100 Years of “Going to the Sermon”
Cory Griess reflects on 100 years of the Protestant Reformed Churches' commitment to preaching as the central element of worship, contrasting the Reformed emphasis on hearing God's Word with both Roman Catholic sacramentalism and contemporary evangelical worship practices that marginalize the sermon. The article argues for maintaining the conviction that corporate worship fundamentally depends on the faithful preaching and application of Scripture, positioning this as a core Reformed principle rooted in the Reformation itself.
GOING TO THE SERMON During the Reformation period, if a Roman Catholic person was on his way to church and someone asked him where he was going, he would say, "I am on my way to the mass." If the same question was put to a Reformed person, however, it was widely known that he would respond, "I am on my way to the sermon." The preached word was central to the worship services of the Reformed even as the idolatrous mass was central to the worship services of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org