Naomi's Notes - 01/29/06
How shall we worship? We know that a service isn't really worship unless the focus is on God; it may simply be a gathering. But what should be included in worship? The Bible refers to a variety of ways to worship; there is no one blueprint.
Thoughtful worship planners usually refer to Isaiah 6 as a model for what to include: adoration (v. 1 – 4), confession (v. 5), forgiveness (v. 6 – 7), proclamation (v. 8a), dedication (v. 8b) and commission (v. 9a).
Notice that there is a flow to the process: God reveals Godself in love, then we respond with awe and praise. We become aware of our sin and unworthiness, then offer repentance. God assures us of forgiveness, then we are filled with gratitude and renewal. We hear God's Word and are challenged, then we respond and commit ourselves to discipleship. Worship concludes with our being sent out to serve. [Think Chuck saying "Go forth!..." every Sunday.]
Some scholars also refer to this model as "call and response" worship. In each part of the service we are prompted by God, then we respond accordingly.
We don't have to have every worship element in every service - worship can happen anytime in our lives - and the elements don't have to be in sequence. But in order to facilitate the fullness of worship, each element needs to be present in some form.
At IBC, we try to include as many elements as possible in every service, although the emphasis may vary each Sunday (and like many Baptists, we are often uncomfortable with emphasis on confession and forgiveness). As a result, our worship includes periods of both joyful noise and quiet reflection.
Churches who regularly omit or de-emphasize any of the above elements are missing out on the fullness of worshipping a complex God. To emphasize only praise and/or proclamation during worship because confession of sin is a "downer" is to miss out on the sheer joy, the greater "high" of knowing deep in our soul that we are forgiven. To emphasize only our sinful condition (think "fire and brimstone" services) or only the "doing" of Christianity is to miss out on the "being," the revelation that as children of this amazing God, we are truly loved, no matter what.
More about worship elements in future columns - see you Sunday.
-Naomi