A typical Sunday morning worship service at Sandy Springs follows this order:
Call to Worship from God to his people, usually using a few verses from a Psalm
Prayer of Invocation asking God to accept and bless our worship, ending with Lord’s Prayer in unison
Hymn expressing praise and adoration for God
God’s Law is read, often the Ten Commandments
Prayer of Confession asking forgiveness for sins exposed by God’s Law
Good News of the gospel is announced using a few Bible verses
Hymn responding to the gospel – praising Jesus Christ, thanking God for his amazing grace, or expressing our faith or repentance
Tithes & Offering are collected by the deacons, and the congregation sings a short doxology
Prayer of Intercession over the shared concerns of our church prayer list
Hymn affirming the Prayer of Intercession, or preparing for the sermon
Scripture Lesson reading the Bible passage that will be expounded in the sermon
Sermon expounding the Scripture Lesson for perhaps 30-40 minutes
Hymn responding to something learned in the sermon
Benediction announcing Christ’s priestly blessing on his people
This simple sequence is meant to reflect our biblical principles and God-centered priorities for worship. These include the “regulative principle” (i.e., our understanding that the activities of worship should be authorized in the Bible), the “dialogical principle” (i.e., our understanding that worship should be structured as a covenant conversation between God and the church, mediated by Christ), as well as classically Reformed emphases on the holiness, sovereignty, and grace of our triune God.