I was going to post a comment on Mike’s blog. But decided it’s too long to just comment upon. So I’m reposting it with my thoughts.
This is so true. There is a trend and it’s surprisingly quite extensive. Protestant “Christians” moving back to the Roman and Orthodox Churches. If you have observed the news the past number of years, you will recall seeing a number of prominent people making this move. Most selecting it as a better choice for “traditional” worship. Here are a few…
Hank Hanegraaff, the host of The Bible Answer Man, officially joined the Eastern Orthodox Church on April 9, 2017. His conversion, which took place at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the result of a years-long process of questioning some aspects of evangelicalism and seeking a deeper, more vibrant faith
J.D. Vance joined the Roman Catholic Church in 2019 after a period of study with the Dominicans. He was baptized and received his first communion that year. Vance was raised Protestant and had become an atheist before his conversion, which was influenced by an intellectual and philosophical connection to Catholic social teaching and tradition.
In my opinion this is one of the more sad aspects of today’s visible church. And while it is quite possible that both men do have a true faith in Christ as savior, the need to go to these two faith organizations to find a better worship and faith tradition is saddening.
I have not met Chris Gordon, but the small Reformed Church Pastor I am in a Zoom Bible Study and who’s church in the Bay Area I attend periodically, knows him and say he is one of the “good” guy’s in Reformed teaching. I ran into his blog site earlier this year, check it out also. The message Mike posts below is a good one.
As I read the article I made these notes….
“The long biblical tradition of idolatry was sufficient warning to them that the use of other means contrary to God’s appointing would promote idolatry in worship.
“They appreciated beauty in simplicity. Icons, relics, veneration of saints, worship of Mary and angels, and even the view of Christ transubstantiated in the supper they viewed as a denial of the risen Christ who is to be worshiped in heaven.
“Such practices are not Apostolic; rather, they supply us in our times with a direct application of the warning of the biblical writers that such a return to the old covenant types and shadows in worship denies Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice, and that attempting to pull Christ down to us through mere beauty so that He is worshiped through icons constitutes the very invented worship that the Apostles condemned (Rom. 10:5–13; Col. 2:23; Heb. 10:29). It is for this reason that the Heidelberg Catechism condemns the Roman Catholic Mass as idolatry (Q&A 80).”
Below is that full Q&A.
Lord’s Day 30
Q80. How does the Lord’s Supper
differ from the Roman Catholic Mass?
A. The Lord’s Supper declares to us
that all our sins are completely forgiven
through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
which he himself accomplished on the cross once for all.1
It also declares to us
that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ,2
who with his true body
is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father3
where he wants us to worship him.4
But the Mass teaches
that the living and the dead
do not have their sins forgiven
through the suffering of Christ
unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests.
It also teaches
that Christ is bodily present
under the form of bread and wine
where Christ is therefore to be worshiped.
Thus the Mass is basically
nothing but a denial
of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ
and a condemnable idolatry.
1 John 19:30; Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 25–26; 10:10–18
2 1 Cor. 6:17; 10:16–17
3 Acts 7:55–56; Heb. 1:3; 8:1
4 Matt. 6:20–21; John 4:21–24; Phil. 3:20; Col. 3:1–3
Here is an early example of how worship, with perhaps a good intent goes the wrong way…. very early in the Bible.
Exo 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Exo 32:2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
Exo 32:3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
Exo 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Exo 32:5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
Exo 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
Or as the Psalmist writes….the true and the false way to worship.
And that’s not the last time we see the many forms of false worship.
The Psalmist writes that those who worship idols be come like them (v8).
To Your Name Give Glory
Psa 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
Psa 115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
Psa 115:3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
Psa 115:4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
Psa 115:5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
Psa 115:6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
Psa 115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
Psa 115:8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
Psa 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
Psa 115:12 The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
Psa 115:13 He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
Psa 115:14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
Psa 115:15 Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
Psa 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
Psa 115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Psa 115:18 But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.
I like the particular comment about the Reformed Faith…
Horton Davies provides some of the early Reformed liturgies in his work The Worship of the English Puritans. Consider Calvin’s La Forme, in Geneva, 1542: Scripture sentences, confession of sins, metrical psalm, prayer for illumination, Scripture reading (NT), sermon, Lord’s Prayer, Apostles’ Creed, metrical psalm, and the Aaronic blessing. One is struck by the simplicity of the liturgy and also by the direct correlation to the elements of worship practiced by the early church.
The earliest post–New Testament Christian writings that discuss worship, such as the Didache and Justin Martyr’s First Apology, speak of the elements of Scripture readings, prayer, preaching, singing, and the Lord’s Supper, with little difference from a common Reformational liturgy.
I will conclude that the small Reformed Church Pastor I mentioned does in fact lead through a great traditional liturgy. Here is an outline of this week’s service..A simple service with music lead by a single piano played and congregational singing. There is plenty of “tradition” in this to keep me in the Reformed faith. And note in particular that the Reformed tradition does teach through the Three Forms of Unity as well as the Westminster Standards in their traditional Evening Service….over the years rotating through all of them.
We are REFORMED in our faith and practice according to the Scriptures as summarized during the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation in the Three Forms of Unity: Belgic Confession (1561), Heidelberg Catechism (1563) and Canons of Dort (1619). We believe that we come into a saving relationship with God only because of His gracious work in our hearts and therefore He deserves our praise in every area of life.
Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Morning Sermon Outline
Luke 1:26-36
God’s Announcement of Blessing
Recipients of Blessing
Form of Blessing
Avenue of Blessing
Evening Sermon Outline
John 17:1-26
The Cross of Christ
The Aim of the Cross
The Accomplishment of the Cross
The Application of the Cross
December 7, 2025
Morning Worship Service
Called to Worship
*Pre-service Hymn Red # 203: all
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Call to Worship Colossians 1:18-20
- God’s Greeting Jude 1-2
- Hymn of Praise Red #201: all
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Service of the Confession
God’s Law (Hebrews 2:14-18)
Prayer of Confession
*Hymn of Response Red #219: all
All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord
*Assurance of Pardon
Response of Gratitude
Morning offering for the General Fund
(Gifts not otherwise designated are assumed to be for this purpose.)
Congregational Prayer (followed by silent prayer) Red #725: all
Lord’s Prayer
Service of the Word
- Hymn of Preparation Red # 217: 1, 2, 3, 4
All My Heart This Night Rejoices Scripture: Luke 1:26-36
Sermon: God’s Announcement of Blessing
Prayer of Response - Hymn of Response Red #210: all
Silent Night! Holy Night!
Leaving to Serve
- Benediction Hebrews 13:20-21
- Doxology Red #493: all
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow - Those who are able, please stand.
Evening Worship Service
Called to Worship
- Call to Worship Psalm 40:1-3
- God’s Greeting 2 Peter 1:1-2
- Hymn of Praise Blue # 111: all
O Lord, My God, Most Earnestly
Service of Confession
• The Apostles’ Creed See reverse side of Bulletin
- Response to the Creed (unannounced) Blue # 491: all
Glory Be to the Father (Gloria Patri)
Service of Thanksgiving and Prayer
Evening Offering for the General Fund
(Gifts not otherwise designated are assumed to be for this purpose.)
Congregational Prayer (followed by silent prayer)
Congregational Response (unannounced) Blue #273: 1, 3
From out the Depth I Cry
Service of the Word
- Hymn of Preparation Blue # 429: all
In the Cross of Christ I Glory
Scripture: John 17:1-26
(Canons 2. Art. 8-9 BH pg. 100)
Preaching of the Word: The Cross of Christ
Prayer - Hymn of Response Blue #354: all
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross
Leaving to Serve
- Benediction Jude 24-25
- Doxology Blue #730: all
May the Grace of Christ Our Savior - Those who are able, please stand.
Rainbow Trout 