A “liturgy” is simply the order of the worship service. The liturgy at First URC is a patterned dialogue between God and His people. God speaks and His people respond. For example, notice below at the beginning of the service that God calls His people to worship and they respond in song. Then, God calls His people to confess their sins and they respond in song… This dialogue continues back and forth, repeating throughout morning and evening services. Also, notice that the preaching of the Word holds the central place in the services - nearly half the time in worship is spent listening to what God has to say to His people.
Morning Liturgy
Prelude
Praise Time
Opening of the Service
Call to Worship
God's Greeting
Opening Song
Service of Reconciliation
Call to Confession
Song of Confession
Assurance of Pardon
God's Will for Our Lives
Service of Gratitude
Congregational Prayer
Offering
Service of the Word
Song of Preparation
Scripture Reading
Confessional Standard (when applicable)
Sermon
Prayer of Application
Song of Response
Closing of the Service
Benediction
Doxology
Evening Liturgy
Prelude
Song Service
The Church Gathers Together
Call to Worship
God's Greeting
Opening Song
To Affirm our Faith
Recitation of Creed
Song of Response
To Praise God
Reading of Praise Selection
Hymn of Praise
For Service of Gratitude
Congregational Prayer
Offering
To Hear God's Word
Song of Preparation
Scripture Reading
Sermon
Prayer of Application
Song of Application
And Departs to Serve
Benediction
Parting Hymn
At the dawn of the old covenant, Israel gathered for worship at the tabernacle, which they properly called the “tent of meeting” (Lev. 1:1). Likewise, in the new covenant, we still come to meet and hear from God: we “have come to Mount Zion . . . and to God . . . and to Jesus” (Heb. 12:22–24). We believe that when we gather on Sundays, we meet with God to hear from Him and for Him to hear from us. What goes on is something of a divine dialogue, and a thoughtful liturgy will be structured to reflect the back-and-forth nature of that encounter.
Jonathan Landry Cruse, What is a Liturgy?