Worship Class

I had to write this week what I learned and was impressed upon me the most during this worship class. Here is my answer that many of you might find interesting.

This Course and Me

            The theology, history, and practice of worship class has taught me so much about worship I am not sure where to begin. Going into the class I knew that worship was not just singing. Many people in church today think that worship is equal to singing and this class reinforced the truth that that is not correct. Going into the class I also knew that worship was a life. I am a big fan and reader of the Reformers and John Calvin has it right in stating, “Our heart are in idol factory”. So I knew that worship was much more encompassing that the simple worship service. What I learned the most from the class and will impact me as I serve Jesus’ church is how this “life of worship” plays out in the worship service. Calvin is right about the heart but what I also found from this class is that the worship service itself is also an idol factory if we do not understand hot it is supposed to work.

            Dr. Cherry in her book “The Worship Architect” that worship is revelation and response. I knew this going into the class. Growing up in a fundamental Bible church engrained my young mind with the truth that church and the services in it is about learning more of God and praising Him for what you know. But what I found from this book along with much of the other material in the class was the fact that worship is that simple in church; revelations from God of Himself to us and our response to those revelations back to Him. I learned and was immersed in the fact that anything that takes place in a worship service should fall in one of these two categories. The actions that take place then should either be about God revealing more of Himself or our response. I discovered that worship is that simple.

            This simplistic understanding of worship then taught me so much about what and why I do what I do in the service. It taught me how prayer should fit in the service. It gave me an understanding that prayer than can play a part in the revelation of God but also in the response to God for His revelation. I have always viewed prayer an important in the service but now understanding the role it does play, prayer has become much more of my acts of worship in the service. I have begun to open my worship with a pastoral prayer and have found that my closing prayer plays a part in the sending of God of His people back into the world, which is more of the revelation of God.  

 The class also showed me the point of singing and what the role that music should play in the service. I have always viewed music as a response a part of worship. This is still true in the fact that music does play a part in the response but it has allowed me to understand where that response should be. Response must come after God reveals something to us so having a response song, say 10000 Reasons, in the beginning is wrong. My understanding of where songs fall has changed. The material has also helped me to understand that music can play a significant part in the revelation of God. Music that opens and begins a service must have a deeper theological revelation of God and lead into the response songs. My thoughts on music and worship have broadened greatly.

 The material also grounded me in the truth that the teaching of the Bible and reading of it is a significant part of worship. It helped me to understand and appreciate the Lord’s Supper even more. It gave me a deeper thought process on how the offering and tithes play into the response and revelation part of worship. How a special number sung up front can play into the revelation of God but also allow for a response of the people. Even something as simple as announcements play into the revelation and response has been impressed upon my mind.

But this class also taught be that the worship service is an idol factory. Revelation and response is worship. If the balance is off then the idols of the heart are shown. If the worship service has too many elements about and for response and nothing around revelation the focus is on the people and them alone. If music that is responsive, and prayers that are supplication, and even acts of response like people recognition, dominate the service, the service has become about the people and a worship of God is not found. This response only service shows the true idols of the heart of the faith community. But it is also if the balance swings the other way. If the service consists only of revelation after revelation. If the teaching is only ever done and Scriptures is only read but the response is left out, the service has become a feeding frenzy. If the people are about getting fed spiritual and having no response, are they truly worshipping? True God honoring worship and a Biblical understanding of His revelation must bring about a heartfelt response back. So again if the balance as swung to revelation only the idols of the faith community are exposed.

So not only has the class helped me understand the simplistic nature of worship in revelation and response and what fits into each category, but it has also given me an understanding of balance in it. We need to find a balance in the church today. Too many churches are out of balance in worship either swinging to revelation or response. This out-of-balance shows the idols of the church. Thanks to the class, I pray that I begin to find a better balance of revelation and response not only in my own life but also in the worship services I lead.