Worship

St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee". 


Sunday morning worship allows us to rest in the Lord’s presence, the one who is our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend. Our worship is a God centered historical blend of the worship of the Church throughout the ages. This worship reflects time honored songs, psalms, creeds, and expressions of worship used by the church throughout the centuries, as well as looking forward to incorporate new hymnody and contemporary expression of our ancient faith.


We believe that worship is a sacred dialogue between the Lord and his church. We joyfully worship “by the book” - that is we use the various components of worship found in the Bible. These elements include prayer, singing, reading and preaching the Bible, the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and the giving of offerings. In the dialogue of worship we hear from God in a variety of ways and we respond to Him giving him our praise with songs, giving him our needs/dependence with prayers, giving him our sin by confession and giving him our life by our commitments. Worship is the primary means that God chooses to strengthen and gather his people. Since worship encompasses our response to His loving provision, nothing is more honoring of His grace and glorifying to God than to enjoy His presence and rehearse the gospel together.

Sacraments

The New Testament sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were instituted by God to declare the promise of the gospel tangibly to us and to put God’s own seal on this promise. And what is the promise of the gospel? To forgive our sins and give us eternal life by grace alone because of Christ’s one sacrifice finished on the cross.


In the gospel, God promises to save us from our sins, and in the sacraments he confirms his promise, “I am your God and you are my people”. The emphasis is on what God does for sinners in the person of his son, Jesus, and not on the strength of a sinner’s faith, or the purity of one’s heart. Faith does not make the sacrament. Faith does not create the promise of God. God's promise comes before faith and through faith. Nevertheless, the blessing comes as we by faith receive the sacraments. The sacrament is like the Word preached; it comes with God's promise to all who will receive it. But only those who receive it by faith receive the blessing. The promise of God is there. The promise of God is real. The promise of God is reliable. But for the fruit of that promise to take root in our hearts, we must receive and live in it by faith


Baptism

The recipients of baptism are believers and their children. Baptism is focused on our initiation into Christ’s visible church. We baptize the children of believers by virtue of their membership in the visible church and covenant people of God. We do not believe in baptismal regeneration [salvation by baptism] or presume that every baptized child is elect. Rather, our children are included with us in the visible church and brought up as disciples in the Christian faith because that has always been God’s design in Scripture. The Lord’s Supper is part of our continuing fellowship as Christ’s church. This explains why it is that before our children are welcomed to the Lord’s Supper they must first profess their faith. 


The Lord’s Supper 

The Lord's Supper is the Christian Passover. In the Old Testament the Passover looked forward to Christ. In both Passover and Communion, a symbol of Christ is eaten. In both, "remembrance" is central. In both, one eats with, anticipation of the consummation of the one's salvation. Because Jesus inaugurated a "new covenant," (1 Corinthians 11:25), He instituted with it new ordinances appropriate to it. The form is changed, but the central significance is the same. In both, by eating, one participates in the benefits of the Lamb. The Passover was fulfilled by and superseded by the Lord's Table. Holy Communion is the Christian equivalent of the New Passover service where we feed upon a symbol of Christ, participate in His benefits, and anticipate His return. Through it we have the assurance of "eternal life" (Jn. 6:54). Through it we enjoy "true food" (Jn. 6:55). Through it we "abide" in Him (Jn. 6:56) and we celebrate the relationship we now enjoy with God

Music

Music, musicians and instruments in the service of Worship. 


Isaac Watts the great English hymnist wrote a hymn he titled, “Heavenly Joys on Earth”. 

“Come, we who love the Lord, And let our joys be known;

Join in a song with sweet accord, And thus surround the throne. 

Let those refuse to sing, Who never knew our God; 

But children of the heavenly King, May speak their joys abroad.” 


At Dayspring congregational singing is the norm of our musical offering but we also worship God in a special use of our musical talents. Instrumentalists play along with the congregation’s songs. We also have a handbell choir during special services of the church year. The congregation at may also worship through the songs of a choir, a vocalist or musical ensemble. These combinations of vocals, instrumental offerings and choirs are special music offered to God on behalf of the congregation. 


As a church we believe that what we do in worship is that which has its basis in the Word of God. Our expectations for music in worship are that music is given to us to serve the praise and proclamation of God’s people. Some of the most glorious music ever produced has been the fruit of faithful worship. According to the Reformer, Martin Luther, "next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world." 


As Christians, the Bible tells us that our citizenship is in heaven. We are pilgrims on the way and the way we do music reflects the eternal activity of all the saints in glory. In Revelation 15:2-3 we have this picture, “…with harps of God in their hands, they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?”  This concept was so beautiful that Johann Sebastian Bach finished his sacred compositions with SDG. These initials stood for the Latin phrase
Soli Deo Gloria, which means, Glory to God Alone.