United Church Of Christ Worship

Worship life in the United Church of Christ (UCC) exhibits both continuity and variety. A journey on any given Sunday to congregations across the country would reveal substantial similarities. The Sunday service is fundamentally a preaching service; only the Lord's Supper and baptism are celebrated as sacraments; the Lord's Supper is celebrated occasionally, at high points of the church year or, in some congregations, monthly. Yet it is the structure of these services that defines the UCC worship tradition most clearly. In the past worship services used to climax with the sermon, but over the past thirty years a more balanced tripartite structure of gathering, Word, and offering has evolved. The Basic Pattern Gathering. The gathering serves to orient the congregation toward God. Beginning with a prelude and opening prayers or call to worship, this section may also include an act of adoration, a corporate confession, a pastoral prayer, an anthem, and a hymn. When celebrated, baptism …