Covenant of Worship
Harrisonburg Mennonite Church
As Harrisonburg Mennonite Church, we covenant to connect with God’s presence in gathered worship.
God
God is the center of our gathered worship. God is present and active through the life-giving reality of Jesus Christ and the ongoing gift of the Holy Spirit.
Our call and desire to worship comes from God and is directed towards God. God created us with a longing and hunger to be in relationship with him. While we fall from God’s way, God still seeks us, calling to us the question from the Garden, “Where are you?” God initiates in covenanting with Abraham and Sarah to form a worshiping people. God initiates in making a new covenant in Jesus Christ. God initiates in sending the Holy Spirit. God initiates in continuing his work through the body of Christ.
God initiates anew in worship. In gathered worship, we proclaim, sing, pray, hear, recite and enact the reality of God. Worship is a celebration of who God was, is and continues to be. Our desire is to bring honor and glory to God.
Body of Christ
We covenant with God and each other to bring a sense of openness, preparedness, and anticipation to gathered worship as Harrisonburg Mennonite Church.
The Creator comes in the flesh to dwell among us, and continues to be present, calling us to be the body of Christ. This means being accountable, sacrificing our own preferences, encouraging each other, praying for one another, loving with grace and truth, and dwelling in God’s Word together. We commit to this way of being the body. The power of praying, praising, singing, reciting, listening, interacting with each other and dwelling in the word in worship makes known the reign of God in the world.
Leaders
As the body of Christ, we place trust in our leaders to point the way to God. Leaders are called to plan, craft, and lead worship that is rooted in the Word, attentive to the Holy Spirit, and conscious of what is happening in our church, community and world.
Leaders are ambassadors of God and discern how God’s word is to be broken open as the body gathers. We charge our leaders to commune with God and to lead boldly, lovingly, truthfully, and humbly as we gather.
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