THE SENDING FORTH

1
THE SENDING FORTH

• Dismissal
• Charge
• Benediction (versus closing prayer)
• Service continues
• Privately and
• Publicly
• Individually, not
• Corporately

2
THE CONDUCT OF WORSHIP

• Issues of Poise, Visual Impressions
• Clerical Garments vs. The Suit
• Clothing and Calling

3
PUBLIC PRAYER

• Read . . . Or Extemporaneous?
• A Problem with Both!
• Reading can be stilted, unnatural
• Extemp. can be repetitious, incomplete
• People cannot actively join Extemp.
• A Benefit to Both!
• Extemp. comes from pastors heart
• Extemp. resonates with current issues
• Read prayers are carefully crafted (you are
  talking the to King!)

4
PUBLIC PRAYER

• So, what to do?
• Recognize that both types are legitimate
• Yes, read prayers go back to synagogue!
• Consider the Lords prayer
• Get a good collection of prayers from various
  books
• Avoid ineffectual prayers
• Prepare adequately- at least an outline
• Work on Personal prayer life!
• Develop theology of prayer

5
PUBLIC PRAYER

• L.C. 185 How are we to pray? Answer We are to
  pray with an awful apprehension of the majesty of
  God, and deep sense of our own unworthiness,
  necessities, and sins with penitent, thankful,
  and enlarged hearts with understanding, faith,
  sincerity, fervency, love, and perseverance,
  waiting upon him, with humble submission to his
  will.

6
PUBLIC PRAYER

• L.C. 183 For whom shall we pray? Answer We are
  to pray for the whole church of Christ upon
  earth for magistrates, and ministers for
  ourselves, our brethren, yea, our enemies and
  for all sorts of men living, or that shall live
  hereafter but not for the dead, nor for those
  that are known to have sinned the sin unto death.

7
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• Very ancient format (at least back to 4th
  century)
• Address to God
• Ascription of divine attribute
• Single petition (related to theme of day)
• Related clause
• Trinitarian conclusion or Doxology

• Collect from Latin, collectio
• Focus is on meaning of a particular Sunday or
  feast
• Bk. of Common Prayer
• Also, Book of Common Worship

8
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• A collect may be used in unison as an opening
  prayer
• Example from Book of Common Prayer
• Address- O Lord God
• Attribute- Whose blessed Son our Saviour gave his
  body to be
  Whipped and his face to be spit upon
• One petition- Give us grace to accept joyfully
  the sufferings
  of the present time
• Related Clause- Confident of the glory that shall
  be revealed
• Doxology- Through Jesus Christ your Son our
  Lord, Who lives
  and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God
  for ever and ever. Amen

9
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• Prayer of Confession
• Should be specific
• Should be corporate, though silent prayer can be
  effective after general confession
• Calvin led this prayer from communion table (to
  show its corporate nature)

10
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• The Litany (from 4th-5th century)
• Prayer with repeated congregational response
• Lord, Hear our Prayer
• Lord have mercy
• We give you thanks, O Lord
• Bidding Prayer
• Minister mentions a concern and allows time for
  people to respond in silent prayer

11
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• The Morning Prayer
• Sometimes, the Pastoral Prayer
• Better still, Prayers of the People
• Major objections
• Not really a prayer, but a second sermon
• Not very pastoral often general, abstract
• Tries to do everything- does nothing well!
• Beware repetitious words Father, Just

12

• Just as I am!!

13
FORMS OF PUBLIC PRAYER

• Instead of the Great Long Winded Prayer
• Use a number of shorter prayers
• Concentrate on various acts of worship
• Thanksgiving
• Intercession (prayer for world at large)
• Petition (local concerns)
• Confession, etc.