At first glance, it would be a contradiction in terms to write of Presbyterian liturgy. However, that would be to ignore the inflexibility of some orders of service and the importance of the symbolic actions which are part of certain elements of worship.
The foundational guides to Presbyterian public worship have been Knox’s Book of Common Order and the Westminster Directory for the Public Worship of God. As can be seen in the texts, even though they contain written prayers and/or addresses, these are to be taken as examples to give direction, not as set forms to be slavishly read or recited. Alexander Henderson gives a typical outline of a worship service in his 1641 The Government and Order of the Church of Scotland, yet there are other contemporary writers who give slightly different accounts: the basic order of service is the same, but there are local variations in detail. When the Westminster Directory replaced Knox’s Book, there were many things which required little change, there were some changes made almost immediately, and there were others which were left to happen with the passing of the then-present generation. Those who look to these guides expecting lock-step uniformity will be disappointed.
From the 16th to the 19th century, two main influences worked on the form of service. The first was the rise of literacy. The second was to see the various elements of worship as the parts of composite and unified service, each supportive of the preached text.
At no time did public worship begin with any elaborate call. The prayer of invocation was replaced with a Psalm of praise. Rather than having consecutive readings from the Old and New Testaments, the readings were chosen to give context to the portion of Scripture which would be the text for the sermon. The various prayers of the older forms were gathered into one and their places in the order taken by congregational praise, the portions sung again supporting the text. Preaching was done from an isolated text in the morning and from a book by way of consecutive expository preaching in the evening. The sermon was followed by a prayer of applicatory response and a reinforcing portion of praise. The service concluded with a simple benediction.
The fact that more and more people could read made putting out the line redundant, facilitated more congregational praise, and took the reading of Scripture book by book and chapter by chapter out of the church and into the home, aided by reading plans such as that produced by R. M. M‘Cheyne.
By the middle of the 19th century, this was the usual order of service and it followed through into the 20th and 21st centuries where the innovations of hymns of human composition and instrumental music were not obtruded; and the idea that things were ever done differently would be thought incredible.
Symbolic actions are usually associated with the observance of the sacraments. The practice over which the Scots were most emphatic at the Westminster Assembly was that of coming forward to and sitting at a table to receive the Lord’s Supper. That together with the people passing the common cup and loaf from hand to hand was important to their understanding of communion. They emphasised the fellowship meal aspect of the Lord’s Supper by suspending the usual practice of standing to pray in public worship and sitting when giving thanks as at the dinner table at home.
It would be unhelpful to mistake simplicity for shallowness. Simplicity of form allows the mind to dwell undistracted on Christ as He is presented, and is by His Spirit present, in Word and Sacrament.
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