Do I detect a common presupposition in this thread? A presupposition is an an assumption or supposition one is making without realizing he or she is making it? Nevertheless, as a supposition that is "precognitive," it still influences and structures one's thinking on a subject. The presupposition I may be detecting is that worship ought to be pleasing (or otherwise acceptable) to the worshiper. It seems like much of the critique is influenced by this presupposition. How might we evaluate worship services if our only question was more clearly defined by something like, "is (was) this worship service, pleasing to God?"
Have you noticed the questions that people ask their friends as they're leaving the service? "Did you like the worship?" In our self-centered society, it has not even occurred to us that we are usually "worshiping" God really for our benefit and enjoyment, not for God's pleasure and glory. Would you like to hear people leaving your church after the service asking their friends, "Did God like the worship?" "Was God honored by our worship today?" "Did you worship God in spirit and truth?" You get the point; in other words, how would the worship service be evaluated from God's perspective rather than ours?
Father, may you find in us the kind of worshipers you seek, those who will worship you in spirit and truth, for your glory and pleasure. Should we personally also enjoy the worship service . . . well, thank you Lord for you blessings.
I believe your point about the worshippers liking the songs and other elements of worship is the core issue. Have you noticed that when a member invites a friend to church, that member will often ask something (or think it) like, "Did you like the service?" We even ask ourselves that question. I think it is one of the strongest criteria by which we "plan" our worship services, i.e. are "we" and our visitors going to like it? The real question ought to be, "Did God like your songs? Your worship?" Another question I've used is, "Today, did you worship God in spirit and truth?" I never put the question to a human, "Did you like the worship? I believe that question, in most cases, should be reserved for God.
When we come to worship with the desire to please God and do worship so that God likes it, it turns out that we "like" it too!
Having said all this, I must also admit, there is no inherent virtue in us not liking the worship!
AMEN. Well written Neil. This is "Basic Christianity." But it is also "Intermediate Christianity," and it is "Advanced Christianity." That is, we must always be totally reliant on the Holy Spirit to live a life honoring to God whether we are a new babe in Christ or a maturing elder. We do pick up skills and understanding along the journey, but unfortunately when we do, we tend to move out on our own before prayer and surrender to God, thinking something like, "we know what to do." We might be right. We might in fact approach our task exactly as the Holy Spirit would have us approach the task. But with one critical missing element--the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Why? Simply because we did not pause long enough to submit ourselves and the task to Christ in prayer before we got started on it.
Posted in: “Contemporary Worship” Doesn’t Have to Be Empty of History
Do I detect a common presupposition in this thread? A presupposition is an an assumption or supposition one is making without realizing he or she is making it? Nevertheless, as a supposition that is "precognitive," it still influences and structures one's thinking on a subject. The presupposition I may be detecting is that worship ought to be pleasing (or otherwise acceptable) to the worshiper. It seems like much of the critique is influenced by this presupposition. How might we evaluate worship services if our only question was more clearly defined by something like, "is (was) this worship service, pleasing to God?"
Have you noticed the questions that people ask their friends as they're leaving the service? "Did you like the worship?" In our self-centered society, it has not even occurred to us that we are usually "worshiping" God really for our benefit and enjoyment, not for God's pleasure and glory. Would you like to hear people leaving your church after the service asking their friends, "Did God like the worship?" "Was God honored by our worship today?" "Did you worship God in spirit and truth?" You get the point; in other words, how would the worship service be evaluated from God's perspective rather than ours?
Father, may you find in us the kind of worshipers you seek, those who will worship you in spirit and truth, for your glory and pleasure. Should we personally also enjoy the worship service . . . well, thank you Lord for you blessings.
Posted in: “Contemporary Worship” Doesn’t Have to Be Empty of History
Hi John,
I believe your point about the worshippers liking the songs and other elements of worship is the core issue. Have you noticed that when a member invites a friend to church, that member will often ask something (or think it) like, "Did you like the service?" We even ask ourselves that question. I think it is one of the strongest criteria by which we "plan" our worship services, i.e. are "we" and our visitors going to like it? The real question ought to be, "Did God like your songs? Your worship?" Another question I've used is, "Today, did you worship God in spirit and truth?" I never put the question to a human, "Did you like the worship? I believe that question, in most cases, should be reserved for God.
When we come to worship with the desire to please God and do worship so that God likes it, it turns out that we "like" it too!
Having said all this, I must also admit, there is no inherent virtue in us not liking the worship!
Posted in: Waiting for the Spirit
AMEN. Well written Neil. This is "Basic Christianity." But it is also "Intermediate Christianity," and it is "Advanced Christianity." That is, we must always be totally reliant on the Holy Spirit to live a life honoring to God whether we are a new babe in Christ or a maturing elder. We do pick up skills and understanding along the journey, but unfortunately when we do, we tend to move out on our own before prayer and surrender to God, thinking something like, "we know what to do." We might be right. We might in fact approach our task exactly as the Holy Spirit would have us approach the task. But with one critical missing element--the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Why? Simply because we did not pause long enough to submit ourselves and the task to Christ in prayer before we got started on it.