Here are some interesting articles and podcasts that discuss the elements of worship. During our four weeks in March we will learn more about worship and what makes it God-pleasing.
Papers on Worship.
What's the Use of Praising God? by John W. Kleinig
Reverend Todd Wilken, host of Issues, Etc. wrote an essay entitled, "Playing the Pharisse Card".
Here's one excerpt that references part of his dicussion on worship:
Today, the label “Pharisee” is applied to many Christians just like me—perhaps you’re one of them. We are Christians who cherish God’s Word, the Church’s historic Creeds, confessions and practices. When we see the Church abandoning these things to follow the latest fads and entertainments, we lament. When we see the Gospel itself being left behind in the Church’s rush to mimic popular culture, we are grieved. And when we question the Church’s infatuation with the spirit of the age, we are labeled Pharisees.
Podcasts: Listen to these radio broadcasts from Issues, Etc.
Contemporary worship with Dr. Paul Grime. Wait until you hear Rick Warren's definition of worship. Reverend Todd Wilken uses a quote from Warren's The Purpose Driven Life to reveal what we don't offer to God in worship. Dr. Grime joined the Concordia Theological Seminary faculty in the fall of 2007. In 1996, Dr. Grime accepted a call to serve as Executive Director for the LCMS Commission on Worship in St. Louis. He serves as Dean of the Chapel and teaches in the Pastoral Ministry and Missions department. This discussion was a broadcast on Issues, Etc.
Listen to John W. Kleinig discuss his thoughts on the proper praise of God on a recent Issues Etc. broadcast.
The influence of church growth on worship: Issues, Etc.
Dr. Arthur Just of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana discusses worship and how Christ is present in the Means of Grace that we experience during worship.
No, Luther did not use bar music to create his hymns. Listen to this program on Media Player and hit the 19:00 mark to hear this discussion.
Excerpt from a daily devotion by Reverend Scott Murray:
The following excerpt is from a daily devotiona by Reverend Scott Murray of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas.
"God Doesn't Want Our Praise"
Confession of St. Peter18 January 2010
One of the most troubling confusions that has arisen in the life of the church is that her worship service is for God's benefit. The result of this confusion is that there has been a dumbing down in worship forms, so that congregations are now singing "praise" music, in which the worshipper tells God that "I (!) just lift Your name on high" just way too many times. Here I am not speaking especially of musical forms, but rather the reduction of meaning from liturgical and hymn texts. Such reductionism makes sense on the false presupposition that God is the one who benefits from our worship. If worship is our offering to God there is no need for a deeply or theologically complete expression of the faith for God's benefit. It would be telling God what He already knows far better than we do. Such expressions of faith would be akin to explaining in excruciating detail to a master chef a recipe that he himself has written. Instead, we would be inclined to express our admiration of the chef with prosaic praise, "you are a great chef!" So it is for worship generated to please God, "God, You are really great. No, really, really great!" Worship is not for God's benefit at all. What is it that we humans could possibly offer to the holy God that He could need or desire to receive from us sinners? He does not desire sacrifice from us. Then what is worship for? Worship is for the benefit of the worshipers. The Lutheran Confessions consistently say that worship is to teach the people what they need to know about Christ (AC 23, 9). The worship service is the delivery point at which God serves His people by offering Himself to them in the Word of God. He delivers Himself to them in the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins, through which they are absolved and thus set free from sin and death. He desires not our worship, but He desires with a passionate intensity that we hear what He is doing for us in the service; which is His to us, not ours to Him. He offers the food of His Word that we might eat and live (Is 55), not that we might tell Him what a great cook He is. Since worship is for us its theological adequacy and completeness are central to its usefulness. We are to learn of God's compassion and in learning of it to be set in its midst. The service must ever be the justifying God's to us, never ours to Him. If worship is God's service to us, the impact on worship texts and hymns is immediately apparent. They must be adequate expressions of the faith. They must be confessions of Christian truth in its fullness sung by the church both for her edification and for the instruction of those who know not this God without this confession. "Praise" choruses will never do this. God desires our worship for our justification in His presence. Our sacrifice of praise must be theologically adequate to God's desire to give Himself to us. God doesn't want our praise. He wants us to be justified in His presence
Prayer
Lord Christ, You have told us that You desire not our sacrifices. Lead us to be emptied of ourselves in repentance and contrition that Your Word would dwell among us richly in songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Continue to give us Yourself through the Word, that we being justified by Your speaking, might ever more adequately say back to You what You have already said to us. Amen. For Verena Stehling, that God the Lord would be with her in her suffering For Jackie Alexander, that the Lord Jesus would give her strength as she continues therapy for cancer For all the catechumens of Memorial Lutheran Church, that they would set their hearts at rest in the peace of Christ
If you are interested in receiving his devotions click here.
Papers on Worship.
What's the Use of Praising God? by John W. Kleinig
Reverend Todd Wilken, host of Issues, Etc. wrote an essay entitled, "Playing the Pharisse Card".
Here's one excerpt that references part of his dicussion on worship:
Today, the label “Pharisee” is applied to many Christians just like me—perhaps you’re one of them. We are Christians who cherish God’s Word, the Church’s historic Creeds, confessions and practices. When we see the Church abandoning these things to follow the latest fads and entertainments, we lament. When we see the Gospel itself being left behind in the Church’s rush to mimic popular culture, we are grieved. And when we question the Church’s infatuation with the spirit of the age, we are labeled Pharisees.
Podcasts: Listen to these radio broadcasts from Issues, Etc.
Contemporary worship with Dr. Paul Grime. Wait until you hear Rick Warren's definition of worship. Reverend Todd Wilken uses a quote from Warren's The Purpose Driven Life to reveal what we don't offer to God in worship. Dr. Grime joined the Concordia Theological Seminary faculty in the fall of 2007. In 1996, Dr. Grime accepted a call to serve as Executive Director for the LCMS Commission on Worship in St. Louis. He serves as Dean of the Chapel and teaches in the Pastoral Ministry and Missions department. This discussion was a broadcast on Issues, Etc.
Listen to John W. Kleinig discuss his thoughts on the proper praise of God on a recent Issues Etc. broadcast.
The influence of church growth on worship: Issues, Etc.
Dr. Arthur Just of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana discusses worship and how Christ is present in the Means of Grace that we experience during worship.
No, Luther did not use bar music to create his hymns. Listen to this program on Media Player and hit the 19:00 mark to hear this discussion.
Excerpt from a daily devotion by Reverend Scott Murray:
The following excerpt is from a daily devotiona by Reverend Scott Murray of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas.
"God Doesn't Want Our Praise"
Confession of St. Peter18 January 2010
One of the most troubling confusions that has arisen in the life of the church is that her worship service is for God's benefit. The result of this confusion is that there has been a dumbing down in worship forms, so that congregations are now singing "praise" music, in which the worshipper tells God that "I (!) just lift Your name on high" just way too many times. Here I am not speaking especially of musical forms, but rather the reduction of meaning from liturgical and hymn texts. Such reductionism makes sense on the false presupposition that God is the one who benefits from our worship. If worship is our offering to God there is no need for a deeply or theologically complete expression of the faith for God's benefit. It would be telling God what He already knows far better than we do. Such expressions of faith would be akin to explaining in excruciating detail to a master chef a recipe that he himself has written. Instead, we would be inclined to express our admiration of the chef with prosaic praise, "you are a great chef!" So it is for worship generated to please God, "God, You are really great. No, really, really great!" Worship is not for God's benefit at all. What is it that we humans could possibly offer to the holy God that He could need or desire to receive from us sinners? He does not desire sacrifice from us. Then what is worship for? Worship is for the benefit of the worshipers. The Lutheran Confessions consistently say that worship is to teach the people what they need to know about Christ (AC 23, 9). The worship service is the delivery point at which God serves His people by offering Himself to them in the Word of God. He delivers Himself to them in the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins, through which they are absolved and thus set free from sin and death. He desires not our worship, but He desires with a passionate intensity that we hear what He is doing for us in the service; which is His to us, not ours to Him. He offers the food of His Word that we might eat and live (Is 55), not that we might tell Him what a great cook He is. Since worship is for us its theological adequacy and completeness are central to its usefulness. We are to learn of God's compassion and in learning of it to be set in its midst. The service must ever be the justifying God's to us, never ours to Him. If worship is God's service to us, the impact on worship texts and hymns is immediately apparent. They must be adequate expressions of the faith. They must be confessions of Christian truth in its fullness sung by the church both for her edification and for the instruction of those who know not this God without this confession. "Praise" choruses will never do this. God desires our worship for our justification in His presence. Our sacrifice of praise must be theologically adequate to God's desire to give Himself to us. God doesn't want our praise. He wants us to be justified in His presence
Prayer
Lord Christ, You have told us that You desire not our sacrifices. Lead us to be emptied of ourselves in repentance and contrition that Your Word would dwell among us richly in songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Continue to give us Yourself through the Word, that we being justified by Your speaking, might ever more adequately say back to You what You have already said to us. Amen. For Verena Stehling, that God the Lord would be with her in her suffering For Jackie Alexander, that the Lord Jesus would give her strength as she continues therapy for cancer For all the catechumens of Memorial Lutheran Church, that they would set their hearts at rest in the peace of Christ
If you are interested in receiving his devotions click here.
This is a great post. I hope this blog stays updated!
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