Preface
Liturgical forms are an important part of the Reformed faith.
The Protestant Reformation was a renewal of the church’s worship, as much as it was a renewal of doctrine and life. Just as catechisms and confessions were used to teach the rediscovered principles of Scripture alone and faith alone, so too liturgical forms were prepared to teach the proper understanding of the church’s sacraments and guide faithful practice.
Liturgical Forms were prepared initially for the celebration of the two biblical sacraments confessed by Reformed Churches: baptism and the Lord’s supper. In time, additional forms were provided for other ceremonial moments in the life of the church, including profession of faith, marriage, ordination of ministers and elders, and excommunication and readmission. These forms were prepared to enact and teach the sacramental doctrine found in our confessions and catechisms.
Because the Reformed drew upon scripture alone as the foundation for this doctrine, they contain rich biblical teaching. The forms at this site are therefore a timeless resource of sacramental and practical theology for all believers today.
The book of Forms and Prayers recently published for use in the United Reformed Churches of North America (URCNA) is reflective of the Dutch Reformed tradition. This tradition was heavily shaped by an early Psalter published for Dutch speaking refugees in Heidelberg by Petrus Dathenus in 1566. Dathenus drew heavily upon the liturgy of the Church Order of the Palatinate (1563), where Heidelberg was located, which had largely been prepared by Zacharias Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus. This liturgy drew upon the forms prepared by John Calvin for Geneva in 1542. The work of all these Reformed liturgists can be traced back to the earlier work of Martin Luther and Huldrych Zwingli.
As a rule, the Reformers did not seek to reinvent the wheel, but rather recovered and restored the most faithful practices of the medieval and ancient church. Their work reflects the writings of church fathers such as Augustine, Tertullian, and Chrysostom. Though notably Reformed in character, these forms exhibit ancient practice and thought.
The Synod of Dort (1618 – 1619) approved liturgical forms for the use of the Dutch churches, and this liturgical tradition remained fairly stable in Dutch speaking churches for hundreds of years. Reformed church synods in North America approved English translations of these liturgical forms, notably in 1912 and 1934, with minor alterations and revisions.
In the latter half of the twentieth century, there was a great deal of liturgical innovation, not all of it taking the sacramental theology of the Reformation as its starting point. The URCNA Liturgical Forms committee sought to preserve the best of our tradition, and provide a collection of liturgical forms reflecting what was in use by our churches in the early part of the twenty-first century. Revisions were undertaken to ensure the language and sentence structure was clear and understandable to modern readers. After many years of work and much deliberative input from all our churches, these forms were approved by the Synod of the URCNA in 2016.
Baptism of Infant – Form 1
Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ:
What the Lord has revealed to us in His Word about holy baptism can be summarized in this way:
First, baptism teaches that we and our children are conceived and born in sin. This means that we are by nature children of wrath and for that reason cannot be members of Christ’s kingdom unless we are born again. Baptism, whether by immersion or sprinkling, teaches that sin has made us so impure that we must undergo a cleansing which only God can accomplish. By this we are admonished to detest ourselves, humble ourselves before God, and turn to Him for our cleansing and salvation.
Second, baptism signifies and seals to us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Father, God the Father testifies and seals to us that He makes an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us as His children and heirs. Therefore, He promises to provide us with everything good and protect us from all evil or turn it to our profit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Son, God the Son seals to us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins. Christ unites us to Himself, so that we share in His death and resurrection. Through this union with Christ, we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.
When we are baptized into the name of the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit assures us by this holy sacrament that He will make His home within us and will sanctify us as members of Christ. He will impart to us what we have in Christ, namely, the washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of our lives. As a result of His work within us, we shall finally be presented without the stain of sin among the assembly of the elect in life eternal.
Third, the covenant of grace contains both promises and obligations. Having considered the promises, we now consider the obligations. Through baptism, God calls us and places us under obligation to live in new obedience to Him. This means that we must cling to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must trust in Him and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must renounce the sinful way of life. We must put to death our old nature and show by our lives that we belong to God. If we through weakness should fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy, nor use our weakness as an excuse to keep sinning. Baptism is a seal and totally reliable witness that we have an eternal covenant with God.
Our children should not be excluded from baptism because of their inability to understand its meaning. Just as, without their knowledge, they share in Adam’s condemnation, so are they, without their knowledge, received to grace in Christ.
God’s gracious attitude toward us and our children is revealed in what He said to Abraham, the father of all believers: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7). The apostle Peter also testifies to this with these words: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). Therefore, God formerly commanded that children be circumcised as a seal of the covenant and of the righteousness that comes by faith. Christ also recognized that children are members of the covenant people when He embraced them, laid His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16). Since baptism has replaced circumcision as the sign and seal of the covenant (Col. 2:11–13), our children should be baptized as heirs of God’s kingdom and of His covenant.
As children grow up, their parents are responsible for teaching them the meaning of baptism.
In order that we may now administer this holy sacrament of God to His glory, for our comfort, and to the edification of the church, let us call upon His holy name:
Almighty, eternal God, long ago You severely punished an unbelieving and unrepentant world in holy judgment by sending a flood. But in Your great mercy, You saved and protected believing Noah and his family. You also drowned the obstinate Pharaoh and his whole army in the Red Sea, and You brought Your people Israel through the sea on dry ground. In these acts, You revealed the meaning of baptism and the mercies of Your covenant in saving Your people, who of themselves deserved Your condemnation.
We therefore pray that in Your infinite mercy, You will graciously look upon this, Your child, and bring him/her into union with Your Son, Jesus Christ, through Your Holy Spirit. May he/she be buried with Christ into death and be raised with Him to walk in newness of life. We pray that he/she may follow Christ day by day, may joyfully bear his/her cross, and may cling to Him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love.
Comfort him/her in Your grace, so that, when he/she leaves this life and its constant struggle against the power of sin, he/she may appear before the judgment seat of Christ, Your Son, without fear. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one and only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Address to the Parent(s)
Beloved in Christ the Lord, as you have now heard, baptism is given to us by God to seal His covenant to us and our children. We must, therefore, use the sacrament for the purpose that God intended and not out of superstition or mere custom. That it may be clear that you are doing what God commands, you are to answer the following questions sincerely:
- Do you acknowledge that our children, who are conceived and born in sin, and are subject to the misery that sin brings, even the condemnation of God, are sanctified in Christ and so, as members of His church, ought to be baptized?
- Do you acknowledge that the teaching of the Old and New Testaments, summarized in the articles of the Christian faith and taught in this Christian church, is the true and complete doctrine of salvation?
- Do you sincerely promise to do all that you can to teach this child, and to have him/her taught, this doctrine of salvation?
The parents answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do).
Then the minister of God’s Word, in baptizing, shall say:
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional: The minister addresses the congregation:
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive this child in love, pray for him/her, help care for his/her instruction in the faith, and encourage and sustain him/her in the fellowship of believers?
The congregation responds:
We do, God helping us.
Thanksgiving
Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise You that You have forgiven us and our children all our sins through the blood of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. You received us through Your Holy Spirit as members of Your only begotten Son, and so adopted us as Your children. You sealed and confirmed this to us by holy baptism.
We earnestly pray, through Your beloved Son, that You will always govern this child by Your Holy Spirit. May he/she be nurtured in the Christian faith and in godliness, and grow and develop in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that he/she may see Your fatherly goodness and mercy, which You have shown to him/her and to us all. May he/she live in all righteousness under our only Teacher, King, and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Give him/her the courage to fight against and overcome sin, the devil, and his whole dominion. May he/she forever praise and magnify You and Your Son, Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, the one and only true God. Amen.
Baptism of Infants – Form 2
The Institution
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ:
As we celebrate holy baptism, let us first hear our Lord Jesus Christ’s institution of this sacrament. After He had risen victoriously from the grave, Jesus said to His disciples:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20).
In obedience to this command, the church has always baptized believers and their children.
The Promises
Let us hear the promises of God that are confirmed in baptism. The Lord made this great promise to Abraham: “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7).
Generations later, though Israel was unfaithful to God’s covenant with them, God renewed His promise through the prophet:
“This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.… I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33–34).
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal. 4:4), our Lord Jesus Christ, to give pardon and peace through the blood of the cross, the “blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28).
After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles proclaimed: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:38–39).
Anticipating the fulfillment of God’s promises, Paul assures us, “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; … if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim. 2:11–13).
These are the unfailing promises of our Lord to those who are baptized.
The Instruction
Hear also the teaching of Scripture concerning the sacrament of baptism.
The water of baptism signifies the washing away of our sin by the blood of Christ and the renewal of our lives by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). It also signifies that we are buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4). From this we learn that our sin has been condemned by God, that we are to hate it, and that we must consider ourselves as having died to it. Moreover, the water of baptism signifies that we are raised with Christ (Col. 2:12). From this we learn that we are to walk with Christ in newness of life. All this tells us that God has adopted us as His children, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17).
Thus, in baptism God seals the promises He gave when He made his covenant of grace with us, calling us and our children to put our trust for life and death in Christ our Savior, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Him in obedience and love.
God also graciously includes our children in His covenant, and all His promises are for them as well as us (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39). Jesus demonstrated this when He embraced little children and blessed them (Mark 10:16). The apostle Paul said that the children of believers are holy (1 Cor. 7:14). So, just as the children of the old covenant received the sign of circumcision, our children in the new covenant are given the sign of baptism (Col. 2:11–12). We are therefore always to teach our little ones that they have been set apart by baptism as God’s own children, and because of that, they are to repent of their sins and embrace God’s promise of forgiveness in Christ by faith.
The Prayer of Preparation
Let us pray:
Our Father in heaven, we pray that You will never destroy us in our sin, as You once did with the flood upon the world, but save us, as You saved believing Noah and his family, and spare us, as You spared the Israelites who walked safely through the Red Sea.
We pray that Jesus Christ, who went down into the Jordan River and came up to receive the Holy Spirit, who sank deep into death and was raised up as the Lord of life, will always keep us and our little ones in the grip of His hand.
We pray, O holy Father, that Your Spirit will separate us from sin and openly mark us with a faith that can stand the light of day and endure the dark of night.
Prepare us now, O Lord, to respond with glad hope to Your promises, so that we and all entrusted to our care may drink deeply from the well of living water. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Vows
The minister then addresses the parent(s):
Since you, __________, have presented this child for holy baptism, you are asked to answer the following questions sincerely before God and His people:
- Do you acknowledge that our children, who are conceived and born in sin, and are subject to the misery that sin brings, even the condemnation of God, are sanctified in Christ and so, as members of His church, ought to be baptized?
- Do you acknowledge that the teaching of the Old and New Testaments, summarized in the articles of the Christian faith and taught in this Christian church, is the true and complete doctrine of salvation?
- Do you sincerely promise to do all that you can to teach this child, and to have him/her taught, this doctrine of salvation?
The parents respond: We do, God helping us (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do, God helping me).
The Sacrament
Our Lord said, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14).
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional:
The minister addresses the congregation:
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive this child in love, pray for him/her, help care for his/her instruction in the faith, and encourage and sustain him/her in the fellowship of believers?
The congregation responds: We do, God helping us.
A triumphant song may be sung.
The Baptismal Prayer
O Lord, our gracious God, forever faithful to Your promises, we thank You for assuring us again in the sacrament of baptism that You forgive us and receive us as Your children in Christ. Grant wisdom and love to the parents and to us all as we carry out the vows just made. We pray that You will guide our little ones throughout their lives. Enable all of them to respond in faith to the gospel. Fill them with Your Spirit and make their lives fruitful. Uphold them in their hour of trial, and when Christ returns, let them celebrate with all the people of God Your greatness and goodness forever in the joy of Your new creation. Amen.
Public Profession of Faith – Form 1
We thank our God concerning you for the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus. We praise Him for working faith in your heart, so that you now desire publicly to profess your faith in the presence of God and His holy church and enter into the privileges of full communion with the people of God.
Vows
You are now requested to answer sincerely the following questions:
- Do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine contained in the Old and the New Testament, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and taught in this Christian church, to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, and do you promise by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in this profession?
- Do you openly accept God’s covenant promise, which has been signified and sealed to you in your baptism, and do you confess that you despise and humble yourself before God because of your sins, and that you seek your life, not in yourself, but only in Jesus Christ your Savior?
- Do you declare that you love the Lord, and that it is your heartfelt desire to serve Him according to His Word, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
- Do you promise to submit to the government of the church, and also, if you should become wayward, either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?
_________, what is your answer?
Each individual then answers: I do.
Charge
I charge you, then, beloved, by the diligent use of the means of grace and with the assistance of your God, to continue in the profession that you have just made. In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, I now welcome you to full communion with the people of God. Rest assured that all the privileges of such communion are now yours. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10–11).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You that from the beginning You have embraced children in Your covenant, together with their parents. We thank You that from the first You have included these, Your servants, in the Christian church, and granted them all the many blessings of the covenant community. We praise You that in their case You added the special grace of Your Holy Spirit, so that of their own will they come here today to profess Your truth and to consecrate their lives to Your service. We earnestly pray that You will continue to carry on the good work that You have begun in them until the day of complete redemption. Increase in them daily the many gifts of Your grace, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Grant them the happiness of promoting the glory of their Lord and the edification of His people. Deliver them in the temptations of this life and in the final trial of death. And in that day when You make up Your jewels, set also these, Your servants, in Your crown, that they may shine as stars to Your praise forever and ever. Amen.
Public Profession of Faith – Form 2
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ:
We thank the Lord our God for the grace given us by adopting us to be His children and receiving us into His covenant. We acknowledge His love and power, by which He instills in His children the desire to publicly profess their faith in Him in the presence of His holy church and thereby receive all the responsibilities, as well as the privileges, of communion with the people of God.
Today we are privileged to welcome into the full life of the church’s fellowship those who wish to confess their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. When they were baptized, God made clear His claim on them as His own, and they were received into the church. Now they wish to share fully in the life of this congregation and of the whole church of God. And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was sealed in their baptism, confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, and commit themselves to God as His willing servants. We thank God for having given them this desire and pray that as we now hear their confession, He will favor us with the presence and guidance of His Holy Spirit.
Vows
_________, will you now stand, and in the presence of God and His people answer sincerely the following questions:
- Do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine contained in the Old and the New Testament, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and taught in this Christian church, to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, and do you promise by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in this profession?
- Do you openly accept God’s covenant promise, which has been signified and sealed to you in your baptism, and do you confess that you despise and humble yourself before God because of your sins, and that you seek your life, not in yourself, but only in Jesus Christ your Savior?
- Do you declare that you love the Lord, and that it is your heartfelt desire to serve Him according to His Word, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
- Do you promise to submit to the government of the church, and also, if you should become wayward, either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?
_________, what is your answer?
Each individual then answers: I do.
Reception
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I now welcome you to all the privileges of full communion. I welcome you to full participation in the life of the church. I welcome you to its responsibilities, its joys, and its sufferings. May you, by the diligent use of the means of grace and with the assistance of your God, continue in the profession that you have just made. “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20–21).
The minister may ask the congregation to rise, and say:
Let us together confess what we believe:
Congregation:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer
Lord, our God, we thank You that by Your Word and Spirit we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. May those who confessed Your name today never cease to wonder at what You have done for them. Help them to continue firmly in the faith, to bear witness to Your love, and to let the Holy Spirit shape their lives. Take them, Good Shepherd, into Your care, that they may loyally endure opposition in serving You. May we, with all Your children, live together in the joy and power of Your Holy Spirit. We ask this in the hope of Christ’s coming. Amen.
Baptism of Adults – Form 1
When adults who have not been baptized desire to receive baptism, they shall first be thoroughly instructed in the doctrines of the Christian religion. And when they have made a good profession in the presence of the consistory, they shall be permitted to make a public profession and receive holy baptism, in the administration of which the following form shall be used.
Dear congregation in the Lord Jesus Christ:
What the Lord has revealed to us in His Word about holy baptism can be summarized in this way:
First, baptism teaches that we and our children are conceived and born in sin. This means that we are by nature children of wrath and for that reason cannot be members of Christ’s kingdom unless we are born again. Baptism, whether by immersion or sprinkling, teaches that sin has made us so impure that we must undergo a cleansing which only God can accomplish. By this we are admonished to detest ourselves, humble ourselves before God, and turn to Him for our cleansing and salvation.
Second, baptism signifies and seals to us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Father, God the Father testifies and seals to us that He makes an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us as His children and heirs. Therefore, He promises to provide us with everything good and protect us from all evil or turn it to our profit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Son, God the Son seals to us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins. Christ unites us to Himself, so that we share in His death and resurrection. Through this union with Christ, we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.
When we are baptized into the name of the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit assures us by this holy sacrament that He will make His home within us and will sanctify us as members of Christ. He will impart to us what we have in Christ, namely, the washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of our lives. As a result of His work within us, we shall finally be presented without the stain of sin among the assembly of the elect in life eternal.
Third, the covenant of grace contains both promises and obligations. Having considered the promises, we now consider the obligations. Through baptism, God calls us and places us under obligation to live in new obedience to Him. This means that we must cling to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must trust in Him and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must renounce the sinful way of life. We must put to death our old nature and show by our lives that we belong to God. If we through weakness should fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy, nor use our weakness as an excuse to keep sinning. Baptism is a seal and totally reliable witness that we have an eternal covenant with God.
And although the children of Christians, despite their inability to understand these things, must be baptized by virtue of the covenant, it is not lawful to baptize adults unless they first confess and repent of their sins and make a profession of their faith in Christ. For this reason, according to the command of God, John the Baptist preached a baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4–5; Luke 3:3). Also, our Lord Jesus Christ commanded His apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). This promise is confirmed by Paul: “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). According to this rule, as we see in the book of Acts, the apostles baptized no other adults but those who confessed and repented of their sins and who made a profession of faith. Therefore, it is not lawful now to baptize any other adults than those who have learned and understand, from the preaching of the holy gospel, the mysteries of holy baptism, and are able to give an account of their faith and profess that faith publicly.
That we therefore may administer this holy ordinance of God to His glory, to our comfort, and to the edification of the church, let us call on His holy name:
Almighty, eternal God, long ago You severely punished an unbelieving and unrepentant world in holy judgment by sending a flood. But in Your great mercy, You saved and protected believing Noah and his family. You also drowned the obstinate Pharaoh and his whole army in the Red Sea, and You brought Your people Israel through the sea on dry ground. In these acts, You revealed the meaning of baptism and the mercies of Your covenant in saving Your people, who of themselves deserved Your condemnation.
We therefore pray that in Your infinite mercy, You will graciously look upon this, Your child, and bring him/her into union with Your Son, Jesus Christ, through Your Holy Spirit. May he/she be buried with Christ into death and be raised with Him to walk in newness of life. We pray that he/she may follow Christ day by day, may joyfully bear his/her cross, and may cling to Him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love.
Comfort him/her in Your grace, so that, when he/she leaves this life and its constant struggle against the power of sin, he/she may appear before the judgment seat of Christ, Your Son, without fear. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one and only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Address to the Person to Be Baptized
__________, since, then, you desire to receive holy baptism, that it may be to you a seal of your incorporation in the church of God, and that it may now appear that you not only believe and embrace the Christian religion, in which you have been instructed by us, but also that you intend to direct your life accordingly, you are to answer these questions sincerely before God and His church:
- Do you believe in the only true God, distinct in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who of nothing has made heaven and earth and all that is in them, and still upholds and governs them, so that nothing comes to pass, either in heaven or on earth, without His divine will?
Answer: I do. - Do you believe that you were conceived and born in sin, and therefore are by birth and by nature a child of wrath, totally incapable in yourself of doing any good and prone to all evil, and that you, in thought, word, and deed, have frequently transgressed the commandments of the Lord; and do you sincerely repent of these, your sins?
Answer: I do. - Do you believe that Jesus Christ, who is both true and eternal God and very man, who assumed His human nature from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, is given to you by God as a Savior, and that you by this faith receive remission of sins in His blood, and that you, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have become a member of Jesus Christ and of His church?
Answer: I do. - Do you believe that the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God; do you assent to all the articles of the Christian religion, as they are taught here in this Christian church from the Word of God, and are you determined to continue in the same doctrine to the end of your life; and do you also reject all heresies and errors conflicting with this doctrine?
Answer: I do. - In love for Christ, do you firmly resolve always to lead a Christian life, and to forsake the world and its evil lusts; and do you desire, as well, to show your love to Christ in seeking the fellowship of His church, availing yourself diligently of the means of grace given to her, and cheerfully submitting to the government, admonition, and discipline of the church?
Answer: I do.
May the good and great God mercifully grant you His grace and blessing in this, your holy purpose, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Then the minister of God’s Word, in baptizing, shall say:
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional:
The minister addresses the congregation:
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive __________ into your fellowship as a member of the body of Christ, and do you promise to encourage him/her in the Christian faith and help him/her in doing the work of the Lord?
Congregation:
We do, God helping us.
Thanksgiving
Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise You that You have forgiven us and our children all our sins through the blood of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. You received us through Your Holy Spirit as members of Your only begotten Son, and so adopted us as Your children. You sealed and confirmed this to us by holy baptism.
We earnestly pray, through Your beloved Son, that You will always govern this brother/sister by Your Holy Spirit. May he/she continue to mature in the Christian faith and in godliness, and grow and develop in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that he/she may see Your fatherly goodness and mercy, which You have shown to him/her and to us all. May he/she live in all righteousness under our only Teacher, King, and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Give him/her the courage to fight against and overcome sin, the devil, and his whole dominion. May he/she forever praise and magnify You and Your Son, Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, the one and only true God. Amen.
Baptism of Adults – Form 2
Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Just as the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7, 10), so too is it our joy as a congregation to receive new believers into our fellowship. At a recent consistory meeting, __________ declared his/her faith in Christ and expressed his/her desire to receive the sacrament of baptism. Today we are happy that he/she will confess his/her faith before us all and receive the sacrament of holy baptism.
The Vows
__________, will you now stand, and in the presence of God and His people, respond to the following questions:
- Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent to redeem the world, do you love and trust Him as the One who saves you from your sin, and do you with repentance and joy embrace Him as Lord of your life?
Answer: I do. - Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, revealing Christ and His redemption, and that the confessions of this church faithfully reflect this revelation?
Answer: I do. - Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love and commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, receiving thankfully and partaking diligently of the means of grace given to her, and honoring and submitting to her authority; and do you join with the people of God in doing the work of the Lord everywhere?
Answer: I do.
(The response may be asked for after the last question only.)
The Institution
Let us hear our Lord’s command concerning the sacrament of holy baptism. After He had risen victoriously from the grave, Jesus said to His disciples:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:18–20)
The Promises
Now listen to the promises of God that are confirmed in baptism. The Lord made this great promise to Abraham: “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7).
Generations later, though Israel was unfaithful to this covenant, the Lord renewed His promise through the prophet: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.… I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:33–34).
“When the fullness of time had come” (Gal. 4:4), God came to earth in Jesus Christ to give pardon and peace through the blood of the cross, the “blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26:28).
After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles proclaimed: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:38–39).
Anticipating the fulfillment of all God’s promises, Paul assures us, “If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2 Tim. 2:11–12).
These are the unfailing promises of our Lord to those who are baptized.
The Instruction
Finally, recall the teaching of Holy Scripture concerning the sacrament of baptism.
The water of baptism signifies the washing away of our sin by the blood of Christ and the renewal of our lives by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). It also signifies that we are buried with Christ (Rom. 6:4). From this we learn that our sin has been condemned by God, that we are to hate it, and that we must consider ourselves as having died to it. Moreover, the water of baptism signifies that we are raised with Christ (Col. 2:12). From this we learn that we are to walk with Christ in newness of life. All this tells us that God has adopted us as His children, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17).
Thus, in baptism God seals the promises He gave when He made His covenant of grace with us, calling us and our children to put our trust for life and death in Christ our Savior, to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Him in obedience and love.
The Prayer of Preparation
Let us pray:
Our Father in heaven, we pray that You will never destroy us in our sin, as You once did with the flood upon the world, but save us, as You saved believing Noah and his family, and spare us, as You spared the Israelites who walked safely through the Red Sea.
We pray that Jesus Christ, who went down into the Jordan River and came up to receive the Holy Spirit, who sank deep into death and was raised up as the Lord of life, will always keep us and our little ones in the grip of His hand.
We pray, O holy Father, that Your Spirit will separate us from sin and openly mark us with a faith that can stand the light of day and endure the dark of night.
Prepare us now, O Lord, to respond with glad hope to Your promises, so that we and all entrusted to our care may drink deeply from the well of living water. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Sacrament
The minister addresses the confessor(s), standing near the water:
Do you now wish to be baptized in the name of the triune God, and will you embrace your baptism as a sign and seal that God receives you as His own in Christ, forgives all your sins, and incorporates you into His church?
Answer:
I do, with all my heart. (This is to be said by each confessor, if there are more than one.)
In administering the sacrament, the minister shall say:
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I now welcome you to all the privileges of full communion. I welcome you to full participation in the life of the church. I welcome you to its responsibilities, its privileges, its sufferings, and its joys.
Optional: The minister addresses the congregation:
Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive __________ into your fellowship as a member of the body of Christ, and do you promise to encourage him/her in the Christian faith and help him/her in doing the work of the Lord?
Congregation:
We do, God helping us.
A triumphant song may be sung.
The Baptismal Prayer
Let us pray:
Our Father in heaven, we thank You for Jesus Christ, for the new life given in Him, and for the one faith, one hope, and one baptism that Your people have shared through the ages. We rejoice that __________ is now one with Your church and that we may receive him/her as a member of this congregation. Guide him/her in the Christian life of discipleship and sustain us all in the fellowship and service of You, our Lord. Amen.
Reception of Families
This form has been prepared for use on those occasions when an entire family is received into membership, when the parent(s) make a profession of faith and there is infant/child baptism.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ:
Concerning the covenant of grace, the apostle Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). Therefore, when converts such as Lydia (Acts 16:15) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31–34) professed faith in Jesus Christ, their whole households were baptized and added to Christ’s church. Ever since the days of the apostles, Christ has been pleased to add to His church both individuals and families.
We rejoice in the grace of God when those who have received the sign and seal of the covenant are made desirous of professing their faith publicly and of obtaining the privileges of full communion with the people of God. By this public profession of faith, they acknowledge God’s goodness toward them and pledge their lives to Him in grateful devotion.
What God has revealed to us in His Word about holy baptism can be summarized in this way:
First, baptism teaches that we and our children are conceived and born in sin. This means that we are by nature children of wrath and for that reason cannot be members of Christ’s kingdom unless we are born again. Baptism, whether by immersion or sprinkling, teaches that sin has made us so impure that we must undergo a cleansing which only God can accomplish. By this we are admonished to detest ourselves, humble ourselves before God, and turn to Him for our cleansing and salvation.
Second, baptism signifies and seals to us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Father, God the Father testifies and seals to us that He makes an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us as His children and heirs. Therefore, He promises to provide us with everything good and protect us from all evil or turn it to our profit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Son, God the Son seals to us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins. Christ unites us to Himself, so that we share in His death and resurrection. Through this union with Christ, we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.
When we are baptized into the name of the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit assures us by this holy sacrament that He will make His home within us and will sanctify us as members of Christ. He will impart to us what we have in Christ, namely, the washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of our lives. As a result of His work within us, we shall finally be presented without the stain of sin among the assembly of the elect in life eternal.
Third, the covenant of grace contains both promises and obligations. Having considered the promises, we now consider the obligations. Through baptism, God calls us and places us under obligation to live in new obedience to Him. This means that we must cling to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must trust in Him and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must renounce the sinful way of life. We must put to death our old nature and show by our lives that we belong to God. If we through weakness should fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy, nor use our weakness as an excuse to keep sinning. Baptism is a seal and totally reliable witness that we have an eternal covenant with God.
Our children should not be excluded from baptism because of their inability to understand its meaning. Just as, without their knowledge, they share in Adam’s condemnation, so are they, without their knowledge, received to grace in Christ.
God’s gracious attitude toward us and our children is revealed in what He said to Abraham, the father of all believers: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7). The apostle Peter also testifies to this with these words: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). Therefore God formerly commanded that children be circumcised as a seal of the covenant and of the righteousness that comes by faith. Christ also recognized that children are members of the covenant people when He embraced them, laid His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16). Since baptism has replaced circumcision as the sign and seal of the covenant (Col. 2:11–13), our children should be baptized as heirs of God’s kingdom and of His covenant.
And as the children grow up, their parents are responsible for teaching them the meaning of baptism.
In order that we may now witness this profession of faith and administer this holy sacrament of God to His glory, for our comfort, and to the edification of the church, let us call upon His holy name:
Almighty, eternal God, long ago You severely punished an unbelieving and unrepentant world in holy judgment by sending a flood. But in Your great mercy, You saved and protected believing Noah and his family. You also drowned the obstinate Pharaoh and his whole army in the Red Sea, and You brought Your people Israel through the sea on dry ground. In these acts, You revealed the meaning of baptism and the mercies of Your covenant in saving Your people, who of themselves deserved Your condemnation.
We therefore pray that in Your infinite mercy, You will graciously look upon this family. For the sake of Jesus Christ, receive these parents as they testify to their faith in Him. Bring the children into union with Your Son, Jesus Christ, through Your Holy Spirit. May they be buried with Christ into death and be raised with Him to walk in newness of life. We pray that by Your grace this family may follow Christ day by day, may joyfully bear their cross, and may cling to Him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love.
Comfort them in Your grace, so that, when they leave this life and its constant struggle against the power of sin, they may appear before the judgment seat of Christ, Your Son, without fear. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one and only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Profession of Faith
Address to the parent(s):
- Do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine contained in the Old and the New Testament, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and taught in this Christian church, to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, and do you promise by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in this profession?
- Do you openly accept God’s covenant promise, which has been signified and sealed to you in your baptism, and do you confess that you despise and humble yourself before God because of your sins, and that you seek your life, not in yourself, but only in Jesus Christ your Savior?
- Do you declare that you love the Lord, and that it is your heartfelt desire to serve Him according to His Word, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life?
- Do you promise to submit to the government of the church, and also, if you should become wayward, either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?
_________, what is your answer?
Each individual then answers:
I do.
Baptism of Infants and Children
Address to parent(s):
Beloved in Christ the Lord, you have now heard that baptism is an institution of God to seal His covenant to us and our seed. Therefore, it must be used for that end and not out of superstition or mere custom. That it may, then, be clear to all that you are in agreement, you are to answer these questions sincerely:
- Do you acknowledge that our children, though conceived and born in sin and therefore subject to all manner of misery, even to condemnation itself, are sanctified in Christ and therefore, as members of His church, ought to be baptized?
- Do you promise and intend to instruct this child, as soon as he/she is able to understand, in the doctrine that you have professed, to the utmost of your power?
The parents then answer:
We do (or in case only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do).
Then the minister of Word and sacrament, in baptizing, will say:
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise You that You have forgiven us and our children all our sins through the blood of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. You received us through Your Holy Spirit as members of Your only begotten Son, and so adopted us as Your children. You sealed and confirmed this to us by holy baptism.
We earnestly pray, through Your beloved Son, that You will always govern this family by Your Holy Spirit. May the child/children be nurtured in the Christian faith and in godliness, and grow and develop in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the parent(s) lead by example and show by word and deed their submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that they all may see Your fatherly goodness and mercy, which You have shown to them and to us all. May they live in all righteousness under our only Teacher, King, and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Give them the courage to fight against and overcome sin, the devil, and his whole dominion. May they forever praise and magnify You and Your Son, Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, the one and only true God. Amen.
Household Baptism
This form has been prepared for use on those occasions when an entire family is received into membership, when the parents make a profession of faith and the entire household is baptized.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ:
Concerning the covenant of grace, the apostle Peter proclaimed on the day of Pentecost, “The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). Therefore, when converts such as Lydia (Acts 16:15) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31–34) professed faith in Jesus Christ, their whole households were baptized and added to Christ’s church. Ever since the days of the apostles, Christ has been pleased to add to His church both individuals and families.
We thank our God concerning you for the grace of God that has been given to you in Christ Jesus. We praise Him for working faith in your heart, so that you now desire to profess your faith publicly in the presence of God and His holy church, to enter into the privileges of full communion with the people of God, and to present your children for baptism.
Instruction
What God has revealed to us in His Word about holy baptism can be summarized in this way:
First, baptism teaches that we and our children are conceived and born in sin. This means that we are by nature children of wrath and for that reason cannot be members of Christ’s kingdom unless we are born again. Baptism, whether by immersion or sprinkling, teaches that sin has made us so impure that we must undergo a cleansing which only God can accomplish. By this we are admonished to detest ourselves, humble ourselves before God, and turn to Him for our cleansing and salvation.
Second, baptism signifies and seals to us the washing away of our sins through Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Father, God the Father testifies and seals to us that He makes an eternal covenant of grace with us and adopts us as His children and heirs. Therefore, He promises to provide us with everything good and protect us from all evil or turn it to our profit.
When we are baptized into the name of the Son, God the Son seals to us that He washes us in His blood from all our sins. Christ unites us to Himself, so that we share in His death and resurrection. Through this union with Christ, we are freed from our sins and accounted righteous before God.
When we are baptized into the name of the Holy Spirit, God the Holy Spirit assures us by this holy sacrament that He will make His home within us and will sanctify us as members of Christ. He will impart to us what we have in Christ, namely, the washing away of our sins and the daily renewing of our lives. As a result of His work within us, we shall finally be presented without the stain of sin among the assembly of the elect in life eternal.
Third, the covenant of grace contains both promises and obligations. Having considered the promises, we now consider the obligations. Through baptism, God calls us and places us under obligation to live in new obedience to Him. This means that we must cling to this one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We must trust in Him and love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We must renounce the sinful way of life. We must put to death our old nature and show by our lives that we belong to God. If we through weakness should fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy, nor use our weakness as an excuse to keep sinning. Baptism is a seal and totally reliable witness that we have an eternal covenant with God.
Our children should not be excluded from baptism because of their inability to understand its meaning. Just as, without their knowledge, they share in Adam’s condemnation, so are they, without their knowledge, received to grace in Christ.
God’s gracious attitude toward us and our children is revealed in what He said to Abraham, the father of all believers: “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7). The apostle Peter also testifies to this with these words: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). Therefore God formerly commanded that children be circumcised as a seal of the covenant and of the righteousness that comes by faith. Christ also recognized that children are members of the covenant people when He embraced them, laid His hands on them, and blessed them (Mark 10:16). Since baptism has replaced circumcision as the sign and seal of the covenant (Col. 2:11–13), our children should be baptized as heirs of God’s kingdom and of His covenant. And as children grow up, their parents shall be bound to give them further instruction in these things.
It is not lawful to baptize adults unless they first confess and repent of their sins and make a profession of their faith in Christ. For this reason, according to the command of God, John the Baptist preached a baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 1:4–5; Luke 3:3). Also, our Lord Jesus Christ commanded His apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). This promise is confirmed by Paul: “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16). According to this rule, as we see in the book of Acts, the apostles baptized no other adults but those who confessed and repented of their sins and who made a profession of faith. Therefore it is not lawful now to baptize any other adults than those who have learned and understand, from the preaching of the holy gospel, the mysteries of holy baptism, and are able to give an account of their faith and profess that faith publicly.
Prayer
In order that we may now administer this holy sacrament of God to His glory, for our comfort, and to the edification of the church, let us call upon His holy name:
Almighty, eternal God, long ago You severely punished an unbelieving and unrepentant world in holy judgment by sending a flood. But in Your great mercy, You saved and protected believing Noah and his family. You also drowned the obstinate Pharaoh and his whole army in the Red Sea, and You brought Your people Israel through the sea on dry ground. In these acts, You revealed the meaning of baptism and the mercies of Your covenant in saving Your people, who of themselves deserved your condemnation.
We therefore pray that in Your infinite mercy, You will graciously look upon this family and bring them into union with Your Son, Jesus Christ, through Your Holy Spirit. May they be buried with Christ into death and be raised with Him to walk in newness of life. We pray that they may follow Christ day by day, may joyfully bear their cross, and may cling to Him in true faith, firm hope, and ardent love.
Comfort them in Your grace, so that, when they leave this life and its constant struggle against the power of sin, they may appear before the judgment seat of Christ, Your Son, without fear. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the one and only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Address to the Parent(s)
Beloved in Christ the Lord, as you have now heard, baptism is given to us by God to seal His covenant to us and our children. We must, therefore, use the sacrament for the purpose that God intended and not out of superstition or mere custom. That it may be clear that you are doing what God commands, you are to answer the following questions sincerely:
- Do you believe in the only true God, distinct in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who of nothing has made heaven and earth and all that is in them, and still upholds and governs them, so that nothing comes to pass, either in heaven or on earth, without His divine will?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do). - Do you believe that you were conceived and born in sin, and therefore are by nature a child of wrath, totally incapable of doing any good and prone to all evil, and that you, in thought, word, and deed, have frequently transgressed the commandments of the Lord; and do you sincerely repent of these, your sins?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do). Do you believe that Jesus Christ, who is both true and eternal God and very man, who assumed His human nature from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, is given to you by God as a Savior, and that you by this faith receive remission of sins in His blood, and that you, by the power of the Holy Spirit, have become a member of Jesus Christ and of His church? - Do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine contained in the Old and the New Testament, and in the articles of the Christian faith, and taught in this Christian church, to be the true and complete doctrine of salvation, and do you promise by the grace of God to continue steadfastly in this profession?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do). - Do you declare that you love the Lord, and that it is your desire to serve Him according to His Word, to forsake the world, to put to death your old nature, and to lead a godly life; and do you promise to submit to the government of the church, and also, if you should become wayward, either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do). - Do you acknowledge that our children, who are conceived and born in sin, and are subject to the misery that sin brings, even the condemnation of God, are sanctified in Christ and so, as members of His church, ought to be baptized?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do). - Do you sincerely promise to do all that you can to teach this child/children, and to have him/her/them taught, this doctrine of salvation?
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do).
Answer: We do (or if only one of the parents is a confessing member: I do).
May the good and great God mercifully grant you His grace and blessing in this your holy purpose, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Then the minister of God’s Word, in baptizing, shall say:
__________, I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thanksgiving
Almighty God and merciful Father, we thank and praise You that You have forgiven us and our children all our sins through the blood of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. You received us through Your Holy Spirit as members of Your only begotten Son, and so adopted us as Your children. You sealed and confirmed this to us by holy baptism.
We earnestly pray, through Your beloved Son, that You will always govern this family by Your Holy Spirit. May the child/children be nurtured in the Christian faith and in godliness, and grow and develop in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the parent(s) lead by example and show by word and deed their submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that they all may see Your fatherly goodness and mercy, which You have shown to them and to us all. May they live in all righteousness under our only Teacher, King, and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Give them the courage to fight against and overcome sin, the devil, and his whole dominion. May they forever praise and magnify You and Your Son, Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit, the one and only true God. Amen.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Form 1
The Institution of the Supper
Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us give full attention to the words of the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord, as they are delivered by the apostle Paul:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Cor. 11:23–29)
That we may now celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our comfort, it is necessary to examine ourselves fully, and further to consider carefully that purpose for which Christ ordained and instituted this sacrament—namely, His remembrance.
The Call to Self-Examination
The true examination of ourselves consists of three parts:
First, let everyone carefully consider their sins and ungodliness, that they may hate their sins and humble themselves before God, considering that the wrath of God against sin is so great that He, rather than leaving it unpunished, has punished it in his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.
Second, let everyone examine their heart to see whether they also believe the sure promise of God that all their sins are forgiven only because of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, and that the complete righteousness of Christ is imputed and freely given to them as their own—indeed, so completely as if they had personally satisfied for all their sins and fulfilled all righteousness.
Third, let everyone carefully examine their own conscience to see if they are fully determined to show true thankfulness to God in every area of life and to walk sincerely before His face, and whether they, with full sincerity, strive to lay aside all enmity, hatred, and envy, and earnestly resolve from this day forward to live with their neighbor in true love and unity.
All those, then, who are of this mind, God will certainly receive in grace and count as worthy partakers of the Table of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the contrary, those who do not sincerely believe this testimony in their hearts eat and drink judgment upon themselves. According to the command of Christ and the apostle Paul, those who know themselves to be engaging in the following sins, without repentance, have no part in the kingdom of Christ and should therefore abstain from coming to the Table of the Lord: idolaters; those who call upon deceased saints, angels, or any other creature; those who revere images; those who engage in witchcraft, fortune-telling, occult practices, or other forms of superstition; all those who despise God, His word, and His holy sacraments; all blasphemers; those who seek to cause discord, factions, and dissension in the church or in the state; all perjurers; all who are disobedient to their parents and those in lawful authority; all murderers, contentious people, and those who live in hatred and envy against their neighbors; all adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, thieves, the greedy, robbers, gamblers, covetous people, and all who lead offensive lives. All those who continue in such sins shall abstain from the Lord’s Supper, so that they feel the weight of God’s judgment and condemnation.
But this warning is not intended to discourage those believers with contrite hearts, as if no one might come to the Lord’s Supper unless they are without sin. We do not come to this Supper to testify about our own perfection and righteousness, but, on the contrary, we come seeking life in Jesus Christ apart from ourselves. We come confessing our misery, admitting that we have many shortcomings and do not have perfect faith. We also confess that we do not serve God with sufficient zeal, but that we must struggle daily with the weakness of our faith and struggle against the evil lusts of our flesh. However, the grace of the Holy Spirit makes us sorry for our shortcomings, gives us the desire to live according to God’s commandments, and helps us to fight against unbelief. Therefore, we can rest assured that no sin or weakness that still remains in us against our will can prevent us from being received by God’s grace and from being made worthy partakers of this heavenly food and drink.
Celebrating Our Salvation in Christ
Let us also consider the purpose for which our Lord has instituted his Supper: that we should do this in remembrance of Him. And this is how we remember Him by it:
First, let us be fully persuaded in our hearts that our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the promises made to our forefathers in the Old Testament, was sent by the Father into this world; that He assumed our flesh and blood; that He took upon Himself for us the wrath of God, under which we should have perished eternally; that from the beginning of His incarnation until the end of His life on earth, He fulfilled for us all obedience and righteousness of the divine law. This was especially evident when the weight of our sins and of the wrath of God caused Him to sweat drops of blood in the garden. He was bound, so that we might be loosed from our sins, and afterward He suffered countless insults, so that we might never be put to shame. Let us confidently believe that He was innocent, yet put to death that we might be acquitted on the day of judgment; that He even allowed His own blessed body to be nailed to the cross, so as to cancel “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). In doing so, He took from us the curse and bore it Himself, so that He might fill us with His blessing. He humbled Himself to the very deepest reproach and anguish of hell, in body and soul, on the cross, when He cried out with a loud voice: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46). He did all of this so that we might be accepted by God, never to be rejected by Him. Indeed, with His death and the shedding of His blood, He confirmed the new and eternal covenant, the covenant of grace and reconciliation, when He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
In order that we might firmly believe that we belong to this covenant of grace, during the Last Supper, “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’ ” (Matt. 26:26–28). That is, “As often as you eat of this bread and drink of this cup, as a sure reminder and pledge, you shall be admonished and assured of My great love and faithfulness toward you. Because you otherwise would have suffered eternal death, I give My body and blood for you in My death on the cross.” And, “As certainly as this bread is broken before you, and this cup is given to you, and with your mouth you eat and drink in remembrance of Me, so surely do I nourish and refresh for everlasting life your hungry and thirsty souls with My crucified body and shed blood.”
From the institution of this Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that He directs our faith to His perfect sacrifice, once offered on the cross, as the only foundation of our salvation. By this sacrifice, He has become to our hungry and thirsty souls the true food and drink of life eternal. For by His death, He has taken away the cause of our eternal death and misery, our sin. He has also obtained for us the life-giving Spirit, who dwells in Christ our head and enables us, who are His members, to have communion with Him and be made partakers of His riches, including eternal life, righteousness, and glory.
Besides, by this same Spirit, we are also united as members of one body in true Christian love, as the apostle Paul says: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). As many grains are ground to prepare one loaf of bread, and as many grapes are pressed together to produce wine, so we who by true faith are incorporated into Christ shall be one body, through Christian love, for the sake of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ. He loved us so greatly in order that we might show His love toward one another, not only in words, but also in deeds.
May the almighty, merciful God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ help us in this, through His Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of Confession and Dependence
That we may obtain all these blessings, let us humble ourselves before God and with true faith implore Him for His grace:
Merciful God and Father, we cherish the blessed memory of the death and sufferings of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that in this Supper You will so work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that with true confidence we might give ourselves up, more and more, unto Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray that this might allow our burdened and contrite hearts to be nourished and refreshed with the true body and blood of Him who is true God and true man, the only heavenly bread. Empower us to no longer live in our sins, knowing that He lives in us, and we in Him. May we truly be partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace. May we not doubt that You will forever be our gracious Father, who does not impute the guilt of our sins to us, and who provides us with all that we need for body and soul, as your dear children and heirs. Grant us also Your grace, that we may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess our Savior, and in all tribulation—with uplifted head—expect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. There He will make our mortal bodies like unto His glorified body, and take us to be with Him in eternity. Answer us, O God and merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper
By this Holy Supper, may we also be strengthened in the catholic, undoubted, Christian faith, of which we make profession with heart and mouth, saying:
Congregation:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
That we may be nourished with Christ, the true heavenly bread, let us not cling with our hearts to external things, like bread and wine, but lift our hearts to heaven, where our advocate, Jesus Christ, is, at the right hand of His heavenly Father, where the articles of our Christian faith direct us. Let us not doubt that we shall be nourished and refreshed in our souls, with His body and blood, through the working of the Holy Spirit, as truly as we receive the holy bread and drink in remembrance of Him.
In breaking and distributing the bread, the minister shall say:
The bread which we break is a communion of the body of Christ. Take, eat, remember, and believe that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ was broken for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
And when he gives the cup, the minister shall say:
The cup of blessing which we bless is a communion of the blood of Christ. Take, drink, remember, and believe that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
During the communion, a psalm may be sung, or some portion of Scripture may be read, in remembrance of the passion of Christ, such as Isaiah 53 or John 6, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, or 18.
The Response of Thanksgiving and Praise
After the communion, the minister shall say:
Beloved in the Lord, since the Lord has now nourished our souls at His Table, let us together praise His holy name with thanksgiving, and let everyone say in his heart:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.…
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Ps. 103:1–4, 8–13)
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Rom. 8:32)
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Rom. 5:8–10)
Therefore, my mouth and heart shall show forth the praise of the Lord from this time forth, for evermore. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
O merciful God and Father, we thank You with all our heart that of Your boundless mercy You have given us Your only begotten Son for a Mediator, the sacrifice for our sins, and as our food and drink unto life eternal. We also thank You that You give us a true faith, whereby we become partakers of these benefits. You have united us to Christ and to each other in the communion of saints. You have given Your Son for us and to us and have proclaimed His saving death to the whole world. Having signified and sealed the atoning sacrifice of Your Son for us, we ask that You would, by Your Spirit, also make us witnesses to this good news among our neighbors. Strengthen us in faith to live gratefully in this present age as we await our Savior’s return in glory. In His name we pray. Amen.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Form 2
Preparatory Exhortation
If the Preparatory Exhortation and the communion Formulary are combined for use in the communion service, the following changes should be made:
- The words “since we hope next Lord’s Day” should be changed to “since it is our privilege this day.”
- The paragraph beginning “And since it is necessary for us” should be omitted.
Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, since we hope next Lord’s Day to celebrate the blessed sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we are called to prepare our hearts by rightly examining ourselves. For the apostle Paul has written, “Whoever … eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor. 11:27–28).
Therefore, you should examine your life and, considering your own sin and the wrath of God against it, be sure that you humble yourself in repentance before God. Examine your heart to be sure that you trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation—believing that your sins are forgiven wholly by grace because of our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross. Finally, examine your conscience to be sure that you resolve to live in faith and obedience before your Lord, and in love and peace with your neighbor.
Warning and Invitation
God will surely receive at the Table of His Son all who truly repent of their sins, believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and desire to do His will. All those, however, who do not repent, who do not put their trust in the Lord Jesus, and who have no desire to lead a godly life, are warned, according to the command of God, to keep themselves from the holy sacrament. If any one of us is living in disobedience to Christ and in enmity with his neighbor, he must repent of his sin and reconcile himself to his neighbor before he comes to the Lord’s Table. “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor. 11:29).
This solemn warning is not designed, however, to discourage penitent sinners from coming to the holy sacrament. We do not come to the Supper as though we were righteous in ourselves, but rather to testify that we are sinners and that we look to Jesus Christ for our salvation. Although we do not have perfect faith, do not serve and love God with all our hearts, and do not love our neighbors as we ought, we are confident that the Savior accepts us at His Table when we come in humble faith, with sorrow for our sins, and with a will to follow Him as He commands.
And since it is necessary for us to come to the sacrament in good conscience, we urge any who lack this confidence to seek from the minister or any elder of this church such counsel as may quiet his conscience or lead to the conversion of his life.
All, then, who are truly sorry for their sins, who sincerely believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, and who earnestly desire to lead a godly life, ought to accept the invitation now given and come with gladness to the Table of their Lord.
Prayer
Let us pray:
Almighty God, who has given us the gospel of Jesus Christ and provided a most wonderful communion with Him through the mystery of the sacrament, we need Your grace to enable us to prepare our hearts for the reception of Holy Communion. To all who sincerely believe in Your Son and truly repent of their sins, grant assurance of Your gracious readiness to receive and bless them in the Supper of their Lord. To all who have not yet repented and have not put their trust in the Lord Jesus, grant a restraining fear of this Supper, lest their condemnation be greater. But have mercy upon these, and grant them grace to repent of their sins and seek their salvation in your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. We confess, O Father, that we have all offended Your majesty and deserve Your judgment. We have transgressed in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds. Truly there is no strength in us. Be merciful, O God, and grant us Your pardon. And let us come to the sacrament in the joy of Your forgiving love. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, the one and only God, lives and reigns forever. Amen.
Formulary
Beloved, hear now the words of the apostle Paul concerning the institution of the Holy Supper:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Cor. 11:23–26)
When our Lord said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He ordained this Holy Supper as a constant memorial and visible proclamation of His death. The apostle Paul also teaches us that “as often as [we] eat this bread and drink the cup, [we] proclaim the Lord’s death.” As we partake, therefore, we bear witness that our Lord Jesus was sent by the Father into the world to take upon Himself our flesh and blood and to bear the wrath of God on the cross for us. We confess that He came to earth to bring us to heaven, that He was condemned to die that we might be pardoned, that He endured the suffering and death of the cross that we might live through Him, and that He was once forsaken by God that we might forever be accepted by Him.
The sacrament thus confirms us in God’s abiding love and covenant faithfulness, sealing to our hearts the promises of His gracious covenant and assuring us that we belong to His covenant family. Let us then be persuaded as we eat and drink that God will always love us and accept us as His children for the sake of His Son.
Our Lord also promises that as we “eat this bread and drink the cup,” we are fed with His crucified body and shed blood. To do this, He gives us His life-giving Spirit, through whom the body and blood of our Lord become the life-giving nourishment of our souls. Thus He unites us with Himself and so imparts the precious benefits of His sacrifice to all who partake in faith.
As a means of grace, this meal also unites us with one another in the bond of the Spirit, as the apostle says: “We who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). Thus, even as He unites us with Himself, He strengthens the bond of communion between us, His children.
Finally, the remembrance of our Lord’s death revives in us the hope of His return. Since He commanded us to do this “until he comes,” the Lord assures us that He will come again to take us to Himself. As we commune with Him now under the veil of these earthly elements, we are assured that we shall behold Him face-to-face and rejoice in the glory of His appearing.
Our Lord Jesus will surely do what He has promised. Let us draw near to His Table, then, believing that He will strengthen us in faith, unite us in love, and establish us more firmly in the hope of His coming.
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5–6).
Prayer
Let us pray:
Almighty God, with one accord we give You thanks for all the blessings of Your grace, but most of all we thank You for the unspeakable gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We most humbly thank You that Your Son came to us in human form, that He lived a perfect life on earth, that He died for us on the cross, and that He arose victoriously from the dead. We bless you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit, for the gospel of reconciliation, for the church universal, for the ministry and the sacraments of the church, and for the blessed hope of everlasting life. We pray, gracious Father, that You would grant us Your Holy Spirit, that through this sacrament our souls may truly be fed with the crucified body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant us the full assurance of Your grace as we draw near to Your Holy Table, filling our hearts with humble gratitude for Your mercies. Unite us more fully with our blessed Lord, and so also with one another. Enable us, in newness of life, to pledge ourselves in service to Christ and all your children. And lift our hearts to You, that in all the troubles and sorrows of this life we may persevere in the living hope of the coming of our Savior in glory. Answer us, O God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
If the Table needs to be prepared, an appropriate hymn may be sung.
Apostles’ Creed
As we draw near to the Table of our Lord, let us confess our Christian faith:
Congregation:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Words of Promise
Having approached the Table, the minister shall say:
Beloved, hear these gracious words of promise spoken by our Lord:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:28–29)
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.… Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:35, 37)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6)
Then the minister says:
Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us lift up our hearts to the Lord; let us lift them up to the God of our salvation.
Or:
Minister: Lift up your hearts!
Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.
Communion
As he breaks the bread, the minister shall say:
“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Cor. 11:23–24).
At the eating of the bread, the minister shall say:
Take, eat, remember, and believe that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ was given for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
As he takes the cup, the minister shall say:
“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’ ” (Matt. 26:27–28).
At the drinking of the wine, the minister shall say:
Take, drink, remember, and believe that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
Thanksgiving
The minister and congregation may read the following psalm responsively:
Minister: Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Congregation: And all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Minister: Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Congregation: And forget not all his benefits,
Minister: Who forgives all your iniquity,
Congregation: Who heals all your diseases,
Minister: Who redeems your life from the pit,
Congregation: Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Minister: Who satisfies you with good,
Congregation: So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Ps. 103:1–5).
Minister:
Let us pray:
Almighty God, we give You our most humble and hearty thanks that of Your great mercy You have given us Your Son to be our Savior from sin and to be our constant source of faith, hope, and love. We bless You for permitting us to show forth His death and to receive the communion of His body and blood through the holy sacrament. We praise You for uniting us more fully with the body of Christ, and for assuring us that we are heirs of Your heavenly kingdom. Grant that our commemoration of His death may tend to the daily confirming of our faith, the establishment of our hope, and the strengthening of our love. Enable us henceforth to live always for our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us. Amen.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Short Form 1
Preparation
To all of you who have with godly sorrow confessed your sins and who have affirmed true faith in Christ, the promise of Jesus is sure: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink” (John 6:54–55). For “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Cor. 11:23–25).
While remaining bread and wine, these sacred elements nevertheless become so united to the reality they signify that we do not doubt, but joyfully believe, that we receive in this meal by the Spirit through faith nothing less than the crucified body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For all who live in rebellion against God and in unbelief, this holy food and drink will bring you only further condemnation. If you do not yet confess Jesus Christ and seek to live under his gracious reign, we admonish you to abstain. But all who repent and believe are invited to this sacred meal, not because you are worthy in yourself, but because you are clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. Do not allow the weakness of your faith or your failures in the Christian life to keep you from this Table. For it is given to us because of our weakness and because of our failures, in order to increase our faith by feeding us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ. As the Word has promised us God’s favor, so also our heavenly Father has added this confirmation of His unchangeable promise. So come, believing sinners, for the Table is ready. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps. 34:8).
The Consecration
Let us pray:
Almighty and everlasting God, who by the blood of Your only begotten Son has secured for us a new and living way into the Holy of Holies, cleanse our minds and hearts by Your Word and Spirit that we, Your redeemed people, drawing close to You through this holy sacrament, may enjoy fellowship with the Holy Trinity through the body and blood of Christ our Savior. We know that our ascended Savior does not live in temples made by hands, but is in heaven, where He continues to intercede on our behalf. Through this sacrament, by Your own Word and Spirit, may these common elements now be set apart from ordinary use and consecrated by You, so that, just as truly as we eat and drink these elements by which our bodily life is sustained, so truly we receive into our souls, for our spiritual life, the true body and true blood of Christ. We receive these gifts by faith, which is the hand and mouth of our souls. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed (optional)
As we draw near to the Table of our Lord, let us confess our Christian faith:
Congregation:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
The minister then says:
Let us now go to our heavenly Table and receive the gift of God for our souls. By the promise of God, this bread and wine are for us the body and blood of Christ.
Minister: Lift up your hearts!
Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.
Communion
The elements are distributed, and the minister may use the formula:
The bread which we break is a communion of the body of Christ. Take, eat, remember, and believe that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ was broken for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
The cup of blessing which we bless is a communion of the blood of Christ. Take, drink, remember, and believe that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sins.
Thanksgiving Prayer
Our gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessing of this holy feast. Although we are unworthy to share this meal with You, it is by Your invitation and dressed in Christ’s righteousness that we have come boldly into the Holy of Holies. Instead of wrath, we have received Your pardon; in the place of fear, we have been given hope. Our High Priest and Mediator of the new covenant has reconciled us to You and even now intercedes for us at Your right hand. Please strengthen us by these gifts, so that, relying only on Your promise to save sinners who call on Jesus’ name, we may, by Your Spirit, honor You with our souls and bodies, to the honor and glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Celebration of the Lord’s Supper – Short Form 2
Exhortation
Brothers and sisters, you who desire to come to the Holy Communion of the body and blood of our Savior must consider how the apostle Paul exhorts us diligently to “examine” ourselves before we “eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). For as the benefit of this sacred meal is great, if we receive the sacrament with a penitent heart and lively faith, so is the danger great, if we receive it “in an unworthy manner” (1 Cor. 11:27). For then we are “guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27), we eat and drink to our own “judgment” (1 Cor. 11:29), and we kindle God’s wrath against us (1 Cor. 11:30). But “if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged … by the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:31–32). Therefore, truly repent of your sins, place a lively and steadfast faith in Christ our Savior, and live in love with all people, so that you will be worthy partakers of this holy sacrament.
Above all things, you must give most humble and sincere thanks to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for the redemption of the world by the passion and death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Give thanks that He who is God became man. Give thanks that the Son humbled himself to death upon the cross for us, miserable sinners. Give thanks that we, who walk in this dark world and in the shadow of death, have been made the children of God and exalted to everlasting life. Because of this, we should always remember the exceedingly great love of our only Savior, Jesus Christ, and the innumerable benefits that He has obtained for us by His precious blood. This is why He instituted and ordained holy sacraments, as pledges of His love and for a continual remembrance of His death, to our great and endless comfort. To Him, therefore, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, let us give continual thanks, submitting ourselves completely to His holy will and pleasure, and seeking to serve Him in true holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.
To all of you who truly and earnestly repent of your sins, who embrace Jesus by faith as your Savior, and who desire more and more to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, draw near and take this holy sacrament to your comfort.
Comforting Words
Hear what comforting words our Savior, Jesus Christ, speaks to all that truly turn to Him:
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim. 1:15).
“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1–2).
Then is said:
Minister: Lift up your hearts!
Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord.
Prayer of Humble Approach
We do not presume to come to this table, O merciful God, trusting in our own righteousness, but in Your great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under the table of Your Son. But You are our merciful and gracious Father. Grant us, therefore, that we may feed on our crucified Lord by faith, and that He may be united to us, and we to Him, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, is worthy of eternal thanks and praise. Amen.
Words of Institution
“The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’ ” (1 Cor. 11:23–25).
Communion
In eating the bread, the minister says,
May the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your heart by faith with thanksgiving.
In drinking the wine, the minister says,
May the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for you, preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ’s blood was shed for you, and be thankful.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Almighty and ever-living God, we most heartily thank You. You have fed us, who have rightly received this holy sacrament, with the spiritual food of the most precious body and blood of Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. You assure us, by this bread and wine, of Your favor and goodness toward us, that we are members of the body of Your Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people. You have made us heirs of Your everlasting kingdom by the merits of the most precious passion and death of Your dear Son. And we most humbly pray, O heavenly Father, assist us with Your grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship and do all such good works as You have prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
Excommunication – Form 1
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ:
As you know, we have announced to you the great sin committed and the grievous offense given by our fellow member, __________, to the end that, by your Christian admonitions and prayers, he/she might come to his/her senses, turn to God, and “escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:26).
But to our great sorrow, no one has yet appeared before us who has caused us to understand that, by the frequent admonitions given to him/her (in private, before witnesses, and in the presence of many), he/she has come to any sorrow for his/her sin or has shown the least evidence of true repentance. Since, then, by his/her stubbornness, he/she daily aggravates his/her transgression, which in itself is not small, and since we made known to you the last time that in case he/she did not repent, after such patience shown him/her by the church, we should be constrained further to grieve for him/her and to come to the extreme remedy, we are therefore at the present time compelled to proceed to his/her excommunication. We do this according to the command and charge given us in God’s holy Word. Our purpose is that he/she may be ashamed of his/her sins, that by this corrupt and as yet unrepentant member we may not put the whole body of the church in danger, and that God’s name may not be blasphemed but reverenced.
Pronouncement of Excommunication
Therefore, the consistory, acting in the name and under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, declares before you all that for the reasons previously announced we hereby excommunicate __________ from the church of the Lord; that, so long as he/she persists obstinately and impenitently in his/her sins, he/she is excluded from the fellowship of Christ, of the holy sacraments, and of all the spiritual blessings and benefits which God promises to and bestows upon His church; and that he is to be considered by you as an unbeliever, who is outside of the church (cf. Matt. 18:17), according to the command of Christ, who says, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Matt. 18:18).
Exhortation
Further, we exhort you, brothers and sisters, that you no longer have Christian fellowship with this unrepentant sinner (cf. 1 Cor. 5:11), recognizing that this person has been excluded from the communion of the church. Yet, when opportunity allows, treat this individual as one who needs the gospel (cf. 2 Thess. 3:15).
In the meantime, let everyone take warning by this and similar examples to fear the Lord and diligently to take heed: “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Having true fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, together with all believing Christians, remain “firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14), “obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9). Guard yourselves, then, against the least beginnings of evil, and, according to the admonition of the apostle, “let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1–2). “Be sober-minded; be watchful” (1 Peter 5:8); “pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46). “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb. 4:7), but “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Let everyone repent of his sin, lest our God humble us again and we be obliged to mourn for some of you; but may you, with one accord living in godliness, be our crown and joy in the Lord.
But since “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13), let us call upon His holy name with confession of our sins.
Prayer of Confession
O righteous God, merciful Father, before Your high majesty we blame ourselves for our sins and acknowledge that we have justly deserved the sorrow and pain caused us by the excommunication of this fellow member. Indeed, if You were to enter into judgment with us, we would all deserve to be excluded and banished from Your presence on account of our great transgression.
But, O Lord, be gracious to us for Christ’s sake; forgive us our trespasses, for we heartily repent of them; and work in our hearts an ever-increasing measure of sorrow for them, that we, fearing the judgments that You bring upon the stiff-necked, may endeavor to please You. Grant that we may avoid all pollution of the world and of those who are excluded from the communion of the church, in order that we may not make ourselves partakers of their sins, and that he/she who is excommunicated may become ashamed of his/her sins.
Since You do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he/she may repent and live, and since the bosom of Your church is always open for those who return, we ask You to kindle in our hearts a godly zeal, so that we, with good Christian admonitions and example, may seek to bring back this excommunicated person, together with all those who through unbelief and recklessness of life go astray. Add Your blessing to our admonitions, that we thereby may have reason to rejoice again in them for whom we must now mourn, and that thus Your holy name may be praised, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Excommunication – Form 2
First Announcement
Brothers and sisters, since we are responsible for one another as fellow members of the body of Jesus Christ, we are deeply concerned when a member of the body wanders from the Christian way and does not repent. Therefore, it is our painful duty as office-bearers of this church to inform you that one of our fellow members has sinned and given offense against God and his church and remains unrepentant to this day, despite our prayers and admonitions.
Through his/her unrepentance, our brother/sister is breaking the covenant bond with the Lord and His people. Thus, we have suspended his/her participation in the sacraments, the signs and seals of this relationship with our Savior and with one another. We also have suspended the other privileges of communicant membership.
At his/her profession of faith, he/she promised to honor and submit to the authority of the church. Let us all pray that our brother/sister may respond positively to the admonitions of the church and return to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in grace and faithfulness desires this brother’s/sister’s repentance.
Second Announcement
(Note: Before using the second announcement, the advice of classis shall be sought.)
Brothers and sisters, since we are responsible for one another as fellow members of the body of Jesus Christ, we are deeply concerned when a member of the body wanders from the Christian way and does not repent. Therefore, the office-bearers of this church previously requested your prayers for a fellow member who has remained unrepentant of the sin which gave offense against God and His church.
With a heavy heart, we report that the suspension of __________ and all our admonitions and prayers since that time have not produced in our brother/sister any evidence of repentance or a desire to be restored to fellowship with the Lord and His people. We inform you, therefore, with the advice of classis, that if our brother/sister does not repent, it may be necessary to move toward the extreme step of excommunicating him/her from membership in the church of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord does not wish that sinners should perish, but desires that they turn from their evil ways and live. Therefore, let us all continue to pray for our brother/sister and to plead personally with him/her to mend his/her ways and return to the Lord and His people in repentance and faith.
Third Announcement
Brothers and sisters, since we are responsible for one another as fellow members of the body of Jesus Christ, we are deeply concerned when a member of the body wanders from the Christian way and does not repent. On previous occasions, the office-bearers of this church requested you to pray for and plead with a fellow member, __________, who remains unrepentant of the sin which gave offense to God and His church. With sadness of heart, we report that our loving admonitions and prayers still have not led him/her to demonstrate any sign of repentance and faith.
Because he/she continues to reject the admonition and discipline of the church and has broken covenant with the Lord and His people, we find it necessary to proceed to excommunicate this brother/sister from membership in the church of the Lord. If he/she does not show evidence of repentance by _________ (date), to our deep sorrow we will move to excommunicate him/her from membership. If any member of the church knows of any valid reason why this should not be done, we urge that person to inform the consistory.
Let us all continue to pray for __________ and plead with him/her, so that he/she may not harden his/her heart completely, but may return to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with confession of sin and assurance of faith.
Form for Excommunication from Membership
Brothers and sisters, our hearts grieve for our fellow member, __________, who has not responded to the loving admonition and prayers of this consistory and congregation, and who remains unrepentant to this day of his/her sin and offense against God and His church and does not heed the admonition of this church and its consistory. Accordingly, in obedience to the command of God in his Word and with great sorrow, we must take the extreme step of excommunicating him/her from membership in the church of our Lord.
We do so to uphold the honor of God and to maintain the holiness of God’s church with the prayer that this action will also lead the erring one to repentance. We pray that God may cause him/her to seek forgiveness of sin, renewed union with Christ, and restoration into the family of God, the church.
Prayer for Grace
Heavenly Father, we are humbled before You. We stand before You with fear and trembling, conscious of our own imperfection, yet conscious also of the responsibility You have given your church to discipline its members. Grieving deeply, we plead that this action may build up Your people and cause none to stumble. This we ask in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Declaration
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we hereby excommunicate __________ from membership in the church of our Lord, knowing also that God Himself excludes him/her from fellowship in Christ and all His blessings as long as he/she persists in his/her unrepentance.
Exhortation
As we are saddened by this event, let us be warned to fear the Lord and live close to Him and His Word. Let us not harden our hearts, but let us place ourselves under the discipline of our Master, who with a loving and firm hand renews our lives through the ministry of the Word and Spirit and the loving care of His church.
Call to Prayer
Let us all continue to pray that by the grace of the Holy Spirit __________ may yet come to recognize his/her sin, show genuine repentance, and seek restoration to fellowship with the Lord and His people. Let us also pray that the Holy Spirit will use us in our contacts with him/her to that end. Let us now together call on the Lord, confessing our sin and pleading for mercy.
Prayer of Confession
O righteous God and merciful Father, before Your great majesty we confess that we are sinners and acknowledge that we have justly deserved the sorrow and pain caused by the excommunication we witnessed today. Indeed, if You were to judge us, we would all deserve to be excluded and banished from Your presence on account of our great and many transgressions.
O Lord, be gracious to us for Christ’s sake; forgive us our trespasses, for we wholeheartedly repent of them; and work in our hearts a continually increasing measure of sorrow for them, that we, fearing Your judgments and desiring to serve and love You, may endeavor to please You. Grant that we may avoid all the pollution of the world and of those who are excluded from the communion of the church, in order that we may not make ourselves partakers of their sins, and that he/she who is excommunicated may become ashamed of his/her sins.
Since You do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he/she may repent and live, and since Your church is always open for those who return, we ask You to kindle in our hearts a godly zeal, so that we, with good Christian admonitions and example, may seek to bring back this excommunicated person, together with all those who through unbelief and recklessness of life go astray. Add Your blessing to our admonitions, that we thereby may have reason to rejoice again in them for whom we must now mourn, and that Your holy name may be praised, through our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Readmission – Form 1
Announcement
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord:
It was made known some time ago that our fellow member __________ was excommunicated from the church of Christ. We can now announce to you that he/she, by this remedy and also through good admonitions and your Christian prayers, has come to confess his/her sin and now asks to be readmitted to the fellowship of the church. Since it is our duty, according to the command of God, to receive such persons with joy and thanksgiving, and since all things should be done decently and in good order, we inform you that at the next celebration of the Lord’s Supper we shall set this individual free from the bond of excommunication and receive him/her again into the fellowship of Christ’s church.
If any of you should have reason against such readmission, it is incumbent upon you to give notice as soon as possible. Meanwhile, let us thank the Lord, who has shown favor to this lost sheep, and let us earnestly ask Him to perfect His work of conversion in him/her to his/her eternal salvation. Amen.
Afterwards, if no hindrance occurs, the minister shall proceed to the readmission of the excommunicated sinner according to the following form:
Readmission
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We recently informed you of the repentance and conversion of __________, to the end that, with your consent, he/she might be received again into the church of Christ. No one has brought forward any objection against this readmission, and therefore we will now receive him/her again into the communion of the saints.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught His church to put out of the fellowship those who refuse to repent of their sins. In Matthew 18, He says, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” But He immediately adds, “and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18). Indeed, He has taught us that excommunication does not take away all hope of salvation. For God has sworn by Himself, saying, “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11). Therefore, the church keeps hoping and praying for the repentance and return of the lost sinner, always eager to receive those turning from and sorrowing for their sins. The apostle Paul commanded the congregation at Corinth to forgive and comfort the brother who had been reproved and had come to repentance. He exhorted the church to reaffirm their love for him, lest he should be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
Christ also teaches us that God reckons the sentence of absolution, passed upon a repentant sinner according to the Word of God, as binding. For this reason, no one who truly repents needs to doubt in any way that he is certainly received by God in grace, as Christ has declared, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven” (John 20:23), and “whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
Confession
That we may proceed to your readmission into the fellowship of Christ and His people, I ask you, __________, to stand now, and in the presence of God and His church respond to the following questions:
- Do you declare with all your heart that you are truly sorry for the sin and stubbornness on account of which you were justly excluded from the church?
- Do you also truly believe that the Lord has forgiven all your sins for the sake of Christ’s blood and now receives you by His grace and mercy through Him?
- Do you, therefore, desire to be readmitted to the church of Christ, promising, by the grace of God, to live from now on in all godliness according to the Word of God?
Answer: I do.
Declaration
We, then, being here assembled in the name and by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on His behalf, declare to you, __________, that you are set free from the bonds of excommunication. We joyfully receive you again into the church of our Lord, and declare that you share in the fellowship of Christ, of the holy sacraments, and of all the spiritual gifts and blessings of our Savior which God promises to His church and bestows upon her. May the eternal God preserve you in this to the end, through His only Son, Jesus Christ. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). Amen.
Charge
Dear brother/sister, be assured in your heart that the Lord Himself has received you in grace. Be diligent to guard yourself against the subtleties of Satan, the wickedness of the world, and the weakness of the flesh, lest you again become entangled in sin. The love of Christ has brought you back. Love Him, for He has forgiven much. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit anew, who promised in your baptism to dwell in you and to sanctify you as a member of Christ.
And you, dear fellow Christians, receive this brother/sister with all your love. Rejoice and be thankful, for this brother/sister was dead and now is alive; he/she was lost and now is found. Rejoice with the angels, for Christ said, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Count him no longer as a stranger, but as a fellow member with the saints of the household of God.
Prayer
Since there is no good in ourselves, let us, with praise and thanksgiving, implore the Lord Almighty for His mercy:
Gracious God and Father, we thank and praise You through Jesus Christ that You have granted this brother/sister godly sorrow and repentance unto life and have brought us to rejoice in this. We ask You to show him/her Your grace, that he/she may be continually assured of the complete remission of all sins, and may derive from that assurance joy and delight to serve You. Since for a time he/she has grieved many by his/her sin, grant that he/she may now edify many by his/her new path of faith. Grant also that he/she may walk steadfastly in Your ways until the end. Teach us, Father, by this example, that with You there is always forgiveness, and may You therefore be praised and adored. Grant now that we, with our brother/sister, may serve You with childlike fear and obedience all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, is the one and only true God. Amen.
Or:
… through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Readmission – Form 2
Announcement
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord:
As you are aware, some time ago our fellow member __________ was excommunicated from the church of Christ because of his/her persistence in a serious and offensive sin without any token of genuine repentance. As a congregation, it has been our prayer that God would use this excommunication as the extreme remedy to bring him/her to conversion. We thankfully announce that the Lord has answered our prayers, and we rejoice in the blessed results of Christian discipline. With joy we announce that __________ has repented and expressed his/her desire to be restored to fellowship with Christ and His people. According to God’s command, we are to receive back joyfully those who repent of their sins, and so, if there are no lawful objections, this readmission will be celebrated on __________. Meanwhile, let us praise the Lord for the favor shown to this poor sinner and ask God to perfect His powerful work of grace in him/her to his/her eternal salvation. Amen.
Afterwards, if no hindrance occurs, the minister shall proceed to the readmission of the excommunicated sinner according to the following form:
Readmission
Dear brothers and sisters:
It is known to you that __________, who was excommunicated, has requested to be readmitted to the communion of Christ and His church. Since no one has presented any valid reason why this restoration should not take place, we now proceed with gladness to receive our brother/sister again into the church of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord teaches us in Matthew 18 that those who have been excommunicated from the life and fellowship of the church are not deprived of all hope of salvation, for by way of faith and repentance, sinners may once more be set free from the bonds of condemnation. God even declares in His Word that He takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked,” but rather that he should “turn from his way and live” (Ezek. 33:11; cf. Luke 15).
Likewise, the church always hopes for the conversion of those who have fallen into gross sin and is ready to receive back the penitent, which is in keeping with what the apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 5. Therefore, all who truly repent should not doubt in any way that the Lord receives them in grace, as Christ assures us: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven” (John 20:23), and “whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19).
Confession
__________, please stand now, and in the presence of God and His people respond to the following questions:
- Do you declare before God and His church that you are truly sorry for your sin, and do you believe that the Lord has forgiven you for the sake of Christ?
- Do you reaffirm your union with Christ and desire to be readmitted to the covenant family of God, promising to live from now on in all godliness according to the command of the Lord?
- Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to strengthen your love and commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring and submitting to its authority, and do you join with the people of God in doing the work of the Lord to which He calls us?
Answer: I do.
Declaration
We, then, being here assembled in the name and by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, declare you, __________, to be set free from the bonds of excommunication. We joyfully receive you again into the church of our Lord, and declare that you share in the fellowship of Christ, of the holy sacraments, and of all the spiritual gifts and blessings of our Savior, which God promises to His church and bestows upon her. May the eternal God preserve you in this to the end, through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess. 5:24). Amen.
Charge
Dear brother/sister, be assured in your heart that the Lord Himself has received you in grace. Be diligent to guard yourself against the subtleties of Satan, the wickedness of the world, and the weakness of the flesh, lest you again become entangled in sin. The love of Christ has brought you back. Love Him, for He has forgiven much. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit anew, who promised in your baptism to dwell in you and to sanctify you as a member of Christ.
And you, dear fellow Christians, receive this brother/sister with all your love. Rejoice and be thankful, for this brother/sister was dead and now is alive; he/she was lost and now is found. Rejoice with the angels, for Christ said, “I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). Count him/her no longer as a stranger, but as a fellow member with the saints of the household of God.
Prayer
Since there is no good in ourselves, let us, with praise and thanksgiving, implore the Lord Almighty for His mercy:
Gracious God and Father, we thank and praise You through Jesus Christ that You have granted this brother/sister godly sorrow and repentance unto life and have brought us to rejoice in this. We ask You to show him/her Your grace, that he/she may be continually assured of the complete remission of all sins, and may derive from that assurance joy and delight to serve You. Since for a time he/she has grieved many by his/her sin, grant that he/she may now edify many by his/her new path of faith. Grant also that he/she may walk steadfastly in Your ways until the end. Teach us, Father, by this example, that with You there is always forgiveness, and may You therefore be praised and adored. Grant now that we, with our brother/sister, may serve You with childlike fear and obedience all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who, with You and the Holy Spirit, is the one and only true God. Amen.
Or:
… through Jesus Christ our Lord, who taught us to pray:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Ordination (or Installation) of Ministers of the Word and Sacraments
Congregation of Jesus Christ, the Council has made known to you the name of our brother __________, who is now to be ordained to the ministry of the Word and sacraments (or: installed in the ministry to which he has been called).
The Holy Scriptures teach us that Christ Jesus gathers, protects, and preserves for Himself a church out of the corrupt race of men for life eternal and gives to His church such teaching and care that she may grow in faith, love, and service. For this work, Christ, by a particular grace, uses men, appointing them to the preaching of the gospel and for the building up of His body. The apostle Paul solemnly charged Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2), and our Lord Jesus charged His disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). The apostle Paul declares that the Lord Jesus Christ has given “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12). For this reason, the church has recognized the distinct office of the minister of the Word.
The minister of the Word is called by the command of God to preach the gospel of His kingdom. This preaching has the twofold object of calling sinners to reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ and nurturing believers in the faith and life of the kingdom of God. Ministers are called “ambassadors for Christ,” as though He were pleading by them, “Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Therefore, this preaching must be addressed to all people. The preaching of the gospel must especially be addressed to the gathered congregation for the nurturing of Christian faith and life and for strengthening them against all error. Paul charged Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus …: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:1–2). And he charged Titus that a minister “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). The minister of the Word is called to administer the sacraments which the Lord has instituted as signs and seals of His grace. Christ gave this charge to His apostles, and through them to all ministers of the Word, when He commanded them to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), and when He said of the Lord’s Supper: “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Cor. 11:24–25). The minister of the Word is called to the service of prayer. In speaking of their calling, the apostles say, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). So, too, it is the calling of all God’s ministers to lead the people of God in “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings … for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions” (1 Tim. 2:1–2).
The minister of the Word is called, together with the elders, to shepherd the people of God in their Christian life, giving guidance and counsel in all that they need, exhorting them to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), and keeping the church of God in good order and discipline. They are pastors, appointed to shepherd the church of Christ, which He purchased with His own blood, in keeping with the Lord’s command: “Feed my lambs.… Feed my sheep” (John 21:15, 17). They, together with the elders, watch over the house of God for the right and fruitful ordering of the faith and life and worship of the people of God. In their exercise of the keys of the kingdom, what they “bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,” and what they “loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 18:18).
The officiating minister shall now read paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), or (5), depending on whether this is the ordination (or installation) of the pastor of an established congregation, a foreign missionary, a home missionary, a teacher of theology, or someone called to another task.
(1) For the Pastor of an Established Congregation
We now proceed to ordain [or: install] brother __________ as a minister of the Word and sacraments in this congregation. We rejoice that the Lord Jesus, in His faithful love, has provided a minister to serve as pastor and teacher to this people, and also as their leader in the missionary calling of this church. We receive this servant of our Lord from the hand and heart of the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. We are grateful that our Savior has committed preaching, teaching, and pastoral care to the office of the minister of the Word, and that He will continue to use sinful men for such high and holy purposes until the day of His return.
No one is able to fulfill this holy ministry in his own strength; therefore, we set our hope on Jesus Christ our Lord, who said: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Now, in order that it may appear that you, __________, are willing to accept this office, you are requested to stand, and in the presence of God and His church give your answer to the following questions:
- Do you believe that in the call of this congregation you are called by God Himself to this holy ministry?
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and do you reject every doctrine in conflict with them?
- Do you promise to discharge the duties of your office faithfully, to conduct yourself worthily of this calling, and to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church?
Answer: I do so believe and promise, God helping me.
The officiating minister shall then say (in the case of ordination: with the ceremony of the laying on of hands, other ministers present participating):
May God, our heavenly Father, who has called you to this holy office, enlighten you with His Spirit, strengthen you with His hand, and so govern you in your ministry that you may be engaged in it faithfully and fruitfully, to the glory of His name and the coming of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The officiating minister shall address the congregation:
Dear people of God and members of this church, since this solemn act involves obligations also on your part, I ask you before God:
- Do you, in the name of the Lord, welcome this brother as your pastor?
- Do you promise to receive the Word of God proclaimed by him and to encourage him in the discharge of his duty?
- Will you pray that he may, in the power of the Spirit, equip you in the work of advancing God’s kingdom for the honor of Christ our Lord, the building up of His church, and the salvation of men?
To these questions, what is your answer?
Answer: We do, God helping us.
The officiating minister (and/or others designated) shall then exhort the ordained minister and the congregation in the following manner:
Beloved brother and fellow servant in Christ, take heed to yourself and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you a guardian, to feed the church of the Lord which He obtained with His own blood. Love Christ and feed His sheep, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, and not domineering over those in your charge, but humbly serving all. Set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Attend to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching, and to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have. Take heed to your teaching. Be patient in all trials. Be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.
And you, beloved Christians, receive your minister in the Lord with all joy, and hold him in honor. Remember that through him God Himself speaks to you. Receive the Word that he, according to the Scripture, shall preach to you, not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the Word of God. Let the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, and bring the good news, be beautiful and pleasant to you. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17). If you do these things, the God of peace shall enter your homes. You who receive this man in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward, and through faith in Jesus Christ, the inheritance of eternal life.
No man is of himself sufficient for these things. Let us call upon the name of God:
Merciful Father, we are thankful that it pleases You by the ministry of men to gather Your church out of the lost human race to life eternal. We acknowledge the gift of this, Your servant, sent to this people as a messenger of Your peace. Send now the Holy Spirit upon him. Enlighten his mind to know the truth of Your Word. Give him the ability to make known the mystery of the gospel with boldness. Grant him the wisdom to care for and guide the people over whom he is placed. Through his ministry, build up Your holy church, and grant her increase in number and in virtue. Give Your servant courage through Your Spirit to fulfill his calling against every difficulty and to be steadfast to the end. We pray that this people will receive him as having been sent by You. May they receive his teaching and exhortation with all reverence, and believing in Christ through his word become partakers of eternal life. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, in whose name we pray:
The congregation shall say:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
(2) For a Foreign Missionary
Congregation of Jesus Christ, we now proceed to ordain [or: install] brother __________ as a foreign missionary, for service in __________.
It is the task of foreign missionaries to bring the gospel to foreign lands, so that all peoples may come to the knowledge of salvation and to the service of the Lord, and that the church of Jesus Christ may be established in all the earth. Jesus Christ said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14). In the person of her missionaries, the church reaches into the lives of those who are yet without God and without hope. She brings to all lands the witness that Jesus is the Son of God, that the glory of the nations belongs to Him, and that His grace, love, and redemption are offered to them in the way of repentance and faith. In this work of missions, the church may lift up her eyes to the Lord’s coming and look with longing to the day when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
No one is able to fulfill this holy ministry in his own strength; therefore, we set our hope on Jesus Christ our Lord, who said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Now, in order that it may appear that you, __________, are willing to accept this office, you are requested to stand, and in the presence of God and His church give your answer to the following questions:
- Do you believe that in the call of this congregation you are called by God Himself to this holy ministry?
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and do you reject every doctrine in conflict with them?
- Do you promise to discharge the duties of your office faithfully, to conduct yourself worthily of this calling, and to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church?
Answer: I do so believe and promise, God helping me.
The officiating minister shall then say (in the case of ordination: with the ceremony of the laying on of hands, other ministers present participating):
Go, then, brother, and bring the gospel to those to whom you are sent. Make disciples of them and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. May God, our heavenly Father, who has called you to this holy ministry, enlighten you with His Spirit, strengthen you with His hand, and so govern you in your ministry that you may be engaged in it faithfully and fruitfully, to the glory of His name and the coming of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ.
And you, congregation, continue in fellowship with this missionary whom you send forth in the name of Christ. Sustain him with your fervent prayers. Support him with your gifts. Strengthen his hand and heart in every need. As Christ received you, be ready to receive those who are brought into the body of Christ through his ministry, that there may be one flock and one shepherd.
No man is of himself sufficient for these things. Let us call upon the name of God:
Merciful Father, we are thankful that it pleases You by the ministry of men to gather Your church out of the lost human race to life eternal. We acknowledge the gift of this, Your servant, now being sent by this people in Your name to be a messenger to others of the good news of Your peace. Send now the Holy Spirit upon him. Enlighten his mind to know the truth of Your Word. Give him the ability to make known the mystery of the gospel with boldness. Grant him the wisdom to care for and guide the people over whom he is placed. Through his ministry, build up Your holy church, and grant her increase in number and in virtue. Give Your servant courage through Your Spirit to fulfill his calling against every difficulty and to be steadfast to the end. Let those to whom he comes see in him the ambassador of Christ, calling them to be reconciled to God. May they receive his teaching and exhortation with all reverence, and believing in Christ through his Word become partakers of eternal life. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, in whose name we pray:
The congregation shall say:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
(3) For a Home Missionary
Congregation of Jesus Christ, we now proceed to ordain [or: install] brother __________ as a home missionary, for service in __________.
Home missionaries are called, in particular, to preach the gospel and to provide spiritual care and instruction to those in our land who, though exposed to the witness of the church and the gospel, have been alienated or are yet estranged from the Lord and His church. In the parable of the great banquet, the Lord Jesus Christ has spoken about the lord who sent his servants out into the streets and lanes of the city, into the highways and hedges, to invite all men to his feast. Even so, our Lord calls us to bring men into the house of the King through the ministry of His love, in order that His house may be filled. The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached for a testimony to our own nation, as well as to all nations of the world. Thus, men are called to walk in the way of God’s commands and promises. And in this ministry we look to the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.
No one is able to fulfill this holy ministry in his own strength; therefore, we set our hope on Jesus Christ our Lord, who said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Now, in order that it may appear that you, __________, are willing to accept this office, you are requested to stand, and in the presence of God and his church give your answer to the following questions:
- Do you believe that in the call of this congregation you are called by God Himself to this holy ministry?
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and do you reject every doctrine in conflict with them?
- Do you promise to discharge the duties of your office faithfully, to conduct yourself worthily of this calling, and to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church?
Answer: I do so believe and promise, God helping me.
The officiating minister shall then say (in the case of ordination: with the ceremony of the laying on of hands, other ministers present participating):
Go then, brother, and bring the gospel to those to whom you are sent. Call the unbelieving to faith, the faithless to obedience, and invite men in the name of the Lord into the house of your King. May God, our heavenly Father, enlighten you with His Spirit, strengthen you with His hand, and so govern you in your ministry that you may fulfill it faithfully and fruitfully, to the glory of His name and the coming of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ.
And you, congregation, continue in fellowship with this missionary whom you send forth in the name of Christ. Sustain him with your fervent prayers. Support him with your gifts. Strengthen his hand and heart in every need. As Christ received you, be ready to receive those who are brought into the body of Christ through his ministry, that there may be one flock and one shepherd.
No man is of himself sufficient for these things. Let us call upon the name of God:
Merciful Father, we are thankful that it pleases You by the ministry of men to gather Your church out of the lost human race to life eternal. We acknowledge the gift of this, Your servant, now being sent by this people in Your name to be a messenger to others of the good news of Your peace. Send now the Holy Spirit upon him. Enlighten his mind to know the truth of Your Word. Give him the ability to make known the mystery of the gospel with boldness. Grant him the wisdom to care for and guide the people over whom he is placed. Through his ministry, build up Your holy church, and grant her increase in number and in virtue. Give Your servant courage through Your Spirit to fulfill his calling against every difficulty and to be steadfast to the end. Let those to whom he comes see in him the ambassador of Christ, calling them to be reconciled to God. May they receive his teaching and exhortation with all reverence, and believing in Christ through his word become partakers of eternal life. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, in whose name we pray:
The congregation shall say:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
(4) For a Teacher of Theology
Congregation of Jesus Christ, __________ has been appointed by this congregation for the particular task of teaching at __________ [institution/ministry]. We are mindful of the need to train men who, as ministers of the Word, shall preach the gospel of salvation to the people of God in the church of Christ and to people outside of the church of Christ.
The first messengers of peace in the days of the New Testament were taught directly by our Lord Jesus Christ, and were trained and sent by Him personally. After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, He gave various extraordinary gifts and knowledge of the mysteries, for the salvation of sinners and the edifying of the saints. But since those extraordinary methods lasted only as long as the Lord judged them to be necessary for the founding of His church among the nations, it was soon recognized that men needed to be trained for the holy ministry under the ordinary dispensation of the Spirit by the regular methods of education. Thus, Paul wrote to his fellow minister, Timothy, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).
For the most effective discharge of this task in our day, the church supports theological education and appoints ministers of the Word who will serve the cause of the gospel by teaching and training those who are to become ministers of the Word in Christ’s church. Our brother __________ has been called to serve in this important task.
No one is able to fulfill this holy ministry in his own strength; therefore, we set our hope on Jesus Christ our Lord, who said: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Now, in order that it may appear that you, __________, are minded to accept this office and fulfill this task, you are requested to stand and in the presence of God and His church give your answer to the following questions:
- Do you believe that in the call of this congregation you are called by God Himself to this holy ministry?
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and do you reject every doctrine in conflict with them?
- Do you promise to discharge the duties of your office faithfully, to conduct yourself worthily of this calling, and to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church?
Answer: I do so believe and promise, God helping me.
The officiating minister shall then say:
May God, our heavenly Father, enlighten you with His Spirit, strengthen you with His hand, and so govern you in your calling that you may discharge its duties faithfully and fruitfully, to the glory of His name and the coming of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
No man is of himself sufficient for these things. Let us call upon the name of God:
Merciful Father, we are thankful that it pleases You by the ministry of men to gather Your church out of the lost human race to life eternal. We acknowledge the gift of this, Your servant, sent to train men to be messengers of Your peace. Send now the Holy Spirit upon him. Enlighten his mind to know the truth of Your Word. Give him the power to teach others to speak to make known the mystery of the gospel with boldness. Endow him with wisdom to instruct and care for those men who are preparing for the gospel ministry, that through his ministry Your church will be preserved in peace, that she may increase in number and in virtue. Give Your servant courage through Your Spirit to fulfill his calling against every difficulty and to be steadfast to the end. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, in whose name we pray:
The congregation shall say:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
(5) For Someone Called to Another Task
Congregation of Jesus Christ, __________ has been called by this church for the particular task of __________, which is recognized as a labor that is spiritual in character, directly related to the ministry of the Word, and one which is to be performed as a service to the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is required that one so appointed be mindful of his ordination to the ministry of the church in the preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, the service of prayers, and the ministry of the care and discipline of the church of God. It is further required that one so appointed serve in his particular task as a minister of the Word of God, and in loyalty and service to the church by which he is called.
No one is able to fulfill this holy ministry in his own strength; therefore, we set our hope on Jesus Christ our Lord, who said, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).
Now, in order that it may appear that you, __________, are minded to accept this calling, you are requested to stand and in the presence of God and His church give your answer to the following questions:
- Do you believe that in the call of this congregation you are called by God Himself to this holy ministry?
- Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and do you reject every teaching in conflict with them?
- Do you promise to perform your task faithfully, to conduct yourself worthily of this calling, and to submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church?
- Do you elders and deacons feel in your hearts that you are lawfully called by God’s church, and therefore by God Himself, to your respective holy offices?
- Do you believe the Old and New Testaments to be the only Word of God, and the doctrinal standards of this church to be in harmony with them?
- Having heard the description of the purpose and requirements of these offices, do you promise to fulfill them faithfully by the grace of God: you elders, in the government of the church, together with the ministers of the Word; and you deacons, in the ministration to the poor?
- Do you promise to walk in all godliness and submit to the government of the church in all things pertaining to your office?
Answer: I do so believe and promise, God helping me.
The officiating minister shall then say:
May God, our heavenly Father, enlighten you with His Spirit, strengthen you with His hand, and so govern you in your calling that you may discharge its duties faithfully and fruitfully, to the glory of His name and the coming of the kingdom of His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
No man is of himself sufficient for these things. Let us call upon the name of God:
Merciful Father, we are thankful that it pleases You by the ministry of men to gather Your church out of the lost human race to life eternal. We acknowledge the extraordinary gift of this, Your servant, to participate in that calling. Send now the Holy Spirit upon him. Enlighten his mind to know the truth of Your Word. Give him the power to teach the mystery of the gospel. Give Your servant courage through Your Spirit to fulfill his calling against every difficulty and to be steadfast to the end. Grant this, O heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, in whose name we pray:
The congregation shall say:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Ordination of Elders and Deacons
Congregation of Jesus Christ:
The Council has made known to you the names of our brothers here present who were chosen to the offices of elder and deacon in this church. They have indicated their belief in our confessions by their agreement with the Form of Subscription. Since there were no lawful objections, we shall proceed to their ordination, in the name of the Lord.
Instruction
Let us listen to what the Word of God teaches regarding these offices.
The office of elder is based on the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, when He ascended, left His church in the world and provided it with officers who should rule in His name. The apostle Paul, in Acts, insists upon the ordination of elders in every church, and, in his first letter to Timothy, commands that those who “rule well” should “be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). In this and other passages, Paul distinguishes between the elders who labor particularly in the ministry of the Word and the sacraments and those who are responsible for the supervision of the church together with the ministers of the Word. Therefore, the church from the beginning has had elders in addition to ministers.
The work of the elders is that of ruling in the name of the ascended King, and, as servants of the great Shepherd, caring for His flock. It is also the duty of the elders to maintain the purity of the Word and sacraments and to uphold the good order of the church, carefully guarding the sanctity of the offices and faithfully exercising discipline. They should, with love and humility, promote the faithful discharge of the office by their fellow officers, having particular regard to the doctrine and conduct of the minister of the Word, that the church may be edified and may show itself to be the pillar and ground of the truth.
To fill such a sacred office honorably, the elders should set an example of godliness in their personal life, in their home life, and in their relations with their fellow men. Walking thus in all godliness, and faithfully discharging their office, “when the chief Shepherd appears,” they “will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).
The office of deacon is based upon the love and concern of Christ for His own. This concern is so great that He considers what is done to one of the least of His brothers as done to Him. In this way, our Lord identifies the needy as His representatives in our expression of sympathy and benevolent service on earth. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt. 25:35–36).
According to Acts 6, the apostles themselves in the beginning ministered to the needy; but afterward, being overburdened with this service to the extent that some were neglected, certain men were chosen, to whom they committed the special responsibility of exercising this ministry, leaving the apostles greater opportunity to continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the Word. Since that time, the church has recognized this service as a distinct office.
The work of the deacons consists in the faithful and diligent gathering of the offerings which God’s people in gratitude make to their Lord, in the prevention of poverty, in the humble and cheerful distribution of gifts according to the need, and in the relief of the distressed, both with kind deeds and with words of comfort and encouragement from Scripture.
To fill such a sacred office worthily, the deacons, as well as the elders, should set an example of godliness in their personal life, in their home life, and in their relations with their fellow men. Thus conducting themselves as worthy representatives of Christ’s loving care, and faithfully ministering in His name to those who are the beloved of God, they “gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 3:13).
Vows
Brothers, in order that the church may hear that you are willing to take your respective offices upon you, please answer the following questions:
Each answers individually: I do.
May the almighty God and Father fill you all with His grace, that you may faithfully and fruitfully discharge your respective offices. Amen.
Exhortation
I charge you, elders, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be diligent in the government of the church, which is committed to you jointly with the minister of the Word. Be faithful watchmen over the house of God, taking heed that purity of doctrine and godliness of life be maintained.
I charge you, deacons, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be diligent in receiving the gifts of God’s people, wise and cheerful in the distribution of the same, and sympathetic and self-denying in the ministry of Christian mercy.
I charge you, beloved Christians, to receive these brothers as the servants of God, sustaining them with your daily prayers. Render to the elders all honor, encouragement, and obedience in the Lord. Provide the deacons generously with the necessary gifts for the needy, remembering that, insomuch as you do it to the least of these his children, you do it to him. May God give us to see in the ministry of the elders the supremacy of Christ, and in the ministry of the deacons the care and love of the Savior.
Being thus engaged in your respective callings, each one of you shall receive of the Lord the reward of righteousness.
Prayer
O Lord God and heavenly Father, we give thanks that You have been pleased, for the better edification of Your church, to ordain in it rulers and assistants besides the ministers of the Word, by whom Your church may be preserved in peace and prosperity, and the needy assisted. We thank You for giving us in this place men who are of good testimony and by Your promise endowed with Your Spirit.
We ask You to provide them more and more with such gifts as are necessary for them in their service: with the gifts of wisdom, courage, discretion, benevolence, sympathy, and self-denial, to the end that each one may acquit himself as is becoming in his respective office. May the elders take great care of doctrine and life, in keeping out the wolves from the sheepfold of your beloved Son and in admonishing and reproving disorderly persons. Likewise, the deacons, in carefully receiving gifts and generously and wisely distributing them to the poor, and in comforting them with Your holy Word. Give grace both to elders and deacons, that they may persevere in their faithful labor and never become weary by reason of any trouble, pain, or persecution of the world.
Grant especially Your divine grace to this people, over whom they are placed, that they may willing submit themselves to the good exhortations of the elders, counting them worthy of honor for their work’s sake. Give to the rich generous hearts toward the needy, and to the needy grateful hearts toward those who help and serve them—to the end that, everyone acquitting himself of his duty, Your holy name may thereby be magnified, and the kingdom of Your Son, Jesus Christ, enlarged, in whose name we conclude our prayers. Amen.
Solemnization of Marriage – Form 1
The following announcement may be made on the previous Sunday:
The Consistory announces that __________ and __________ have indicated their intention to enter into the holy bond of marriage, according to the ordinance of God. They desire to begin this holy state in the name of the Lord and to complete it to His glory. If no lawful objection is brought forward, the ceremony will take place, Lord willing, on __________.
The officiant shall say:
We are assembled here in the presence of God for the purpose of joining in marriage __________ and __________. Since the Consistory has received no lawful objections, we may now proceed to the solemnization of their marriage in the name of the Lord. Therefore, let us reverently call to mind what the Word of God teaches us about marriage.
Instruction
The holy bond of marriage was instituted by God at the very beginning of history. He created man in His own image, supplied him with many blessings, gave him dominion over all things, and said: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18). “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:21–24). We therefore believe that in marriage God gives a man and a woman to each other as husband and wife, and, as an institution of God, it must be held in honor among all. Since they are united by His hand, nothing shall separate them in this life.
Our Lord Jesus honored marriage by His presence at the wedding in Cana, and confirmed it as an institution of God, as an honorable state, and as a lasting bond when He declared, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt. 19:6). God has made marriage a strong bond, He “hates divorce” (Mal. 2:16), and our Lord Jesus Christ explains in these words: “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Matt. 19:9). Since the Lord forbids immorality, “each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2), so that our bodies may be preserved as “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19) and we may “glorify God in [our] body” (1 Cor. 6:20). The apostle Paul shows the exalted nature of marriage when he calls it a symbol of the mystical union of the Savior and the church, His redeemed bride, commending it as a state honorable among all.
The Word of God also teaches us the purpose of marriage. First, husband and wife shall live together in sincere love and holiness, helping each other faithfully in all things. Secondly, by marriage the human race is to be continued and increased. Thirdly, by marriage the advancement of the kingdom of God is to be promoted. This purpose calls for loving devotion to each other and a common responsibility for the nurturing of children in the true knowledge and fear of the Lord, which the Lord may give them as His heritage and as parties to His covenant.
For the home which marriage establishes, the Lord ordained that the man should be the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and that he should protect her and provide for her in love—a love which, if exercised in the Spirit and after the example of Christ, will be conducive to mutual happiness. God also ordained that the wife should be subject to the husband in all things according to His Word, showing him respect even as the church does to Christ. Thus the liberty of both husband and wife is glorified by mutual loyalty to God’s law. A home so begun in the name of the Lord and regulated by His commandments becomes the very foundation of a Christian society and affords a foretaste of the eternal home.
Marriage, then, is a divine ordinance intended to be a source of happiness, an institution of the highest significance to the human race, and a symbol of the union of Christ and his church. We may, therefore, as Christians, look with confidence for grace in the discharge of our mutual responsibilities and for guidance and help in our common difficulties and trials.
Statement of Intent
And now, __________ and __________, having heard from the Word of God the teaching concerning marriage, do you agree with it, and do you desire to enter into this holy state of marriage as ordained by God?
Groom: I do.
Bride: I do.
May the Lord confirm the desire and purpose of your hearts, and may your beginning be in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Vows
To the groom (repeating after the minister):
I, __________, take you, __________, to be my wife. I promise before God, and all who are present here, to be your loving and faithful husband. I will love you and give myself up for you, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you, and never forsake you, as long as we both shall live.
To the bride (repeating after the minister):
I, __________, take you, __________, to be my husband. I promise before God, and all who are present here, to be your loving and faithful wife. I will love you and submit to you, as the church loves and submits to Christ. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you, and never forsake you, as long as we both shall live.
Ring Ceremony
To the groom:
Do you give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?
Groom: I do.
Optional: I give you this ring as a symbol of my constant faithfulness and abiding love.
To the bride:
Do you give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?
Bride: I do.
Optional: I give you this ring as a symbol of my constant faithfulness and abiding love.
Pronouncement
I now pronounce you, _________ and _________, husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate. From this day forward, as you travel life’s pathway together, may the Father of all mercies, who of His grace has called you to this holy state of marriage, bind you together in true love and faithfulness and grant you His blessing.
__________ and __________, since we cannot expect anything from ourselves, you shall kneel before the Lord and we shall pray with you and for you that He may enable you to fulfill your vows and grant you His blessing.
Prayer
Most merciful and gracious God, of whom the whole family of heaven and earth is named, we ask You to set your seal of approval upon the marriage which our brother and sister have begun this day. Give them Your fatherly benediction; grant them grace and Your Holy Spirit to fulfill with pure and constant affection the vow and covenant made between them. Guide them in the way of righteousness and peace, that, loving and serving You with one mind and heart all the days of their life, they may be abundantly enriched with the tokens of Your everlasting favor in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In all of life’s experiences, lift up Your countenance upon them, that they may be thankful in prosperity and patient in adversity. May their marriage be fruitful. Grant them wisdom and strength to build a home which shall be to the glory of Your name and the coming of Your kingdom. May they live together many years, and in the hour of death may they part in the blessed hope of celebrating forever with all the saints of God the marriage of Christ and the church He loved. Hear our prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray, saying:
Congregation:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Solemnization of Marriage – Form 2
After the processional, the officiant shall say:
Dear family members and friends,
We have come into God’s presence to join in marriage ____________ and ____________. In doing so, we seek to honor the will of God for marriage, the concern of the Christian church for its well-being, and the interest of the state in the orderly development of society. That we may do so, let us seek God’s favor and blessing upon this blessed ceremony.
Prayer of Invocation
God, our Father, we praise You for making and redeeming us to live together in love. We thank You for the love and trust which bring __________ and __________ to this, their wedding day. Favor them with the honor of Your presence, and unite them by Your Spirit, so that together they may reflect the love of Christ for His church and the church’s devotion to her Savior. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Parting from Parents (giving of bride optional)
Today __________ and __________ leave their parents to establish a new home.
Do you, Mr. and Mrs. __________, give your blessing to them and promise to uphold them in their pledge of love and fidelity to each other?
They answer: We do (God helping us).
Do you, Mr. and Mrs. __________, give your blessing to them and promise to uphold them in their pledge of love and fidelity to each other?
They answer: We do (God helping us).
Optional: Who gives this woman to this man?
Father/guardian answers: I do (or: Her mother and I do, or We do).
Institution and Meaning of Marriage
Dear Christian friends, since we have received no lawful objections to this proposed union, it is fitting that we call to mind the institution, purpose, and obligations of marriage as taught in God’s Word.
The holy bond of marriage was instituted by God Himself at the beginning. God made man after His own image, and gave to him the blessing and task to exercise dominion over all things. In so doing, God said: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen. 2:18). And so God created woman of man’s own substance and brought her to the man. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
Our Lord Jesus Christ confirmed the blessedness of marriage, declaring it to be a lasting union, when he said, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matt. 19:6). The apostle Paul shows the exalted significance of marriage when he calls the union of husband and wife a symbol of the mystic union between Christ and His church (Eph. 5:31–32). Thus, we learn that marriage is well-pleasing to God and most honorable to all who maintain it with mutual love and fidelity.
In marriage, as instituted by God, a man and a woman covenant to live together in a lifelong, exclusive partnership of love and fidelity (Gen. 2:18; Matt. 19:5–6). If marriage is to be pleasing in the sight of God, those who enter into this covenant of life must share a common commitment to the Lord of life.
In putting His blessing on marriage, God’s purpose was to provide a context within which husband and wife can help and comfort each other and find mutual companionship before the Lord, a setting within which they may give loving and tender expression to the desires He gave them, a secure environment within which children may be born and taught to know and serve the Lord, a structure that enriches society and contributes to its orderly function, and a relationship that serves to further His kingdom and bring Him glory.
Indeed, when these purposes are prayerfully pursued in union with Christ, the kingdom of God is advanced, and the blessedness of husband and wife is assured.
The institution and purpose of marriage also brings with it obligations for each partner. In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul admonishes all Christians to develop a mutual respect and love, when he says, “[Submit] to one another out of reverence for Christ” (verse 21). When he applies this to the marriage relationship, he instructs the wife to be subject to her husband as the church is subject to Christ, its head. He also instructs the husband to pattern his love for his wife after the example of Christ’s love for His body, the church. Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (verse 22), and, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (verse 25). In marriage, this requires that the husband and wife serve each other by providing the love, respect, and faith that will enrich their lives together and build a Christ-centered home.
Our sinful and selfish tendency to break down what God has built threatens marriage with tensions, anguish, and even broken bonds. People who marry in the Lord, however, may trust that He will lead them and graciously provide for their needs when they follow the biblical pattern for love. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:4–8).
To desire marriage, as instituted by God and ordered according to his Word, then, means that we may not enter into it carelessly or from selfish motives, but responsibly and prayerfully. It also means that we must seek God’s grace in order that we might faithfully fulfill the obligations and privileges of marriage, both in life’s joys and in its trials.
Declaration of Intent
And now, __________ and __________, understanding that God has instituted, ordered, and blessed the holy union of marriage, do you affirm this biblical teaching, and do you commit yourselves to each other in accordance with it?
Each answers: I do.
Then the officiant says:
May the Lord confirm the desire and purpose of your hearts, and may your beginning be in the name of the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer.
Vows
To the groom (repeating after the minister):
I, __________, take you, __________, to be my wife. I promise before God, and all who are present here, to be your loving and faithful husband. I will love you and give myself up for you, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you, and never forsake you, as long as we both shall live.
To the bride (repeating after the minister):
I, __________, take you, __________, to be my husband. I promise before God, and all who are present here, to be your loving and faithful wife. I will love you and submit to you, as the church loves and submits to Christ. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health. I will serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you, and never forsake you, as long as we both shall live.
Exchange of Rings (optional)
To the groom:
__________, do you give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?
Groom: I do.
To the bride:
__________, do you give this ring as a symbol of your constant faithfulness and abiding love?
Bride: I do.
Declaration of Marriage
Thereupon the officiant says:
According to the laws of the state and the ordinances of the church of Christ, I now pronounce you, __________ and __________, husband and wife, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate. From this day forward, as you travel life’s pathway together, may the Father of all mercies, who of His grace has called you to this holy state of marriage, bind you together in true love and faithfulness and grant you His blessing.
Pastor’s Message
Prayer Following the Ceremony of Marriage
Prayer Option A
Our Father in heaven, grant your blessing on __________ and ___________ in their union as husband and wife. We give You thanks for the vows they have spoken to one another and the pledge of love and fidelity in which they are now united. May they find Your love and fidelity to them the source and blessing for the promises they have expressed. We pray that Jesus Christ will ever reign as the acknowledged head of their home and the master of their lives. Gracious Father, equip them with the Holy Spirit, so that they may walk with one another in patience and serve You and each other sacrificially. Work Your grace in their marriage, so that, as husband and wife, they may express abiding kindness to one another. And grant to them a lasting trust in Jesus Christ our Lord, so that You are praised, whether in life’s abundance and joys or in life’s burdens and trials.
May their home, then, be a place of joy and security, and in times of difficulty a haven of healing and forgiveness. May they, and the children You may be pleased to give them, give constant thanks to You. Be pleased to bestow these blessings on them, our heavenly Father, who, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, our eternal God, is blessed and exalted forever. Amen.
Prayer Option B
Our most merciful and gracious God, the Creator of all life and all persons, we ask that You might be pleased to set Your seal of approval on the marriage our brother and sister have entered into today. Give them Your fatherly blessing; grant them grace and Your Holy Spirit to fulfill with pure and abiding affection their vows to one another. Guide them in the way of the gospel, of forgiveness, grace, peace, and charity, so that they may love and serve You with one mind and heart all the days of their life together. And may they be abundantly enriched with the tokens of Your everlasting favor in Christ Jesus our Lord. In all of life’s experiences, lift up Your fatherly favor on them, so that they may be thankful when life goes well and patient in adversity and trial. May their marriage be fruitful for this life and the life to come. Grant them, we ask, wisdom and strength to build a home that glorifies Your name and serves the coming of Your kingdom. May they live together many years, and in the hour of death may they part in the blessed hope of the everlasting celebration of the marriage of Christ and the church He loves. Hear our prayer, our gracious Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the communion of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Optional: Invitation for the Groom to Kiss His Bride
Presentation of the Couple
Whereupon the officiant says:
Dear family members and friends, it is my honor to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. __________.
(The recessional follows.)
Form of Subscription
We, the undersigned ministers of the gospel, elders, and deacons of the United Reformed congregation of _________________________ of the Classis of _________________________ do hereby, sincerely and in good conscience before the Lord, declare by this our subscription that we heartily believe and are persuaded that all the articles and points of doctrine contained in the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism of the Reformed Churches, together with the explanation of some points of the aforesaid doctrine made by the National Synod of Dordrecht, 1618–1619, do fully agree with the Word of God.
We promise, therefore, diligently to teach and faithfully to defend the aforesaid doctrine, without either directly or indirectly contradicting the same by our public preaching, teaching, or writing.
We declare, moreover, that we not only reject all errors that militate against this doctrine and particularly those that were condemned by the abovementioned Synod, but also are disposed to refute and contradict them and to exert ourselves in keeping the church free from such errors. And if hereafter any difficulties or different sentiments respecting the aforesaid doctrines should arise in our minds, we promise that we will neither publicly nor privately propose or defend the same, either by preaching, teaching, or writing, until we have first revealed such sentiments to the Consistory, Classis, or Synod, that the same may there be examined, being ready always cheerfully to submit to the judgment of the Consistory, Classis, or Synod, under the penalty, in case of refusal, of being by that very fact suspended from our office.
And further, if at any time the Consistory, Classis, or Synod, upon sufficient grounds of suspicion and to preserve the uniformity and purity of doctrine, may deem it proper to require of us a further explanation of our sentiments respecting any particular article of the Confession of Faith, the Catechism, or the explanation of the National Synod, we do hereby promise to be always willing and ready to comply with such requisition, under the abovementioned penalty, reserving for ourselves, however, the right of appeal in case we should believe ourselves aggrieved by the sentence of the Consistory or the Classis; and until a decision is made upon such an appeal, we will acquiesce in the determination and judgment already passed.