At a time when worship in Presbyterian Scotland was often rambling and verbose, the Society's scholarly editions of earlier worship books helped restore classic patterns and lapsed Reformation forms. Its annual journal, established in 1928, encouraged the continuing study of liturgy and provided a forum for those who compiled worship resources and those who led and participated in worship Sunday by Sunday.

In the present day the Society, now ecumenical and with members in several countries, continues to engage with contemporary worship, studying, reflecting, evaluating and proposing.

News and Events

The Church Service Society is sponsoring a Study Day on Friday 24 February at Holy Trinity Church, Stirling.

The purpose of the day is to reflect both theologically and in terms of practice on the lockdown experience of the streaming of Sunday worship and where there are plans to continue.

Speakers will be the Revd Dr Tom Shields (writing in the current Theology in Scotland) and the Revd Fraser Penny, minister of Dunkeld Cathedral, whose Sunday broadcasts have attracted special mention.

The event will run from around 10.15am until 4.00pm.

Further information here

Simple hymn arrangements

Easy versions to download and play

Learning to improvise

A course for beginners by Brigitte Harris

Journal Archive

Front cover of the Annual

Facsimiles of the Society's journals from 1928. Search the summaries and access the articles.

The Wode Psalter

The Tenor illustration from the Wode Psalter

Vocal scores of the complete contents of the sixteenth century Wode Psalter, assembled by researchers at Edinburgh University, together with MP3 sound files, for free local use.

Resources for Worship

Chapel at Scottish Churches House, Dunblane

Orders of worship and prayers

Singing the Reformation 2016

Psalms service recreation in the style of 1600

Congregational praise in Reformation Scotland recorded in St Mary's Haddington, with MP3 files and new SATB and Unison Kirk Part PDF scores for free download, reproduction and use.

One Voice

One Voice

Articles on church music, arrangements for instruments, simple keyboard settings of hymn tunes.

Sermons on Worship

Rev David Beckett

Sermons on Worship by Rev David M Beckett.

Biography of Rev David M Beckett