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What happens in worship I've been thinking a lot in recent months about what happens in Christian worship. As I said in my last post, these days it mostly comes down to singing and speaking. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The key is what happens within that singing and speaking. I think there are four essential elements-- maybe five that need to be part of every worship service.
1. Assembling of God's people as the physical Body of Christ into the mystical union of Father-Son and Holy Spirit.
2. Attention to the Word of God + Infusion of the Spirit of God
3. Intentioning of the Will (heart + mind)
4. Releasing of God's people into the World with Blessing and Commission.
It's not so important what you call these movements or how they happen as long as you design and lead worship with them in view. Make sense? Looking at your worship from this past Sunday or series of gatherings, how would you describe the ordering principle or governing dynamics?
Labels: order of worship, worship design
posted by John David Walt | at 10/26/2009 05:27:00 AM | 1 comments
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Internet Monk on Evangelical Liturgy (series worth watching)
Michael Spencer, a.k.a. The Internet Monk, has begun what could become a lengthy series of posts on what he calls "The Evangelical Liturgy." Here's the first paragraph of the opening post.
I am beginning a series of brief (I hope) posts on the subject of “the evangelical liturgy.” In these posts, I am going to survey the basic elements of a traditional Protestant worship service in a traditional Protestant setting. I will offer abbreviated commentary on each of those elements, with a purpose of explaining and unfolding what I see as the value of a traditional evangelical liturgy.
You can follow the ongoing series via this link. He's up to part 2 as of this posting.
Labels: order of worship
posted by John David Walt | at 8/15/2009 06:42:00 PM | 0 comments
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 4. (the freedom of order)
Throughout human history, give people the choice between order and freedom and they invariably choose order. It most often eventually leads to tyranny. (think about this the next time you go through security at an airport).
But order is good, isn't it? The problem really isn't with order is it? The problem is the way we misunderstand the notion of order. To pit order against freedom creates a false dichotomy. The problem isn't order; it's control. Control counterfeits order. That's why we resist order. We've seen too much control in the name of order (think legalism). We hate control because it means a progressive loss of freedom. When control absolutizes itself we get slavery. This is the nature of idolatry. Human beings set up systems to control or manipulate God toward the end of their own security and they wind up becoming slaves to the system they created.
I used to think the opposite of order was chaos. Now I think it's control. Chaos is the predictable outcome of control. Freedom is the surprising fruit of order.
However, there is one way to choose both order and freedom simultaneously: Worshipping the God who is revealed in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
thoughts? comments? make sense?
Labels: order of worship
posted by John David Walt | at 3/31/2009 08:58:00 AM | 5 comments
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 4
Here's a discussion question:
What is the opposite of order?
I'll ring in with my thoughts in the comment section or perhaps in the next post. Please share your thoughts and rationales.
Labels: order of worship
posted by John David Walt | at 3/17/2009 03:01:00 AM | 2 comments
Friday, March 13, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 3 I want to continue this conversation about worship and order. Questions abound on this issue. Why does worship need an order? Why not just open ended spontaneity? Doesn't order constrict the freedom of the Spirit? Isn't this just tradition? Where is it in the Bible? An Order of Worship is for more high formal liturgical churches isn't it; for people who have bulletins?
The bottom line: We all operate in worship out of some kind of order. Call it what you will, written down or not, pre-planned or off-the-cuff, over time some consistent pattern will emerge.
We've been talking about the four basic movements of worship: God gathers a people to himself. He speaks his Word to them. They respond in covenant obedience or disobedience. (most often in a covenant meal or ceremony) God sends them out into kingdom work or exile. The four movements of this order come from the storied way God works with people. Take a look at this chart. (click on it to enlarge)
Labels: order of worship, story
posted by John David Walt | at 3/13/2009 10:40:00 PM | 1 comments
Monday, March 09, 2009
Ordering Worship: Part 2
After my last post, i realized I made some big assumptions that people already agreed that we needed a particular kind of order for worship. So do we? Why not just order it in a way that makes the most sense to twenty first century worshippers? Why not switch it up regularly?
So what do you think? What's the point of an order for worship and is this different than order in worship? How might a set order be a benefit? a liability? Why should it matter? What difference does it make? And if we agree on the need for an order of worship then how should we arrive at it? Where would we find it? What would guide us?
I've decided to spend a few posts discussing these questions and related issues. So for starters, I welcome you to inform the conversation with your own assessments and assertions.
Labels: order of worship
posted by John David Walt | at 3/09/2009 03:01:00 AM | 9 comments
Today...