When we gather for worship as Church, we expect to receive from God - to hear what he wants to say to us, and to feed on him in our hearts.
Word and Spirit
God is always giving in order that we might receive from him. Christians have a hunger to hear from God, just as a child wants to hear the voice of their mother or father. God is a God who speaks. He does this the same he always has done – through his Holy Spirit and his prophets. In the Bible, God spoke through a group of people called prophets. They were messengers of God. We no longer have prophets but God still speaks to us through his Holy Spirit. He speaks when we hear, read and study his word, the Bible. The complete Bible we have is the word of God to us – it reveals who God is, what God has done and what God is going to do. God speaks into our lives though his ‘word,’ pointing out the things we do wrong and encouraging us to depend on his Spirit to empower us to live lives according to God’s will.
At Christ Church the Word of God is central to all our worship services. Each service one or two or sometimes four readings from the Bible. An explanation is given on one of the readings. We have Bibles available for the congregation to see for themselves what the passage says and to follow along.
Word and Sacrament
So we receive from God as he speaks to us through his word by his Spirit. We also receive spiritually from God through the two sacraments of the Church: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Through baptism we receive the sign and seal of being a Christian, we become baptised members of the Church, and through the symbol of water are reminded of the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we receive Holy Communion, we remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. By doing so we receive the benefits of our new life in Christ. As the word of God is made visible through the sacrament of communion we are assured of our status and identity in Christ – forgiven, innocent, dead in our sins and alive with Christ.
To receive from God, through word, sacrament, and by his Spirit, come and worship at one of our services or contact us for more info.
