“How lovely is you dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord.” Psalm 84:1-2
At Park Church, we practice PASSIONATE WORSHIP.
What does this mean? It means:
We are honest before God and one another.
We are open to God’s presence and will for our lives.
We re-order our lives to be together to praise God!
Worship connects us to God—and to one another. We believe that God uses our worship to transform our lives, heal wounded souls, restore hope, shape decisions, provoke change, inspire compassion, and to bind us closer, one to another. How lovely and how wonderful it is to worship God!
Given this, there is a form and flow to our worship at Park:
We Gather Together.
Each Sunday we join together in joy and in anticipation. There is a wonderful “buzz” in the sanctuary! We have the opportunity to center ourselves in prayer and, as worship begins, to raise the roof with singing praises to God!
We Admit Our Need.
All of us have fallen short of what is expected of us by God, by ourselves and also by others. We come clean about this, and we do so in unison prayer and silent prayer.
We Receive God’s Grace.
As we come before God as we are, God comes to us as God is: With the everlasting forgiveness assured to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Our slate is wiped clean! Our old life is gone—and a new life begins! As a sign of this, we extend this same mercy and forgiveness to one another during this part of the service.
We Hear God’s Word.
As God’s forgiven people, we open ourselves to the encouraging word God has for us as the Bible is read and then interpreted in a sermon. A brief message for younger disciples is also offered at this point in the service. A choir anthem, or other special music, is typically offered at this time (God speaks to us through words sung, as well as Spirit-filled instrumental music!).
We Respond to God’s Word.
Having heard God’s word, we respond to the Good News we have received through songs of praise, through unison statements of faith and trust in God, and through offering a portion of our financial blessings to support God’s work in the world. The two sacraments that are part of our Reformed heritage—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—are also celebrated, when scheduled, during this part of the service.
We Share Joys and Concerns.
At Park Church we cherish the connections God makes possible between us—especially that closeness which allows us share in one another’s joys and concerns. Hugs and tears are commonplace! Our worship bulletins lists prayer requests from members and friends. Following a pastoral prayer offered by the minister, we the join in the Lord’s Prayer, as taught and commended to us by Jesus himself.
We are Sent to Serve.
At Park Church, Sunday is the start of a new week for us; the end of each worship service marks the resumption of our on-going journey with God. Having been nourished by God in body, mind and spirit during worship, we offer a closing song of praise and receive the blessing of God as we depart filled with power and purpose!
We believe the above form and flow of worship honors the Lord. We also believe, however, that worship is something alive that requires our care, cultivation and effort to keep it fresh. To this end, we make room for the un-expected—even mix things up on occasion! We also embrace other forms of Reformed worship (Celtic worship, for instance). We also tap into variety of musical styles and genres!
Additional worship opportunities are also offered throughout the year. In 2023, we will offer a Blessing of Animals service in October, as well as a reprise of a “Blue Christmas Service” in December.
Elder John Rackley chairs the Worship Commission at Park Church. This commission, also compromised of Pastor Todd Allen, Eric Kochanowski (Director of Music), and Park member volunteers, works diligently to plan worship services that are authentic, alive, creative and comprehensible.
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For an update on the latest plans and activities of this commission, please click here: