10:00 AM
The Sunday Devotional Service is the most comprehensive regular weekly service in Celestial Church of Christ. The order below follows the established sequence of worship, from the procession into the Sanctuary through the final recession. Select Learn the Meaning wherever it appears for the fuller explanation behind a step.
Entering Into Worship (1–6)
Before entering the Sanctuary, the Service Conductor says:
Service Conductor“Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.”
Congregation“As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”
The Service Conductor offers a short prayer specifically for sanctification and for the presence of God.
The congregation recites the Lord's Prayer.
The procession enters with Jerimoyamah. As the Service Conductor approaches the Altar, the Warden sanctifies the Altar. The Service Conductor waits approximately 10 feet from the Altar and does not proceed until sanctified.
Jerimoyamah is associated in CCC worship with the joy of Heaven, the praise of God, and God's fulfillment of His covenant and promises. CCC hymn tradition describes the host of angels rejoicing and praising God in Heaven, while Hymn 133 connects Jerimoyamah with God fulfilling His covenant and promise.
A helpful rendering — not a literal linguistic translation — is “the God of Joy who makes promises and fulfills them.”
Jerimoyamah accompanies both the procession into worship and the recession at its conclusion.
As the seven candles are lit, the congregation sings Yah Rah Sarah. The Warden sanctifies the Service Conductor with water. Once sanctified, the Service Conductor proceeds to the Altar and remains standing.
Yah Rah Sarah means “Kindle the Light Divine from Heaven above.”
The CCC Constitution records that this hymn was revealed through Mawunyon. It accompanies the lighting of the seven candles. CCC teaching connects the seven lights with the seven Spirits of God described in Scripture.
The congregation kneels and sings “Yah Rah Mah, Hi Yah Rah Mah” three times.
Yah Rah Mah means “Oh come unto the Lord” or “Come, let us draw near unto the Lord.”
The bell is rung: 3 times × 3 sets. After each set, the congregation bows and says:
Congregation, after each set“Holy, Holy, Holy unto the Lord God of Hosts.”
While kneeling, the congregation sings Oh Christ Oh My King.
The CCC Constitution records that Pastor-Founder S.B.J. Oshoffa saw in a trance the bell being rung three times while worshippers knelt, bowed and declared, “Holy, Holy, Holy unto the Lord God of Hosts.” The action was repeated three times.
CCC teaching also connects the declaration of God's holiness with Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8.
Hymn 4 — Oh Christ Oh My King is sung immediately after the bell and the congregation's declaration of God's holiness. The hymn worships Christ as King and acknowledges Him as power, light and Most Holy.
Confession & Sanctification (7–10)
The Service Conductor invokes Eyiba three times.
Congregation, after each invocation“Holy.”
The Service Conductor then leads Psalm 51.
The CCC Constitution records Eh-Yibah — Oluwa Alanu, rendered as Merciful Lord / Lord of Mercy.
CCC teaching places Psalm 51 at the beginning of the congregation's confession of sin. Following the adoration of God's holiness, worshippers acknowledge sin and seek God's mercy and cleansing.
Holiness → Confession → Mercy → Cleansing
The Service Conductor invokes Jehovah Ramah three times.
Congregation, after each invocation“Holy.”
The Service Conductor reads Psalm 24.
CCC explanatory material renders Jehovah Ramah as “Merciful God.”
CCC teaching identifies Psalm 24 with sanctification. Its language asks who may ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in His holy place: the one with clean hands and a pure heart.
Psalm 51 — Confession & Cleansing
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Psalm 24 — Sanctification
The congregation and choir sing the Gloria.
The Service Conductor offers a short prayer specifically for forgiveness of sins and sanctification.
The congregation recites the Lord's Prayer.
The congregation stands and sings a hymn centered on forgiveness. At its conclusion, everyone kneels.
Thanksgiving (11–13)
The Service Conductor invokes Eli-Yah three times.
Congregation, after each invocation“Holy.”
The Service Conductor reads Psalm 118.
The CCC Constitution records Eli-Yah — Oluwa Olorun, rendered here as Lord God.
Service guides sometimes use typographic/transliteration variants such as Eliya, Eliyah, or E-LI-YA. This guide uses the spelling Eli-Yah found in the CCC Constitution.
CCC teaching places Psalm 118 within the thanksgiving movement of Sunday worship. The Psalm gives thanks to God for His enduring mercy and celebrates His deliverance and salvation.
The Gloria follows.
The Service Conductor offers a prayer specifically for thanksgiving.
The congregation stands and sings a hymn of thanksgiving. At its conclusion, everyone kneels.
Intercessory Prayer (14–20)
The Service Conductor invokes Jehovah Lass three times.
Congregation, after each invocation“Holy.”
The Service Conductor reads Psalm 72.
CCC explanatory material renders Jehovah Lass as “God of Wisdom and Understanding.”
CCC teaching places Psalm 72 immediately before the Three Members' Prayer, beginning the intercessory portion of the service. The Psalm concerns righteous judgment, justice, protection of the needy, peace and blessing.
Three anointed members pray in ascending order of rank. The first member is the lowest-ranking of the three, the second is higher-ranking than the first, and the third is the highest-ranking and is usually an elder from the Altar.
First Member — MaleSpiritual Power & Progress
Second Member — FemaleVictory & God's Protection
Third Member — Male, usually an elder from the AltarBlessings & God's Favor
CCC's Code of Conduct states that the Three Elders' Prayer is reserved for anointed members and should proceed in ascending order.
The congregation stands and sings a hymn centered on the Holy Spirit or Power. At its conclusion, everyone kneels.
CCC teaching places a song concerning the power of the Holy Spirit after the Three Members' Prayer.
The congregation offers personal prayers silently for up to five minutes.
Silent Prayer gives each worshipper an opportunity to present personal petitions directly to God. CCC teaching compares this with Hannah's silent prayer in 1 Samuel 1:13.
Approximately 20 seconds before the end, the Service Conductor gives a warning.
Service Conductor, at the close“Amen, Amen, Amen in Jesus' name.”
The Service Conductor invokes Eli Yabah three times.
Congregation, after each invocation“Holy.”
The Service Conductor then reads the prescribed Psalm 20 text.
The Service Conductor offers a short prayer asking God to sanction, accept and answer the Silent Prayers.
CCC teaching describes this as a Prayer of Agreement and connects it with 1 Samuel 1:17, where Eli responds after Hannah's prayer.
1 Samuel 1:13 — Silent Prayer
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1 Samuel 1:17 — Prayer of Agreement
The congregation stands and sings a hymn of praise. Everyone sits at its conclusion.
CCC teaching states that a song of praise rounds up this section of worship.
The Word (21–28)
The First Lesson is read from the Old Testament.
After the reading, the congregation kneels and the Service Conductor says the Gloria.
Sunday worship includes two related Scripture readings: the first from the Old Testament and the second from the New Testament. CCC teaching introduces this part of the service with Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.”
The congregation stands and sings the Good News hymn. Everyone sits afterward.
CCC teaching describes the emphasis of this hymn as evangelism, while the CCC Hymn Book groups this family of hymns under Ihinrere — Gospel/Good News.
The Second Lesson is read from the New Testament and is related to the First Lesson.
After the reading, the congregation kneels and the Service Conductor says the Gloria.
The congregation stands and sings a hymn centered on faith. Everyone sits afterward. CCC teaching identifies this hymn emphasis as Faith.
Church announcements are given.
After the announcements, everyone kneels and says the Apostles' Creed.
CCC teaching connects the placement of the Apostles' Creed with 1 John 4:1–3, concerning testing the spirits and confessing that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. The Creed contains that affirmation and is prayed before the sermon so that the Spirit of God may guide both the preacher and those hearing the Word.
The preacher offers a prayer. Everyone then sits for the sermon.
The Service Conductor or an appointed elder offers a short prayer pertaining to the Word that has been delivered.
Offerings & Closing Worship (29–32)
The Sunday collections are received, followed by Tithe.
Several collections may be received for different Church purposes. CCC teaching identifies offerings, building funds and tithe among examples of giving received during Sunday worship.
An appointed elder prays over the collections and tithe, asking God to accept and bless them.
The Thanks Offering and Church Offering follow. See Offerings & Giving for more on CCC giving.
Thanks Offering is a distinct expression of thanksgiving to God. CCC teaching emphasizes cheerful giving and describes worshippers expressing thanksgiving through giving, singing and joyful participation.
The congregation stands and sings the final hymn centered on Blessing or Promise. At its conclusion, everyone kneels.
Special services, including Harvest Thanksgiving Services, may prescribe a different hymn theme.
Benediction & Recession (33–39)
The closing prayer is offered by the woman highest in rank.
The congregation recites the Lord's Prayer.
The Gloria follows.
The Shepherd or most elder male gives the Grace.
The congregation faces the four directions in this order: East → West → South → North. Seven Hallelujahs are given in each direction.
CCC teaching connects the sevenfold Hallelujah with Joshua 6:20, where the people raised a great shout before the wall of Jericho fell, and also references Psalm 75:6 in explaining the directional practice.
The congregation recesses with Jerimoyamah, the same sacred hymn used during the procession into worship.
At the Sanctuary doorway, the Service Conductor offers a short closing prayer, followed by the Grace.
The congregation again gives seven Hallelujahs toward each of the four directions: East → West → South → North. This concludes the Sunday Devotional Service.