A Theology of Worship // Part One
Over the next couple weeks I am going to post my theology of worship, as it stands right now (probably in 4 or 5 parts). As with many theological positions, I tend to shift my perspective as time moves on.
So don’t take these posts as Gospel or even as the correct way to view worship. I’m merely in the process of landing somewhere on my theology of worship. I have titled this “A Theology of Worship” rather than “The Theology of Worship.” The difference is small, yet significant. I’d much rather have an engaging discussion about this topic than for my position to be perfect.
Why am I writing this? I think the current landscape of worship music and evangelicalism is moving away from looking at why we worship in order to focus exclusively on the how. I don’t know that doing so would change how our churches are worshiping but it would at least change the focus back to its correct place.
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Intro.
My current job title is “band director” within a creative arts team at a local church. Essentially my job is to help the instruments and the church worship during our weekend service gatherings. I wish I could say that I spend a good majority of my time focused on answering the question of why we worship, but the sad truth is that my time is focused around how we worship.
I don’t think this is much different than how worship pastors around the world spend their time. Go to most any evangelical church in America and you will quickly begin with the assumption that worship is the songs we sing during church. And once you start getting involved with the church you will begin to see worship as the one thing people argue and disagree over most.
Somehow we have gotten away from the “why” of worship in order to focus our time on the “how” of worship. I am, to my core, a pragmatic person. I love to explore the how of something, so my job fits me well. But I am greatly challenged to look into the why of my job.
Why do we worship?
Ask any Christian and they will give you a different answer about what worship is. Some say, “worship is a lifestyle,” or “worship is giving God our lives,” or “worship is worth-ship” or even worse yet, “worship is the music time during church.”
As we look at this subject from biblical, practical, and theological perspectives I hope that one thing is clear: worship is not about us, it is about Him.
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Tyler Braun.
I think you point out exactly what’s at the root of so many disagreements about the “how” of worship: we forget to back up and start with the “why.” If we can’t agree on why we’re doing something, it’s almost impossible to agree on how.
Just think, if a couple can’t agree on why getting married is worth the trouble, they won’t be able to fashion a day-to-day, active marriage that is fulfilling for both of them. If a church community can’t agree on why it’s important to feed the poor or welcome new people into their church, they’ll never be able to do either in grace and love, let alone as a united mind and heart. Worship is the same way, yet we get caught up on things like aesthetics and personal taste, rather than the larger purpose.
Great analogy.
I’m with you bro.
http://www.bignorm.net/2009/09/the-greatest-worship-truth-ever
N
We had this exact same discussion yesterday…
good subject…look forward to reading. One thing i have noticed is that churches get caught on the details….and Jesus was killed for daring to go against their laws even though he was healing someone while everyone was debating the rules. i look forward to your perspective
looking forward to this….
I love this quote from Eugene Peterson–
“Worship is the strategy by which we interrupt our preoccupation with ourselves and attend to the presence of God.”
The “how” of worship typically revolves around us, styles, chords, powerpoints, lights, and is typically tied to a time and place. I am going to the church, at 10am, to worship.
The “why” is what I think Eugene is getting at; laying aside our preferences, distractions, giftings, and aesthetics, and acknowledging the greatness of our God. This can be done anywhere, in a cubicle (where I am right now!), in a church, or in Stumptown admiring Gods gift of coffee.
We serve an awesome God who is continually speaking to His people; I pray that I can learn to listen more and more.
::Erik
Erik-
I worship God in a deep deep way whenever I have Stumptown. Impossible not to
We are not so different, you and I!
Guilty. I also serve in a “band director” type volunteer position. And I constantly struggle with getting to concerned with the administrative and “how” sides of the position.
I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of this, because I’m in the same boat of trying to understand the “why” of worship.
Thanks Tyler!
I think your last line is THE answer to any theology of Worship. Everything else is about the “how” that is played out in our time, situations, language, predisposition etc. I’ll look forward to reading these.
Alan
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