Peace Meal
by Marc Hays

In early November 2002, my wife, my three-year-old daughter, and I packed a moving van and drove to our new rental home in Abingdon, Virginia. Why did we leave a good job, a loving church, and both sides of our family behind in order to move to a church with which I was only vaguely-acquainted? "Isn't there a decent Presbyterian church in middle Tennessee?" I was asked. Well, there are plenty of "decent" Presbyterian churches in middle Tennessee, but that wasn't exactly the modifier I wanted defining the church we would join. I wanted something more along the lines of "excellent."

After converting to a covenantal view of both sacraments, and being disconcerted with the ramifications of independent, ecclesiastical self-government, I decided that a move out of the Reformed Baptist tradition had become necessary. Also, through a study of the liturgies of the western church, I became convinced that most modern, American Presbyterians have wandered from their Reformed roots and historic patterns of Christian worship. A mutual friend of RC's and mine intro- duced me to a little Presbyterian church in Bristol, Tennessee that I thought might be just the place for my family.

I read online that this little church in Bristol has an elder named Laurence Windham, but who ever heard of him or his father? [editor's note- his mother, of course, and by now, many grateful others.] So as most people do, who hear of Saint Peter Presbyterian Church, I called RC. Well, RC was out of town for my first two visits to Saint Peter, but Laurence was there. I had been impressed by RC's scholarship through some of his books and the tape series "Bound for Glory" and knew that I would learn much by studying under him. However, I was unaware of the impact that this unknown elder, Laurence, would have on my life.

Many positive things can be said about Saint Peter Presbyterian Church and the Highlands Study Center, but in this article I will concentrate on the liturgy. After worshipping with Saint Peter church under Laurence Windham's leadership, I knew that there was no turning back. Never before had I seen a liturgy attain the level of reverence for God and His Word as the Saint Peter liturgy does every Sunday. However, Laurence's words, posture and countenance not only demand reverence, but they also overflow with warmth and compassion to the weary, repentant sinner. Every word spoken is said to prepare the People of God to come to the communion table of Christ every Lord's Day. From before the "Call to Worship" to the "Benediction and Charge to the Congregation," there is no room for 'shooting from the hip.' There is a holy law, there is a precious gospel, and there is nothing else in the Saint Peter worship service.

This is not to say that a stuffy and pretentious liturgy is the road to holiness, and neither of those words accurately describes either Laurence or RC, or the worship at Saint Peter. A better word would be "beautiful." Now, don't get me wrong. Laurence and RC are just average-looking guys, [sic. We all know that one of us is rather a handsome fellow.] but the worship of the one, true and living God at Saint Peter Presbyterian church is almost beyond words. Instead of being stuffy, it is lyrical and rhythmic like a song. There is a meter and a cadence in the liturgy that is constant and moves one portion of the service smoothly into the next. It is not only like a song, but it is also full of songs. The service begins with a psalm, read and sung, which calls us to worship. We sing the Apostle's or Nicene Creed, the doxology, the Sanctus, and have just added the Gloria Patri. Laurence or RC sings the Agnus Dei, and the congregation says, "Shalom," to each other with a chorus. It is also the exact opposite of pretentious. Instead of coming across as 'high-and-mighty,' it is extremely earthy and rich - full of grit. Laurence and RC have a gift of remaining down-to-earth while carrying you to the heights of Mt. Zion.

And then there's the Lord's Table. Every week. I had always wondered how this little pinch of bread and a shot of wine could be referred to by so many Christians throughout history as a feast. I am learning what it means to feast, though the morsel is small and the cup a thimble. At Saint Peter, there is no time of silent preparation right before we partake. From the time Laurence begins the Call to Worship to the moment just before we put the bread in our mouths, we are preparing and being prepared to eat this feast. We sit with Christ and the saints from all the ages to eat our small morsel and drink our little cup, and come away filled by the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is not magical or mechanical, but it is supernatural. I get giddy just thinking about gathering around the table on Sunday. It is the apex of the week for the Hays family and Saint Peter Presbyterian Church. The broader Evangelicals can keep their 'contemporary' worship services. We'll hang on to the good ones.

The battle between form and content ends when pastors lead worship under a biblically-sound, well-written liturgy. In Saint Peter's liturgy, there is no tension between that which is true, that which is good, and that which is beautiful. This peace in our worship service is not accomplished by any assimilation of worldly philosophies or psychologies into the liturgy; rather, it is accomplished by the rejection of all of them. Saint Peter rejects the world without rejecting creation, and generates the only peace that is to be found at the end of the worship wars. The worship at Saint Peter is one very important part of the good life, and it is one of the main reasons why I moved my family to southwest Virginia.