Most Important Worship Resource of 2008?

Bob Kauflin's book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God will be available in April 2008. Having been hugely blessed by Bob's blog Worship Matters, his various lectures, and his God-glorifying, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered songs...I am willing to go out on a limb and say that this book is going to be the most important worship resource of 2008!

You can pre-order it here. I hope to share the contents and endorsements as they come out.

For now here's a small taste...

What is our greatest hindrance in worshipping God? We could come up with a number of potential answers.

“Our worship leader isn’t very experienced.”
“The services are too planned/spontaneous.”
“The songs are too complex/simple.”
“The band/orchestra/organist/guitarist sounds bad.”
“There are too many new/old songs.”
“Our church is too big/small.”

Ignoring for a moment that all these statements refer to a meeting context, they reveal a profound misconception about the hindrances to true worship. Contrary to what we might think, our greatest problem doesn’t lie outside us, but within our own hearts. It’s the problem of idolatry.

--from "Worship Services: Idolatry on Sunday Mornings"

Indelible Grace V

I've been pining for the arrival of my pre-ordered Indelible Grace's newest project, "Wake Thy Slumbering Children." I've been wondering what sort of treasures I'll find in their new collection of soul-stirring, faith-strengthening, Christ-exalting arrangements of sadly forgotten hymns.

No more pining. No more wondering. Almost. Because...we can all hear extended samples of the entire album online, here. Thanks, Corey, for pointing this out to me!

Thank you Kevin Twit and all of the Indelible Grace musicians for another blessing to our church, and more importantly THE Church of Christ.

Here's what they're saying about "Wake Thy Slumbering Children":

"It is a joy to introduce you to this latest collection of hymns with new tunes. These hymns help us express our heart cries in words richer than our own, and open our eyes to see the beauty of a Savior who has promised the blessings we need most. What joy to know that as we cry “Wake Thy slumbering children!” we cry to the Father for His “promised blessing” to revive His church. What comfort to know that even when our hearts are bereaved and lonely, we can be reminded and encouraged: “O watch and wait with patience, and question all you will; His arms of love and mercy are ‘round about thee still.” What power to know that as we cry, “Come, Lord, and wipe away the curse, the sin, the stain, and make this blighted world of ours Thine own fair world again” we actually cry out to the One who died to make this dream a reality. What glory to know that, even in our dying hour, we can plead “abide with me” to the One who has promised to never leave or forsake us. We commend these hymns because we believe they have power to wake us to the reality of our great need for Jesus and open our eyes to see we have a great Jesus for our need."

True Worship = Changed LIves

Here's this week's Worship Quote of the Week:

TRUE WORSHIP LEADS TO FAITHFUL OBEDIENCE It should be clear by now that true worship leads to a life of faith and obedience. It is the purpose of worship, on the human side, to inspire faith and devotion to the Lord, not just for an hour, but for the whole week and for the whole life. This was the emphasis of the preaching of the prophets and the teaching of Jesus and the apostles; and this emphasis was based on the significance of worship as a covenant renewal, a ritual that not only celebrated the blessings that God has bestowed on his people through Christ but also reminded the people of their own covenant responsibilities.

At the heart of faithful obedience is personal holiness and righteousness. True worship has no place for gossip, slander, malice, envy, strife, control, or any other sin that destroys worship. Our celebration of being at peace with God must issue in living in peace with other believers. Our covenant obligations do not stop with out purging out the leaven from our lives. There is a positive side of righteousness that calls for action. If the church claims to be worshipping but has no interest in helping the poor and the homeless, the widow and the orphan, the oppressed and the foreigner, or in championing justice and equity in society, then the worship is empty. And if the worship does not prompt the work of evangelism and missions, or simply sharing the faith, then the worship has not been led by the Spirit of God. With these and many other serious matters we may test whether worship has fully achieved what God has designed it to achieve.

— Allen P. Ross, RECALLING THE HOPE OF GLORY: BIBLICAL WORSHIP FROM THE GARDEN TO THE NEW CREATION. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2006, p. 467-68. ISBN 0-8254-3578-1.

P.S.
I highly recommend this weekly e-letter, Chip Stam (over at SBTS) gives us gems of truth, culled from some of the best books, old and new. You'll be blessed...I promise!

Is Gathered Worship for Edification or Evangelism?

For a long time, I used to argue that the Gathered Worship (aka, Sunday church services) were primarily for Christians. And to really show that I went to Bible College, I would argue that the main purpose for such meetings is for edification. And if evangelism took place, it would be because non-Christians saw a group of Jesus followers edifying each other well. I'm beginning to see that such a divorce between evangelism and edification is unnecessary and reveals a minimized view of the gospel.

Taking his cue from Tim Keller and summarizing Keller's paper, The Centrality of the Gospel, Mark Driscoll resonates what I too believe is the point of gathered worship.

"My articulation is, Sunday is for the worship and the adoration and the exaltation of Jesus, and if everything is about Jesus, then it works for Christians and non-Christians. Everyone needs Jesus, and the gospel is for Christians, too. It's not just something you believe and then move on with the rest of your life. The gospel of conviction of sin and repentance and trusting in the finished work of Christ is something that every Christian practices every moment of every day, and I think it's a truncated view of the gospel if it's a few laws, or a sales pitch we give to someone, they pray the prayer, and then we've concluded our evangelistic endeavor. I think it's a very reductionistic view of the gospel."

Mark Driscoll, Modern Reformation "Christless Christianity" May/June Vol. 16 No. 3 2007 Pages 39-42

Reading the Bible Aloud in Gathered Worship 2.0

"Reading the Bible aloud is always central to Christian worship. Cutting back on this for whatever reason--trimming readings so that the service doesn't go on too long, changing scripture passages so that they become merely part of a musical performance, or reading only the few verses the preacher intends to preach about--misses the point. The reason we read scripture in worship isn't primarily to inform or remind the congregation about some biblical passage or theme they have forgotten. Likewise, its much more than a peg to hang a sermon on, though preaching from one or more of the readings is often a wise plan. Reading scripture in worship is, first and foremost, the central way of celebrating who God is and what he's done.

....Just as you're insulting a good wine if you drink it from a plastic cup instead of a glass which shows off its color, bouquet, and full flavor, so you're insulting the Bible if, given the opportunity, you don't create a context in which it can be heard and celebrated as what it really is: the rehearsal of the powerful deeds of God the creator and rescuer."

N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, 150, 151.

Reading the Bible Aloud in Gathered Worship

There is so much information coming at us these days. We're not just wired for sound anymore, we're wired(-less) for info, for data, for SPAM, for "late-breaking news about Anna Nicole", for...what?! So it's no wonder that many churches have opted for a "less filling, tastes great" approach to the public reading of Scripture. But in an effort to improve communication and the understanding of that communication, we've unwittingly removed the very Word that needs to be spoken, heard, explained, pondered. By thinking and modeling that "less of the Bible, is actually more" we also run the risk of distorting what the Bible actually is, "the rehearsal of the powerful deeds of God the creator and rescuer." What we're left with is merely another self-help message, another advertisement, another miracle pill...just another voice calling for our attention in the cacophony of life.

So it falls to me every week to help our congregation see that the Bible is not just another voice, but it is THE Voice, the voice of the Living God. In fact, one of our Key Values of Gathered Worship is that our meetings should be "Bible-Saturated." I haven't figured this out all that much yet, but I do know giving a time and place for a larger portion of Scripture to be read is essential.

Periodically, I take about 2-3 minutes to explain different parts of our gatherings: singing, prayer, Scripture readings, affirmation of the gospel, Lord's Supper, etc. This has been very effective. When it comes to our public reading of Scripture, I often will highlight the nature of Scripture, not just the content of the passage.

For example, this past week I read 1 Cor. 10:1-13 and said something along the lines of "Every day you and I are bombarded with messages and information that we find annoying at best and offensive at worst. At least half our snail mail we immediately recycle, and let's not even talk about email SPAM!! But what we're about to read together is entirely different from any other message you'll ever read or come across. These words, penned by the apostle Paul, are not merely his words to his friends in the city of Corinth. They are God's Words. So listen now, let us listen together, to our loving Creator and Redeemer."

No doubt, it could be said better, but I've found it better to actually get on with it than to wait for the perfect way to say something. The point is not that the introduction of the Scripture reading change people, but that it breaks down barriers and heightens anticipation for the very Living Word that can and will change men, women, and children's hearts!

Pray with me

So much in the media and even in my heart suggest that God should fulfill my every desire, my every whim. But that's an upside-down universe, and every day we see it crashing all around us: injustice, broken marriages, addiction, rage, racism, depression, genocide, deception, pride, etc.

As a follower of Jesus, I've been encouraged lately that God has really changed the world in and through the death and resurrection of Jesus. And that as I gladly submit to his re-creating work in me through his Holy Spirit, new creation continues to spring up in this wilderness-world. This prayer has been on my mind and heart lately.

Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

--from the Book of Common Prayer, the collect for the fifth Sunday before Lent.

A guitar...A worship leader...20 minutes....

Here's a hilarious spoof on NBC's "The More You Know" public service campaign. Except this is called The Church You Know.

This is my favorite clip. It helps us understand all we "need" to worship God.

The Church You Know: worship video

Key Values for Corporate Worship at WBC

This week's "...Sunday's Coming" is an article I wrote for my church's monthly/semi-monthly newlestter. It's also a condensed version of a larger handout I handed out this summer during a sermon explaining our key convictions and values of corporate worship. Would love your feedback.

“Why We Do What We Do on Sunday Mornings”

We human beings are very skilled at not truly understanding why we do certain things. I remember hearing a story about a newlywed preparing her first Thanksgiving Dinner for her husband. Before putting the ham in the oven, she cut off the end of the ham and threw it out. He wondered why. “Well, that’s the way my mother always did it. It’s a family tradition,” she said. Later on, she asked her mother why she always cut the end of the ham off and her mother simply replied, “Well, Grandma always did it that way.” So mother and daughter continued their quest for the meaning behind this secret recipe and asked grandmother why she always cut off the end of the ham. “Simple,” she said. “That’s the only way I could get it to fit in the pan!”

Sometimes, we ourselves cannot explain our own family traditions, and we find out why we do what we do is just plain silly! But what about our “worship traditions”? Is it possible for us to do things in corporate worship just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it”? You bet it is! Be encouraged! The problem is not tradition, but traditionalism. Here’s the difference: “Tradition is the living faith of those now dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of those still living" (Jaroslav Pelikan, The Vindication of Tradition, p. 65, emphasis added). We must constantly affirm and rediscover those traditions that are both biblically-grounded and Spiritually-transforming, while at the same time constantly guard against traditionalism that is both self-centered and spiritually-deadening.

During a sermon this past July, I laid out eight key terms that will help our church family understand why we do what we do on Sunday mornings. Over the months ahead, I will highlight one term, what it means, and how it could help us treasure Jesus Christ during our times of gathered worship. Because what we do here on Sundays is so vital for maintaining our lives-of-worship the rest of the week, I want to re-share with you what shapes our corporate worship.

• God-Centered: The entire service should direct our attention and affections to God, not self.

  Psalm 148:13; Isaiah 42:8; 45:23; John 17:24; Romans 11:33-36; Revelation 21:23.

• Christ-Exalting: Our duty is the delight of reminding each other of the gospel: that we are sinners saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

  John 1:14; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Timothy 1:15; Hebrews 1:3; 10:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5; Revelation 5:9-12.

• Bible-Saturated: The content of every part of our worship service must be Word-centered from beginning to end.

  Psalm 19:7-11; 138:2; Jeremiah 15:16; Isaiah 66:2; Matthew 4:4; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 1:3.

• Whole-Hearted: We must strive for a growing, supreme love for God, not just a feeling that says “worship was good today.”

  Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 34:8; 51:12; 90:14; Matthew 15:8-9; Ephesians 1:18; Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 1:8.

• Always-reforming (particularly with music): We will sing a mingling of the God-centered, gospel-focused, and theologically-rich songs of the past and present, allowing for modern expressions of ancient truths.

  Psalm 40:3; 96:1; 149:1; Isaiah 42:10; Ephesians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 5:9.

• Mutually-Encouraging: It is the responsibility of every believer to encourage one another, especially in corporate worship.

  1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 14:26; Ephesians 2:22; 5:19; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1Peter 2:9.

• Undistracting Excellence: Over-the-top excellence or shoddy mediocrity must never draw our attention away from God’s glory and our responsibility to one another.

  1 Chronicles 15:22; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 14:40.

• Kingdom-Oriented: When we worship God together, we join into the worship of the church around the world, who also proclaims Jesus as Lord.

  1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 12:20-24; Revelation 7:9-10.

UPDATE!!!!!
Two important ministries hugely affected my ideas and phraseology. So I'm big-time in debt to both Bethlehem Baptist Church and Grace for Missouri. Check 'em out!

It's Friday...but Sunday's Coming!

How many times do we come to the Word of God and it seems like it goes in one ear and out the other. Without the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, preaching can become just a transfer of information. This week, let us together plead with God to plant his word deep into our hearts and minds, into our very soul, so that we may bear the fruit of faithful, obedient lives.

A PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Living God,
help us to hear your Holy Word with open hearts
so that we may truly understand;
and, understanding,
that we may believe;
and, believing,
that we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience,
seeking your honor and glory in all that we do.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.


—Huldrych Zwingli (1484-1531) altered, as collected in The Worship Sourcebook, 3.1.15

It's Friday...but Sunday's Coming!

Have you considered how praying for both those who lead and those who participate in gathered worship is another powerful way of preparing your own heart and mind to encounter the risen Christ, feast on his word, and fellowship with the redeemed? Here are a few prepared prayers that might stoke some white-hot worship in your own life as you get ready for Sunday.

Almighty God, we pray for your blessing
on the church in this place.
Here may the faithful find salvation,
and the careless be awakened.
Here may the doubting find faith,
and the anxious be encouraged.
Here may the tempted find help,
and the sorrowful find comfort.
Here may the weary find rest,
and the strong be renewed.
Here may the aged find consolation
and the young be inspired;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Worship Source Book, 1.1.3

O God,
we joyously come together to worship,
realizing we need not summon you into our midst,
for you are here.
We need not call you into the secret places of our hearts,
for you are there.
We need our eyes of faith to be opened,
that we may see you;
our ears to be unstopped,
that we may hear you;
our minds to be sensitive,
that we may know you;
our hearts to be tender,
that we may receive you.
Grant each one a blessing, O Lord,
as each has need,
in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Worship Sourcebook, 1.1.6

Holy God, we pray your blessing
on those who lead us in worship this day,
those who speak and sing and move among us,
those who direct others in singing and playing,
those who have prepared this space with beauty.
We ask that each of them may lead
with a sense of peace and confidence that comes from your Spirit,
so that your truth may be proclaimed faithfully
and we may live up to our calling as the body of Christ.
Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The Worship Sourcebook, 1.1.10

It's Friday (again)...but Sunday's Coming!

How do you sing in (better said: "with")the church? I'm not asking whether you sing on pitch or not, or even if your voice sounds good. Some of us can only make "a joyful noise". Don't be ashamed, you've got a verse for that (Psalm 100:1)! Rather, who's the audience you're singing to: the people beside you or God? Who's leading you in song: the music leader or the Spirit of God? When do you sing with the most gusto: only songs that you like?

Sometime last year I came across these words from John Wesley that he wrote as a preface to a 1761 hymnal. In case you've forgotten, his brother, Charles, wrote about 6,500 hymns! Consider what he has to say. And may your voice be an instrument of praise as you worship God together with the redeemed this week.

- Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a slight degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

- Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

- Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

- Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing too slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first. ...

- Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

—From John Wesley’s Select Hymns, 1761

It's Friday...but Sunday's Coming!

PREPARING TO WORSHIP WITH THE CHURCH
Assuming that most of us still worship with fellow Jesus-followers on Sunday, what do you do to prepare for Sunday? Change your alarm clock from 6:30am to 9:50am so that you can be ready to slip into the service by 10:15am? Do you give any thought the night before as to what you might experience when you worship God with your local church?

In a recent sermon, I challenged my friends to think through how they could come ready to hear from God and ready to encourage one another. To help them, I gave everyone a copy of a something that Pastor John Piper prepared for his home church, Bethelhem Baptist Church. It's called Take Heed How You Hear. And even though it directly addresses the question "How can I prepare myself to hear the Word of God preached?" it can be applied to the larger question "How can I prepare myself for the whole experience of gathered worship?"

Here's an excerpt:

3.Purify your mind by turning away from worldly entertainment.
James 12:1, "Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." It astonishes me how many Christians watch the same banal, empty, silly, trivial, titillating, suggestive, immodest TV shows that most unbelievers watch. This makes us small and weak and worldly and inauthentic in worship. Instead, turn off the television on Saturday night and read something true and great and beautiful and pure and honorable and excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). Your heart will unshrivel and be able to feel greatness again.

9. Think earnestly about what is sung and prayed and preached.
1 Corinthians 14:20, "Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature". So Paul says to Timothy, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything" (2 Timothy 2:7). Anything worth hearing is worth thinking about. If you would take heed how you hear, think about what you hear.

SO let's here it: what do you do to get ready for Sunday?

New Weekly Post

Starting this week, I'll be writing a special weekly post that'll have something to do with gathered worship called "It's Friday...but Sunday's Coming!" I hope that you'll find it very practical, whether you're a pastor, music leader, nursery worker, usher, CEO, tech-geek, body-builder, deer-tracker, burned-out-hypie-turned-Jesus-follower, or whatever. Let's be sure to hear from you, too. Let's hear your questions, frustrations, joys, and ideas. See you Friday!

"The separation of worship into preference groups is everyone's fault"

Carl Stam, over at SBTS, offers a weekly email ministry called Worship Quote of the Week. If you don't subscribe at least put this gem in your favorites cause his archives are chock full of great quotes from the giants of the faith, past and present. This week's quote on the foolishness of the "traditional vs. contemporary music" debate.

THE LIMELIGHT OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
Traditionalists have much to answer for in their reluctance to understand that tradition does not mean stasis but change. In their reaction against contemporary styles, they fail to understand that what they have gotten used to was once contemporary and often objectionable. Contemporists likewise fail to understand how blunted their tastes are when only "their music" seems to do the trick and when what they are doing has, ever so quickly, frozen itself into a tradition. So we end up with two kinds of shortsightedness, one supposedly old, the other supposedly new, and both wish fulfilling. The separation of worship into preference groups is everyone's fault, in that narrow musical satisfaction has turned out to be more important than style-proof outpouring. I encourage people of all practices to become intently and intensely curious about each other's ways.

The church desperately needs an artistic reformation that accomplishes two things at once: first, it takes music out of the limelight and puts Christ and his Word back into prominence; and second, it strives creatively for a synthesis of new, old and crosscultural styles. A deep understanding of the arts, coupled to the understanding that at best the music of corporate worship is simple, humble and variegated, would bring something about that would make all churches into worshiping and witnessing churches that happen to sing.

—Harold Best, UNCEASING WORSHIP: BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES ON WORSHIP AND THE ARTS. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003, p. 75. ISBN 0-8308-3229-7

Suggestions for Reading Scipture in Gathered Worship

The reading of God’s Word is one of the most important things Christians do when they worship together. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to his friend and young pastor, Timothy: “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching”(1 Timothy 4:13). Below are some thoughts that we use at our church to help readers prepare to read Scripture during our times of corporate worship. Reading God’s Word publicly is as an important ministry as the preaching of God’s Word. It is when we, the people of God, hear from God himself through his Living Word.

1. Examples in Scripture

a. Exodus 24:4-8; Deuteronomy 31:9-13; Joshua 8:30-35; 2 Kings 22:1-20; 23:1-3; 2 Chronicles 34:1-32; Nehemiah 8:1-18; 9:1-3; Jeremiah 36:1-21; Acts 13:13-27; 15:19-21; 2 Corinthians 3:12-15; Colossians 4:15-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:27; Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3.

2. Translation

a. Normally, use the translation that is used by the preacher/pastor. (Here at WBC the New American Standard Bible is preferred.)

b. Guest speakers/preachers are also encouraged to also use the same translation normally used at WBC.

c. When different translations are used, the reader ought to tell the congregation which translation is being used.

d. In addition to the NASB, good translations for reading Scripture publicly include the ESV and NIV. Paraphrases such as the Message and interpretative translations such as the NLT ought to be used thoughtfully and sparingly.

3. Script

a. Be sure the Bible you are reading from is easy to read from.

b. Is the text and/or print of the Bible too small, too big?

4. Preparation

a. Read, read, read!

b. Read the text aloud to yourself, your family, your cat or dog!

c. Read the context before the chosen text. Perhaps read the whole chapter that the selected text is found in. This will help you trace the author’s argument.

d. Read several other translations to better understand what the text is really saying.

e. Pray. Ask God to open your heart to his word and his word to your heart.

5. Verbal Cues

a. Before the Scripture reading, prepare the congregation to hear from God, through His living Word. “The authority for [Pastor Mark’s] sermon comes from [Galatians 1:1-6].” or “Please turn in your Bibles to [Book chapter: verse] for this morning’s Scripture reading. Hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches…”

b. After the Scripture reading, remind the congregation that we have just received words of life; we have just encountered the Living God through His living Word. Leader: “This is the Word of God.” People: “Thanks be to God.”

6. Silence

a. After you announce the text to be read, wait until you hear most of the page-rustling stop.

b. Don’t be afraid to endure silence as the congregation turns in their own Bibles to the text that you will read.

7. Gestures

a. Be familiar enough with the Scripture reading that you can look at the congregation while you read. Make eye contact (at least a little).

8. Voice

a. By all means, do not be monotone!

b. Read like we speak. Don’t be mono-paced either.

c. Smile!

d. Put yourself into the text you are reading.

e. Your emotion should match the content and topic of the passage: serious, joyful, encouraging, etc.

Conservative Evangelical Churches Ignore the Bible

Why is it that most "non-liturgical" churches (i.e. Baptist, non-denominational, etc.) ignore the Bible in their services. We defend inerrancy. We promote expository preaching. We pride ourselves in not being tied down to the lectionary. So we end up reading (at the most) a small paragraph of Scripture, normally the sermon text. Truth be told, on any given Sunday you could walk into nearly any mainline or liberal church and hear way more Scripture read aloud in one service than in most conservative evangelical churches. Don't get me wrong, a traditional use of the lectionary is no replacement for God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered preaching.

The absence of intentional and substantial Scripture readings has created a vacuum that has been quickly filled with the new sacrament called music. So instead of actually hearing from God himself, we spend 15-20 minutes singing about the concept of knowing and hearing from God ("I want to know You, I want to hear Your voice"). If we and our congregations want to know God and want to hear His voice, I've got a idea that I heard from a guy named Paul:

"Give attention to the public reading of Scripture" (1 Timothy 4:13)!

Engaging the Emerging Church with Hymns

Kevin Twit, of Indelible Grace, recently spoke to SBTS about the modern hymn movement and the ironic way this old music is impacting a new generation. You can listen to his lectures or read through his notes. Either way, you'll better understand why and how modern hymns should and could be used when you gather with other believers.

Here's a few titles of his lectures:

"My Grandmother Saved it, My Mother Threw It Away, and Now I’m Buying It Back: Why We Still Need Hymns in a Postmodern World"

"Exploring the 'Why' behind the Modern Hymn Movement Part 1"

"Exploring the 'Why' behind the Modern Hymn Movement Part 2"

"Engaging the Emerging Church with Hymns"


Link:SBTS Institute for Christian Worship

For Pastors and "Worship Leaders"

Caedmon's Call once again proves that they've got the glory of God and the good of the church at the core of their music. They are currently offering a free copy of "In the Company of Angels II: the world will sing" to all pastors/"worship leaders". All they ask is that you give a few listens and give them your opinion.

Quite a few of their songs on this second installment of their modern/reworked hymns are great for congregational singing. You'll notice many familiar names in the liner if you're familiar with Indelible Grace or Red Mountain Music.

Here at Windham Baptist Church, we've been singing Indelible Grace's arrangements for almost a year with great acceptance and excitement. They have stoked the fires of faith and awakened a Spirit-ual desire to exult in the excellency and supremacy of God.

What's your church do for music? Only choruses? Hymns? Newly arranged hymns? Specialized services? Have you heard Caedmon's new cd? What do you think?

Link:
In the Company of Angels II

Engaging with God: A Review by Ron Man

If you've read anthing I've written, you've no doubt heard me reference David Peterson's book Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Ron Man of Worship Notes recently reviewed this phenomenal work. It's worth your read.

ENGAGING WITH GOD:A BIBLICAL THEOLOGY OF WORSHIPby David Peterson (InterVarsity Press, 2002)
(originally published by Eerdmans, 1992)
InterVarsity Press is to be commended for not allowing this important book to stay out of print. Harold Best, former dean of the Conservatory at Wheaton college, said in the Introduction to his book Unceasing Worship (InterVarsity Press, 2003), “Every thoughtful Christian should read Engaging with God by David Peterson. . . .I cannot begin to say how much Peterson’s work has meant to me. . . . My hope is that I will quietly and humbly walk alongside him, not so much to add to what he has done as perhaps to say the same things another way.” High praise indeed! And if “every thoughtful Christian” should read this book, how much more every pastor and worship leader! David Peterson, formerly of Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, is now the Principal of Oak Hill Theological College in London, England. A careful and insightful exegete and theologian, he has provided the most thorough treatment available of the biblical material on worship. As a “biblical theology,” the book takes the approach of examining the subject of worship as it is revealed and practiced
in each successive period of biblical history and each major section of Scripture— hence the Old Testament, the Gospels, the letters of Paul, the epistle to the Hebrews, and Revelation are all dealt with separately,though shown to be complementary and consistent in their development of the theme of worship:
“Throughout the Bible, acceptable worship means approaching or engaging with God on the terms that he proposes and in the manner that he makes possible” (p. 283).

This is not light reading, but well repays careful study and digesting. The author has written this book, in his own words, because “we have enough how-to-do-it books and not enough reflection on worship as a total biblical idea” (p. 21). Amen! Peterson expresses something of the depth and breadth of worship, in its biblical understanding, in the Introduction:

“The theme of worship is far more central and significant in Scripture than many Christians imagine, it is intimately linked with all the major emphases of biblical theology such as creation, sin,covenant, redemption, the people of God and the future hope. Far from being a peripheral subject, it has to do with the fundamental question of how we can be in a right relationship with God and please him in all that we do. One way or another, most of the books from Genesis to Revelation are concerned
with this issue. “Although there is a preoccupation with what may be termed specifically ‘religious’ activities in various Old Testament contexts, ritual provisions are set within the broader framework of teaching about life under the rule of God. In fact, worship theology expresses the dimensions of a life relationship
with the true and living God. This becomes even more obvious when the theme of worship in the New Testament is examined, Contemporary Christians obscure the breadth and depth of the Bible’s teaching on this subject when they persist in using the word ‘worship’ in the usual, limited fashion, applying it mainly to what goes on in Sunday services.” (pp. 17-18)

Engaging with God has been translated into French, Spanish, Russian and Romanian; and additional translations, including Bulgarian, are underway.