Reformed Christian Studies

 By Ryan Biese - Posted at Mid the Pines: Terry Johnson annually asks good questions regarding the worship services accompanying PCA Generally Assemblies. Why does GA worship typically not reflect the historic principles of Reformed worship? I am relatively new to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). I was reared in the mainline (theologically liberal) Lutheran Church (ELCA) with its normative principle of worship. Worship in the ELCA of the 1990s and 2000s was characterized by robes, processions, well-developed liturgy, the liturgical calendar, candles, kneeling for Holy Communion, strong congregational singing, and, alas, short homilies and sometimes kitschy attempts to make worship “relevant.” While at Grove City College , I was exposed to Reformed Worship at a local congregation , which was decidedly different from my previous experience. Worship was dialogical and characterized by speaking Scripture and singing Scripture either from the psalter or from hymns that reflected th