Worship

The Order of Adam has a clear pattern of worship. Adam was taught one order by God, and the patriarchs lived that same order.

I am not giving this as a manual for every family to copy. I am describing the pattern as I understand it, and each father and mother must seek God humbly for how to live it in their own family.

The exact wording and manner of these sacred acts are not fixed. God reveals the details to each father as He wills. However the pattern itself is clear and does not change.

God gave authority to Adam as the first father to administer these sacred acts, with Eve beside him in sacred stewardship. Father and mother are to serve under God for the blessing of the family.

The ideal is families living from the land, close to one another in shared community and away from the cities, as Adam and the patriarchs did. Most of us are not living that fully yet. However God works with us as we move toward it.

I share some of what follows as I am learning to live this order with my family. The pattern is one, even while each father must seek God for the details.

Communicating with God

Communication with God comes first. Prayer is a sacred act of direct communication with God. This is where everything begins.

What I have come to understand about communicating with God is that He is concerned with the person. Are they sincere in their approach. Are they willing to do what He asks. That is really the key, not ritual itself.

God speaks to His children through His Spirit which is conveyed by angels or Himself. It comes by impressions, thoughts, or words that we feel more than hear. Angels and God also appear in person, sometimes looking like a normal human and other times in glory. Coming into the presence of God as Enoch, Noah, Abraham and others did is possible. It has always been possible.

Most people who begin to seek God directly, struggle with three questions. Is this God? Is this me? Is the Devil trying to deceive me?

I have found that when it is me there is usually something selfish in it. When it is the Devil there is always some darkness in it no matter how good it sounds. When it is God it is clear, easy to understand, and does not contradict itself.

I am not concerned that I may get it wrong. The times I have got it wrong have taught me by experience the difference between what is of God and what is not, and that has helped me recognize the right more clearly. This is one of the blessings of the Messiah, that when we get things wrong we can be forgiven and continue on, as long as we remain humble and keep seeking God.

Breaking Bread and Drinking Wine

Breaking bread and drinking wine is a regular family sacred act of remembrance in the Order of Adam. It is family worship, administered by the father for his household and those close to the family.

This sacred act is older than the institutions that later claimed to govern worship. Melchizedek brought bread and wine to Abraham, and the Messiah gave this again to His followers.

The bread remembers the word and commandments of God, and the wine remembers the blood the Messiah shed so that the children of God may be saved from sin, overcome death, and return to the Father.

There is no condition that a person must first be baptized in order to partake. The family comes together to remember the deliverance the Messiah provides, to remember the commandments of God, and to keep their hearts turned toward the Father.

The Holy Days

The holy days belong to the Order of Adam and are family observances. They are not institutional programs and they are not fixed by an outside authority. Each family should seek God and set aside the time that best allows them to remember what the day is for.

The Holy Days of Deliverance come in spring, as the world is delivered from winter. The family remembers the deliverance God gives through the Messiah, deliverance from sin, death, and the darkness of this world. They may also remember the deliverance God has given their own family.

The Holy Days of Thankfulness come in summer. It is a time for the family to give thanks to God for His provision, His mercy, the land, the work of their hands, and the blessings He has given.

The Holy Days of Sojourning come in autumn. They remember that we are visitors here, that life is short, and that the family is to prepare to come into the presence of God in this life and in the life to come.

The number of days is not the heart of it. The remembrance is the heart of it. Some families may set aside more time. Some may set aside less. The point is not to copy another family's calendar. The point is to remember before God.

In all three holy days the meals should be simple and the family should slow down. They are not for overeating, drinking, decorations, presents, media, entertainment, or display. They are for remembering, giving thanks, resting together, and speaking of what God has done and what He has provided.

Baptism

Baptism is the outward act of covenanting with God to live the Order of Adam. It is entered into when a person is ready to make or renew that covenant.

It is administered by their father or by the father of a family with whom they are joined in trust and closeness.

Covenant Union

Covenant union between a man and woman also belongs in the sacred life of the family. The man and woman make covenant before God. The father and family may bless them, witness, counsel, and support them, but the covenant is not created by paperwork. The covenant is made before God.

The Altar

At the altar worship reaches its most sacred expression before God. It is a place where God comes to His people.

An altar should be on higher ground, preferably in a garden or grove of trees, and set apart from the daily life of the world. It stands at the center of the garden and should be made of stones not cut by man. It is not a place for casual play or common use, but a place set apart for prayer, sacrifice, and covenant before God.

There is much symbolism in this. The garden or grove calls to mind the Garden of Eden, God's preferred resting place on earth. The altar in the center speaks of the tree of life, the life God gives to His children. The stones, not cut by man, honor the beauty of God's creation. One should remove their shoes, because this is sacred ground.

At the altar a patriarch may approach God in prayer or offer sacrifice of the flock or the fruit of the ground. The purpose is to make covenants with God as He directs.