Principles and Practices of Corporate Worship at RPC
Approved by Session, September 2002
Prologue
God in His mercy has turned us from idols to know and serve Him, the true and living
God. He has sought us at the impetus of His sovereign love set upon us before the
foundation of the world, bought us in the fullness of time with the blood of His
Son shed in satisfaction of divine justice, and brought us to Himself by His Spirit
in reconciled relationship that will endure from now through eternity. God has changed
us from being idolaters to worshippers.
All of the Christian life is doxological. All is to be lived to the glory of the
God whose we are and whom we serve. In that respect, all of life is worship. Our
focus in this paper, however, is not individual worship but corporate worship, not
private worship but public worship. While many of the dynamics, principles and practices
are the same, there is a certain decorum and definition given by God’s Word
that belongs to His people assembled for worship on the Lords Day.
There exists a great ocean of literature, directing the reader in the study of the
theology of worship, surveying the plethora of variant and even deviant practices,
and tracing the complex historical development of worship. In this paper, we will
only be wading in to the surf where the waves of change pound the shore of the status
quo, and that primarily on the area of the beach called the Reformed Presbyterian
Church (RPC). For that reason, disproportionate space will be devoted to the subject
of music in that it is the rope pulled taut by vocal extremes, along which the rest
of the RPC congregation grip moderately to loosely on either side, while some are
not even aware of the tug-of-war.
It comes as no surprise that worship is a battleground. Such has been the case from
the beginning of post-fall history. The curtain of life in a fallen world opens
in
Genesis 4 on the scene of two brothers, sons of Adam and Eve. There we witness
the drama of the first murder. We see the volatility of anger left unchecked. We
look in horror at the folly of rejecting the gracious counsel of God to give oneself
over to the storms of a sin-steeped heart that follows its own devices.
Composing ourselves after witnessing such a gruesome and heinous scene, we take
note of the set on which it took place. We see the altars, the goods gathered for
sacrifice. The setting is worship, the creature offering up to the Creator something
to praise and please Him. Even at this early stage we discover in Cain and Abel
what is acceptable to God in worship and what is not. We see the ingredients of
worship with which God is pleased: faith, humility, giving what is our best, communion
with the God who is and who receives our worship.
But we also witness worship as a battleground. Sin has intruded at the very heart
of man’s relationship with God and man’s relationship with man (even
the family unit). Instead of unity, we see division. The culprit is pride, an attitude
and posture first toward God and then to our brother, an attitude that calcifies
and divides, even attacks.
This is not to try to align those on one end of the rope with Cain and those on
the other end with Abel. Sadly, that identification, although not expressed, is
often implicit as the charge is made that “their worship” is not acceptable
or pleasing to God. But this is to say that in dealing with the subject of worship
and issues such as music, we need to be on guard against pride. We must heed the
counsel of our God that, “Sin is crouching at the door of our hearts and its
desire is for us, but we must master it.”
Worship Defined
Worship has at its heart ascribing to God worth. He is worthy of all praise and
honor and glory. He is the Creator who is to be forever praised. The biblical terms
employed to invoke worship describe the believer prostrating himself or herself
before the living God in recognition of His transcendent majesty and in submission
to Him as His creatures and debtors. As image bearers of God we alone have the capacity
and the obligation to give Him glory through the intentional focus of our hearts.
Man rebelled against God. The creature exalted himself over the Creator. He became
an idolater, worshipping gods that were no gods, giving honor and allegiance to
the created, foremost of which was self. But God in His sovereign love purposed
to reclaim a people for His own possession, redeeming them for Himself through the
substitutionary work of His Son. The Father seeks worshippers, not by a help-wanted
ad, by the sovereign, saving, subduing work of Christ to reconcile a people to Himself
and establish them as worshippers.
Three portions of God’s Word give definition to what God has done in bringing
rebels to Himself to be worshippers. Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a
time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in
Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know,
for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true
worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit
and in truth.” (John 4:21-25)
Worship of God is conducted by those sought by the Father. He has enabled them to
be true worshippers by His Spirit who has given them a new heart capable of worship.
True worship is by faith. Faith is a capacity of the new heart. Only believers can
carry out true worship. While unbelievers can participate in a service of worship,
they do not have the spiritual capacity to give God the glory due His name. In addition,
worship that pleases God must be in truth. It must be true in the sense of the reality
and not the shadow of old covenant types and shadows. It must be true as it conforms
to God’s prescribed design as revealed by the Spirit of truth in His inscripturated
Word, which is sufficient for all of doctrine and life.
A second passage is provided in Hebrews 12:18-29. Here the biblical
writer juxtaposes old covenant type with new covenant antitype. As for God’s
saints, those redeemed by Christ from all peoples and all times, they are not merely
ones “called out,” they are ones “called together.” Worship
is an expression of that assembly of God’s redeemed. When God called His people
out of the bondage of Egypt, He set up an appointment, and in so doing defined the
character of His people as ones redeemed. To be redeemed by God is to be a worshipper
of the true God. God said, “When you have brought the people out of Egypt,
you will worship God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12b) The real and full picture
of worship is not with Moses and all the impressive pyrotechnics of Sinai, but with
the assembled of heaven and earth united in the saving and sanctifying blood of
Jesus.
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living
God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to
the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to
God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus
the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better
word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
In new covenant worship, heaven and earth meet around the throne of God, with all
God’s elect giving praise and thanks to Him—His elect angels, and His
saints in glory and His saints gathered on earth redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Corporate worship is a holy and cosmic convocation where God’s people meet
with Him in joyful assembly.
Our meeting with God has a depth and directness not enjoyed by the saints under
the old covenant. The temple was a monument to the holiness and inapproachability
of God as He dwelt with His people. It was replete with barriers of architecture,
of sacrifice and of station. But now the veil to the Holy of Holies has been rent
from top to bottom. The sacrificial system has been abrogated by fulfillment. Jesus
Christ has come and has sat down as the enduring priest and the perfect sacrifice
on our behalf. We have direct access to God. We are a holy priesthood, offering
sacrifices of praise and obedience.
Hebrews 12 not only paints a picture of the landscape of redemptive history, one
dominated by worship. It also describes the God we worship and our attitude as worshippers.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful,
and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming
fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Worship is responsive to God’s redemptive work on our behalf. Its focal point
is the transcendent God Himself. He is the same God as in the Old Testament. The
description of Him as a “consuming fire” is language imported from the
Old Testament to the New. He is the Creator. His grace to us has not changed Him
into a doting grandfather. He remains the God who is holy, majestic, sovereign,
omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, all-wise, full of glory in every way. He determines
the number of stars and sets them all in place, calling each by name. He knows us
better than we know ourselves. His knowledge is not bound by the limits of time
and space that constrain us. This God set His love on the unlovely. He sent His
Son to die for those who hate Him. He sends His Spirit into the hearts of those
who are profane. He is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Christ.
We are to be in awe of Him. We are to approach Him in holy reverence. We are to
ascribe to Him the glory due Him and not demean His name in any way.
Two responses are mandated from us as ones who are receiving an enduring kingdom
of light and life: joy and reverence. Joy is the fountain of gratitude. The joy
of our salvation vitalizes our new life. Heartfelt joy and holy reverence are not
antithetical. They are companions to true worship. Joy and reverence are attitudes
of the heart that know and enter the presence of the true God. Again, God must be
the focus. The goal is not joy in itself. Pagan joy is evidenced in the revelry
of the golden calf in Exodus 32. Reverence does not necessarily mean quiet and stillness,
as can be seen by the exuberance of those gripped by God’s grace and recorded
for us in the psalms. Joy and reverence animate worship as God’s people enter
His presence in faith.
One other passage that helps us to understand the worship God desires is really
an entire book. For the church, witness will cease, spiritual growth will be completed,
but worship will last an eternal lifetime. We get a glimpse of this enduring activity
and what it looks like as we peer through the portals of the Book of Revelation.
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for
you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
(Revelation 4:11)
And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its
seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from
every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
The scene is magnificent. Prosaic speech falters. Only a picture, only a video as
is run in Revelation can do it any sort of justice. The church in glory is engaged
in worship. They cast down their golden crowns in acknowledgement that all the glory
goes to God. Any praise that would accrue to them they give to God because they
know it is all and only and always from Him. They are filled with joy, with gratitude,
with reverence and awe as they take God’s Word from Isaiah 6 to their own
lips: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His
glory.”
They worship by ascribing to God worth in two ways. They declare His worth as Creator,
the one who is to be forever praised. And they proclaim His worth for His wonderful
salvation. They do so in speech and in song. Worship is reflective of its Object
and it is responsive to His mercies. And God is glorified.
Robert Rayburn defines corporate worship in this way:
Corporate Christian worship is the activity of the congregation of true believers
in which they seek to render to God that adoration, praise, confession, intercession,
thanksgiving, and obedience to which He is entitled by virtue of the ineffable glory
of His person and the magnificent grace of His acts of redemption in Jesus Christ.
Rayburn identifies two facets for which we are to ascribe to God worth and glory—His
person and His gracious providence in redemption. As Creator, God is to be forever
praised. Those in the state of unbelief and rebellion do not render unto God the
glory due His name. Such were we. But God in His mercy translated us from the kingdom
of darkness to the kingdom of life in His Son. He made us to be worshippers and
enabled us to worship Him, through faith.
The Presbyterian Church in America describes public worship in its “Directory
For the Worship of God:”
A service of public worship is not merely a gathering of God’s children with
each other, but before all else, a meeting of the triune God with His chosen people.
God is present in public worship not only by virtue of the Divine omnipresence but,
much more intimately, as the faithful covenant Savior.”
God is present in a special way with His people, assembled in His name. God is the
focus and the reason for our worship. Worship is not to be anthropocentric. Worship
must be theocentric, centered on God in His triune being. As one of our RPC values
expresses it, “Worship must be God-directed, Christ-exalting, and Spirit-enabled.”
Reformed Worship
Worship is Reformed in that it exalts God as He reveals Himself in the Bible. It
is not reductionistic, bringing God down to a level where we can more fully understand
Him. God is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. For that reason, there is always
certain mystery as would approach Him who is unfathomable and whose ways are inscrutable,
who meets with His people to receive worship, yet at the same time is everywhere
in His fullness. God will never fit into any box we can ever conceive with our finite
imaginations. While what we know of God from the general revelation of creation
and the special revelation of His Word is true, it is not nor can it be exhaustive.
Reformed worship attempts to exalt God according to the description of His revelation,
while avoiding the skewing and the mitigations of our imaginations. As Paul made
it clear to the Athenians in Acts 17, we are to worship the God in whose image we
are made and not worship a God who is made in our image as we would like or suppose
Him to be from our own design.
Since we can know God accurately only from His revealed Word, the Word of God is
foundational to Reformed worship. The Bible tells us about the God we worship and
it tells us the way God wants to be worshipped by us. In other words, God has not
left us groping in the dark as to what pleases Him in corporate worship, either
leaving us to our own devices or frustrating us by silence on the matter.
The way we worship God is governed by what has come to be known as the “regulative
principle.” This principle is stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith,
as a summary of the teaching of Scripture in the first three commandments of the
Decalogue and illustrated in the biblical record.
The acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so
limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the
imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible
representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture. (XXI.I)
The regulative principle directs us away from arbitrariness in worship and situates
us within the boundaries of biblical precept for the conduct of worship. The intention
of the framers of this principle was not to speak to individual, private worship,
although there is overlap. Rather, it was to address what is lawful and appropriate
for the church to require of all those assembled. The concern was to define the
scope of ecclesiastical power according to Presbyterian belief and to preserve liberty
of conscience, delineating between individual freedom in private worship and requirements
of an individual in corporate worship. The regulative principle deals with corporate
worship of Christ’s church and not with private, small-group, camp meeting
or para-church worship outside the authority structure given by Christ to His visible,
organized church.
It might be noted here that corporate worship involves more than a collection of
individuals, like a bag of marbles. It is not just “me and God.” “However
you feel led” is not the principle of participation in worship, just as a
driver’s license is not license to do as we feel on the roadway. The individual
in worship is not an independent state, free to do whatever he or she desires, under
the banner of personal expression or artistic freedom. Worship from the heart does
not mean doing whatever we feel like doing. God imposes certain form, order, decorum
and design on corporate worship that allows individual expression but within prescribed
boundaries. First Corinthians 12-14 deals with this very matter, allowing for individual
expression but always for the common good, expressing the work of God’s Spirit
but always with constraint and sound judgment, advocating a law of love that promotes
unity and avoids self-aggrandizement, always cognizant of the body and the purpose
of the gathering. The boundaries of this form is summed up in the admonition, “Let
everything be done decently and in order.” The individual is not an island
nation but is part of the assembly of God’s people. We are a chosen people,
not only chosen persons—the individual in community. The individual must always
be aware of the community and subservient to the order under which the entire community
operates.
The question is, Where do we have liberty in worship and where do we not? The Reformed
understanding of worship sorts out two categories to help us: the elements of worship
and the circumstances of worship. The elements of worship are those revealed by
God as central to activity of the church assembled for the purpose of worship under
the ordering of the Session. A typical list of these elements are public reading
of the Word, preaching of the Word, prayer, singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs, offerings, confessions of faith, and observation of the sacraments of baptism
and the Lord’s Supper.
The ways “prescribed” in Scripture, those lawful elements that could
be included in a service of worship, are not determined only by the presence of
an explicit command. Rather, it is to ensconce us in the pages of God’s revelation
and nowhere else to discover those elements that were approved by Him and suitable
for His worship. These elements are determined by sound exegesis and by good and
necessary inference, but always with appeal to God’s Word.
While the boundaries of the regulative principle build our worship from the timber
of God’s truth provided for us in His Word, they do not, as was the case with
Ark of the Covenant, give specific detail for the construction of that worship.
Certain principles can be gleaned, such as the principle for order, clarity and
charity, but there is great freedom and latitude within those boundaries. As the
PCA “Directory for Worship” says:
The Lord Jesus Christ has prescribed no fixed forms for public worship but, in the
interest of life and power in worship, has given His Church a large measure of liberty
in this matter. It may not be forgotten, however, that there is true liberty only
where the rules of God’s Word are observed and the Spirit of the Lord is,
that all things must be done decently and in order, and that God’s people
should serve Him with reverence and in the beauty of holiness.
The location of worship, the time of the service, the order of the elements of worship,
singing by soloists or choirs, use of musical instrumentation, use of amplification,
use of pews or folding chairs, meeting in a gymnasium or a cathedral, length of
the sermon, number of songs sung and the like are considered to be circumstances
of worship. Circumstances are those aspects not spelled out in Scripture, and not
even “religious” in themselves, but which are established and governed
by reason of prudence. The Westminster Confession of Faith asserts:
There are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the
Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light
of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word….
This statement indicates that circumstances will be concerned for the cultural contextualization
of the element, a culture that can change over time and over regions. It is the
case that the Christian community is a counter-culture. But it exists and functions
in a mainstream culture and is to speak to that culture, particularly recognizing
that this is the culture in which the congregation lives and from which unbelievers
enter. Worship is always to be relevant in that it communicates. A service of worship
leads people in worship and so must be capable of doing so. This capability is governed
by the prudential ordering of the circumstances of worship to address the needs
and goals of the congregation and the community in which it finds itself by the
providence of God.
Even the circumstances that serve the element of worship must be informed by general
biblical principle. An example might be drama or dance. The element involved would
be the proclamation of God’s Word. Just about any preacher of the Word has
some degree of flair for the dramatic. His intonations and gesticulations lend drama
to the proclamation of the Word. A lifeless, insipid presentation of God’s
Word does not communicate the tone of Scripture. However, this does not allow for
dramatic presentations by those other than the preacher to communicate God’s
Word as part of corporate worship. Drama was immensely popular in the Greek and
Roman world of Jesus’ day. However, it was eschewed as a vehicle for communication
of God’s Word in favor of the direct, pointed, explained, reasoned, pressing,
verbal communication by the foolishness of preaching. The visual desire of the congregation
was met through stories, parables, analogies, terms and phrases that captured the
imagination.
The Reformation was a time of restoration, a return to the pristine core of Christianity,
corrupted by the synergism with the way that seemed right to a man. The great truths
of the Christian faith had been deformed and even dismissed in order to serve the
church rather than Christ. But it was also a time of enculturation, looking to be
relevant without being irreverent. The Bible itself serves as an apt illustration.
The Reformers sought a return to the sound doctrine laid out in the Bible, and also
to be relevant to the people by translating the Bible into the vulgar tongue. They
took full advantage of the latest technology of the printing press, but as a tool
held in check by the harness of biblical warrant and wisdom.
The regulative principle of worship found in the Westminster Confession of Faith
reflects the grappling of the Reformation with the very questions being faced and
posed in our day. The result is clear tracks but freedom to run on them. The regulative
principle states that God “may not be worshipped according to the imaginations
or devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan….” It is distressing
in our day that the ways of those who differ from our thinking are too often designated
as “suggestions of Satan.” It is ironic that the singing of psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs is promoting division in our day instead of the bond and
beauty of love mandated by the context in which that mutual ministry is found (i.e.,
Col. 3:12-17).
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other
and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the
Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together
in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members
of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And
whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)
Worship Through Music
In this corner wearing the stately blue trunks, hymns. And in this corner wearing
the sequined gold trunks, choruses. Is there really a battle to be waged between
hymns and choruses? If so, who are the managers in each corner? Who is the promoter?
Singing to the praise of our God is an element of worship. Singing as a vehicle
to declare the glory of God as an expression of worship is in evidence throughout
the Bible. We see the song of Moses in Exodus 15, celebrating
God’s marvelous redemption of His people from the bondage of Egypt and the
destruction of His enemies. The thread of this same song is picked up in Revelation 15 and for the same reason.
We have inscripturated for us the hymnal of the ancient church, the Psalter. The
Psalms are songs for all seasons. Even though historically rooted, they are often
undated and uncontextualized so as to serve as conduits for the candid expressiveness
of our hearts to God. The Psalms call us to worship and they articulate our worship.
They teach us to think God’s thoughts after Him, declaring to Him what He
has told us of Himself and rehearsing His great acts of grace and goodness. They
lead us in praise, thanksgiving, confession, repentance, and commitment. The psalms
express the heart and they engage the mind. The psalms contain great depth of teaching
as well as lightness of repetitive refrain that bathes our needy soul. Psalms range
from extremes of 22 stanzas (Ps. 119) to a single stanza (Psalm 117). They take us to God.
They bring God to us.
Scriptural hymnody is not limited to the Old Testament. Evidence suggests that we
have recorded for us in the New Testament hymns that were likely used in the worship
of the early church, such as the Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55, or Zechariah’s
song in Luke 1:68-79, or the Angels’ song in Luke 2:14. These songs were responsive
to God’s revelation and celebrative of His character and mercies. Romans 11:33-36 extols God’s
perfect wisdom and transcendent glory. First Timothy 3:16 was a confession
of faith in Christ. We have already seen the hymns of heaven in Revelation 4 and
5 declaring the glory of God as Creator and Redeemer.
Just as poetry grips our imaginations and hearts in a way that prose cannot, so
song affects us in the bowels of our regenerate being as the words are filtered
through our renewed minds. Calvin affirmed the importance of music because it heightens
our emotions. Music aids the memory and activates the imagination. We are to worship
God in the totality of our being. Emotional reaction is the fruit of a tree deeply
rooted in the truth of God’s Word. Notice we did not say “rooted in
the deep truths of God’s Word.” Any truth can be rich soil for the emotions,
whether it is “Jesus loves me this I know,” or “A Mighty Fortress
is Our God.” The joy expressed need not be demonstrative, but it is nonetheless
moving to our soul.
Great concern exists in our time over much of today’s worship agenda to entertain.
That concern is justified, particularly as it grows out of man-centered rather than
God-centered worship, as it employs a pragmatic approach that does violence to the
regulative principle, and as it seeks to manipulate the emotions by trying to do
the work of the Holy Spirit. However, true worship has to be entertaining. Worship
that exalts and extols and expresses delight in God has to be hilariously entertaining
to the soul that desires God. We thrill to see His name magnified. We take great
delight in hearing a multitude of voices declaring His glory and providing testimony
to His saving grace. We relish the thought of unbelievers in our midst hearing the
old story of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We take tremendous pleasure in hearing
that story again that bathes our parched and weary souls with refreshing grace and
corrects our attitude of our standing before God that is always going out of alignment
away from grace and toward self-righteousness. True worship is tremendously entertaining
to God’s saints, if they indeed are seeking God.
Of course, such a God-focus may not be entertaining to unbelievers. True worship
is by faith, faith that sees and knows God. Unbelievers are to come into the assembly
of God’s people, gathered for worship, and see a people focused on God. The
presence of the Word through teaching, reading, prayer and song is to be understandable
to the degree that when an unbeliever is present: “the secrets of his heart
will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God
is really among you!’” (1 Corinthians 14:25) Of course, such repentance
can come only by the work of the Spirit of God, who tells us that He ordinarily
operates through His Word. (1 Peter 1:23)
Song is an element of the worship of God. But what sort of song fills the bill?
Just psalms? Hymns exclusively? Choruses alone? Maybe a mix is in order. But then
what is the staple of the diet to be? What exactly is the difference between hymns
and choruses? The songs we looked at in Revelation 4 and 5 and in 1 Timothy are
called “hymns” of the early church, but they sure look like choruses.
Those who say we should return to singing the psalms, what do they mean? Chanting
in Hebrew? Singing of a psalm as is? Singing a metrical arrangement? Singing psalms
according to familiar hymn tunes? Many hymns are based on psalms. Many choruses
are based on psalms for that matter. What’s appropriate? And this doesn’t
even take into account musical instrumentation.
Again, we need to appeal to God’s Word. A key text in this regard is found
in Ephesians 5:18-19 and repeated in Colossians 3:16.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another
with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude
in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Paul speaks of three vehicles of song, “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”
It is tempting to identify these with the inspired lyrics of the Psalter, those
rich hymns created by God’s new covenant people, and the simple expressions
of truth found in choruses. However, while those categories may serve such an alignment,
we cannot bring them to do so with any certainty. It may well be that psalms are
inspired, hymns are non-inspired, and spiritual songs refer to songs that stand
in opposition to secular songs. At the very least we can affirm a variety of legitimate
music. The Apostle Paul could have given us just one category. Just as Paul did
not limit himself to psalms, neither does he stop at hymns.
The purpose of this trilogy of musical offerings is one— for the saints to
minister to one another through the communication of God’s Word. The songs
employed serve as teaching vehicles for the Word of God, as we ourselves are filled
with the Spirit. We minister truth to one another, as we have the common focus of
our God and a common goal for the glory of His name. While worship is always vertical,
it includes the horizontal dimension of the fellowship in the Spirit. The dynamic
of worship is not just vertical nor is it simply linear. God is at work in a mighty,
multifaceted way.
This means that the essential quality of any song that finds itself in corporate
worship must be its faithfulness to the Word of God. The song must communicate truth.
In Reformed worship, songs must declare the whole counsel of God—not all at
once or in every song. These songs will affirm the great truths about God and His
work of redemption through Jesus Christ. One truth can be highlighted, such as God’s
majesty. Many truths could form a story, such as Charles Wesley does in “And
Can It Be.” God delights in hearing His children sing His praises and recite
His mercies. He wants us to give praise and thanks and submission.
What is “acceptable” hymnody? God’s people throughout the ages
have been constrained to sing His praises. Those gifted by Him have lent their gifts
to composition of musical offerings to the praise of His glory.
A survey of Christian hymnody[2] testifies to variety, zeal and progression. Each
stage had its own style and contribution, not supplanting the previous but enriching
it and balancing it. The movement was not from immaturity to maturity, but from
less diversity to greater variety. The Reformation established the laity and not
just the clergy as worship participants in song. The hymns of this period were majestic,
powerful and profound, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” being a prime
example. To the hymns of the Reformation that majored on the character of God were
added the hymns of the faithful, bringing God’s Word to expression for His
mercies and encouragements through life in a fallen world. Pietism produced hymns
that sought to revive cold orthodoxy with warmth and depth of spirituality. If the
Reformation emphasized justification and the next period God’s providence
and care, the Pietism at the close of the 17th century majored on sanctification.
Calvin’s high regard for God’s Word would lead him to advocate only
the singing of Psalms, with a sprinkling of singing of the Ten Commandments and
various canticles from Scripture. Sharing a high regard for God’s Word, Isaac
Watts was used of God to move beyond exclusive psalmody and to popularize the inclusion
of a Christ-honoring dimension to the psalms sung. Watts held that songs were our
response to God and so could include human lyrics that were true to Scripture and
exalted Christ.
If Watts, thoroughly Reformed in his theology, emphasized objective truth in singing
to the glory of God, it can be said that Charles Wesley, an Anglican Arminian, dealt
more with the subjective experience of faith. Here we begin to see repetition of
phrases and the addition of refrains. Through Wesley’s hymns God breathed
a warmth and vitality into the communication of worship as the congregation delighted
in God’s multifaceted blessings to them.
God continued to raise up gifted men to lend their own style and thrust to the singing
of God’s people: John Newton, William Cowper, Augustus Toplady, James Montgomery,
Horatius Bonar, William Bradbury, Fanny Crosby and the list goes on. Many of the
Christmas carols we love are folk carols, compositions of the common folk. These
folk songs have found a home among the polished music of the professionals. Gospel
songs were penned by evangelists and set to familiar music in an effort to reach
the masses. These songs delight Christians today with their simplicity, familiarity
and delight in Christ. Late 20th century songs spoke in the musical language of
rhythm and tempo, carrying God’s Word to the next generation.
The Rev. Dr. Larry Roff, editor of the New Trinity Hymnal and organist for the PCA’s
General Assembly, sums it up this way:
It is common to hear criticisms of new musical styles being introduced in churches
today…. Unfortunately, we often become attached to the musical style we grew
up with and resist anything new. But our study of hymnody has shown that, with each
new age in church history, fresh musical forms have arisen spontaneously to give
expression to the reviving work of the Holy Spirit in the church. No one style has
been, or ever can be, sufficient to serve effectively as the sole and permanent
church style.
Where do we settle that our song might be pleasing in the hearing of our God? Is
there Reformed music? Do we revert to exclusive psalmody? Are choirs and solos not
acceptable because they encourage performance and entertainment and are out of accord
with the priesthood of all believers as participants in the worship element of music?
Should organs be outlawed? Should musical accompaniment be excised?
Dr. Tim Keller speaks of the need for the church to be “missional” and
not just evangelistic. We live in a culture that is further and further removed
from Christian morals, norms and vernacular. Just as a mission church discourses
in the vernacular of the tribe, so we become incarnational without compromising
truth. One of the hallmarks of the Reformation was the Word of God in the vernacular
of the people, so they could relate and understand.
This does not mean that anything goes in worship. The elements of worship must be
those dictated by God’s Word. Those elements must be regulated by the principles
of biblical precept and the wisdom of prudence exercised by the leaders of Christ’s
church. Decisions of prudence will be different according to the current complexion
of the congregation, the mission of the congregation, and an understanding of the
circumstances, all for the welfare and edification of the congregation under their
care.
Some parameters for song that fit with Reformed theology are that the songs be spiritual
and scriptural. As beautiful and fitting as secular songs may seem, they have no
place in corporate worship for the clear communication of the truth of God’s
Word. Songs must be free from doctrinal error, and represent accurately God’s
truth.
What tunes are suitable? Perhaps the counsel of Dr. Robert Godfrey, president and
professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in California provides
our guide.
We may use any tune that is singable for a congregation and that supports the content
of the song. The tune should reflect the mood and substance of the song in light
of the joy and reverence that are appropriate to worship.
Church history shows us tunes that have been composed by the masters, and others
that have been borrowed from taverns, taken captive for the Lord’s use. The
music should fit the message and mood of the lyrics, linking not only musical harmony
but harmony between message and medium.
Since music is a vehicle for the Word of God and for the response of those whose
hearts He has tuned by His grace to sing His praise, the lyrics are the main feature
of the song. The tune and the music must be servants of a song and not its master.
At one point, people objected to organs because they overwhelmed the singing of
the people. That can be a danger with any instrument. Drums can dominate or they
can enrich and accent a song, as anyone who has heard “A Mighty Fortress”
played by an orchestra can attest. Brass instruments can detract from the lyrics
or attract to them. Woodwind instruments can send their haunting sound to the heart
and bathe it with the simple melody of the song. Stringed instruments can provide
simple guidance for the singing, but can also be disconcerting with too violent
a beat.
In similar fashion, leadership of music must follow the same principle of being
a servant to the lyrics for facilitating the congregation in the worship of God.
Leaders of music should not detract from the lyrics or distract from the theocentric
focus worship must maintain. This is not an element, but a circumstance of worship.
As such it will be governed by the setting and circumstances of the particular congregation.
The decision rests with the authority structure of the congregation as they know
and care for and lead the sheep. There is nothing inherently right or wrong with
the technology of amplification or projection. However, decisions regarding a sole
music leader, a conductor of sorts for the congregational choir as a whole, or a
team of song leaders enfolding various instruments, parts, harmony & voice reside
with the officers raised up by God over that congregation. Ways of doing things
cannot find their way into practice by default or because of the current trend found
in the secular world. Not that the trends or tools are necessarily bad, it is just
that they must be subjected to the scrutiny and approbation of the officers in the
exercise of their authority, for the welfare of the congregation.
God is a covenant-making, covenant-keeping God. He is our God and the God of our
children. He is concerned with generations, with us and our children, and our children’s
children. With that in mind perhaps a useful paradigm to follow can be expressed:
“Rejoice in tradition. Respect transition.” As God has been at work,
He continues to be at work bringing the message of life in Christ to each generation.
Not all songs have endured, nor will they endure. Isaac Watts wrote over 750 hymns
to supplement psalm singing. How many of these hymns continue in our hymnals? But
there are those that stand the test of time and find a home in the waters of spiritual
hymnody. Today’s transition will become tomorrow’s tradition.
Are hymns meat and choruses milk? Maybe. But both can be nourishing to the soul
and useful for the worship of God, as they convey God’s truth and are composed
out of a heartfelt desire for His glory, giving the church variety of expression.
We stand as the beneficiaries of a vast historical development. The development
of sacred song is not a lake, but a river. We are well downstream from the headwaters
of hymnody spurred on by God’s Spirit from the early New Testament church.
Every piece of musical composition, every style was at one time novel, contemporary
and culturally based. No doubt any change was akin to swimming upstream, facing
the resistance of those who championed tradition. Before long, however, those “new”
songs and styles were caught up in the flow of the traditional, enjoying the familiarity
craved by many.
We should countenance, encourage and expect the development of music to lead God’s
people in worship, rejoicing in the doctrinally rich hymns of Margaret Clarkson
or James Montgomery Boice at the end of the 20th century. We can delight in the
songs of those written in other ecclesiastical traditions, just as we delight in
many of the hymns of Charles Wesley, always being careful to measure them according
to the plumb line of God’s Word.
The danger to the unity and witness of Christ’s church comes when this flow
of spiritual hymnody is dammed up by pride, taking a stand on one side or the other
of the dam, preferring the placid to the rapids. Those who reject hymns cut themselves
off from the richness of God’s work in history and the songs that provide
a particular place and balance. Those who reject choruses invite stagnancy and cut
themselves off from the freshness of God’s working through the generations
as He did of old. Preferences are permissible and expected. We like what we like.
But preference can mutate to pride that becomes self-centered, self-serving and
that violates the very concern for God in cultivating unity in the faith and in
the knowledge of the Son of God by:
…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to
one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-21)
Nor do we do not want to fall into the false dichotomy between “praise and
worship” that bifurcates the singing and the rest of the service that holds
the speaking. All of it is worship, from the preaching to the praying, from the
singing to the Scripture reading, from the offering to the offertory. A “praise
and worship” time as a prelude to rest of the service is a misnomer, being
misguided at best and misleading at worst. Singing is an element of worship given
by God for His people to exalt Him and delight in Him. In the pattern of the Psalter,
songs range beyond praise, to confession of sin, confession of faith, repentance,
lament, and thanksgiving. The Spirit is at work through His Word in His faithful
through all facets of the service that minister His Word. Music grips the emotions,
but that can never cross the boundary into trying to manufacture and manipulate
that expressiveness that is part of the sub-culture of that congregation or that
tries to do the work of the Spirit.
“Blended worship,” (i.e., as the conflation of “traditional”
hymns and “contemporary” choruses is called) is wrongly expressed. We
cannot blend the elements we want. We cannot have a blended focus that leads to
anything other than being centered on the triune God in our worship. Blended music,
on the other hand, already exists and it has for centuries. Look at the hymnals
of the church. How many centuries do the songs span? How many kinds of tunes are
present? How many styles and emphases provide variety? How many generations are
represented? A survey of Scripture will demonstrate that God is not monochromatic.
He is a God of creativity and variety, and He enjoins His people in their diversity
of talents to serve a singleness of focus on Him to His glory and our joy.
We might think of corporate worship as a feast, not a feast for us but for God,
an agape feast prepared by those who love Him and love the brethren. In the model
of church covered-dish dinners, many bring contributions to the meal for the enjoyment
of all. Many tastes will be represented. Not everyone will like everything. But
God will delight in the portions of His people. But not everything is suitable.
The regulative principle imposes limits on what is appropriate to bring and what
is not. The elders of the church tailor those elements to the culture of the congregation
and community. In this respect corporate worship is the training ground for the
life worship described in Romans 12:1-3, where we are called
to live a theocentric life (God-directed, Christ-honoring, Spirit-empowered). We
need to be lovers of God and neighbor.
Epilogue
We opened this paper by talking about one threat to worship, that of our lurking
enemy the devil who would intrude, subvert and distort in the basic humans relationships
of life and in the relationship of the creature with the Creator. Yet we see another
enemy to worship, one who is much closer, an enemy within. Remember our pre-salvation
state described in Romans 1:
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools… They exchanged the truth
of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who
is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:22; 25)
The description of the rebel of Romans 1 still describes the redeemed of the Lord
as we are still in the flesh. The two basic words for the worship (i.e., “worship
and serve”) to be given to God, we see diverted away from God to self. We
become our own chief end. The rebellion that remains intrudes itself on life worship
and on corporate worship, so that we are driven by the flesh to glorify ourselves
and to enjoy ourselves for the moment. We want the elements of worship to please
us. They are for our enjoyment. But this is something God has called us out of and
away from as He has called us to Himself and given us the privilege and mandate
to worship and serve Him as the Creator who is to be forever praised. Yet the dangers
and struggles of the enemy without and the enemy within will continue to confront
us until God enfolds us in the heavenly worshipping assembly.
The worship of heaven will not be dull. It will not be contentious. Why not? Is
it because the issue will have been settled by the music from a particular era selected
by God for the worship of eternity? Will all present join with one voice to sing
hymns. Or will it be psalms? Or choruses? Maybe heaven will be divided into tiers
with the first heaven singing hymns, the second heaven choruses, and the third both.
Will the only instrumental sound emanate from a pitch pipe. Or maybe a pipe organ
the size of a planet will lead the singing. Will the solemnity and simplicity of
Gregorian chant be the solution to the joy and reverence?
Surely the answer to the unity and delight of heaven’s worship will be that
personal agendas and personal preference will have been swallowed up in the splendor
of the glory of God. We will behold Him face to face, without fear and with great
joy, consumed with His glory. We will stand before Him, clothed in our glorified
bodies, free of sin and infirmity. He is God and He is our God. We are His people.
A vast array from all people and all times will be gathered in His presence, trophies
of His grace. And together we will worship Him—forever.
Implications and Applications for the Corporate Worship at RPC
The question now is, what bearing does all this have on the present worship practices
of RPC? What direction does this give for future goals and development? How does
the RPC mission statement come into play? It is to these and other questions we
now turn our attention.
RPC Context
There is no culture-free worship. The cultural setting in which we find ourselves
by the providence of our God is the context in which our worship occurs. Our worship
must be meaningful to that context, expressing itself in the vernacular of the culture.
Worship is at the same time infra-cultural and supra-cultural, and in some respects
counter-cultural. Worship is infra-cultural in that it communicates in a way that
is understood. It is supra-cultural in that it brings to bear the timeless truth
of God’s Word. It is counter-cultural in that it exists and functions as light
penetrating the darkness, carried out in Spirit and truth. As such worship is necessarily
foreign to the world, yet at the same time must be understandable to the world.
Our paradigm for this is found in 1 Corinthians 14. There we see that worship is
to edify the believer (vv. 17, 28-31),
You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. …If
there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to
himself and God. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh
carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down,
the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone
may be instructed and encouraged.
and is to engage the unbeliever (vv. 23-25).
So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who
do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out
of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while
everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will
be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall
down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”
Hearing the words, seeing the joy, being convicted by the Spirit, the unbeliever
will be drawn into worship. At issue is not simply mystery or majesty, but comprehension,
which ultimately is the product of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 2:14). This comprehension
is facilitated by clarity of speech and familiarity of form.
Three dimensions inform the cultural context of RPC: our calling, the community
in which we find ourselves and our current congregation. Each of these dimensions
must be brought to bear as we seek to be effective in the hand of our God for edifying
the believers and engaging to unbelievers.
Calling. As the church of Jesus Christ, we share with all other local congregations
the commission of our Lord found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age.”
The church exists as an outpost of the kingdom of God. By God’s grace, unbelievers
are brought to faith in Christ, enfolded through baptism into the covenant community,
and built up in the faith to be servants of the kingdom.
RPC is both an invading and an inviting church. In dealing with the subject of worship,
however, it is the latter that is prominent. Visitors come to the service of worship
by personal invitation or by their own initiative. Upon coming to the service they
are exposed to an environment in which God is clearly present and Jesus Christ is
praised.
RPC’s mission and vision statements speak to our expression of the mission
given us by our Lord, whose church we are and whom we honor and serve.
“The RPC mission is, by God’s grace, to reach people for Christ in West
Chester and the world, bringing unbelievers to a saving knowledge of Christ and
bringing believers to a growing knowledge of Christ, all bringing glory to God.”(RPC
Mission Statement)
“Our vision is to see RPC as a strategic outpost of God’s kingdom, enlivened
by God’s grace and compelled by God’s love, intentionally and expectantly
reaching out, to saturate the West Chester area with the gospel of life in Jesus
Christ and to situate believers in a worshipping, nurturing, serving community of
faith.” (RPC Vision Statement)
These statements show that we are conscious of our community as we would carry out
our mission in pursuit of our vision.
In addition, the calling of RPC is to be a faithful steward of the Word of God.
While ministry of deed is important and indispensable, it is ministry of the Word
that is our emphasis. We bring the whole counsel of God to bear, teaching from both
Old and New Testaments. We hold to the Westminster Standards, upholding the distinctives
of the Reformed Faith, believing them to be the biblical expression of faith and
practice.
Community. RPC is located in West Chester, the county seat of Chester County,
Pennsylvania. The church building itself is situated in the southwest quadrant of
the Borough of West Chester.
The community in which RPC finds itself by the hand of God is as diverse as the
life-spheres in which its members are strewn. This community is northern, east coast,
suburban and collegiate.
The RPC building is a few blocks north of West Chester University, within walking
distance. Because of their proximity, WCU students living on campus and in the area
around the church are an expected part of the population for RPC ministry.
There is no reason to believe that the RPC community is any different from the culture
at large in which people are increasingly biblically illiterate, ignorant of biblical
content and of religious jargon. Postmodern thought pervades the mindset of many
if not most. Such thought renounces absolute truth while embracing truth for the
individual, allowing for “truth” that is contradictory. New Age philosophy
that promotes a brand of spirituality and sees religion as experience serves well
as the ill-defined religious practice for which postmodernism is the prophet. This
is not to deny vestiges of traditional religion and its nemesis, liberal Christianity,
both of which continue to exert influence, albeit in the dynamics of a changing
cultural milieu.
Congregation. The congregation of RPC is a microcosm of the surrounding
community, reflecting a wide age range. While there is racial diversity in the borough,
the surrounding townships and the university, RPC is for the most part a Caucasian
congregation, consistent with the quadrant of the borough in which the church building
is based. This is not a value to be sought, but an observation to be made.
RPC’s diversity includes blue collar and white collar, those with college
degrees and those without. A number of students currently attend worship and invite
other students to attend.
The diversity of the congregation speaks to a variety of sub-cultures, with their
own jargon, style and art forms. Generations from the 1940’s, 50’s,
60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s worship side-by-side, each bringing
their own cultural framework. In the same way, each generation presents a challenge
into which the church brings to bear the abiding truth of God’s Word and the
gospel of life in Jesus Christ.
The RPC congregation is rich in tradition. We emerged from liberalism with a zeal
for the tenets of the Christian faith. Such tradition is to be celebrated, respected
and appreciated. As these traditions are brought to contemporary culture, they are
rethought and refined in respect to our abiding call and changing community.
Worship at RPC
Weekly worship at RPC is informed by these cultural characteristics, but not strictly
formed by them. A balance must be maintained between being relevant and reverent,
communicating without compromising. It is the Session of RPC that bears the responsibility
for walking this line and for leading the congregation along it.
We can note three areas pertaining to the corporate worship of RPC that are guided
by the principles and practices of the first section of this paper and are implemented
by the Session in keeping with our cultural calling, community environs and congregational
analysis. These areas are the service of worship, the worship environment and the
participants in worship.
The Service of Worship
As was mentioned in section one of this paper, the distinction between “praise
and worship” and other elements of the service is artificial, unfounded and
unhealthy. All of the elements of worship are to be God-mandated, God-centered and
God-exalting.
In addition, the worship is to reflect the multi-generational make-up of the covenant
community. For this reason, the Session of RPC believes it to be inappropriate to
separate what have often been called “traditional” and “contemporary”
worship service that cater to personal taste in a consumerism mentality. The picture
of the church in glory is of one people, united in one Spirit, under one Father,
exalting one Lord, engaged in one purpose—the glory of God.
The corporate worship of RPC is a formal assembly of the church, called together
by the Session, for the worship of the true and living God. Such an assembly is
not merely a matter of two or three gathered together in the name of Christ, but
the distinctive people of God gathered for a distinct purpose, regulated by the
commands of God, under the direction of His ordained leaders. For that reason, weekly
corporate worship is different from private worship, small group worship, para-church
worship and camp meetings. Although these other venues and vehicles for the worship
of God are legitimate and share a kindred spirit and overlap of biblical principle,
they do not carry the same mandate and strictures that apply to formal worship of
Christ’s church under the oversight of the elders as prescribed and described
in Scripture.
The elements of worship include those listed above: public reading of the Word,
preaching of the Word, prayer, singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, offerings,
confessions of faith, taking of vows and observation of the sacraments of baptism
and the Lord’s Supper. These elements are not ends in themselves, but are
means to the end of glorifying the God with whom we gather to meet. The worship
of RPC will maintain these elements. For the reasons mentioned above, drama and
dance will not be included as circumstances expressive of the elements. Public prayer
will continue to find a prominent place, as will the public reading of God’s
Word. The ordinary diet of preaching of the Word will be expository rather than
topical.
No set liturgy (i.e., service) is mandated by God’s Word. (see Addendum One)
The elements of the service will center around a common theme and/or around a particular
attribute of God. This common theme will arise from the text of Scripture from which
the sermon will be preached. Songs, readings, prayers and flow will reflect, serve
and impress this theme. Consideration needs to be given to a flow that best develops
the theme and leads the congregation. Two major factors in the success of this flow
are ordering and content of the elements and work of the worship leader. More will
be said of the latter under worship environment.
While variety and variation can be found in the ordering of the elements of the
service of worship, which may well be appropriate in keeping with the particular
text of Scripture, most variety will come from variation in form and content. Examples
would be different psalter readings, different ways of reading them, such as in
unison, antiphonally, or responsively. Variety will be seen in musical selection
for congregational singing, as well as choral or instrumental selections in keeping
with the resources brought by God to the congregation.
Special attention needs to be given to the element of music and singing. As indicated
above, music and singing is a vehicle for echoing the truth of God’s Word
to the glory of His name and for expressing the response of faith in praise, confession,
thanksgiving, petition, submission, etc.—whatever may be called for as a response
to God in the flow of the service as it is centered around the theme of the sermon
text. Several aspects can be noted and are perhaps most easily expressed in bulleted
statements.
• If song is a medium for the Word, the lyrics must be faithful to the Word
and to the Reformed understanding of the Word. In addition, the tune and instrumentation
must serve that content and aid in expression that is meaningful to the worshippers.
Inter-generational worship will bring variety of musical expression. Although responsibility
for the theology and appropriateness of any song lies with the Session, that responsibility
can be delegated to gifted music directors under the Session’s continuing
oversight.
• If song is our response to the Word, the same principles apply. Songs selected
are an expression of worship leadership that leads the participants in a monolithic
response. While this can be seen as stifling in one respect to individualistic expression,
it provides direction in keeping with the flow and avoids cacophony. Response to
God falls under the rubric of prayer. Examples of prayer in Scripture can be anywhere
from brief to lengthy. Our response to God in song can be short, as in the doxology,
Gloria Patri or brief chorus, or long in word or tune, such as “And Can It
Be.”
• RPC is committed to the richness of musical development, appreciating the
contributions of the saints throughout the generations and for generations to come.
Hymns will remain a staple of our worship. Hymns convey a richness in theological
content and development as well as response to God’s truth. In addition to
familiar tunes, variety can be introduced through new tunes to old hymns, such as
evidenced in the Trinity Hymnal with “Take My Life” and “Rock
of Ages.” Choruses often reflect the beauty of God’s truth and earnest
of faith’s response through simplicity of expression. As with any songs, hymns
and choruses must be sound in theology and suitable for singing.
• If song serves the flow of the service as part of the various elements, the
songs selected should fit with the elements. This is true of sung psalms, hymns
and spiritual songs. The thrust of the song should be in harmony with the character
of the element, whether it be praise, confession, supplication or commitment. This
means that sung psalms, hymns or choruses would be found wherever appropriate throughout
the service and not just in one stage of the service, such as the beginning or middle.
• What about blocks of songs? Nothing in Scripture mandates singing individual
songs or multiple songs in one segment. Prudence and flow of purpose speak to the
matter. Several points can be made.
• Blocks of songs are not to try to usurp the role of the Holy Spirit by attempting
to induce the froth of frenzy through the manipulation of music’s power or
through vain repetition. Repetition is neither good nor bad in itself, but a distinction
must be made between repetition as mantra and repetition as meditation to the exercise
of our spiritual faculties in delight of our God and to the delight of our God.
• Neither can blocks of songs serve to compartmentalize the service of worship
into a “praise and worship” portion and “all the rest” portion.
All is worship. All is doxological, dialogical and directional in keeping with the
element and flow of the service.
• The strength of a block of songs is in its compilation of effort and variety
of expression to reinforce a biblical truth or response to that truth as a vehicle
for the worship of God. Such blocks need not be used every service, nor need they
be filled with only choruses. A medley of hymns or combination of hymns or hymn
stanzas and choruses can be used.
• Repetition of shorter songs, whether hymn stanzas, choruses or sung psalms,
can be a servant to the flow and theme. Scripture gives us two patterns of repetition
for emphasis: two times (“truly, truly”) or three times (“holy,
holy, holy”). It seems best to sing a short chorus only once, if in the grouping
of songs in the block, a single singing of the chorus accomplishes the goal of the
block’s emphasis or flow. This will take discretion on the part of the leader.
The question of repetition must be answered by how it serves the purpose of its
inclusion in the flow & not just for the sake of itself.
• Although this could fall under our next heading of the participants in worship,
it seems proper to mention here that requiring the congregation to stand for a block
of songs is not essential for the spiritual success of the singing. Protracted periods
of standing can be counterproductive to a focus on God as thoughts of weariness
intrude. It is interesting in Scripture that the reverence of standing seems most
typically associated with the public reading of God’s Word.
• Through the discipleship of formal, corporate worship the congregation can
be expected to be educated, equipped and stretched. Under the direction of the Session,
the congregation must be fitted for the worship of eternal glory, growing in unity,
in humility, in submission, in awe and appreciation.
The Worship Environment
Any place can be serve as an environment for corporate worship, from heaven to a
stable, from a cathedral to a field. God’s people, individually and corporately,
are His temple in which He lives by His Spirit. Technically, there is no “sanctuary”
reserved as the place in which God dwells and where He meets with His people.
The question of worship environment for our purposes is that of the setting and
structure for the conduct of RPC’s service of worship, particularly in the
building that God has provided for us at the present. Several areas can be identified
to enhance congregational participation, to maintain focus on God, and to enhance
the flow of the service toward that end.
Leadership. Leadership is essential to an ordered service of worship, both
in the construction of the service and in its execution. Leadership embraces primarily
the worship leaders and the music leaders.
• Worship leaders. The current practice is for the pastor to lead the service
by himself or with the help of a ruling elder. The practice of ruling elder involvement
stems from keeping the elders before the congregation in their role as shepherds
of the sheep. The following are incumbent upon the worship leaders.
• Just as worshippers must prepare themselves for their role, so must worship
leaders for theirs. Preparation of the heart is of first importance. The leader
is a servant in the hand of God, called to a sobering task of leading the people
before God in worship.
• Preparation must also be made of the elements of the service, its order and
flow, and the theme around which it is built. Scripture readings should be reviewed
beforehand for ease and accuracy of reading. Such preparation is made with thought
and prayer as the leader sees how best to lead from one element to the next, without
resorting to a checklist mode.
• Scripture readings should be explicitly related to the theme. Prayers must
respond to the attribute of God embraced in the theme, in keeping with the thrust
of the element in which the prayer occurs. For example, a prayer following the offering
should not be another invocation or pastoral prayer, either in length or in content.
Ordinarily, prayers of invocation or closing should be short, no longer than a minute.
The pastoral prayer should reflect a knowledge of the congregation, its needs, its
work, its struggles, bringing these things to God and bringing God’s care
to them.
• Music leaders. The role of the music leader is to lead the assembly by instruction,
direction and voice in the singing of songs. As with the instrumentation, the music
leader is to draw attention to God and facilitate His worship through song. He is
part of the worship environment. Several issues can be raised here.
• Leadership. Leading music comes into play at a number of stages, from prior
selection of songs to directing the congregation. This role could be carried out
by the worship leader. However, one having ability in music or singing can enhance
the musical dimension of the service of worship. The music leader can lead by voice
and/or instrument, can provide direction for singing of parts or antiphony, can
give training to the congregation in singing and learning unfamiliar songs. The
music leader need not be polished, but he must be practiced and prepared.
• Individual or team. While an individual can lead the congregation in song,
a team of singers can lend diversity. A team can include male and female singers,
stronger and fuller singing, and separate leaders for parts.
• Appearance. Those who come before the congregation to lead are in another
category from those who fill the pew. Personal presence and presentation should
not attract attention to self. In addition, appearance and approach should be in
keeping the culture of the RPC community convened for the formal worship of God.
For RPC’s present congregational setting and make up, this means attire that
is “dressy.” While this does not necessarily entail coat and tie or
dress, it does mean no tee shirts and jeans. Of course, attire should be modest.
Diversity in personal style, such as unusual hair color and body piercings, are
acceptable as long as the Session does not deem them as counter-productive to the
goal of worship.
Helps to worship. The goal of worship is the glory of God. Leaders in worship
are put in place to facilitate the worship of God’s people. Other tools and
features can serve this purpose as well. A number of these circumstantial helps
merit our attention.
• Printed bulletin. Although some disdain the rigidity of printed bulletins,
we believe they serve an important purpose as an aid to worship. Not only does the
bulletin serve as a weekly newsletter for the congregation, it lays out the elements
and flow of the service of worship. This helps worshippers to know the emphasis
of the service, the parts and flow of it, and where they are in that flow. In addition,
it provides a casing for sermon notes and aids such as page numbers for various
readings. On the other side, a printed service carries the benefit of required planning
on the part of the leaders. In addition, the identification of all songs to be sung
gives boundaries and definition as well as allowing for accountability in review
of the songs to be sung, particularly suitability of lyrics.
• Amplification. In order to be best heard, microphones should ordinarily be
used by all leaders. This includes both worship leaders and music leaders. Although
the RPC sanctuary is small, words spoken or sung are greatly enhanced through amplification.
• Projection. Is projection of songs for singing desirable or undesirable?
Certainly, there are drawbacks to projecting songs such as technological snafus
and human error that can be a hindrance or distraction to worship. Also, projecting
songs has a disadvantage over hymnals in that the latter is better suited for inclusion
of music as well as the lyrics. But the answer to the desirability of projection
depends on whether such a tool aids in the flow and focus of the service of worship.
While there are drawbacks, projection of songs holds a number of advantages:
• The lyrics on the wall keep people’s heads up and voices strong, while
promoting a greater sense of community over individuality.
• For blocks of singing, projection assists in the leading by presenting only
those stanzas from hymns to be sung (versus verbally indicating, for example, “stanzas
one, three and five.”).
• It also allows for combining of sung psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, without
having to flip through pages or pick up different books. In this way, the flow and
focus are greatly enhanced and the message of the medley driven home more overtly
for the worship of God.
Projection of songs is desirable as an aid to the focus and flow of the service
of worship. Because projection is employed by theological camps divergent from RPC’s
or by those pursuing an agenda of church growth that we repudiate does not mean
that by its use we are accommodating ourselves to either of those or are on the
slippery slope to those approaches. The use or abuse of a tool is found in the hand
of the one wielding it. Anything from the internet to cable TV to a tool from the
work chest can be used for noble or ignoble purposes. Projection is a tool under
the constraints of all that RPC stands for.
The Participants in Worship
We are the worshippers; God is the one worshipped. Worship is for God’s glory,
God’s delight. As was developed in the first section of this paper, we are
called to “bless the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy
name.” God has sought us to be worshippers and has equipped us as worshippers
of Him in Spirit and truth. Secondarily, as a byproduct of our God-focused worship,
we are blessed, nourished, equipped, comforted, encouraged, convicted, renewed.
The preeminent point of worship is not what it does for us, but what it does for
God.
Worship as the activity of a regenerated heart is carried out in the assembly of
the redeemed community. The priesthood of all believers reclaimed at the Reformation
means that all believers present in the assembly are participants in worship, not
just the pastor or leaders of worship and music.
As participants, we need to make sure we arrive at worship prepared, with the proper
attitude, ready to engage ourselves in the high and holy privilege set before us.
First and foremost, we come to give, to give God the glory due His name. We also
come to receive. We come as a needy people, roughed up in the past week by the world,
the flesh and the devil. We come with burdens and with failures. Christ-centered
worship will minister grace and wisdom to us. We will be renewed in the wonders
of God’s redeeming love, directed in His ways. We will be strengthened and
encouraged for the week to come. We don’t leave our burdens at the door as
we enter into some idealistic Christian commune. Rather, we bring our burdens in
with us. We bring them to our God & tell Him we need His help, asking forgiveness
for our idolatry and waywardness, rejoicing in His grace, seeking His wisdom. We
receive grace as we purpose to give God glory. As we arrive at worship with an attitude
of awe, humility, gratitude and submission, the things that don’t suit our
preferences will be swallowed up in love for God and brethren.
Several issues affecting participation are present at RPC. Again, we will sort them
out using bulleted categories.
• The most essential factor to vibrant participation is preparation. Dr. J.
I. Packer speaks to this in his survey of Puritan practice:
What we need at the present time to deepen our worship is not new liturgical forms
or formulae, nor new hymns or tunes, but more preparatory ‘heart-work’
before we use the old ones. There is nothing wrong with new hymns, tunes and worship
styles—there may be very good reasons for them—but without ‘heart-work’
they will not make our worship more fruitful and God-honouring.
Packer quotes the Puritan, George Swinnock, to instruct us in our preparation:
Prepare to meet thy God, O Christian! Betake thyself to thy chamber on the Saturday
night, confess and bewail thine unfaithfulness under the ordinances of God; shame
and condemn thyself for thy sins, entreat God to prepare thy heart for, and assist
in, thy religious performances; spend some time in consideration of the infinite
majesty, holiness, jealousy, and goodness, of that God, with whom thou art to have
to do in sacred duties; ponder the weight and importance of his holy ordinances…;
meditate on the shortness of time thou hast to enjoy Sabbaths in; and continue musing…
till the fire burneth; thou canst not think the good thou mayest gain by such forethoughts,
how pleasant and profitable a Lord’s day would be to thee after such preparation.
• Preparation looks not only to the rest and focus of Saturday evening, it
embraces our attitude, our week and our sense of time in general. Private, daily
worship and regular family worship are the training ground for corporate, weekly
worship. Purposeful, planned worship is the cadence to a grounded Christian life.
The seven day cycle, revolving around weekly worship helps us to bring our lives
to revolve around God. We are either moving toward Sunday or moving from Sunday.
Sunday must be consecrated as holy and kept holy.
• Preparation requires a concentrated, purposeful effort in reliance on the
Spirit to muster ourselves for the most important event of our week. (see Addendum
Two)
• Participation in worship will involve believers in the activity of worship.
Worship is a celebration, full of joy. A congregation has its own personality and
sub-culture, including its traditions. RPC is a long-standing Presbyterian congregation
typified by a more staid approach to worship. A staid approach can reflect a cold
orthodoxy, but it can also reflect a more serious, quiet delight in God. It is wrong
to equate joy with giddiness, effusiveness, animation or level of noise. Conversely,
it is wrong to equate giddiness, effusiveness, animation or level of noise with
joy. Joy is the delight in God induced by the Holy Spirit. When James tells us to
consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, he is calling for a delight
in God not an expressive glee over pain. A practical ramification is that forced
expressiveness, such as swaying or raising of hands, cannot be mandated or even
pursued as desirable, under the misconception that where there is animation there
is joy. On the other hand, upheld hands as an expression of personal delight in
God and communion with Him should not be despised as though it were foreign to Scripture.
• Participation in worship is of the individual in community. While the believer
worships as an individual, he or she does so in the assembly. This means that it
is not just the individual believer and God, where the worshipper can do whatever
he or she feels like doing. There is an order and a decorum established by the Session
that directs each one as part of the assembly. Conversely, there is nothing wrong
with an individual raising hands or closing eyes in song. Personal overt expressiveness
does not isolate the one from the many, just as long as it does not draw attention
from God to the individual. One can easily sing with eyes and the sense of sight
closed and take great delight in the hearing of the multitude singing God’s
praises to the glory of His redeeming grace.
• Variations such as singing in rounds or alternating stanzas, such as male
then female, is often associated with more informal worship. Although precedence
may be seen in the singing of antiphonal psalms, that variation seemed to contribute
to the dialogical structure of the psalm as illustrated in the parallelism of Hebrew
poetry. Echoes are different in that they are inherent to the song and not a variation
upon the song. Such variations need to be weighed thoughtfully for their appropriateness
and contribution to expression of corporate worship.
• We made the case earlier that liturgical dance is not appropriate in corporate
worship, but what about clapping? Certainly, God does say in His Word, “Clap
your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.” (Psalm 47:1)
But this does not mean that clapping is identified as an element of worship, and
even less that it is a constraint of true praise and engagement in worship. While
it seems biblically unwarranted to declare clapping wrong in worship, it is warranted
to ask certain questions of the practice.
• Is the focal point of the clapping the music or God? Is the clapping highlighting
the beat of the music or the beauty of God?
• Does clapping bring focus to the means rather than the ends?
• If clapping were identified with true praise, would not every song of praise
be accompanied with clapping, such as “To God Be the Glory?”
• In keeping with the regulative principle, should clapping be expected of
every worshipper? Should those rhythmically- challenged be forced to bear down to
get the beat right and so lose sight of God? Does clapping detract from the lyrics
which are the key factor of expression?
• Choirs and special music in which the bulk of the congregation are spectators
does not violate the priesthood of all believers but is reflective of the diversity
of gifts and ministry of the congregation. Just as one person in a prayer group
might pray aloud with the rest saying the “amen” of agreement, so in
worship the individual gifts and contributions all render to God the glory and gratitude
of the community.
Conclusion
This paper has left many questions unaddressed. It has left many questions raised
within unanswered or incompletely answered. Hopefully, principles and parameters
have been established to provide direction for the Session its leadership of the
corporate worship of RPC, and to help the leaders and participants in worship in
carrying out their roles to the glory of God.
What would we want worship to look like down the road? That depends on a variety
of factors, many of which we are not even aware at the moment. But we know where
the road leads. Every Sunday’s worship serves as a reminder and gives us a
foretaste of it. The road leads to heaven, where we will worship our great God for
eternity. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Addendum One: A Proposed Pattern for Worship
The Bible offers no fixed liturgy, i.e., order of service for the worship of God.
Consideration needs to be given to what happens when. If it is true that worship
can be seen as prayer in which we hear and respond to God’s Word and express
to Him our praise, gratitude, confession, etc., then perhaps the model prayer given
by our Lord in Matthew 6 can provide such structure and order.
The Lord’s Prayer is kingdom prayer. It responds to our King and seeks His
glory. In this sense worship is both doxological, aimed at giving glory to God,
and dialogical, communicating with Him whom we meet for worship in the flow of the
liturgy.
The pattern of the Lord’s Prayer could lay out the elements of worship in
this way.
1) “Our Father, who is in heaven, holy is your name”
• Here we approach God, adoring His character, delighting in His mercies.
• Individual or blocks of songs (psalms, hymns or spiritual songs) would focus
our thoughts and lift our hearts to our God who meets with us as our Creator and
Redeemer. He is both transcendent (in heaven) and immanent (Father).
• The scriptural call to worship, songs, opening prayer would revolve around
or develop a theme and/or attribute of God prominent in the sermon text
• elements: call to worship, songs, prayer of praise or invocation
2) “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
• Hearing and submitting to God’s will is prominent. This looks to His
decretive will that governs all things and to His revealed will inscripturated for
us in the Bible.
• Emphasis would be on our appropriate response to God’s Word, whether
it be thanksgiving, praise, obedience
• elements: responsive reading of a psalm, confessional reading of other portions
of Scripture, confessions of faith, pastoral prayer, prayers or songs of submission
and consecration, covenant baptism (as see God’s work for the sake of the
kingdom, and as an act of obedience to His revealed will)
3) “Give us this day our daily bread”
• The focus here is on God’s provision for the work of His kingdom, whether
it be for physical needs or spiritual needs.
• elements could include testimonies to God’s provision (e.g., Gleanings
of Grace), the regular offering & offertory, special offerings, special oaths
or vows, the sermon (cf. Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4), prayers of consecration,
dependence and gratitude
4) “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”
• This highlights the grace that is ours through Christ and that we need to
forgive as have been forgiven (cf. Matt. 5:23f.; Eph. 4:32)
• Here confession of sin and the Lord’s Supper could find a place. The
Lord’s Supper highlights the price paid to obtain forgiveness and emphasizes
the communion of the saints with fellowship in Christ and the need for unity.
• elements: private or corporate confession of sin using Scripture, silence
or composed prayer, confessions of faith, songs that stress the grace of God and
the work of Chr