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Fall 2009 | Volume 68, No. 1
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Beyond Worship Wars
by Paige Patterson
Augustine was no warmonger. War is evil—a clear index to the fallen-ness of the race, but some wars are necessary. Augustine and others give criteria for the waging of those necessary wars. The “worship wars” in evangelical churches across the country fall in the category of wars that should never have happened. Had genuine Christianity been guiding what we were doing, such wars never would have taken place; but nonetheless they are real and sometimes devastating.
In the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel is found the locus classicus for a discussion of wars of worship. ?Jesus has a conversation with a woman at a well. ?After an interchange in which He exposes her promiscuous lifestyle, she replies, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship” (4:19-20). Jesus said to her,
Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (4:21-24).
Worship is part of every religious expression in the world. Assuming hundreds of forms according to what deity or deities one seeks to placate, endorse, or invoke, the style of worship and its content may vary. But when Jesus spoke of worship, He wanted to move this woman’s conception away from location, and He wanted her to focus on the essentials of genuine, true worship. There are two: “True worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth.”
What is worship? Is it the raising of holy hands to God? Is it the exposition of the Bible? Is it the song of the vocal chords, supported by diaphragmatic breathing of the congregants? Is it the use of the piano? On and on one can go, but actually worship is none of these, which simply embrace what is physical.
When coming to worship, one ought never to get caught up in the physical accoutrements of worship, whether that be a reading desk—which is the British term for a pulpit—or the pews or the chairs or the building. Whether the church is high steepled with colonial red brick or a theater or a home setting does not matter.
You must not get caught up with the accoutrements of what you do physically, although some physical things can certainly detract from worship. Spiritual worship is the heart’s call to God, the human spirit reaching out to the eternal Spirit. It is the spirit of man seeking the face and the presence of God. Worship is varied: corporate and personal. Both are essential to the spiritual health and well-being of the individual worshiper.
Worship is also to be “in truth”; i.e., worship is always the magnification of God’s truth. Is it through music? Then the music must magnify truth. Is it in your prayers? Then, those prayers must magnify truth. Whatever you are doing, corporate worship is before God.
What exactly is worship in spirit and in truth? There are five primary aspects that are a part of corporate worship:
1. Music.
The Bible speaks of making melody in our hearts to God. Music is a critical and crucial component of worship, but the lyrics are more important, by far, than the music. The participation of the whole congregation is the most important expression of musical worship.
2. Prayer.
In prayer, you involve yourself in adoration, in thanksgiving, in intercession, in praise to God.
3. The reading of the Word of God.
To hear someone publicly reading the Word of God with the ability to make it come alive as he reads is pure worship. Sadly, this element is largely lost in most worship today.
4. Proclaiming and explaining God’s Word.
Much that has nothing to do with the explaining of the Word of God goes under the title of preaching. The preacher abandons the high calling of God on his life when he does not explain the biblical text to the people.
5. The simple beauty of the ordinances.
The Lord’s Supper and baptism together, celebrated by the congregation, provide a time of confession, a time of witness, a time of focus, and a time of memory. It is a confession on the part of those who are taking the elements of the supper. Jesus had His body broken and His blood shed on the cross for our sins. The candidate’s baptism is a public confession of his faith in Christ, but it is also a witness. Believers are bearing witness through both of these ordinances to the truth of the Gospel. Besides that, it is a focus for the whole church. The local church has only two ordinances, and they both focus on the very same thing: the atoning death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The ordinances are a part of worship.
While unfortunate, most of the contemporary discussion about worship centers on music. Should the worship music be traditional or contemporary? Actually, both should be employed but with these guiding principles:
- Any music used in the church must have theologically true and significant lyrics.
- Such songs should be eminently singable.
- The songs should be memorable, a melody and words that can lodge in your soul. Why has “Amazing Grace” stayed around as it has? The lyrics and the melody are memorable.
- Be aware of your context. Select music that ministers to as many in the congregation as is possible.
- Do not force the preacher to have to recover after the music. The music should prepare the congregation to hear the proclamation of the Word, not distract from or function at odds with the preaching part of the worship service.
- Aesthetics, i.e., beauty, belongs to God and is favored by God. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper ought to be beautifully done and presented. Sermons ought to be preached in a clear and compelling way.
A Final Word
Worship is congregational. If your praise team and band are entertaining and putting on a performance and the people can scarcely participate, a wrong direction has been selected. The whole congregation needs to get into the spirit of praise and worship. Consequently, congregational singing is the most important thing that happens.
Most “worship wars” could be avoided by invoking one verse. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Rom. 12:10).
*These remarks were excerpted from a chapel sermon at Southwestern.
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Paige Patterson
President
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
ppatterson@swbts.edu
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