Built in Lithonia, Georgia, the Schlueter organ completes the original plan of the sanctuary when it was constructed in 1956. Interesting to note, the hymn-writer Lowell Mason was one of the ruling elders when the congregation was organized in 1827. The organ is a custom built instrument of 47 ranks of pipes and was dedicated on October 9, 2005. The visual design of the organ provides a focal point for the stained glass window, with Christ at the center. A temporary chancel wall that stood for fifty years was removed and a pipe chamber was constructed behind the facade. A stained glass window was installed, which is now suspended in a light box. The organ case is built of native white oak and a three manual console is made of white oak with an interior of mahogany and ebony.
The organ is an integral part of our growing ministry of music. As Reformed Christians, we believe Christian worship is all about God. The middle section of the Book of Order contains a Directory for Worship that helps guide Presbyterian forms and orders of worship. When it comes to understanding the specific focus of our worship, the first paragraph is a good place to start:
“Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God’s claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.”
This is the essence of Reformed worship. Worship is not only about God, it is a direct response to God. As worshipers we rejoice that God is truly present, active and involved in our worship, and that worship is a response to what God has done, is doing, and is about to do in our lives. Recalling God’s faithfulness in the past, encountering God vividly in the present, our worship leads us into the future and into the world. Our final act of worship is not in the pews or narthex, but in homes and offices and schools, where the gospel of Jesus Christ is simultaneously scrutinized and confronted as well as eagerly sought.
As an addition to the sanctuary and our worship life, we recall the vision that made it possible and thank so many people who gave sacrificially. While we appreciate the instrument’s fine craftsmanship, above all we see the organ helping the congregation joyfully worship Almighty God. The organ helps us in discovering a new, richer offering of music for worship where our hearts and minds are focused on God.
In the final portion of the Directory of Worship, in the section titled “Ministry of the Church in the World,” we find these challenging words, including Philippians 2:9-11:
“In worship the church is transformed and renewed, equipped and sent to serve God’s reign in the world. The church looks for the day when every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
The organ is an integral part of our growing ministry of music. As Reformed Christians, we believe Christian worship is all about God. The middle section of the Book of Order contains a Directory for Worship that helps guide Presbyterian forms and orders of worship. When it comes to understanding the specific focus of our worship, the first paragraph is a good place to start:
“Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship, the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God’s claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship, the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God’s service in the world.”
This is the essence of Reformed worship. Worship is not only about God, it is a direct response to God. As worshipers we rejoice that God is truly present, active and involved in our worship, and that worship is a response to what God has done, is doing, and is about to do in our lives. Recalling God’s faithfulness in the past, encountering God vividly in the present, our worship leads us into the future and into the world. Our final act of worship is not in the pews or narthex, but in homes and offices and schools, where the gospel of Jesus Christ is simultaneously scrutinized and confronted as well as eagerly sought.
As an addition to the sanctuary and our worship life, we recall the vision that made it possible and thank so many people who gave sacrificially. While we appreciate the instrument’s fine craftsmanship, above all we see the organ helping the congregation joyfully worship Almighty God. The organ helps us in discovering a new, richer offering of music for worship where our hearts and minds are focused on God.
In the final portion of the Directory of Worship, in the section titled “Ministry of the Church in the World,” we find these challenging words, including Philippians 2:9-11:
“In worship the church is transformed and renewed, equipped and sent to serve God’s reign in the world. The church looks for the day when every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
