My Thoughts on Worship
Part II
In the following comments I will delve into the important subject of worship and seek to address the ever-changing dichotomy found in understanding worship. I must attend to this task in light of my context for ministry and theology of worship. Though my philosophy and theology of worship are defined, changing context will continually impact my understanding of worship. My definition for worship is actualized in two parts, personal worship and corporate worship. Personal Worship refers to the people of God living a life of worship through an expression of complete surrender to God that is lived out in authentic lives by the grace of Jesus Christ. Corporate Worship is defined as the experience of the body of Christ coming together through grace to offer up our lives as living sacrifices to the glory of God. Through this encounter we are changed and those whom we meet see an authentic love manifested in our lives due to the shared experience we have with Jesus Christ and the Church.
The context for worship is always changing because we are always changing. As I read the history of the church and each of the perspectives of worship presented from the various denominations, transition in worship is inevitable. Much in the church and their worship throughout time can be seen in a cyclical nature in which aspects once considered to be essential become obsolete. Without a fresh and compelling renewal or reformation worship will die. The responsibility for the church and worship leaders is to make sure the new directions in worship contain elements of the liturgy, biblical grounding, hymns of our faith, and fresh relevant new material that will provide an arena for the overflow of our daily worship to culminate in worship for the glory of God.[1]
More to come...
Mark
[1] D.A. Carson, Worship: Adoration and Action (Fugene: Zondervan and Hodder & Stoughton, 1993).
2 comments:
I think you nailed it when you mention the relationship between a believer's life of worship having a huge impact on their ability to corporately worship. At our church, the songs we sing are passionate, contemporary, and loud. It looks like a production and can easily become one. When I am not in close communion with God, it is more like watching a concert, and that is a comment I hear from time to time - that our services are more like a concert. My thought, though, is that it is the responsibility of the believer to come with a heart of worship. When that occurs, the type of music - hymms, praise songs, whatever the style - has no bearing on my ability to worship God with my voice and my heart. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on worship - thanks for sharing them.
Sup friend? Good stuff. To add a third meaning for worship, I think it is important to recognize the distinction within "personal worship" between worship as direct expressions of love and worship as service. I guess we could split "corporate worship" into these two as well making four meanings for worship. Proskuneo and latreo are both worship but they are different. The same and different. Though in the past we've mistakenly viewed only proskuneo as worship, it would also be a mistake to see them as no different in the eyes of God. What do you think?
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