Christian Reformed Churches

Prior to the 1960s, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) practiced a form of worship drawn from its Reformation heritage, which entailed a calendar of observances distinct from the traditional Christian year. In the 1960s, liturgical renewal in the CRC coincided with the worship reforms of Vatican II, leading to widespread recovery of the Christian year in the CRC. However, many congregations still worship in accordance with the traditional Reformed pattern. Others congregations that have adopted a praise-and-worship style recognize major Christian holidays but do not adhere to the church calendar. It was not long ago that a church in the Christian Reformed tradition could be identified by its acts of worship. The Sunday morning service always included a reading of the Ten Commandments from either Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5. The congregation sang Psalms as well as hymns. Most worshipers referred to the pastoral prayer as "the long prayer" because it occupied nearly fifteen and sometim…