Recently, I finished reading Scott Aniol’s book, “Biblical Foundations of Corporate Worship“. It is a relatively small book at 121 pages, but its conciseness is part of its strength. Across five chapters Scott lays out a Biblical case for what constitutes Biblical, corporate worship.
Many today worship in a purely emotional way and then assess their worship by how they feel. In charismatic circles, there are extravagant displays of emotion, easily seen and heard. In churches I have grown up in and am familiar with we have been wary of such charismatic displays.
Yet, in conservative circles, we are not immune from focusing on how we feel, rather than if we’re genuinely drawn closer to God through Christ and the work of the Spirit through the Word. Let me use one example. I have often wondered about phrases such as, “God really met with us today!” As if we always want to meet with God, but sometimes He doesn’t show up. Sometimes the usage of such a phrase is genuine and sincere and God did bless the service. But it was not that God decided to show up that day, but rather the people were ready to receive the blessing that God always offers. Other times there was a particularly emotional event that everyone got caught up in and that emotion was mistaken for worship.
Aniol’s book deals with far more than just the proper place of emotions in worship, but it is something that stood out to me. This isn’t a book that details specifics about styles of music, it is a theological grounding in what worship ought to be. However, with the same foundation, the structure, and all its specifics will not deviate too far.
The Five Chapters
The five chapters deal with Corporate Worships’ 1. Authority (God’s Word); 2. Goal (Communion with God); 3. Structure (Dialogue with God); 4. Participants (The Whole Congregation); and 5. Essence (Spiritual Response).
His background and culture mean that we might land in a slightly different place in how some of these truths find application in our services. Neither am I reformed in my theology as Scott is. However, I find myself largely in agreement with his theology of worship.
I’ll share a highlight from each chapter, but I encourage you to get a copy. It will help you to understand what the Biblical approach to corporate worship ought to be, some historical precedents, and make you aware of dangers that many churches sleep-walk into.
Highlights from Each Chapter
Corporate Worship’s Authority – “Therefore, all our theology and practice of corporate worship must be founded in the authority and sufficiency of what God has spoken – His divine revelation.” (Page 5)
“This principle, far from being restrictive, is actually quite liberating. Pastors do not need to worry about chasing after the latest popular worship fads or conducting preference polls of their people. Likewise, church members need not fear the next worship novelty…” (Page 14)
Corporate Worship’s Goal – [Having referenced Ephesians 2, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and 2 Corinthians 6:16] “Now why would the New Testament use this image of a temple to describe the gathered church? Well, what most naturally comes to mind when someone uses the image of a temple? You see, Paul is deliberately using this metaphor to signify our central purpose as the gathered church. In this temple, built by the Spirit of God and indwelt by Him, worship takes place. So that narrows the answer to our initial question – our goal as a gathered church, the temple of God, is to worship Him.” (Page 30)
Corporate Worship’s Structure – “This is why worship is profoundly relational; all true worship is communion with God, but that communion is not mystical, it’s not an energy we feel or a trance that we enter. Communion with God is a conversation, a dialogue.” (Page 59)
Corporate Worship’s Participants – “The worship that takes place in God’s temple is not reserved for ordained clergy who worship on behalf of the congregation as mediators between them and God. All believers are priests who have full access to the presence of God and who offer spiritual sacrifices to Him.” (Page 71)
“In much contemporary worship today, congregational participation is minimized by the emphasis on performed music on a stage. Like clergy in medieval worship, musicians in contemporary worship have taken on a ‘priestly’ role in the service.” (Page 78)
Corporate Worship’s Essence – “One of the clearest ways you can determine someone’s fundamental theology of worship is to ask them the following question: ‘How do you know that you have worshiped?’” (page 85)
“Even today, Christians expect to be able to tangibly feel the manifest presence of God when they worship, through a visible display of His glory, miraculous gifts, or emotional rapture… Music is now considered a primary means through which people experience God’s presence in worship.” (Page 98 & 99)
Conclusion
Chapter 4 was particularly enlightening regarding lighting in auditoriums and service structures. Medieval clergy withheld participation in worship from the people and it became a performance on a stage by the professionals. The areas where the professionals performed became well lit, while the areas where the congregation worshipped only by proxy became dark and separate. Today, we see the same trend as professionals do the work on a stage, while the congregation sits in darkness and spectates, but do not personally engage. The architecture and service reflect the theology.
Chapter 5 brings out an interesting phrase that reveals much of what is wrong with some modern worship, “music sacramentality”. An understanding of this error would help many individuals get a better grasp of the message contained in music styles and the place they should hold (for some styles that place is outside the church!).
You may not agree with how some of the truths in this book are applied, but I believe the principles are clearly in God’s Word and set forth a good foundation.
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