Assembling for Worship
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
The elders who courageously started the Presbyterian Church in America determined that the first item of business whenever our Assembly meets must be worship.
In fact, at the very first General Assembly, the opening worship service featured an address by Ruling Elder Jack Williamson. Williamson began his message by telling those gathered, “On this historic occasion, we gather at the call of Almighty God. We gather in the providence of our Father who is in heaven. We gather to worship and honor our Creator” (emphasis added).
Fast forward to 2024 when we experienced our Korean-led worship service. Rev. Zack Owens of Redeemer Church, PCA in Jackson, MS recalls,
“I am particularly grateful for the evening … when worship was led by our Korean brothers and sisters in Christ. God’s glory was on display in the prayer, singing, and preaching of scripture through the language, culture, and spiritual gifts of our Korean churches. I was personally struck by the stories of evangelism and transformation when the Gospel first came to Korea many years ago, and by the powerful, crystal clear bi-lingual preaching of Rev. Joel Kim.”
For Daniel Jung, a teaching elder in Korean Northwest Presbytery, the worship service provided a long-awaited moment of belonging: “If the theme of [the 51st] General Assembly was ‘Knit Together,’ then the closing worship service of the 51st PCA General Assembly marks a mutual step toward believing our Korean American fabric is worthy enough to be included in the denominational quilt.”
Worship reminds us of the source of our unity. We come from different geographies and ethnicities. But what binds us together is our shared love for our Savior. Our Savior’s kingdom is not bound by the things which normally divide humans. Our corporate worship services point us to the true source of our union, both now and for all eternity.
We prioritize worship as a denomination to acknowledge and declare our continued dependence on God. Deep within each of us is an independent spirit that underestimates our need for God and overestimates our own wisdom and abilities. The Bible is filled with reminders that God’s people can try to do God’s work without proper dependence on him. Our corporate worship services force us to look away from our dockets and debates to the One who is building His church.
Reflecting on this reminder, Rev. Owens says, “What a foretaste of the unity we will enjoy when people from every tribe, nation, and language will gather around the throne of grace and sing to the Author of our common salvation!”
Every General Assembly worship service takes place because a local host committee oversees and coordinates the three worship services with support and in collaboration with the Administrative Committee. The worship services have become such a central aspect that attendance regularly exceeds 3,000 people at each one. As a result, it requires months of work to secure preachers, prepare music, organize ushers, coordinate communion, design bulletins, and much more.
The Administrative Committee is honored to work with local host committees in coordinating the three worship services that play such a prominent role in declaring the priorities and commitments of our annual Assembly. Our hope is that through proper planning and preparation, all those in attendance “may worship [God] in an acceptable manner; and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope” (WCF 1.8).