¶630. When any of our adults who are Church members are absent from home attending as members of the Congress at Washington, D. C., they may, with their consent, along with the members of their families and their secretaries, be enrolled as affiliated members of our Church, in connection with any of our Churches in Washington or vicinity, and by such membership shall be entitled to the regular privileges of that Church, to its pastoral oversight, to engage in its active service, and to hold office therein, but they shall be counted and reported only in the membership of their home Churches. 296 CHAPTER XXIII THE MEANS OF GRACE SECTION I OF PUBLIC WORSHIP Question 1. What directions are given for uniformity of public worship? ¶631. Ans. 1. The morning service shall be conducted in the following order of worship: Let all services begin exactly at the time appointed: and let the people kneel in silent prayer on entering the sanctuary. [I. Voluntary, instrumental or vocal.]1 II. Singing from the Methodist Hymnal, the people standing. [III. The Apostles' Creed, recited by all, still standing. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 1Parts inclosed in brackets may be used or omitted. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.] IV. Prayer, concluding with the Lord's Prayer, repeated audibly by all, both minister and people kneeling.2 [V. Anthem, or Voluntary.] VI. Lesson from the Old Testament, which, if from the Psalms, may be read responsively. [VII. The Gloria Patri.] VIII. Lesson from the New Testament. IX. Notices, followed by collection; during which or after which an offertory may be rendered. X. Singing from the Methodist Hymnal, the people standing. XI. The Sermon. XII. Prayer, the people kneeling.3 XIII. Singing from the Methodist Hymnal, the people standing.* XIV. Doxology and the Apostolic Benediction. (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) ¶632. Ans. 2. The afternoon and evening service shall be the same as the morning, except 2Let all the people be exhorted to kneel in prayer, keeping their faces toward the minister. "The order of prayer and singing after the sermon may be reversed. *An invitation to come to Christ, or to unite with the Church, should be given when this hymn is announced. that, at the discretion of the minister, one or both lessons may be omitted. ¶633. Ans. 3. Wherever practicable, the Lord's Supper shall be administered monthly in every congregation; and where not practicable, at every quarterly meeting. Let the service preceding the administration be so proportioned as to admit of due time for this solemn ordi nance. ¶634. Ans. 4. Let the Lord's Prayer always be used in public worship as the conclusion of the first morning prayer, the congregation repeating audibly with the minister; and the apostolic benediction (2 Cor. xiii. 14) in dismissing the congregation. ¶635. Ans. 5. The Ritual shall be invariably used in all the offices for which it is prescribed. Ques. 2. How shall we guard against formality in singing? ¶636. Ans. 1. By choosing such hymns as are proper for the occasion. ¶637. Ans. 2. By not singing too much at once; seldom more than five or six verses. ¶638. Ans. 3. By suiting the tune to the words. ¶639. Ans. 4. By often stopping short, when the words are given out, and asking the people: "Now, do you know what you said last? Did you speak no more than you felt?" ¶640. Ans. 5. In all our congregations let the people learn to sing, and use our own hymn and tune book. ¶641. Ans. 6. Exhort every person in the congregation to sing; not one in ten only. SECTION II OF PRAYER MEETINGS Question. What directions are given concerning prayer meetings? 9642. Ans. 1. Let every pastor hold prayer meetings, weekly, in every church where it is practicable; and when he cannot himself attend, let him engage local preachers, exhorters, class leaders, and others to hold them. ¶643. Ans. 2. Let prayer meetings be held also at other places where there is a probability of doing good. SECTION III OF LOVE FEASTS Question. What directions are given concerning love feasts? ¶644. Ans. 1. Love feasts shall be held quarterly, or at other times as the preacher in charge may consider expedient; these meetings shall be held with closed doors; and, besides Church members, he may admit other serious persons. ¶645. Ans. 2. In conducting love feasts, after |