Richmond First Presbyterian Church - Richmond, KY

WORSHIP

First Presbyterian Church is, first and foremost, a worshiping community. Perhaps the most wonderfully descriptive statement about worship at First Presbyterian Church comes from our Directory for Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This statement offers a clear exposition of the theology reflected in our worship.

Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God's service in the world. (W—1.1001)

JOYFUL WORSHIP

Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God.

When we come to worship we are gathering with each other as Christians and entering into the presence of God, offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Astonishing as it may be, God not only tolerates our offering, but invites us into intimate communion. If there was ever a cause for joy, no matter what the condition or circumstances of the rest of our lives may be at the moment, such a God-given invitation is it! No matter what else may be happening in our lives, when we gather for worship—a worship which is truly focused on God—there is joy.

PRAISE AND GLORY BELONG TO GOD

Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God.

From the call to worship to the benediction; praise, honor, glory and power belong only to God. When we are seeking the words to offer to God, God's Word is indeed the best place to start.

When prayers are prayed and hymns are sung; they are offered not as gratuities from us, but as belongings of God. When the sermon is proclaimed and heard, it is founded on a Biblical text. The Bible—as the Word of God—as God’s own self-disclosure—is the heart of our worship.

GOD IS HERE!

In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives.

At First Presbyterian Church, our worship is not only about God, it is a direct response to God. In worship, we are ever mindful that God is truly present, active, and involved in our worship, and that our worship is a response to what God has done, is doing, and is about to do in our lives.

TRANSFORMED IN CHRIST

As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed.

Worship at First Presbyterian Church is where we remember God's salvation most vividly. When we worship, we remember. We remember that, even though we were estranged from God, God reckoned us as righteous (not of our own doing, but by the righteousness of Jesus Christ).

Worship at First Presbyterian Church is where we trust God’s salvation most faithfully. When we worship, we trust. We trust that, even in the reality of our ever-present sin, Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness.

Worship at First Presbyterian Church is where we commit ourselves to God’s salvation unreservedly. When we worship, we commit. We commit, even in the midst of our human frailties, to the transformation of ourselves as the continued presence of Jesus Christ before the world.

OFFERING OURSELVES

In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God's service in the world.

In worship, we respond to God’s claim on us and to God’s redemptive action for us in Jesus Christ. In worship, we faithfully offer ourselves to God. When we give ourselves to God in worship, we are really only returning to God what properly belongs to God. The apostle Paul writes, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). So, by worshiping regularly, each member of First Presbyterian Church is participating in the first part of our church’s mission. Worshiping regularly means that we exist not for ourselves.

When we give ourselves to God in worship, we are affirming that God’s grace in Christ is not just a blessing for us, but also a responsibility to the world. Trusting that God loves us and forgives us enables us to love and forgive others, and to work for peace and justice in the world.

And so, for us at First Presbyterian Church, worship is found, not only in the pews of the church, but also in the streets of the world, where the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is simultaneously scrutinized, confronted, maligned, and eagerly sought.

To learn more about worship at First Presbyterian Church, click on the particular topic below.

MUSIC (A Form of Prayer)

THE SANCTUARY (Where We Worship)

DAYS AND SEASONS (When We Worship)

RETURN TO WORSHIP