There are few
topics that have prompted more discussion and even open conflict in the church
than worship, so I will admit that I am on dangerous ground when I comment on
this subject. Terms like “traditional,” “liturgical,”
and “contemporary” are often used to describe worship but the definition of
each is very subjective. Every form of
worship was new and innovative at one time whether Gregorian chant or gospel
quartet. Worship is very diverse, but
whatever style is practiced by a church the most important aspect of worship is
what it says about the worshippers’ relationship to God.
A number of
years ago John Claypool introduced me to Soren Kierkegaard’s
ideas about worship. Kierkegaard presented
the concept that Christian worship was a drama. Although many churches of his
day accepted that idea, Kierkegaard saw a variety of ways that churches
practiced the various roles in the drama.
He observed that most often in worship, God was considered the prompter,
the liturgical leaders (musicians, readers of the scriptures, preachers and
celebrants) were the actors in the drama and the congregation was the passive audience.
Skilled leaders had taken on the role of performers in the ritual because of
their training and experience. The
congregants were simply onlookers.
No matter what your approach to worship may be, if we adopt this model the leader(s) of worship have several mandates.
First, the primary emphasis in God-oriented worship is not performance but submission. Musicians, preachers, readers, and others will want to bring their best to the worship experience not in order to be praised but as an offering of themselves. Even congregants will want come in an attitude of sacrifice and offering rather than disinterested observers.
Second, we should come to worship not expecting to be filled but to be emptied. The chief end of worship is not to fill my own cup to overflowing but to empty my cup in worship of God. If God chooses to fill me with the Spirit as a consequence of my participation, such filling is a gift of grace and has nothing to do with the way in which I performed a certain ritual.
Third, worship is the work of the whole people of God (liturgy) and not of a talented few. Worship is best when it involves all kinds of people representing the diversity of the congregation—men and women, old and young, various races and nationalities (if present in the church)—and involves them in different expressions of worship.
Let me suggest a little exercise. When you arrive at your place of worship next Sunday, reflect on the worship experience and see what it communicates about whom is filling each role—prompter, actors, and audience. This may help you to understand where your worship leaders place their emphasis.
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