The Directory for Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA) says: "Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God's service in the world" (Book of Order, W-1.1001). The Confession of 1967 says: "The church responds to the message of reconciliation in praise and prayer. In that response, it commits itself afresh to its mission, experiences a deepening faith and obedience, and bears open testimony to the gospel. Adoration of God is acknowledgment of the Creator by the creation. Confession of sin is admission of...guilt before God and of [the] need for [God's] forgiveness. Thanksgiving is rejoicing in God's goodness to all...and in giving for the needs of others. Petitions and intercessions are addressed to God for the continuation of [divine] goodness, the healing of [humanity's] ills, and...deliverance from every form of oppression. The arts, especially music and architecture, contribute to the praise and prayer of a Christian congregation when they help [worshipers] to look beyond themselves to God and to the world which is the object of [God's] love" (Book of Confessions, 9.50). For Presbyterians, Scripture is the Word written, preaching is the Word proclaimed, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the Word enacted and sealed. All three -- Scripture, proclamation, and sacraments -- bear testimony to Jesus Christ, who is the living Word. "In Christian worship the people of God...
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