Reform this

Guess who's preaching at a Presbyterian Church on March 7th?  Yes, this Methodist is.  How did this happen?  Well, I work for a Methodist social service agency and part of my job is to give presentations to various church groups about us.  Most are Methodist, but not all.  Sometimes we receive invitations to preach.  The minister on staff used to fulfill these requests, but she resigned a while ago and they did not replace her.  So it falls to me.  I haven't preached since 1995, but I assured the pastor of the church (who will be away that weekend) that I am a seminary graduate and have experience preaching.  She was very pointed in telling me this was a traditional Reform service.  So I guess my Call to Worship can't begin:

Lord, who sent your Son to atone for the sins of all, grant that we may not resist your grace...

Just kidding!  The pastor sent me a copy of a recent bulletin, and the structure of the service is very similar to my church, except for a few things.  They actually have a prayer of confession in the service.  We think this is too much of a downer.  They say the Apostle's Creed after the sermon.  We think this is too antiquated.  See, now I'm making fun of us.  We do say the creed whenever there is a baptism, and we confess during our monthly eucharistic service (Service of Word and Table).  I don't know why we don't every week, but I wish we did.  Actually, I wish we had communion every week.  We do have eucharist after the main service in the chapel, so you can commune weekly.  Not quite the same theologically, though it's a step forward. 

More to come on my Reform adventure!