5 January 2000
We used to say that writing headlines was an art, but is not art. Therefore
art "is art" but "an art" isn't necessarily art. As someone
once said in the last millennium "It all depends upon what your definition
of. . .!" In that respect Christian worship is "an art" and
could be "art" also, but it has a power component that needs to be
recognized. This components effectiveness depends on what is the source of that
power and also the artistic merit of theworship service itself.
For this article I have used the following sources for illustration. In a
way they are chosen by circumstances and will unfold in sort of a testimony
form. In my years of Christian service I have seen the good, the bad and the
ugly. Whenever people or organizations seriously and prayerfully try to improve
the quality of the worship, I believe it is an effort to try to move to toward
the "gooder", from the not as good. They should be applauded for that
step, for to do nothing means a continued slouching toward more mediocrity. It
is in that context that any criticism I express should be taken. Therefore
without further adieu,
Modern Reformation; November/December
1999; Assemble My People, the worship event; Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals; www.AllianceNet.org, ModReg@AllianceNet.org
Credenda Agenda; Volume 11, Number 5; When
the Music Sings; www.credenda.org, christkirk@moscow.com
A New Creature (CD); Psycho-babble Snake
Oil, by Tom Westbay, It's not me
ministries; 509.678.5085 or itnottom@wolfenet.com
Microsoft's Encarta gives the following
definitions of worship:
wor·ship
noun
1. a. Reverent love and respect for a deity or sacred object.
1. b. A set of ceremonies or prayers
by which this devotion is expressed.
2. Love of or devotion to a person or
thing : her worship of money.
3. Often Worship . Chiefly
British . A title of honor used in
addressing officials, as magistrates or mayors.
verb : wor·shiped or wor·shipped , wor·ship·ing or wor·ship·ping , wor·ships
1. To honor and love as a deity;
venerate.
2. To love devotedly.
3. To participate in religious
worship. wor "ship·er noun
Notice that first of all worship is a concept of both noun and verb. To put
it another way, "it is", and "it creates", stuff (but not
in the material sense) and stuffing (process). Also notice, in none of the
definitions is there any discussion of time. Therefore probably the time for
true worship is now. However, we being all wise in our understanding make
worship fit into neat little boxes. When the Bible says, "they will
worship in spirit and in truth" we must question, to some extent, the
"old box of stuff in the cellar concept". Therefore we do end up
with, for practical purposes, common worship time and sacred worship time. This
article really is about the sacred worship time or the worship, worship time,
commonly taking place on Sunday morning and perhaps at other appointed times
through out the week.
I once had a pastor, who believed in seeker sensitive worship as we
generally have dubbed it, tell me that you have no more than one hour and
fifteen minutes to reach the lost with the gospel. That is 75 minutes. Since
they analyze that type of thing, let us take that as gospel, for it is part of
their gospel message, which is not entirely the truly Pauline, Christ centered
gospel message, but their point about relevance should be noted.
Put into the context of the 21st. century church, the pastor and his team
has only 75 minutes (after arrival to get mom and dad, pressured to get there
on time and the kids settled either in Sunday School or in the service), to do
their pastoral God thing before God's family is back in common time. It is an
absolute miracle that the worship service works as well as it does. Which is
the whole point. God works in miraculous ways his wonders to perform, to Him be
all the Glory. The focus of this article is therefore anything we can do to
make that miracle more apparent and easily understood to the spectators in the
stands, oops, sanctuary.
This idea has been in my mind for some years and as I have been mulling it
over, ruminating on its richness, I have come to believe worship is probably
the most important topic for the church at this time. Consequently, it is what
I want to comment on as we have another chance to make a fresh start.
With that general focus, as time slowed down before Christmas, one afternoon
I finally sat down with the "Modern
Reformation" issue to see what ideas these great guys might
have to say. I did learn about singing the Psalter and the effort to set it to
music. Not being of Reformed heritage, I think we loose an awful lot in the
translation. Common language is difficult enough to translate, but to take
Hebrew poetry and to set it to music in French (I presume) and then to
translate it all into English and have the inspired essence of the original
maintained is asking more than sinful man can aspire. I also found it
commendable that the Missouri Synod Lutherans can trace there liturgy all the
way back to the founding of the church. I do find it sad, as commendable as
that historical setting is, that we do not take it back further into the old
covenant, therefore adding context to the gospel as a whole. What I did find
most disturbing however, as it probably relates to the "Modern", or
modernity, is I saw little, if anything about the theology of the Cross. He
came, He died, He rose from the dead. There is the power of God unto salvation.
I do feel good however, because I know all those guys have vast libraries of
books by a bunch of dead guys, which speak no matter their denominational
setting, about the work of the cross. God preserved those books just in case we
get too smug and forget that it is not all about us, but all about God.
A couple of days after Christmas I got a copy of the "Credenda Agenda" in the mail. If you think
the stuff I write is different (wierd), you should read some of theirs. On the
bottom of the page where the numbers go is, Credenda
"Things to be Believed" and on the opposite page, Agenda "Things to Be Done" that
pretty much summarizes the magazine. Within this issue I found an article on
Hebrew poetry that pretty much confirmed my thoughts about the Psalms, even
though they are Psalms singers. There was also an article on "Music as
Spirit" set in the context of the Trinity. After completing the rest of
the articles on the theme, I was encouraged.
"Psycho-babble Snake Oil" is
my favorite of Tom's songs. Probably because it speaks to me. I've been there
done that, hear that and so on. If we don't learn how to laugh at that, it will
eventually tear us apart. I bring it up in contrast. Because it is art. It
lifts me out of where I'm at and takes me elsewhere. In the untimed (common)
worship concept it converts my spirit into a different plain. It takes the
stuff of sin and God and stuffs it into a context that I can carry with me. Its
relevance however does not generally fit within the appropriate context during
our worshipful worship time. But is that really God's perspective or is it
really just some sort of self righteous legalism. But because we have in so
many ways adapted our music to a plastic culture of the world, we have no forum
for true artistic Christian insight.
On my way home early in this new millennium I had the radio tuned to the
oldies station. They were playing some songs from before my teenage years.
Without any Biblical references normally used in this situation, that is
definitely many moons. Theinteresting thing was, even though some of these
songs I had not heard in all that time, I still could recall the tune and the
lyrics. This is from someone who has trouble remembering the names of people I
talk to on a weekly basis. When God created us He wired us for both the spoken
and the written word, but He really fire wired us, to use the new computer
term, for music. That lightning fast interface can instantly go back decades
and then give a linear sing out, when just given the title it may take us
minutes to recall the name of the artist and until we hear the tune the words
are just as hard to repeat. But once the music starts it all is recalled.
There are three rules regarding worship I have heard often. One is the
music. Two is the Word. Three there are no other rules. However if you look
more deeply into the substance of the method you learn that the music is also
called worship. So sometimes it could be said you have worship and the Word.
The problems with just using music as worship is that you cannot bring in that
historic covenantal construct. In none of the articles or situations above was
the concept of high and low church brought out.
My definition of these terms means that high church is liturgical and
confessional and low church is not dead liturgy. To put it another way, high
church focuses on a historical concept, low church focuses on the present time.
Do we need it both ways? I think so! Going back to the 75 minute rule I believe
a lot of our problems in the church today, both within the local chruch and in
evangelicalism, stems from our legalism on this meaningful issue. God inherits
the praises of His people and we have the right form of praise and they don't .
Period. After all we only have an hour and fifteen minutes, or there abouts. At
an hour and a half all the women are wondering if the kids are all right and
the men are thinking about how much football they are missing. If we get too
complex the sheep will not be able to follow us. That is factually true except
what we are really saying is that "we have a form of godliness but deny
the power thereof."
Everyone of us, not just the Modern
Reformation boys, are focused on the form and not the substance. The
substance is not the praise band, nor is it the acappella high liturgy. The
focus must be on the saving power of the cross and our need for Christ. When we
do that, and only to the extent we do that, is the power of the Holy Spirit
present to change lives and allow those same sheep to walk through another week
as pilgrims on a journey to the eternal Jerusalem. We are limiting God's power
to work by not at least giving a whole outline of the whole redemptive story
each and every week. Because we are sheep we do need it every week. That power
comes through music, preaching and teaching of the Word. In these times, all
three not just two! To do that, besides our focus on the cross, we need to give
them some gymnastics to get them out of there spectator role and into the
active thought process of the community of believers in time and space, and throughout
all time and space. If you think that needs a couple of laps around the
auditorium, praise God. I do not think that is necessary. But part of the
effectiveness of the misdirected seeker sensitive service, is that it uses some
contemporary art forms to bring people mentally into active participation. If
we change the power of that man centered program into Christ centered saving
grace, instead of situational ethics, we have a decent worship model.
One of the first songs I learned in church, right there with "Jesus loves me" was "We are climbing Jacob's ladder"
Questionable theology aside, even if converted to sound Genesis exegenesis, we
are still left with a ladder and not an escalator, or an elevator. Are we
guilty of mall music? We must also seriously look at music in terms of a Christ
centered focus. In that context, "Shine Jesus shine" is orders of
magnitude better than "Shine me shine" variations of which we hear
all too often. In many cases the oldies are not goodies either. We have been in
this slouching mode for about 500 years now. The Cross is the only reason that
the church exists and we have a very short period of time in the worship
service, to get that point across. We should give tests and home work, for
that's the only way lectures work in college. Make it clear we all have a
failing grade, but Christ has passed ourt est for us and got and A+. We should
therefore work faithfully to repay that free gift. To study diligently, to be
approved of His workmanship!
So let's take a quick look at those 75 short minutes and see what we come up
with. These are just some of my thoughts, I would like to hear your
suggestions. Better yet I would like to start a dialogue, where those of you
who know much more about worship than I, could discuss issues of substance.
Time 0. Start on time. I have this memory in
my mind that I once attended a church where the people who arrived late were
told to come back for the next service. This was because the whole service
(liturgy) was designed as a whole and receiving the first part was just as
valuable as hearing the sermon. The funny thing is, I can never remember
attending a church in my youth that had more than one service. One effective
means I have seen however, was to start with the special music. Close the doors
and let them listen over the lousy speakers out in the lobby.
Time 1-15. Contemporary worship and praise.
We are dealing with a spectator society and a little warming up of the
congregation only has to help.
Time 16-25 Short Bible study. Either from
a" through a specific book study" or" though a yearly Bible
reading program". Sheep need to be taught to discern the Word and to daily
eat a good helping.
Time 26-35 Greetings and announcements, sheep
break.
Time 36-40 Heavy duty hymn, special music,
offertory. Change of focus from we the sheep to Him, our God.
Time 41-45 Prayer and confession of sin, creed,
Lord's Prayer.
Time 46-50 Catechesis. The Heidelberg catechism is already broken up into 52 sections.
Time 51-60 Musical liturgy. A brief musical
journey of God's covenant people. In God's covenant there is neither Jew nor
Creek. All our liturgies are entirely Greek or Roman. Maybe just a shofar and a
prayer shawl vestment.
Time 61-75 A good, short law and gospel
sermon. Preached not taught, with all the unction and power that only the Holy
Spirit can provide. Definitely based on the future week's daily Bible readings.
Time 75-80 Benediction and closing song or
hymn.
So I never said that I believed in the 75 minutes, beyond a goal. I believe
that what this world really needs to truly see, is a cross centered gospel
presentation. One that relies on God's power to change, to heal and to save.
Eighty minutes may even be a little short, but with the whole worship service
focused on Christ and his covenant body in time and through time, the sheep may
soon be seeking more than 90 minutes.
We must preach and teach about Immanuel. That God has felt your pain, the
pain of sin. For with the forgiveness of sin eternally, nothing else really
matters materially. For us to in some way be thankful for that gift, we must
reach out to God through both our mind and our heart. The only way we can even
begin to take a step in praise is through what we call art, sacred and secular
as well. To the extent that is fully us, or fully Spirit we cannot comprehend.
Nor should we even be aware of it. (For if we are then we will mess it up!) So
what shall we do? The Hebrew scriptures in the complex poetry of the book of
Psalms perhaps expresses it best. In our age we believe it is our right to pick
and choose the sections we like and forget the ones that we don't understand.
But that more than anything else truly limits the true expressions of our
praises. Well my old Uncle Jerry had a saying, "It
don't get any gooder than this." This gooder example being Psalm 149 in its' whole context.
Praise the Lord!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
And His praise in the assembly of saints.
Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise His name with the dance;
Let them sing praises to Him, with timbrel and harp.
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.
Let the saints be joyful in glory;
Let them sing aloud on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment -
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the LORD!
And all God's people in time and through historic time said, "Amen!"