Inclusive Worship

The National Synod of Scotland of the United Reformed Church expresses its vision through a series of affirmations. I am exploring these in turn in a series of brief articles. This piece reflects on the second aspiration. As a Synod we aspire to practise inclusive worship. Our INCLUSIVE worship reflects a broad variety of sources and styles. Local churches offer weekly worship, regular celebration of Holy Communion and mark the stages of life in Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals. Worship is a key element in our following our Christian faith. It is the way in which we demonstrate just how much God means to us. Some of the best Biblical expressions of worship are to be found in the Psalms. For example: ‘Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendour’ (Psalm 29:2); ‘I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations’ (Psalm 57:9); ‘Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise’ (Psalm 66:1-2); ‘O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!’ (Psalm 95:1). These extracts from the psalms, along with very many others that could be cited, offer a clear indication that our worship is essentially a celebration of all that God is and that God does. Richard Foster emphasises this point (in Celebration of Discipline) commenting that “Praise brings us into worship. The psalms are the literature of worship and their most prominent feature is praise. “Praise the Lord!” is the shout that reverberates from one end of the Psalter to the other, Singing, shouting, dancing, rejoicing, adoring – all are the language of praise.” Of course, worship takes many forms. It can be exuberant and it can also be reflective and meditative, and a lot of things between those two. Particular elements in worship are the celebration of the sacraments, baptism, the mark of entry to the church, and holy communion, our following Jesus’ command to remember and God’s love for us as we share bread and wine, but also the rites of passage when we celebrate a marriage or remember a loved one at a funeral. Not all worship can be the best experience for every individual all the time; but we strive to engage in worship that fits each given context, and that therefore is inclusive, doing everything possible to be a good expression of relationship with God for those present. In public worship we give expression to our faith, mostly by singing hymns, praying, reading the Scriptures and preaching the Word, alongside the celebration of the Sacraments. However, other elements, such as reflective music, drama, dialogue and even silence, also have a part to play. We mark the Christian festivals, especially Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, but also other important moments in each year, such as Harvest and Remembrance, seeking to do so in ways that are attractive and relevant and that demonstrate the important underlying and inclusive concept that all are welcome.