Worship is an extremely important element in the life of Oakhurst. As part of our covenant, each member pledges to gather regularly with the church to worship God, share the Good News, and continually examine its implications for one's life.

QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT WORSHIP AT OAKHURST

What happens in worship?

Corporate worship, ideally, allows us to praise God's love and seek God's presence as children of God. Because worship is a communal of gratitude and love for God our creator, redeemer, and sustainer, it also allows us to gather with one another as sisters and brothers in Christ and celebrate our community. This means that worship is not a performance by the preacher, the choir, or the musicians; and worship leaders do not substitute for the congregation or stand between the congregation and God. All persons are participants in the worship services.

Worship is also where we gain knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual strength to carry out our discipleship in the world. To facilitate this at Oakhurst, we try to worship so as to involve the whole person head and heart, thoughts and emotions through sermons, music, dance, drama, and other means. The goal is to provide opportunities in worship both to receive sustenance and to offer our gifts and abilities for service.

How is the worship theme determined?

For the most part, the church follows a three-year calendar of Scripture readings known as a lectionary which is designed for people to hear a wide variety of biblical passages. It also corresponds to the major festivals of the Christian church year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, and Pentecost. Occasionally the church diverges from the lectionary to celebrate other events, such as Covenant Sunday, Reformation Sunday, Peace Sunday, World Communion Sunday, Great Day, etc.

Who plans worship?

The members of the congregation, along with the pastor, form worship planning teams that meet to discuss the upcoming lectionary readings and help decide on the themes and format of the services. This allows for a diversity of theologies and worship styles that reflects the diversity and inclusiveness of the congregation.

Who's in charge?

For those who are accustomed to one person leading every Sunday, Oakhurst's "cast of thousands" may seem confusing. We believe every member is a minister, and so worship is led by staff members and by laypeople. We have the same idea about serving the Lord's Supper. Both ordained clergy and laity are eligible to serve communion, because we believe that we are all called as God's ministers.

What about music at Oakhurst?

Music is an important part of worship at Oakhurst. The services seek to use musical talent within the church in the worship of God. An important element at Oakhurst is the Sanctuary Choir, which is noted for it’s excellence in performing great choral music. The church also has a Gospel Choir, and two children's choirs. 

Why use inclusive language?

For centuries people speaking the English language have assumed that words like man and his could be used to indicate persons of either gender, women or men alike. At Oakhurst we are seeking to be sensitive to the fact that our language helps shape the way we see the world, and so we are working to make our language more available to all people regardless of gender, race, or other qualities. That is why some familiar hymn texts may be altered slightly, and why the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is most often used.

 

What about the banners?

The banners have been made over the years by Oakhurst members. We have found that worship is greatly enhanced when all our senses, including sight, are engaged. Banners are one way that we can focus our thoughts on the service and thus worship God and enjoy God forever