In my second post considering what the New Testament teaches and models about church, I want to think about “worship”. Worship has got to be one of the most hot topics in Christianity today. Many people will judge a church they have visited by whether they considered the worship to be “alive” or “dead”, or perhaps “reverent” or “flippant”. Various bloggers have been touching on the issue this very week, with “This Great Argument” launching a somewhat caustic attack on charismatic worship, and “The Blue Fish Project” highlighting the importance of the words we sing. When I lived in Dunstable, the church I attended went through a period of ditching the charismatic choruses in favour of hymns, and the tensions that can be caused by different approaches to worship have caused serious divisions in church. I realise that the word “worship” has more than one level of meaning. In this post I discuss the part of the worship service during which we express our praise to God through songs and prayers.

The New Testament is surprisingly silent on how worship should be conducted. But this hasn’t stopped many people from proposing quite rigid models. I have been to countless seminars on worship, from a variety of theological perspectives, and they have all tended to be preoccupied with the pattern. One speaker insisted that the first hymn be about God the Father and you could only sing about Jesus later. Another spent a good deal of time telling us about the hand and foot signals a worship leader could use to indicate a repeat of the chorus to the rest of the band. Another shocked the gathering of conservative evangelicals by declaring organ music to be “crap”.

In other seminars, I have heard how it is really important to be as undignified as possible, and that David danced completely naked! One speaker stressed the importance of avoiding songs by Graham Kendrick, as before you knew it, people would be raising their hands. Some insist that there should be no speaking between songs as this quenches the Spirit, while others are equally adamant that there ought to be a linking prayer or devotional thought between every song, during which the congregation must be seated. Some want the musicianship to be of the highest quality possible, while others claim that anything more than simplicity will detract attention from God.

The more traditional denominations that the early Restorationists left would have a church leader (typically an elder) choosing and announcing the songs, while the musicians simply provide backing music. Most Restorationist churches have now opted for the “worship leader” and “worship band” approach, with someone who is a gifted musician taking the role of selecting and introducing songs. This has the benefits of allowing the standard of music to be much higher, but at the same time can give the impression that leading worship is about selecting the best songs from the current Christian “Top of the Pops” worship song charts.

In this regard, the Restorationists demonstrate that they are not really trying to recreate early church worship. No one really believes that there were electric guitars, microphones, worship CDs and computerised words projections in the first century. Most would also admit that the role of “worship leader” was not as tightly defined as it is today. In other words, although we believe in a “New Testament Pattern”, we believe in recontextualising it to our own situation, rather than rigidly copying the style of a bygone age.

In 1 Corinthians 14:26, we see more than a hint that there was not one person responsible for choosing songs. Anyone could bring one in much the same manner that anyone could prophesy. There was a phase in charismatic churches where this was commonplace, but it has been many years since I have encountered it.

So if the New Testament gives us so much freedom, does anything go? Is there one model that is better than the rest. Perhaps I will offer what I think are some principles of the “worship” part of our meetings. More could be added I’m sure.

1. Worship songs are for all to participate in. Therefore the style of music should be such that most people like the tunes and can sing along. This rules out some genres due to the difficulty of singing them (heavy metal, rap, opera etc), but the older hymns and modern choruses both fit this criteria. A variety of musical styles will be needed to properly express the variety of emotions that the words of the songs convey – (e.g. joy, awe, peace, triumph).

2. The words of our songs should be of course theologically correct, but more than that, they can serve to teach us, inspire us, remind us of great Biblical truths, and give expression to our joy at God’s blessings as well as our trust in his grace during times of trial. Those who choose songs have a responsibility to select the best in terms of words, not just tunes. The words we sing do matter, and the subjects we sing about matter to. Lots more could be said on this one (perhaps a challenge some other bloggers might like to take up).

3. New songs are to be encouraged as they bring fresh ways of expressing old truths. Old songs too should not be overlooked as they enable everyone to join in right from the start, and often cover a broader range of subject matter than the very latest few songs do. I must commend the songwriters in the Sovereign Grace movement as coming out with some of the most excellent lyrics in their new songs, as well as being appreciative of the best of the older ones.

4. Those who are “worship leaders” should remember that songs are not the only part of worship. Prayers and Scripture readings at the very least should be incorporated, as well as space made for the diverse gifts of the Spirit to be used to edify the body.

5. It would help if we got over the tendency to evaluate times of worship purely on external measures – how many danced, or raised their hands, how many brought prophecies, and whether the band sounded really good. If worship is to be “in spirit and truth” then it matters most that everyone meant what they sang and entered in wholeheartedly. This is not to say that “what we felt” doesn’t matter.

A edify those time of worship that is truly faithful to the New Testament will glorify God, and present. There will be a sense of both the transendance and the immanence of God – both an appropriate reverence for him and intimacy with him. People will be drawn to worship as part of a community, and also find a context in which they can sincerely and genuinely express their devotion to God.