Worship
 | Worship Articles
by Ron Man
Pastor of Music and Worship, EXW Contributor
March 06, 2008
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Our Gift To God
Corporate worship is a crucial defining activity for the Body of Christ. God's people come
together to join their hearts and voices in praise to God for His greatness and in thanks for His
goodness. Many Christian activities can be done alone or in small groups; but corporate worship is
by its very nature something that involves the local church gathered.
Worship is a response to God for who He is and for what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. The
focus of Christian worship should not be on what we get (good feelings, peace, fellowship - though
these may be perfectly legitimate by-products), but rather on what we give. We are called to adore
and pay homage to God Almighty, and are privileged to be invited to do so: worship is thus an end
in itself - indeed, the highest of all ends.
Five foundational principles undergird our practice of
corporate worship
Theocentric Worship
Acceptable worship is by definition theocentric (God-centered) worship. Only the Creator is
worthy to receive our praise; and we desperately need regular and repeated reminders to take our
focus off of ourselves and our needs, and to refocus on Him who is the Giver and Sustainer of life
and of life eternal (Psalm 148:13). Hymns and choruses which describe our human pilgrimage can
be perfectly appropriate; but only after God has been lifted up and magnified in our midst.
Reverent Worship
A precious truth for Christians is that God is not distant, but has come close through His Son Jesus
Christ. But He is also at the same time the transcendent God of the universe, and His Son is the
glorified Head of the church. Through dignified worship we come into God's presence with due
reverence (Psalm 96:9). There is plenty of room in worship for joyful and exuberant expression -
but only as an appropriate response to a holy God. Worship is not entertainment. Its primary goal
is not to produce warm feelings in the participants, but to glorify God in all of His majesty. We must
keep that goal before us, realizing that God Himself is truly in our midst.
Blended Worship
We have found corporate worship to be a powerful unifying force in the life of our church. An
important element in bringing this about has been a decision not to offer contrasting
traditional/contemporary services on Sunday morning (as some churches do) but to include the
body of Christ in all of its diversity in a single kind of service. This involves incorporating a mixture
of musical styles in what has been termed blended worship. Hymns and choruses, traditional church
anthems and contemporary ballads, all find a place in our services (Ephesians 5:19). This affords
the opportunity as well for God's people to exercise a gracious spirit in accepting a wider spectrum
of musical idioms than they may individually prefer, for the sake of the common good of God's
people.
Thematic Worship
The musical blend is given coherence through an emphasis on thematic worship. A single theme
governs the selection of all music and readings used, which are then woven together to develop the
theme. This theme may be an attribute of God (love, holiness, etc.), a particular aspect of worship
(prayer, praise, etc.), a theological concept (thirsting for God, access to God through Christ), or a
special biblical aspect of redemptive truth (the Lamb of God, the Cross). Thematic worship helps
to deepen worship by allowing one to focus one's attention and to respond more specifically
(Psalm 150:2).
Participatory Worship
Worship is an activity for all of God's people. It is not intended to be a spectator sport! One of the
most precious truths of the Christian faith is the free access which all believers have into the
presence of God; and in corporate worship all are called and invited to respond to the Almighty
with their hearts and with their voices. Participatory worship is a practical outworking of the
priesthood of all believers (Revelation 1:6). Our trained musical force (the choir) and the Worship
Leader serve as prompters to prepare, and invite, and support the most important musical
ensemble in our church - the congregation! (Psalm 79:13)
Corporate worship is an end in itself: God seeks, and delights in, the praises of His people.
Worship also serves to reorient us (after the relentless onslaught of the world and its perspective) to
the center of our existence and His will for our lives.
In addition, worship is uniquely appropriate to prepare people's hearts to hear and receive the
preaching of the Word of God: having been filled with the wonder of God through the rehearsal of
familiar truth, the believer is ready to be challenged to ascend to new levels of understanding and
commitment.
"Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."
(Psalm 95:6)
User Opinions:
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Blended Worship
Your essay is right on target. I especially appreciated the affirmation of blended worship and the avoidance of worship meetings emphasizing contrasting musical forms. Our church is dealing with the tension that practice causes. ...more
Submitted by: WOODSON MOORE
Location: Kansas City, MO
Our Gift To God
That is awesome. God bless you!!...more
Submitted by: Priscilla
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
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Used by churches all over the world to help teach worship, the Experiencing Worship study can help your worship team too.
Your team will learn why we worship and gain a better understanding of how to worship.
One user said..."Your 5 week study course has made a tremendous impact on my life in the study of worship... I would like to express my thanks for a well written study course that leads into a higher realm of praise and worship."
This is the debut album by EXW friend Paul Langford. Paul is a Chicago based singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor. Paul has a career that spans 14 years. Paul's work includes arranging for groups like GLAD, Voices of Liberty, VoiceTrek, The Chicago based "Caroling Party" and Day of Discovery Singers. His arranging has appeared on recordings side by side with greats like Gene Puerling and David Maddux, and he has sung with Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman and Bob Bowker, among others.