Does God choose us, or do we choose God?
With the abundance of time afforded me this fall, I (Peter) have been doing more reading in theology than I have over the past thirty years. The majority of my reading has been of blogs featuring renowned pastor-theologians.
Much of what I've read has been clear explanations of biblical texts with insight into their connectedness to form an integrated system of biblical thought – also called "systematic theology." Some of my reading has been of authors who have forced biblical texts into their predetermined outlines to try to make sense of difficult passages and hard to connect verses.
My motivation for reading theology has been to find an answer to this posting's title. The formative theologians of the Protestant Reformation (Luther, et al) reclaimed the teachings of the Bible stating that salvation is received by faith alone, according to God's grace alone, through the death and resurrection of Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
The second generation of Reformation theologians gave more precise definition to the movement. The two most prominent theologians were John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. Arminius was born seven years before Calvin's death in 1564. Two familiar theological systems are their namesakes, Calvinism and Arminianism, which hold many common ideas and are at polar opposites on others.
My seminary studies were of the Calvinistic stripe. Over the years I have benefitted greatly from the writings of well-known Calvinistic theologians - among them Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, J.I. Packer, and John Piper. Great stuff is available from today's Calvinist thinkers at www.thegospelcoalition.org.
In my recent reading I've been exploring the thought and writing of the evangelical Arminian theologian and church historian Roger E. Olson (formerly of Bethel University and Seminary and currently at Baylor University). Check out his refreshing blog at www.rogereolson.com. He writes a new posting almost daily. His Bible interpretation is conservative, his reasoning is clear, and his tone is irenic. Be sure to read the responses too. Dr. Olson has some highly articulate followers.
What I have concluded from my seminary education and current reading is that, in a nutshell, Calvinism promotes the idea that God chooses which sinners will become believers and Arminianism the idea that the sinner is capable of choosing God.
I'm no professional theologian, but it seems to me that the Bible's answer to "Does God choose us, or do we choose God?" is "Yes!" Both parts of that statement are true. Ephesians 1 is clear that believers are the elect, predestined, ordained by God before the beginning of time. The Bible also teaches that not-yet-believers are called upon to "repent" (Acts 2), meaning they are given a choice and the ability to decide which choice.
There are some questions that need to go unanswered. For nearly two hundred years a debate raged about the unanswered question of the nature of light: Is light a particle or is it an electromagnetic wave? The particle theory of Isaac Newton persisted for most of those two centuries, finally to be overturned in the late 19th Century. Except for a select few, the theories of the nature of light are immaterial to everyday life; it's a mystery to us. The use of light, though, is accessible and useful, illuminating our Christmas trees and helping us find those tasty leftovers in the fridge.
The world needs theologians debating our knowledge of God in the same way it needs physicists debating the nature of light. We need the Calvinist and Arminian theologians to stimulate each other to clear thinking and biblical integrity regarding the apparent contradictions, opposing views, and mysteries of God.
As much as theological systems want to give definitive answers to hard theological questions, there are some questions that need to go unanswered.
If you are a worship planner, a worship leader, a worship committee member, be sure to leave room in your corporate gatherings for some unanswered, and unanswerable, questions about God and faith. Leave a little room for the mysteries contained in the infinite God of the Bible.
The musings of Peter and Christine Kyhn
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Blog #011 Redux
Internationally published award-winning author Kris Tualla (see "We're Following" at the right) wants to contribute these timeless gems to "Things Worship Leaders should never say." I hope her wit brings a smile to your face.
“…go past the room where the Library used to be ….” and stop before you get to where the new nursery is going to be.
"Thank you for choosing to worship with us today" because we know our service doesn't conflict with Game Time.
"Please fill out your communication card so we can know you are here" - and if you aren't here, could you please indicate that on the back?
"If you’re here today (SEE PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS) and you want to know more..." then I guess I'll keep talking. If not, wave your hands and we'll adjourn to watch the game.
"Let’s do some more worship" because we have a measurable quota to get through and we can't measure silence.
"As we begin this morning….” What are all you people doing in my bedroom???
“…go past the room where the Library used to be ….” and stop before you get to where the new nursery is going to be.
"Thank you for choosing to worship with us today" because we know our service doesn't conflict with Game Time.
"Please fill out your communication card so we can know you are here" - and if you aren't here, could you please indicate that on the back?
"If you’re here today (SEE PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS) and you want to know more..." then I guess I'll keep talking. If not, wave your hands and we'll adjourn to watch the game.
"Let’s do some more worship" because we have a measurable quota to get through and we can't measure silence.
"As we begin this morning….” What are all you people doing in my bedroom???
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Blog #011 Things not to say as a public worship leader
Do not say the following phrases in public worship – ever.
Use room/facility names by their old appellations
One church’s “Red Room” has nothing red in it - the carpet is blue-green, the walls are natural wood paneling. The carpet hasn't been red for fifteen years. Newcomers will never find it. In another congregation, leaders often said, “…go past the room where the Library used to be ….”
This makes no sense to anyone who started attending since the library quit being the library.
Seems obvious, but old habits (and names) die hard.
Thank you for choosing to worship with us today
Say this only if you intend to promote “spiritual consumerism.” It communicates “we’re here to deliver the spiritual goods and services you are looking for in the way that you want them. You have lots of good choices in this town; you chose us this morning. Thanks.” Or it might communicate, “we’re experiencing a slump in our offering income, so we’re glad you’re here to help us pump up the offering total.”
Please fill out your communication card so we can know you are here
This sounds so impersonal to my ear. It communicates, “we recognize your existence in our presence if you fill out a card.” I believe that a congregation’s leadership needs to have blunt discussions in their committee and board meetings about the reasons for having attendees register their attendance. Most newcomers don’t fill out the cards until their third or fourth visit anyway. They know they’re going to get marketed, their names put into a database - that they will be digitized.
If you’re here today ….
This is usually combined with “…and you want to know more…” or “…and you need Jesus….” Think about it. When you speak face to face with a friend, you don’t say, “If I’m talking to you right now and you’re hungry, would you like to get some lunch?” No! You say, “Are you hungry? Let’s get some lunch.” At church, you’re talking to people sitting in front of you. They’re here.
Let’s do some more worship
Argh! What’s usually meant is, “let’s sing another song.” Music doesn’t equal worship.
As we begin this morning….”
The preacher gets up to deliver his sermon 30 minutes into the worship gathering and says, “As we begin this morning….” Begin what? The sermon, yes. Praise, adoration, confession, singing, prayer are already full steam ahead.
Observe the old adage – Think before you speak. Your first-time visitors are listening … and so are we.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Blog #010 Rock AND Bach
God-centered worshipers yearn for authenticity in their leaders’ expressions of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, and calls to submission in our gatherings for worship. When our hearts are broken, our faith shaken, our spirit despairing we need a word from God and the touch of His Spirit.
Over the years, advocates of the “McChurch franchise” have come up with various “secrets” to assure the attraction of significant numbers of visitors and growing facilities and budgets. They often filibuster for furloughing the orchestra and firing the choir. They take a “cookie-cutter” approach to achieve “what works.” Import the right talent, they advise, and hang on for the ride. Authentic versus pragmatic. Where’s the truth in all this?
Mark Hayes’ 2002 address to a worship congress(1) in Washington D.C. gives the following marvelous response to such thinking:
“Frank Burch Brown in his book, “Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste(2) ,” has some assumptions that may guide our discussion of this matter. Let me quote just a few.
1. There are many kinds of good taste, and many kinds of good religious art and music. In view of cultural diversity, it would be extremely odd if that were not true.
2. Not all kinds of good art and music are equally good for worship, let alone for every tradition and faith community. In terms of worship, therefore, it is not enough that a work or style of art be likeable; it must also be appropriate.
3. Every era and cultural context tends to develop new forms of sacred music and art, which to begin with often seem secular to many people.
4. It is an act of Christian love to learn to appreciate or at least respect what others value in a particular style or work that they cherish in worship or in the rest of life. That is different, however, from personally liking every form of commendable art, which is impossible and unnecessary.
I believe our job as worship planners and leaders is to create and hold a sacred container in which the Spirit can work and move. “Container” may seem like an odd choice of words, but it’s merely a metaphor for the word “environment.” All the elements of worship, from the size and design of the sanctuary, to the liturgical vestments or lack thereof, to the type and quality of music and every word that is prayed or spoken contributes to the worship environment. As creative people we want to make this invisible container a safe, nurturing and glorious place to meet God and experience the presence of [his] Spirit. We can’t make God “show up” on Sunday any more than we can make people worship or respond to the Divine. Our only role is to hold or maintain that sacred space through the use of our gifts so God can do what God will do.”
I agree with Hayes and Brown one hundred percent. It’s not Rock vs. Bach but Rock and Bach (item #4). Let’s commit to respecting and appreciating each generation’s worship vocabulary and not turn against one another as the “enemy.”
Notes:
1. Accessed from www.markhayes.com
2. Frank Burch Brown, Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in
Religious Life (New York, Oxford University Press, 2000) pp. 250-251.
Over the years, advocates of the “McChurch franchise” have come up with various “secrets” to assure the attraction of significant numbers of visitors and growing facilities and budgets. They often filibuster for furloughing the orchestra and firing the choir. They take a “cookie-cutter” approach to achieve “what works.” Import the right talent, they advise, and hang on for the ride. Authentic versus pragmatic. Where’s the truth in all this?
Mark Hayes’ 2002 address to a worship congress(1) in Washington D.C. gives the following marvelous response to such thinking:
“Frank Burch Brown in his book, “Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste(2) ,” has some assumptions that may guide our discussion of this matter. Let me quote just a few.
1. There are many kinds of good taste, and many kinds of good religious art and music. In view of cultural diversity, it would be extremely odd if that were not true.
2. Not all kinds of good art and music are equally good for worship, let alone for every tradition and faith community. In terms of worship, therefore, it is not enough that a work or style of art be likeable; it must also be appropriate.
3. Every era and cultural context tends to develop new forms of sacred music and art, which to begin with often seem secular to many people.
4. It is an act of Christian love to learn to appreciate or at least respect what others value in a particular style or work that they cherish in worship or in the rest of life. That is different, however, from personally liking every form of commendable art, which is impossible and unnecessary.
I believe our job as worship planners and leaders is to create and hold a sacred container in which the Spirit can work and move. “Container” may seem like an odd choice of words, but it’s merely a metaphor for the word “environment.” All the elements of worship, from the size and design of the sanctuary, to the liturgical vestments or lack thereof, to the type and quality of music and every word that is prayed or spoken contributes to the worship environment. As creative people we want to make this invisible container a safe, nurturing and glorious place to meet God and experience the presence of [his] Spirit. We can’t make God “show up” on Sunday any more than we can make people worship or respond to the Divine. Our only role is to hold or maintain that sacred space through the use of our gifts so God can do what God will do.”
I agree with Hayes and Brown one hundred percent. It’s not Rock vs. Bach but Rock and Bach (item #4). Let’s commit to respecting and appreciating each generation’s worship vocabulary and not turn against one another as the “enemy.”
Notes:
1. Accessed from www.markhayes.com
2. Frank Burch Brown, Good Taste, Bad Taste, and Christian Taste: Aesthetics in
Religious Life (New York, Oxford University Press, 2000) pp. 250-251.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Blog #009 - On Being Creative
Created in the image of the creative God, humankind also creates. This creativity oozes through life in many ways, sometimes finding its expression through the arts. There are some who are especially gifted in this realm of artistic expression and have an amazing ability to create art that powerfully touches deep emotions.
What is the value of artistic expression? Art enlightens and deepens our understanding of life. This artistic expression can also soften our hearts, enabling us to understand and embrace truth about God through image, sound, or movement.
Both of us have a passion to encourage artistically gifted individuals. We want to nurture the creative expression placed within them by God, that through them a wider ministry might take place within the hearts and minds of those who gather to worship the triune God of the Bible.
To say it again, our passion is to pastor and offer support to artistically gifted believers, nurturing them to express their understanding of God and truth in ways that encourage and strengthen the Body of Christ.
There is a difference between embracing God’s giftedness and using spiritual sounding words to attribute divine importance to one’s artistic expression.
Take, for example the phrase, “God gave me this song.” Did he really? Maybe in his sovereign running of the universe he let you view a beautiful sunset that became the subject of your latest poem. Maybe he opened your eyes to see it in a fresh way, but you wrote the words, you chose the notes that made the melody.
Creating is a powerful, emotional, and vulnerable experience. It is tempting to elevate the importance of what you have created by saying, “God gave this to me.” It’s a kind of false humility.
Let’s celebrate the artistic expression within our faith community. But, please, be honest and humbly take the credit for what you have created. Don’t attribute more to it than this.
God will do the work He needs to in the hearts of those who hear and see it.
What is the value of artistic expression? Art enlightens and deepens our understanding of life. This artistic expression can also soften our hearts, enabling us to understand and embrace truth about God through image, sound, or movement.
Both of us have a passion to encourage artistically gifted individuals. We want to nurture the creative expression placed within them by God, that through them a wider ministry might take place within the hearts and minds of those who gather to worship the triune God of the Bible.
To say it again, our passion is to pastor and offer support to artistically gifted believers, nurturing them to express their understanding of God and truth in ways that encourage and strengthen the Body of Christ.
There is a difference between embracing God’s giftedness and using spiritual sounding words to attribute divine importance to one’s artistic expression.
Take, for example the phrase, “God gave me this song.” Did he really? Maybe in his sovereign running of the universe he let you view a beautiful sunset that became the subject of your latest poem. Maybe he opened your eyes to see it in a fresh way, but you wrote the words, you chose the notes that made the melody.
Creating is a powerful, emotional, and vulnerable experience. It is tempting to elevate the importance of what you have created by saying, “God gave this to me.” It’s a kind of false humility.
Let’s celebrate the artistic expression within our faith community. But, please, be honest and humbly take the credit for what you have created. Don’t attribute more to it than this.
God will do the work He needs to in the hearts of those who hear and see it.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Blog #008 Image
“We live in a culture where image is everything and substance nothing.” This quote from Eugene Peterson’s book, “Run With The Horses”(page 67) got us thinking.
Surely no one would admit to actually valuing image over substance.
Or would they?
The message we hear often is, “If our church could just look cool, talk cool, dim the lights, dismiss the choir and put guitars and drums on the stage, then our ‘worship’ will attract those coveted 20 and 30 year olds who are conspicuously absent.” What happens, then, when we do all this and they still don’t come? Are we just not cool enough? Maybe the music should be louder (or softer?), less happy, less churchy, less “eternity,” more “here and now.” Or maybe we need a worship leader who sports a soul patch.
Or maybe the unchurched stay away because the church’s public face looks too much like a business enterprise. Yes, there are buildings to maintain, workers to pay, programs to manage. Marketing strategies are needed to publicize all the wonderful things the church offers.
The problem seems to be this: we think that if we can just get them to come to church, then they will see how “cool” God is.
How did our thinking become so undiscerning?
The church (the body of which Christ is the head [Ephesians 1:22-23]) is an organic, relational, living entity, empowered by the very presence of God, Himself. Instead of focusing on attracting people to the congregation’s property at a particular time on a given day, maybe we should be trying to work out a life of love and justice among our families and friends, our neighbors and co-workers. Rather than developing a business we call church, maybe we should be developing a life of daily prayer and scripture meditation that nurtures our faith in God and provokes a Christ-like response to poverty, injustice, hunger, and war (to paraphrase Peterson).
If enough believers lived like this, don’t you think our gatherings for worship would display a wonderful sense of excitement, joy, and gratitude? The music and the praying and the sharing would be rich; the stories would be amazing. We could simply be ourselves (stop looking over our shoulder to see if we are impressing the visitors) and, through it, discover what God has in mind for our congregation in our community.
Are we holding to the form of religion, but denying its power (II Timothy 3:5)?
Surely no one would admit to actually valuing image over substance.
Or would they?
The message we hear often is, “If our church could just look cool, talk cool, dim the lights, dismiss the choir and put guitars and drums on the stage, then our ‘worship’ will attract those coveted 20 and 30 year olds who are conspicuously absent.” What happens, then, when we do all this and they still don’t come? Are we just not cool enough? Maybe the music should be louder (or softer?), less happy, less churchy, less “eternity,” more “here and now.” Or maybe we need a worship leader who sports a soul patch.
Or maybe the unchurched stay away because the church’s public face looks too much like a business enterprise. Yes, there are buildings to maintain, workers to pay, programs to manage. Marketing strategies are needed to publicize all the wonderful things the church offers.
The problem seems to be this: we think that if we can just get them to come to church, then they will see how “cool” God is.
How did our thinking become so undiscerning?
The church (the body of which Christ is the head [Ephesians 1:22-23]) is an organic, relational, living entity, empowered by the very presence of God, Himself. Instead of focusing on attracting people to the congregation’s property at a particular time on a given day, maybe we should be trying to work out a life of love and justice among our families and friends, our neighbors and co-workers. Rather than developing a business we call church, maybe we should be developing a life of daily prayer and scripture meditation that nurtures our faith in God and provokes a Christ-like response to poverty, injustice, hunger, and war (to paraphrase Peterson).
If enough believers lived like this, don’t you think our gatherings for worship would display a wonderful sense of excitement, joy, and gratitude? The music and the praying and the sharing would be rich; the stories would be amazing. We could simply be ourselves (stop looking over our shoulder to see if we are impressing the visitors) and, through it, discover what God has in mind for our congregation in our community.
Are we holding to the form of religion, but denying its power (II Timothy 3:5)?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Blog #007 – Say what?
The committees that write worship pastor job postings need to be sure they
write what they and mean what they write. Too often they are filled with
thoughtless banalities.
A listing posted this requirement: “The ability to play guitar and/or
keyboard and vocal singing are preferred.” Vocal singing - Is there some
other way to sing beside with your voice? With your hands possibly, but that
would be signing – which is really close.
One church lists its desired worship leader to possess “a blue-collar work
ethic” – Wikipedia – “blue-collar worker: a member of the working class who
typically performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage.” Peter’s
interpretation: along with all the other duties of a music minister/worship
pastor, this person will clean toilets and vacuum, service the church bus,
and repave the parking lot - all with the benefit of getting to punch the
clock, leave “work” at work, and have union representation in contract
negotiations.
One congregation’s vision statement: “…to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with every person everywhere….” Wow, an ambitious statement for a single
congregation – every person everywhere? That’s a lot of people in a lot of
places!
It’s curious how many congregations today describe themselves as
“inter-generational.” When one church was asked how they expressed this in
corporate worship, they replied that the worship pastor goes over to the
children’s ministry wing after completing the “worship set” in the main
service to lead the kids in their time of singing before their Bible lesson.
Hmmm.
A well-intending congregation with a huge heart for God is looking for a
worship leader who leads “…so that… worship breaks out with joyful,
beautiful, meaningful unified worship in every stage and age of our church
groupings and meetings….” Worship “breaks out”? So, like, on Monday morning
all the folks who worshiped together Sunday just start spontaneously singing
the same song in the same key at the same time no matter where they are?
OK, I get what they’re trying to say: “we want to connect with God, not be
the audience for your concert ministry, God-focused though it may be.” But
please, say what you mean and mean what you say.
God is specific and intentional when he talks about “worship” in the Bible.
He uses words that refer to bowing down - both physically and as a metaphor
(a picture) of willful surrender. The Hebrew “bowing” phrases in Exodus
4:31, 12:27, 34:8; 2 Chronicles 20:18; Nehemiah 8:6 translate literally
“bowing down, he[they] bowed down.” The first “bow” states a literal action.
The second “bow” is a metaphor, resulting in “he[they] bowed down and
worshiped.”*
There are many modern usages of “worship” which contribute to the many
misconceptions of biblical Christian worship. Here are some synonyms for
“worship” from Princeton University’s online dictionary:
• to idolize: love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess;
venerate as an idol; "Many teenagers idolized the Beatles"
• to show devotion to (a deity); "Many Hindus worship Shiva"
• the activity of worshiping
• to attend religious services; "They worship in the traditional
manner"
• a feeling of profound love and admiration
None of these captures the biblical concept. The crucial issue is to avoid
transplanting wrong meanings for “worship” when we read Bible passages on
the topic. When he published the first English translation of the Bible from
the original Hebrew and Greek texts in 1536, William Tyndale used “worship”
to mean “to bow in obeisance.” He explains this in his ”Prologue to Exodus.”
Obeisance is an older word meaning to bow down in willful submission. So in
Genesis 24:26 Abraham’s servant, in response to God’s provision while
searching for a wife for Isaac, “bowed low and worshiped the Lord.”
Literally it’s, he “bowed low and bowed down.” Tyndale saw that the servant
bowed down physically to show willful surrender to God’s sovereign
provision. He bowed down and worshiped.
The God of the Bible equates “worship” with willful submission to him. He
does not equate it with artistic expression, an emotional or aesthetic
experience, or mindless recitation of religious poetry or Scripture itself.
Our challenge today is to remain true to God’s idea of worship as we see it
in Scripture and to avoid being pulled in by the tentacles of the “worship
industry.”
*I recommend “Worship: Obeisance to Christ through participation with Christ
– An Action Guide” by Dr. John Hubley at http://www.mindheart.com/
write what they and mean what they write. Too often they are filled with
thoughtless banalities.
A listing posted this requirement: “The ability to play guitar and/or
keyboard and vocal singing are preferred.” Vocal singing - Is there some
other way to sing beside with your voice? With your hands possibly, but that
would be signing – which is really close.
One church lists its desired worship leader to possess “a blue-collar work
ethic” – Wikipedia – “blue-collar worker: a member of the working class who
typically performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage.” Peter’s
interpretation: along with all the other duties of a music minister/worship
pastor, this person will clean toilets and vacuum, service the church bus,
and repave the parking lot - all with the benefit of getting to punch the
clock, leave “work” at work, and have union representation in contract
negotiations.
One congregation’s vision statement: “…to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with every person everywhere….” Wow, an ambitious statement for a single
congregation – every person everywhere? That’s a lot of people in a lot of
places!
It’s curious how many congregations today describe themselves as
“inter-generational.” When one church was asked how they expressed this in
corporate worship, they replied that the worship pastor goes over to the
children’s ministry wing after completing the “worship set” in the main
service to lead the kids in their time of singing before their Bible lesson.
Hmmm.
A well-intending congregation with a huge heart for God is looking for a
worship leader who leads “…so that… worship breaks out with joyful,
beautiful, meaningful unified worship in every stage and age of our church
groupings and meetings….” Worship “breaks out”? So, like, on Monday morning
all the folks who worshiped together Sunday just start spontaneously singing
the same song in the same key at the same time no matter where they are?
OK, I get what they’re trying to say: “we want to connect with God, not be
the audience for your concert ministry, God-focused though it may be.” But
please, say what you mean and mean what you say.
God is specific and intentional when he talks about “worship” in the Bible.
He uses words that refer to bowing down - both physically and as a metaphor
(a picture) of willful surrender. The Hebrew “bowing” phrases in Exodus
4:31, 12:27, 34:8; 2 Chronicles 20:18; Nehemiah 8:6 translate literally
“bowing down, he[they] bowed down.” The first “bow” states a literal action.
The second “bow” is a metaphor, resulting in “he[they] bowed down and
worshiped.”*
There are many modern usages of “worship” which contribute to the many
misconceptions of biblical Christian worship. Here are some synonyms for
“worship” from Princeton University’s online dictionary:
• to idolize: love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess;
venerate as an idol; "Many teenagers idolized the Beatles"
• to show devotion to (a deity); "Many Hindus worship Shiva"
• the activity of worshiping
• to attend religious services; "They worship in the traditional
manner"
• a feeling of profound love and admiration
None of these captures the biblical concept. The crucial issue is to avoid
transplanting wrong meanings for “worship” when we read Bible passages on
the topic. When he published the first English translation of the Bible from
the original Hebrew and Greek texts in 1536, William Tyndale used “worship”
to mean “to bow in obeisance.” He explains this in his ”Prologue to Exodus.”
Obeisance is an older word meaning to bow down in willful submission. So in
Genesis 24:26 Abraham’s servant, in response to God’s provision while
searching for a wife for Isaac, “bowed low and worshiped the Lord.”
Literally it’s, he “bowed low and bowed down.” Tyndale saw that the servant
bowed down physically to show willful surrender to God’s sovereign
provision. He bowed down and worshiped.
The God of the Bible equates “worship” with willful submission to him. He
does not equate it with artistic expression, an emotional or aesthetic
experience, or mindless recitation of religious poetry or Scripture itself.
Our challenge today is to remain true to God’s idea of worship as we see it
in Scripture and to avoid being pulled in by the tentacles of the “worship
industry.”
*I recommend “Worship: Obeisance to Christ through participation with Christ
– An Action Guide” by Dr. John Hubley at http://www.mindheart.com/
Monday, September 20, 2010
Blog #006 Celebrating New Life
Greetings Friends!
Sorry we missed the post last week. But we have a really good reason. We were in eastern Washington state meeting our new granddaughter. She's absolutely beautiful. (sneak peek below) She and mom and big sister (17 months old) and daddy are adjusting well. We are so blessed to have been able to be there and to help out in the first few days of this new life and the next adventure for this young family.
New life and the next adventure ... We believe that's what worship is all about: celebrating new life in Christ and the next adventure God has for us.
Worship theologian Robert Webber writes this comment, "Worship is a celebration. It is a celebration of the event of Christ-his death and resurrection. To celebrate Christ, not my devotion to him, frees me from having to create or invent my worship. Both preaching and the Lord's Supper celebrate Christ and through them Christ is given to me. Consequently, I am spiritually nourished by what God is doing for me through the Scriptures and the Communion Table." (Worship Is a Verb: Celebrating God's Mighty Deeds of Salvation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishing, 1992), 9
When congregations become embroiled in a "worship war" it's probably because they have forgotten to remember their primary reason for gathering - to celebrate what God has done for them in Christ's death and resurrection and to look ahead with eyes of faith to the Christ-likeness He is calling them to pursue.
Let's remember to not forget!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Blog #005 – Engaging the Congregation with God
The local church music ministry exists to assist the congregation to engage with God. It serves two groups of people.
The Team
One group is the music ministry participants themselves. Ministering to the team involves training them in biblical worship, encouraging their obeisance to God (bowing down in surrender), walking with them through the ins and outs of life, and developing their music vocabulary and skill.
The Congregation
The other group is the congregation – the people who gather to glorify God and be built up as the body of Christ. Whatever the style of music, the kinds of instruments used, or the number of people involved on stage, the task of the music ministry is to assist the congregation to engage with God.
The Congregation Wins
A church’s music ministry cannot give equal emphasis to each group. Both need attention but one will get more time and effort than the other. But it’s not either/or: it’s both/and. So here are the choices of priority: Team/congregation or Congregation/team.
Here’s a comparable picture: when children’s programs like Sunday School, AWANA or Pioneer Ministries are run well, the focus of the workers is on the children. The program director equips and encourages her workers in their ministry, but the primary focus is on the kids.
It’s our position that the worship team ministers to the congregation, assisting them in engaging with God. Team members will, of course, be nurtured both musically and spiritually. But the priority of the effort will be focused on helping the congregation do what God has called them to do – bow before Him in complete surrender.
The end comes first, the means second.
What do you think, team/congregation or congregation/team?
The Team
One group is the music ministry participants themselves. Ministering to the team involves training them in biblical worship, encouraging their obeisance to God (bowing down in surrender), walking with them through the ins and outs of life, and developing their music vocabulary and skill.
The Congregation
The other group is the congregation – the people who gather to glorify God and be built up as the body of Christ. Whatever the style of music, the kinds of instruments used, or the number of people involved on stage, the task of the music ministry is to assist the congregation to engage with God.
The Congregation Wins
A church’s music ministry cannot give equal emphasis to each group. Both need attention but one will get more time and effort than the other. But it’s not either/or: it’s both/and. So here are the choices of priority: Team/congregation or Congregation/team.
Here’s a comparable picture: when children’s programs like Sunday School, AWANA or Pioneer Ministries are run well, the focus of the workers is on the children. The program director equips and encourages her workers in their ministry, but the primary focus is on the kids.
It’s our position that the worship team ministers to the congregation, assisting them in engaging with God. Team members will, of course, be nurtured both musically and spiritually. But the priority of the effort will be focused on helping the congregation do what God has called them to do – bow before Him in complete surrender.
The end comes first, the means second.
What do you think, team/congregation or congregation/team?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Blog #004 - To Pay or Not to Pay
Let’s talk about money and motivation.
Does the personal motivation of the worship band member matter to the worshiper? If the band member is doing the job well, wholeheartedly, humbly, responsibly, we don’t think it matters if they are motivated by money or by personal spiritual passion. The typical churchgoer does not question the motivation of musicians who play on sound tracks to the videos or background trax used in church. The motivation of these studio musicians does not affect our ability to worship.
Paying the core musicians (in the typical US church - bass, drums, lead guitar, maybe keys) is a way to ensure precise and consistent quality in the foundation of the music. Incorporating adequately skilled volunteers who sing or play various instruments allows involvement of folks from the congregation at large. With good leadership, the addition of volunteer musicians won’t detract from the solid musical core.
To be a paid musician doesn’t mean he or she has to come from outside the church community. The paid musician could certainly come from within the congregation. He or she might be a respected, talented member of that church. If a musician needs to be recruited from outside the church, it may give the opportunity to draw the artist toward a beginning or deeper relationship with Christ.
Remuneration, whether it is for someone within the church or someone recruited from elsewhere does at least three things: 1) It shows respect to the musician for their years of training and practice; 2) It shows honor and appreciation for their talent; and 3) (and probably most pragmatically) it reserves their time - they likely could be playing any number of places and paying them locks in their commitment to serve with you.
What do you think?
Does the personal motivation of the worship band member matter to the worshiper? If the band member is doing the job well, wholeheartedly, humbly, responsibly, we don’t think it matters if they are motivated by money or by personal spiritual passion. The typical churchgoer does not question the motivation of musicians who play on sound tracks to the videos or background trax used in church. The motivation of these studio musicians does not affect our ability to worship.
Paying the core musicians (in the typical US church - bass, drums, lead guitar, maybe keys) is a way to ensure precise and consistent quality in the foundation of the music. Incorporating adequately skilled volunteers who sing or play various instruments allows involvement of folks from the congregation at large. With good leadership, the addition of volunteer musicians won’t detract from the solid musical core.
To be a paid musician doesn’t mean he or she has to come from outside the church community. The paid musician could certainly come from within the congregation. He or she might be a respected, talented member of that church. If a musician needs to be recruited from outside the church, it may give the opportunity to draw the artist toward a beginning or deeper relationship with Christ.
Remuneration, whether it is for someone within the church or someone recruited from elsewhere does at least three things: 1) It shows respect to the musician for their years of training and practice; 2) It shows honor and appreciation for their talent; and 3) (and probably most pragmatically) it reserves their time - they likely could be playing any number of places and paying them locks in their commitment to serve with you.
What do you think?
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
BLog #003
For more than thirty years of music ministry we have tried to make a point never to call what we do on the sanctuary platform “a performance.” We have passionately wanted to keep a clear distinction between what we do in one of our church services and what happens in a concert performance.
Our underlying theme has been Kirkegaard’s concept that in Christian worship (whether personal or corporate) there is only one person in the audience, namely God; the people in the seats are the performers; and we worship leaders are the prompters of the people. We have been diligent to keep our vocabulary precise: it’s “ministry” not “performance” and “congregation” never “audience.”
While we remain committed to this underlying truth, our thinking is shifting a bit (call it getting older, or maybe gaining some wisdom). Here’s what we’ve been grappling with: what the musicians do on the platform during a church worship service IS indeed a performance. It requires the same level of preparation, the same excellence of delivery, and the same connection with the gathered crowd as a concert performance.
But, there is the difference – and it’s big.
The distinct purpose of Sunday’s sanctuary “performance” is to enable the people to praise, adore, and ultimately surrender their wills to the merciful and gracious God of the Bible. Yes, this can be done at home alone with a worship CD, but the point is to enable the crowd to experience the synergy of singing together. The church musician’s goal is not to showcase their amazing abilities nor make the music the object of worship, but to help open hearts and minds to the truth about God proclaimed in the lyrics. We want worshipers to respond to God with a gut desire to obey the Redeemer.
When I (Christine) was studying organ performance in college, part of my education was learning to play a church service (at a secular university no less!). My teacher and I spent a lot of time considering how to play a hymn so that the person in the pew will not only be ABLE to participate, but will, in fact, WANT to participate. We discussed the singing range of the average person’s voice and how the hymn needs to be in a key that won’t tire them (otherwise they might quit singing altogether). We explored playing each phrase in a way that allows the singer to take a breath between phrases. We talked about how to create a hymn introduction that excites and entices the people to begin singing. We talked about maintaining the singer’s interest throughout the hymn so they will want to continue singing all the way to the end.
There are fewer churches using organs these days. The primary leaders of the our worship singing are now usually a band of musicians who sing, play various guitars and a set of drums. Not better or worse than days gone by – only different. Yet the job remains the same. To perform well, yes. And to perform with a different dimension. The goal is to enable the audience (body of Christ) to engage together with God.
Question: Should a church hire professional musicians, assuring good quality, or use only volunteers whatever their ability?
Our underlying theme has been Kirkegaard’s concept that in Christian worship (whether personal or corporate) there is only one person in the audience, namely God; the people in the seats are the performers; and we worship leaders are the prompters of the people. We have been diligent to keep our vocabulary precise: it’s “ministry” not “performance” and “congregation” never “audience.”
While we remain committed to this underlying truth, our thinking is shifting a bit (call it getting older, or maybe gaining some wisdom). Here’s what we’ve been grappling with: what the musicians do on the platform during a church worship service IS indeed a performance. It requires the same level of preparation, the same excellence of delivery, and the same connection with the gathered crowd as a concert performance.
But, there is the difference – and it’s big.
The distinct purpose of Sunday’s sanctuary “performance” is to enable the people to praise, adore, and ultimately surrender their wills to the merciful and gracious God of the Bible. Yes, this can be done at home alone with a worship CD, but the point is to enable the crowd to experience the synergy of singing together. The church musician’s goal is not to showcase their amazing abilities nor make the music the object of worship, but to help open hearts and minds to the truth about God proclaimed in the lyrics. We want worshipers to respond to God with a gut desire to obey the Redeemer.
When I (Christine) was studying organ performance in college, part of my education was learning to play a church service (at a secular university no less!). My teacher and I spent a lot of time considering how to play a hymn so that the person in the pew will not only be ABLE to participate, but will, in fact, WANT to participate. We discussed the singing range of the average person’s voice and how the hymn needs to be in a key that won’t tire them (otherwise they might quit singing altogether). We explored playing each phrase in a way that allows the singer to take a breath between phrases. We talked about how to create a hymn introduction that excites and entices the people to begin singing. We talked about maintaining the singer’s interest throughout the hymn so they will want to continue singing all the way to the end.
There are fewer churches using organs these days. The primary leaders of the our worship singing are now usually a band of musicians who sing, play various guitars and a set of drums. Not better or worse than days gone by – only different. Yet the job remains the same. To perform well, yes. And to perform with a different dimension. The goal is to enable the audience (body of Christ) to engage together with God.
Question: Should a church hire professional musicians, assuring good quality, or use only volunteers whatever their ability?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Blog #002
You can tell what is important to a congregation by how they worship.
Most churches today (and corporations for that matter) write a paragraph or two about what’s important to them: their vision, mission, purpose, and values - you know, the official verbiage that guides the church as an organization. Those statements are good and they’re probably necessary, but they're not what we’re talking about.
We’re talking about observing through their words, actions, and symbols what they express to be important. It’s like when you enter someones home and you notice the walls are covered with stuffed animal heads with their protruding array of antlers - trophies of hunting expeditions. Outdoors adventure, bows or guns are important to those folks. Or in another home where shelves and display cases are filled with heirloom antiques. Family heritage has high value under that roof. OK, you’ve got the picture.
As a ministry couple, when visiting a new church, our experience travels through a lens of 30 years of vocational ministry. We find ourselves asking, “What appears to be important to this congregation?” We see the answer through observing their printed and projected information. We hear it by listening to their song lyrics, their song introductions, their greetings, their announcements. We notice it by watching their interactions. We experience it through the effect of the architecture and aesthetics. We listen closely to the upfront leaders. We listen for God to be named, Jesus lifted up, the Spirit invoked. We note the balance of stories being told. Does this church tell God’s story or theirs?
Not long ago I (Peter) worshiped with a congregation in the “Silicon Valley” of the Phoenix area. It was clear to me as I stepped through the glass doors that the “church as family” was of great importance to them. Everyone wore name tags (though I missed getting one somehow) and many “hellos” and hugs were exchanged. There was a buzz of loving friendship. The regular attendees were on the lookout for newcomers and readily initiated a hearty “welcome” and a warm handshake.
If you value community, belonging, and connection, a church like this is worth a second look!
What did your church say was important to you last Sunday? Write a comment.
Most churches today (and corporations for that matter) write a paragraph or two about what’s important to them: their vision, mission, purpose, and values - you know, the official verbiage that guides the church as an organization. Those statements are good and they’re probably necessary, but they're not what we’re talking about.
We’re talking about observing through their words, actions, and symbols what they express to be important. It’s like when you enter someones home and you notice the walls are covered with stuffed animal heads with their protruding array of antlers - trophies of hunting expeditions. Outdoors adventure, bows or guns are important to those folks. Or in another home where shelves and display cases are filled with heirloom antiques. Family heritage has high value under that roof. OK, you’ve got the picture.
As a ministry couple, when visiting a new church, our experience travels through a lens of 30 years of vocational ministry. We find ourselves asking, “What appears to be important to this congregation?” We see the answer through observing their printed and projected information. We hear it by listening to their song lyrics, their song introductions, their greetings, their announcements. We notice it by watching their interactions. We experience it through the effect of the architecture and aesthetics. We listen closely to the upfront leaders. We listen for God to be named, Jesus lifted up, the Spirit invoked. We note the balance of stories being told. Does this church tell God’s story or theirs?
Not long ago I (Peter) worshiped with a congregation in the “Silicon Valley” of the Phoenix area. It was clear to me as I stepped through the glass doors that the “church as family” was of great importance to them. Everyone wore name tags (though I missed getting one somehow) and many “hellos” and hugs were exchanged. There was a buzz of loving friendship. The regular attendees were on the lookout for newcomers and readily initiated a hearty “welcome” and a warm handshake.
If you value community, belonging, and connection, a church like this is worth a second look!
What did your church say was important to you last Sunday? Write a comment.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Blog #001
Welcome to our weekly blog, Searching For Sanctuary.
It's been said that every person regardless of religious or spiritual alignment worships someone or something. Bob Dylan sang it in the 80s, "You gotta serve somebody" (from the 1979 studio album Slow Train Coming).
Whether you're seeking God on a solitary mountaintop, in a small group of close and committed friends, or you've joined the exhilarating chorus of a thousand-voiced assembly, we hope to rattle your thinking about this activity called worship.
Over the past three decades of serving local Christian congregations by leading their music and worship ministries, we have thought long and hard about the meaning of worship in the modern American evangelical church. We've been searching for sanctuary - that place were God is found and his grace applied.
We are throwing down a challenge (nod to Bobby Flay) to pursue God-honoring, Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, history-informed, awe-filled, outsider-inviting, grace-overflowing worship.
This blog won't promote a particular style, image, coolness factor, or ancient liturgy. But in it we attempt to lay a solid foundation upon which a true and enduring structure can be raised. To quote the French philosopher Simone Weil, "In order to always be relevant, say things that are eternal." This blog seeks to address the current state of worship with the eternal.
Searching For Sanctuary is for the worshiper in the pew (or folding chair - gotta love "church-in-a-box") and the upfront worship leader. It's for the singer and the silent, the pastor and the parishioner, the saint and the skeptic.
To foster dialogue, we will occasionally write reviews of church services we've recently attended and then seek your comments. It will be similar to the food critic column in the newspaper (you remember those don't you?). The point is to help all of us better understand worship, not to be critical.
There are many excellent worship resources available on the Web and in print. Here are a few of our favorite sites: Dr. Chris Alford's www.epiclesis.org , Bob Kaufllin's www.worshipmatters.com, Ron Man's WRI at www.worr.org, and the teaching videos and insightful writings of Dr. John Hubley, ThD at www.mindheart.com.
Join us in the search. We hope you'll visit often.
It's been said that every person regardless of religious or spiritual alignment worships someone or something. Bob Dylan sang it in the 80s, "You gotta serve somebody" (from the 1979 studio album Slow Train Coming).
Whether you're seeking God on a solitary mountaintop, in a small group of close and committed friends, or you've joined the exhilarating chorus of a thousand-voiced assembly, we hope to rattle your thinking about this activity called worship.
Over the past three decades of serving local Christian congregations by leading their music and worship ministries, we have thought long and hard about the meaning of worship in the modern American evangelical church. We've been searching for sanctuary - that place were God is found and his grace applied.
We are throwing down a challenge (nod to Bobby Flay) to pursue God-honoring, Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, history-informed, awe-filled, outsider-inviting, grace-overflowing worship.
This blog won't promote a particular style, image, coolness factor, or ancient liturgy. But in it we attempt to lay a solid foundation upon which a true and enduring structure can be raised. To quote the French philosopher Simone Weil, "In order to always be relevant, say things that are eternal." This blog seeks to address the current state of worship with the eternal.
Searching For Sanctuary is for the worshiper in the pew (or folding chair - gotta love "church-in-a-box") and the upfront worship leader. It's for the singer and the silent, the pastor and the parishioner, the saint and the skeptic.
To foster dialogue, we will occasionally write reviews of church services we've recently attended and then seek your comments. It will be similar to the food critic column in the newspaper (you remember those don't you?). The point is to help all of us better understand worship, not to be critical.
There are many excellent worship resources available on the Web and in print. Here are a few of our favorite sites: Dr. Chris Alford's www.epiclesis.org , Bob Kaufllin's www.worshipmatters.com, Ron Man's WRI at www.worr.org, and the teaching videos and insightful writings of Dr. John Hubley, ThD at www.mindheart.com.
Join us in the search. We hope you'll visit often.
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