Thoughts on the Theology of Christian Worship

Millions of people gather on a weekly basis in groups large and small to worship God. Some likely gather merely out of habit or at the insistence of a spouse, parent or other loved one; others come together primarily to see their friends. For many, and probably even for most, however, attending worship is a time to interact with God in some way. Within the broad definition of "a time to interact with God" there are likely almost as many answers to what that means as there are people sitting in the pews on Sunday morning (or Wednesday night or any other time when the faithful gather together.) Worship services have existed almost since the beginning of time and are conducted around the world. While worship can be an informal and spontaneous activity, it is typically led by a "professional" of some degree and conducted at a scheduled time, meaning that those who participate in worship have certain expectations about what it is and what it will involve. The object of the worship - in the context of Christian worship, God - also has an expectation about worship. It is critical that these expectations not only be understood, but that they be met, at least more often than not, if not always.

In this paper, I will outline my theology and understanding of what Christian worship is and why it is essential in people's lives. I will also address the role of the pastor/priest/preacher in the worship service.

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

In worship, the people "bow before God, lift hands and voices in praise, sing, make music, and dance. Heart, soul, strength, and mind, with one accord, they join in the language, drama, and pageantry of worship." (Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Book of Order, W 1.2001)

While it is appropriate to consider the scholarly theological implications of worship, it is important to remember that the vast majority of people who participate in Christian worship do not have advanced theological training. It is important, therefore to consider not only what worship means from a scholarly viewpoint, but what it means from viewpoint of the pew aisle.

According to the Webster's New World College Dictionary, religious "worship" can be either a noun or a verb and is defined as " reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power" or as the act of offering that reverence.

To expand upon this understanding from the lay point of view , I interviewed four members of an adult bible study class at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Clemens, Mich. and four practicing Roman Catholic adults, all of whom are members of different parishes in suburban Detroit. In this unscientific survey, asked to respond to the question "What happens at Sunday morning service?," 7 of the 8 people interviewed said that the worship service was an opportunity to "recharge" or "re-energize" themselves or in some other way to draw strength and guidance to deal with the week ahead or other challenges in their lives. All of the Presbyterians and one of the Catholics mentioned the importance of learning something from the sermon/homily. All the Presbyterians and one Catholic said worship is a time to listen to God. The other three Catholics said that Sunday worship is a time to hear the church's teachings. While this could just reflect a different choice of words, it most likely points to a theological difference between the Protestant camp and the Catholics in that Protestants generally understand that they are able to listen to God directly and Catholics to listen to "The Church's" interpretation of God. All of the respondents said that the service is a time to worship or praise God.

While the majority of the people surveyed spoke of how the worship service impacts them - i.e. a recharging or re-energizing - before they spoke of how worship impacts God - it is a time to praise Him - the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. places the first emphasis on God.

The PC(USA) Directory of Worship defines worship as:

Christian worship joyfully ascribes all praise and honor, glory and power to the triune God. In worship the people of God acknowledge God present in the world and in their lives. As they respond to God's claim and redemptive action in Jesus Christ, believers are transformed and renewed. In worship the faithful offer themselves to God and are equipped for God's service in the world. (W-1.1001)

According to the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Bible talks about worship in three ways: as an act of praise and adoration, as a public event , and as service in all of life. These themes line up nicely with the explanation of worship offered above by the Book of Order/Directory of Worship.

According to the PC(USA) and the Calvin Institute, worship is primarily about what we as believers give to God: reverence, honor, glory and praise. It is different from Bible study, Sunday School, mission work, fellowship time or coffee hour or any number of other "Christian activities" that a church may generally be expected to engage in.

Throughout the Psalms and elsewhere in the Bible, we learn many of the ways that we are expected to worship God, to sing praises to him, to play trumpets and other instruments, to pray and shout his glories. Perhaps one of the best comments on worship comes in 1 Timothy, 2:1-8:

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men - the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle-I am telling the truth, I am not lying-and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

I believe that the various aspects of worship cannot be separated. Worship is what we give to God, but it also serves to strengthen and invigorate the believers. Separating out one of these two aspects would be like asking either a piano or a pianist to perform a song without the other. Both the piano and the pianist must be present to create a song -- they cannot be separated. Likewise the praise being given to God and the renewal felt by the worshiper are fully integrated.

According to the Calvin Institute, there are several themes of what Christian worship is. These themes are:

· Worship is ... covenant renewal .

· Worship is ... language school .

· Worship is ... transcultural, contextual, counter-cultural, and cross-cultural .

· Worship is ... biblical, dialogic, covenantal, Trinitarian, communal and hospitable.

I believe these statements accurately reflect what Christian worship is and should be, particularly from a Reformed point of view. While most of the words listed above are self-explanatory, of particular note is the concept that worship is "language school." This statement makes the point that the language we use to relate to God also teaches us about the language we should use to relate to that which God has made in his own image, namely one another. The chart below, taken from the Calvin Institute Web site, provides an excellent illustration of how the words we use in worship correlate with the words we use in our other relationships.

Relation Words ................................. Worship Words

Love You ............................................ Praise

Sorry ................................................... Confession

Why? .................................................. Lament

I'm Listening ........................................ Illumination

Help .................................................... Petition

Thank you ........................................... Thanksgiving

What Can I Do? .................................. Service

Bless You ............................................ Blessing

WHY IS WORSHIP ESSENTIAL?

Surprisingly, much happens in the Bible before the first worship is mentioned.

The first time the word "worship" is used in the Bible, in most English translations, is in Gen. 22:5, during part of the story when Abraham is called upon to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham tells the servants to wait for him while he and Isaac go to the hilltop and worship the Lord. It is ironic in a sense that the first time we read the word "worship" in the Bible, Abraham is using it as part of a misdirection: he is clearly not telling his servants what he intends to do to Isaac, but rather is telling them not to worry, that the two are simply seeking a private moment to worship God. After God stays the hand of Abraham as Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, both father and son do indeed worship God, sacrificing a lamb God has made available.

While we don't read the word worship until the 22^nd chapter of Genesis, we do read about an act of worship prior to that. In Genesis 8, the story of the conclusion of the Great Flood is told:

Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.(Genesis 8:20-22)

It is significant that this is the first overt act of worship that we find in the Bible. Prior to the Fall of Man, Adam & Eve were in regular contact with God, on a very direct and personal basis. Beginning with the Fall, there is an ever-increasing falling away from God, accentuated by the murder of Abel by Cain, until finally the entire world is filled with wickedness, save for Noah and his immediate family. It is important to note that we do not find any account of anything resembling worship during this accelerating move away from God. The closest exception is the lone comment that Noah "walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). It is highly likely that this lack of worship of God is largely what led to all the wickedness. While participating worship does not eliminate a person's sinful nature, it does provide a curb on sinful activity.

After the new relationship between God and Man is established after the Flood, Man begins to worship God on a regular basis. This relationship between God and Man continues and Man's understanding of it continues to grow until finally, in Leviticus 26:11-12, God provides this promise to Moses while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Law:

"I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people." (Leviticus 26:11-12).

Throughout the remainder of the Bible, we read time and again about various people and groups either worshiping God, or falling out of the practice of worshiping and being in relationship with God and the resulting troubles that befall them.

If we are truly to be God's people, it is essential that we show it not only to God, but to others. We certainly do that by attempting to live by the laws set forth by God and by providing worship to him. It is equally important that the worship be done in a public setting, not only so that we can join with fellow believers to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, but so that we can make a statement to the world about what we believe and who we believe in.

WHAT IS THE PREACHER'S ROLE IN WORSHIP?

From the earliest days of Christianity (and even before) members of the church have looked to the man at the front of the gathering (and, in more recent times, the woman) for words from God. At the very dawn of the Christian era, one of the first acts we learn of is the disciple Peter standing up and preaching:

" Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say...Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2: 14, 41)

From that day through to this one, worshipers in most Christian traditions expect a gifted, trained person to lead the worship service. Today, in the PC(USA), all members are called to serve as part of "a royal priesthood in which worship is the work of everyone. The people of God are called to participate in the common ministry of worship." (W 1.4003) While the Directory for Worship goes on to state that no one should be excluded from participation or leadership in worship, "some by gifts and training may be called to particular acts of leadership in worship. It is appropriate to encourage members and ordained officers with such abilities to assist in leading worship." (W 1.4003)

Most specifically, while there may be many people who participate in some aspect of worship leadership - musicians, liturgists, other types of performers, even the ushers - the participants in worship expect the preacher to provide inspired words in some form as part of most worship services, generally in the form of a sermon. Most expect this person to have some degree of training in Biblical knowledge and to be leading a life of example for others.

I view the preacher as standing in a triangular relationship, at least during the worship service, with the worshipers and with God. While I fully believe that the worshipers and God are able to fully and completely relate to each other without an intermediary, the worshipers in particular are looking to the preacher as a sort of "stand-in" for God. The preacher, if he is true and living up to the responsibility of his position, is listening intently for the word of God to share with the people of God. The act of preaching is defined as:

"...a proclamation of Scripture in the conviction that through the Holy Spirit Jesus Christ is present to the gathered people, offering grace and calling for obedience. Preaching requires diligence and discernment in the study of Scripture, the discipline of daily prayer, cultivated sensitivity to events and issues affecting the lives of the people, and a consistent and personal obedience to Jesus Christ." (W 2.2007).

While the preacher needs to be listening intently for the Word of God, he/she must also be mindful, particularly in the formal worship setting, of listening to the word of the people and be willing to help them lay before their joys and concerns. While Reformed Christians are taught that they are able to take their joys and concerns directly to God, it is human nature to want to turn to somebody in a position of authority, to someone who has, in a manner of speaking, an "in with the front office." While it is appropriate in Bible study or other contexts to stress the direct relationship between God's people and God, in the worship setting, there will always be those who seek out the preacher to add a special prayer. The preacher must be ever mindful that the people in the worship view him/her as a representative of God.

THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

As leaders in a Reformed Christian church, it is incumbent on my colleagues and I to continually stress that the emphasis in worship is to glorify God. That should always be the number one goal of worship.

We must also deal with the reality that while praising God is the primary focus of a worship service, much more is also happening. Through personal experience I have witnessed worship sessions in which I didn't feel as if much was happening, in terms of the movement of the Spirit, only to be told by others that they had a particularly powerful feeling of the Spirit. Worship is conducted in a public setting, so we must be cognizant and aware that there are many different levels of understanding, need, awareness and ideas about what is happening, what has happened and what is supposed to happen during worship. Just as there are many ways to arrange the music of a hymn, there are many ways that a person can appropriately participate in worship and that a preacher can lead worship.

Unlikely as it may seem, perhaps the definition of worship as provided by Webster's is the one that works the best. According to that source, worship is the " reverence offered" to God. So long as we keep the focus on offering reverence to God, our worship should be pleasing to him and relevant to his people. So long as this reverence being offered to God remains the focus, the worship will be appropriate and pleasing to God.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Book of Order: The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Part II, 2007-2009. Office of the General Assembly, Louisville, Ken. 2007

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Web site materials. www.calvin.edu/worship . Calvin College and Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI. Undated.

Holy Bible, Student Edition, New International Version. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI. 2002

Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4^th Edition. Webster's New World. New York. 1999