ang joy of a worship leader ay knowing the privilege na yung kanyang ginagawa towards worship, to a very glorious thing, and also with thankfulness to such a glorious grace that he has received. So yun yung, dun nung makikita yung appropriate enthusiasm: he should have joy and thankfulness for a glorious salvation, tapos yung excitement for what is going to happen, and also the weight of what he is doing, ay yung na he is speaking on behalf of God, dun sa kanyang ginagawa.

Ngayon, sabi nga ni Paul tungkol sa ganun klaseng ministry, “Who is sufficient for these things?” Pero sabi din niya sa 2 Corinthians 4, “Having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” So dahil alam natin at tinanggap natin ito from the mercy of God, ay hindi tayo manghihina dun sa ganung bigat ng tungkulin na binigay sa atin to speak on behalf of God in front of people, dahil tinanggap natin ito from His mercy. Kaya tayo may joyful, may joy in front of Him.

Siguro ang magandang description of the appropriate enthusiasm ay yung sinabi ni Jonathan Edwards sa book na Religious Affections, I think, chapter 2, section 6, about sa huli, the very last Word, sentence about the evangelical joy: “True joy attended with evangelical humility.” Yun yung sinasabi.

Sa huli, the joy of a Christian, though unspeakable and full of glory, is a humble, broken-hearted joy. So yun yung appropriate enthusiasm of a worship leader: aware of his unworthiness, and yung being thankful for the mercy of God, at given na siyang ngayon yung jar of clay containing the treasure na i-dalhin yung panawagan ng Diyos, meron siyang appropriate enthusiasm given all the realities that are happening.

Q:

Parang dalawa ang gusto kong sabihin. Yung una, totoo naman na it's God’s call to worship. But at the same time, pwede mo rin masabi na it is the presider’s call to worship.

Pag naisip ko, yung Psalm 100. Psalm 100 was written by a psalmist. That’s why he said in the first verse, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord.” So very appropriate, yung Psalm 100, as the presider’s call to worship God. So in that perspective, call to worship ng presider yun, to worship God.

Pag pangalawa, share ko lang yung ginagawa sa pinanggalingan yung church. Share niyo rin siguro sa pinanggalingan yung church. Pero sa pinanggalingan yung church, yun binabasa every time may Call to Worship, chronological: Psalm 1, hindi nga sinasabi chapter 1, Psalm 1, this Sunday. Next Sunday, alam mo, Psalm 2. Next Sunday, Psalm 3. Chronological. Except for Psalm 119, na pagkahaba-haba, dun lang nabreak yun: Psalm 1, 2, 3.

So kami na sa atin ng church, alam na namin kahit wala kaming printed form, kung anong babasahin ni presider na call to worship. And it is encouraged that the whole psalm or chapter be read. Kasi minsan ginawa namin hinate, parang hindi raw nakapture lahat kasi hinate. Sana raw binasa buo. And so yun aatein sa church, he will come there not late, kasi yun palang babasahin niya. Bago mag-start ang worship na 9 o'clock ni Mawa, he has ample time to read yun psalm na babasahin ni presider ahead.

And then after ni presider basahin niya halimbawa, Psalm 3, he will briefly expound on Psalm 3, mainly on the attributes of God. Para ma-describe who is this God whom we worship. That’s a little about effect ng attributes of God to his worship. And then he will encourage people to worship this holy God, this gracious God, et cetera, et cetera.

A:

So sa liturgy ng Reformed Churches, hindi distinguish nga yung, hindi usually gawain yung tiyatawag na lexio continua, tuloy-tuloy na per chapter. At actually merong selected psalms that are appropriate for calls to worship, at merong ibang psalms na more appropriate for other parts of the liturgy.

So halimbawa, Psalm 51, Psalm 32 would be more appropriate for a confession of sin rather than a Call to Worship para sa ganung klaseng liturgy. Meron nga din namang way to call to worship from any part of Scripture. Merong paraan na ganun.

Yung halimbawa nga is any part of Scripture that you read, you highlight from there what is the attribute of God. And seeing that our God is like this, let us worship Him in reverence and awe. So ganun din, we call to worship.

Yung sa presider and the God, actually yung sinabi ni Bryan Chappell about the psalmist writing ay speaking in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and therefore is calling people to worship on behalf of God, actually is from Psalm 100. Yun yung kanyang basis na Scripture. Tapos sabi niya, yung presider ang tumatawag pero he is writing by inspiration by the Holy Spirit and therefore his call is actually from God, yung kanyang call to worship.

So yun namang panawagan natin to worship Him. Even if it is the presider, it's actually in the contemporary practice nga, minsan the presider himself is the one who verbalizes the imperative form of the call kasi minsan nga hindi imperative yung babasayan ng Scripture. So minsan siya yung magsasabi, “Sambahin natin ang Diyos.” That is his own Word.

Pero the theological truth that we want to capture is that God is the one who initiated the going down and calling us to His presence. That also happens in many ways, not just during the call. Sinabi nga natin from before the foundations of the world, from His effectual call to the preaching of the gospel when you first heard it and His appointing a day for you to worship, it's already Him calling you here.

So siya'y tumawag sa atin and then we dramatize that in the start of our worship. It may be also the presider's call, pero nga the truth is it is God who calls us to worship. So yun, nag-overlap naman yun.

Q:

Hindi ito kasama dun sa worship service proper or sa liturgy. Pero ano kayang mga traditions ng Reformed when it comes to preparing for worship? Ginagawa ba nila yun the night before or anything since we're talking about entering God's presence?

A:

Sa Directory of Public Worship, merong instructions of how to prepare. Meron din actually sa Confession of Faith, Chapter 22. In preparing for the Sabbath day, may siya sabihing the due preparing of their hearts at yung binanggit ay the ordering their common affairs aforehand. Yun lang yung binanggit dito about preparing for the day: you order your common affairs beforehand.

Pero yung recommend naman sa Directory of Public Worship is to yung paghandaan yung psalms or hymns na kakantay at to read Scripture and to pray for the ministers who will pray or who will lead or who will preach and you pray for yourself. Mga ganun lamang na simple ways to prepare.

Pero yun yung practice or your recommended practice: preparation for the Sabbath day na siguraduhin mong wala kang business for on the Sabbath and also to pray, read the Word, maybe prepare for what is going to be preached. Minsan naman kung may gawain na tinatawag na yung ginagawa natin, lexio continua, Scripture reading, pwede pwedeng basahin ahead. Those are the usual.

Q:

Maganda rin po yung ginagawa ni Deacon Manny na sinesend niya po yung mga hymns na kakanta natin in preparation.

Pero parang for the record lang, di siguro, baka kasi yung tanong ko is nasa benediction pa. Di ba Bro, yung element natin or yung program is nagtatapos talaga doxology and then benediction. So parang lumalabas, end na nung service. Kaso lang may dalawang service kasi tayo. Pero as a whole natin tinitingnan, parang technicality lang, paano natin ine-explain na hindi talaga dalawang service yung ano natin. Parang as a whole, kumbaga Lord's Day talaga.

Parang yun lang siguro. Kasi halos same lang tayo sa ibang Reformed Church, pero yung isang Reformed Church na inaattendan ko is nage-end talaga sila ng benediction sa hapon na. Kumbaga hindi nila ine-end yung first service, tapos second service. Parang ganun lang.

A:

Actually, in Reformed practice, madami, nage-end pareho ng benediction. They also have a call to worship, a benediction in the morning, and a call to worship and a benediction in the afternoon.

Tapos maliba din noon kasi, yung iba pang practice ng iba, magkaiba yung liturgy noong morning and evening. They call this one the liturgy of the Word and the other is the liturgy of the upper room or the liturgy of the bread and wine. So, mas naka-paikot yung morning doon sa Word and yung sa afternoon is the bread and wine.

Pero eventually kasi, ganun kasi. Originally, dinesign ng Reformers na may magkaibang liturgy in the morning and the evening. Pero in practice, hindi nagawa. Halimbawa, nina Calvin, na magkaroon ng Lord's Supper every Sunday. So, anong nangyari? Liturgy of the Word, pareho. Yung gagawin, tapos every three months, kina Calvin, every three months lang magagawa ng isa pang ibang liturgy. So, eventually, ang naging kagawian ng marami ay liturgy of the Word, order. Tapos yung hapon ay kakabitan mo ng Lord's Supper. Tapos hindi na different yung practice.

So, medyo nag-evolve because of the circumstances of how that happened. Pero tingin ko naman okay lang na may some kind of benediction in the morning, also another benediction at the end.

Meron silang recommended na different kinds of call to worship. May mga morning language sa Psalms. Meron din mga evening kind of language. Yung rine-recommend nilang gamitin yun sa magkaibang call to worship. So, ganun lang, it's a way to minister to the different types of services. Flexi tayo eh.

Minsan ang Lord's Supper natin sa umaga. Minsan sa hapon, flexi tayo. Minsan Lord's Breakfast. Yung iba naman actually, may Lord's Supper pareho. May Lord's Supper pareho or may Lord's Supper yung hapon. Minsan yung umaga lang. O kung anong makita nila na mas madami umatend. Minsan kailangan din talagang maging flexible.

Anyway, pwede natin dun magpatuloy. Yung susunod nga ay about the Law and Confession of Sin.

[Closing Prayer]