Worship and Liturgy

Principles of Worship and Liturgy

"Worship and liturgy should reflect something far more than culture or personal preference."

 

by Fernando Canale

Fernando Canale, Ph.D., is Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

 

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Description of image above: Martin Luther and his champion, John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, kneel before the cross. This woodcut was created by Lukas Cranach, the Younger.  Source: Kirchen Postilla, das ist, Auslegung der Episteln vnd Evangelien, von Aduent bis auff Ostern (Luther, Martin, 1483-1546).
 

 

 

Response to "HeavensGate" from Tue, July 10, 2012

Dear HeavensGate

Thank you very much for your comments.

Speaking for myself apart from the congregation, I have struggled not with the scoping and sequencing of worship (“forms and formats”), but as you have aptly observed the need to identify “the true nature of worship.” Once this “discovery” is achieved, indeed expressions, forms and formats of worship, may well fall in to place, as you have indicated.

Indeed, HeavensGate, there is understanding that worship is a God-centered activity, and so there is not naivety on this matter as you seem to presume. That being the case, I can quote you that “the main purpose of worship is to come to God, to give Him the glory, and to speak about His deeds.”

But this statement is easier said than done because as you also pointed out “worship is not something we do for ourselves. Worship is meant to be done for God and to God.” This being the case, you have indeed answered your own question of “who is to decide which form or format is appropriate for worship?” The answer to your question is not ‘I’ or ‘you.’ The one who determines form(s) and format(s) of worship is God. This being the answer to your question, then there must be “the right form of worship,” which is determined by God. There is the “correct form of worship” and that right form and correct form of worship is determined not by the worshiper, but by the one who is worshiped, the God that we (the worshipers) seek to worship. Torah is vivid on this determination through the story of Cain and Abel (Gen 4:3-5). The question of why was one form of offering (‘worship’) accepted over that of another is answered in the Christian scripture, Heb. 11:4: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” The apostle Paul indicates in Rom 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So faith comes by the word of God. It can then be rendered that Abel’s offering by faith was in accordance with the word of God. If we worship God in faith, then do we not worship as the word of God directs? So indeed there are boundaries to form and format of worship that are acceptable to God, and one gleans what is acceptable form(s) and format(s) of worship from the word of God.

But, it is not that simple. One could deduce that a thorough search of “forms and formats” of worship of God from scripture may be the solution to identifying examples of ‘acceptable’ individual and corporate worship to be performed in our modern sanctuaries and contemporary settings. But worship according to Torah and the Christ is not that limited. When reading the words of God as spoken through the prophet Micah, the ‘world’ of acceptable worship of God explodes beyond any limited conceptualization of worship to include the whole of worshipers’ being and dong, including “mishpat” (justice), “chesed” (steadfast love), “tsana`” (humility). This means that worship as defined by the God who is to be worshiped is not limited to, for example, a Sabbath morning worship service, regardless of how well orchestrated in form and format, but extends into the very lives of those who worship God by doing God’s “mishpat” and “chesed” in “tsana`.” Interestingly, the characteristics of “justice” and “steadfast love,” we are told are identifiers (Isa 30:18), part of the essence, of God and are exactly those things which shall be carried out by the Christ (Jer 23:6). So, you see, HeavensGate, that you are correct. Once we have identified “the true nature of worship” the expressions, forms and formats of worship, will fall in to place. Indeed, when we have been clothed in Christ (Rom 13:14; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10), we shall take on the mind of Christ (Phil 2:5), so as to worship in truth and spirit (John 4:23).

I have gone this route of thought with you because of my struggle with the need to identify “the true nature of worship.” My struggle begins with the scriptural record, from the Hebrew Bible and Christian Scriptures that are filled with the evidence of peoples who wrongly derived what and how to worship God, and many times even got the whom to worship wrong. When I use the scriptural and historical evidence as a basis of how and what was done wrongly, then there must be a flip side of how and what is done rightly. This moves me toward your observation that the focus must be “what worship really is” and away from your mis-observing that what you have evidenced is an “abundance of good intent,” . . and a “plethora of personal opinions.” Indeed, “good intent” was never meant, but the search for what it means to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:21, 23-24) was meant and pursued. The use of the first person pronoun, “I,” in the communication you responded to was meant to limit the application of a [dramatized] perspective to the writer of the communication, rather than to presume that perspective [dramatized or otherwise] as applicable to others. This intentional, limited, dramatized perspective was performed to draw others into the search [and the dialogue] for “what worship really is.” It worked!

I desire to pick up the text at Isaiah 6 where you indicate: “biblical worship involves also physical expression and touches the senses.” You then, I understand, give Isaiah 6 to support this observation, which by the way, I agree that indeed worship can involve physical expression and can touch the senses. But the citation of “the four senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, and touching” from Isaiah 6 does not support your observation. It is exactly the references to seeing (v. 9b), hearing (v. 9a), and touching (v. 7[?)]) in Isaiah 6 that allude to a people who wrongly worshiped their God because these senses had been withdrawn from them (cf. Is 43:8; 44:18; Jer 5:21: Ezk 12:2l Acts 28:25-27; Matt 13:14; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Rom 11:8; Deut 29:4). Indeed, this people could not worship their God rightly because they could not hear, see, or perceive their God. As a result, I marvel that you used these “senses” from the prophetic literature to support your observation, as oppose, to say, focusing on verses 3 of Isaiah 6. It is this verse that is indicative of the “true nature of worship.” It is Isa 6:3 that would indeed support your general conclusion that the “main purpose of worship is to come to God, to give Him the glory, and to speak about His deeds.” But, with what I can only determine to have been another agendum at work in your communication, you veered off in another direction that wholly works against your observation and general conclusion!

Isaiah 6:3 is explicit and purposeful for your argument. The seraphs proclaim, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” Is not this proclamation the basis of your general conclusion? The weightiness, majesty, brilliance, and honor – the glory – of God is proclaimed as visible. While wallowing through the “plethora of personal opinions” with a missed appropriation of the very definition you yourself put forward as defining “what worship really is,” the link between Revelation 4 and your text of choice Isaiah 6 was missed. Revelation 4 picks up Isa 6:1-3 and Ezek 1:4-28, and Rev 4:8-11, echoes Isa 6:3.

I hope to engage with you further in fruitful discussions on worship.

Meanwhile, may I ask you why it is that you choose to anonymously identify yourself with the name of a well-known cult group, “HeavensGate,” yet carry an emblem of the ”Three-Angels” message on a blank blog site? Is there indeed something that you are communicating to others through this name and device? The originators of the HeavensGate cult group understood themselves to be the two witnesses spoken of in the Book of Revelation (11:3). They are also responsible for the murder of 39 people in 1997.

For Your Consideration . . .

From March 19-21, 2012, Candler School of Theology presented "The Singing Church: Current Trends and Emerging Practices in Congregational Song."

One of the themes that emerged over the course of three days of worship and workshops was the idea that the texts of hymns must be more carefully considered in order to be effective and meaningful to spiritual development. 

John Bell, a hymn writer and worship resource leader from Scotland, noted:

"In North America, you have a particular affection for interlined text in music, or staff music."

"In Europe, it's more common to have the verses separate from the music."

"It puts as much value on the text (of the hymn) as the tune."

Though Bell provided a handout with hymns and psalms that were sung during his event, he began his presentation by teaching several texts and tunes directly to the crowd.

"I do that to remind people they don't need music in front of them to sing," he said. "There are choirs in this world who would find it an inconvenience to read music while they're singing. They feel if it's not inside them, then it means nothing to God. We sing with greater integrity the less we have to read."

Bell attributes our dependence on hymnals and handouts to our lack of faith in our memories.

          "How can your faith be shaped by worship if you don't know what you've sung?" 

           "How can you relate spiritually to music if you don't have the words. . ."

Bell advocates closer reading of the words that churches sing; he emphasizes that (hymn) texts must be as functional as they are beautiful.

"A hymn isn’t just the text of a gifted poet; it’s something to which people can say 

‘amen.’"

"If the people can’t say ‘amen,’ then it’s not appropriate for congregational song."

Hiddenness, Steadfast Love, and Worship

“The sense of God’s absence implies relationship: it presupposes 

what has been, or anticipates what might become, . . . it remembers 

a taste or betokens a desire not yet satisfied” 

(Wainwright, Doxology, 1980:42).

In Psalm 13, the psalmist cries to God: 

"How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?"

Yet, the psalmist is able to proclaim of God: 

"... I have trusted in thy steadfast love,"

For the psalmist to be aware of God's hiddenness or absence is for the psalmist to remember a time when he was in the presence of God, and to long for the return of God's presence.

Because the psalmist is cut off from the divine presence, he is no longer able to participate in God's steadfast love.  As a result, the psalmist experiences distress; furthermore, neither is the psalmist under God's protection from external enemies. 

Within this psalm, no mention is made as to why God has hidden the divine face from the psalmist or even why the psalmist should think that God is hidden. God's hiddenness in this psalm is unrelated to any sense of sin on the part of the psalmist. Neither is there any concrete evidence of sickness or the nature of the psalmist's suffering. 

Although it may be inferred that the psalmist is near death, death is not the problem for the psalmist. The problem for the psalmist is his separation from God.  God had deliberately hidden from the psalmist. 

Yet, it is as if God's hiddenness becomes God's purpose for and counsel to the psalmist. 

For one who has known the divine presence and has become reliant upon it, divine absence is a curious form of divine presence.  By evading the psalmist, God became more and more manifest to the psalmist.  It was God's very hiddenness from the psalmist that unmasked the psalmist's absolute need for his God.  But even more, there was disclosure of an intrinsic quality of God's presence, steadfast love.

Thus, God's hiddenness is not the absence of God.  Indeed, God can disclose the divine self in the very being of divine absence. This means that God's hiddenness actually becomes a mode of divine presence. Moreover, it is by the use of multiple modes of self-revelation that God manifests divine steadfast love.  It is apparent that one cannot set limits to the modes in which God may reveal the divine presence.  All that one can be certain of is God's steadfast love.

God hiddenness, of which suffering is the most profound experience, may indeed be a moment of communion with the God who is never really absent from the creation that this God made and never ceases to love.  For us who worship a God who indeed can hide from us, our final expectation is of open communion with this God, in this God’s visible glory - the final act of God’s steadfast love toward us.

Indeed, Paul states it best when he is:

sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord  (Romans 8:38).


See also:  God’s Surprising Silence by Frank M. Hasel (Perspective Digest)