20th JANUARY, 2008
Moravian worship has a spirit of its own. While certain elements have been adopted from other religious groups, Moravians have sought to transform and utilize such as the Spirit leads. The worship services are different in almost every place as one allows the Holy Spirit to dictate the setting and mood of the worship. This is not to eliminate the element of planning, for God is not the author of confusion. As Worship Leaders we ought to plan and then allow the Holy Spirit to work without hindering the mood or atmosphere of the worship.
Count Nicholas Von Zinzendorf one of the architects of the Renewed Moravian Church, emphasized that the Moravian Church is a religion of the heart. Without negating the importance of Creeds, Liturgies, Litanies and some vital Traditions, Zinzendorf felt that the Child of God must speak to his or her conversion experience and should not quench the Holy Spirit. In the final analysis, we gather together to Worship God and God alone. Therefore, in every aspect of the Worship we should ask, how can we Honour God through this? If we cannot answer that question may be that element of Worship should not be there.
Moravians strongly believe that the end result of worship should be to lift worshippers into the presence of Christ. Since all Liturgies and forms of worship can become sterile and as if one were just going through the motion, a Unity Synod early in the last century declared:
All liturgies and litanies should exemplify the spirit of the living church of Christ. The essence and soul of our meetings is not to be found in any (fixed) form, beautiful and attractive as that should ever be, but rather in the religion of the heart.
Like other Protestants, Moravians believe in the Priesthood of all believers. Every Christian has direct access to God. No Priest or Pastor is needed to raise up prayers for people, as though their own praise and intercession are inadequate. No intermediary is necessary for hearing confession of sins. Christ is the Head of the church, and the emphasis on religion of the heart accompanies this doctrine. This is not to be perceived as a free for all, but an admission that our worship must come from a genuine desire to praise God.
