Theology as the basis for worship

Wrong from the start?
In many discussions on worship in the Church, there is tendency to begin in the wrong place. Many articles, websites, and books look at corporate worship from the perspective of methods: what songs to sing, how to manage worship teams, how to create the flow of the service (or liturgy), what instrumentation to use, how to incorporate technology, and any number of methodological issues pertinent to the corporate worship of the church.

Although many of these questions on methods are important, and must be the concern of pastors and leaders, often little evidence exists to suggest that these discussions are based on a solid foundation of theological and Biblical thinking. Often, due to meager theological reflection regarding the various methods to be employed, the solutions end up being no more than pragmatic “Band-Aids” to avoid failure in “pulling off” a worship service.

I once had an opportunity to be part of an online forum centering on worship. Primarily, this forum was a place for younger worship leaders to gather, share ideas, and especially post threads regarding the methods I listed earlier. Not unexpectedly with the younger generation, much of the focus was on technology and how to utilize it in corporate worship.

With this in mind, I posted a thread that suggested a discussion of the Biblical and theological justification for the use of modern technology in the worship of the church. The response was overwhelming; many readers posted comments on the topic.

But, the response was also disappointing because many of the posters failed to see the connection and need for solid thinking to back up their practice and method. They simplistically thought that we could use whatever we were considering because it was there. Thankfully, one technology leader had spent some time thinking and posted a thoughtful response that touched many good, foundational ideas on why it was important for us to engage our modern culture with modern technology.

Clear thinking
Scripture is clear that our practical, outward lifestyle expressions begin with our thinking regarding life itself (1 Peter 1:13-16; Romans 12:1-2). It is only when our inner thinking is grounded in a solid Biblical and theological understanding that our outer lifestyles will reflect a Biblical, Christian life.

This is also true in the worship of the church. The outer expression of the congregation in worship (their method) is only as solid as their inner understanding of Whom they worship and why (their theology).

Theology must be the basis and foundation for corporate worship. We must have a proper view of God in order to worship Him with wisdom and understanding. Further, we must understand the Biblical view of man in order to see ourselves, and those around us, in a proper perspective as worshipers of God. In addition, we must learn to view worship as proclaiming the Biblical drama of creation, fall, and redemption so that we represent the Gospel in a holistic manner. Only thus will our congregations can be transformed by Christ in the inner man and their lives can be changed in the daily outward expression of living life.

This is no easy task. Because much of corporate worship has degenerated into a form of entertainment, asking the congregation to think more clearly about worship itself may be difficult. We can expect to encounter into the argument from preference (“I like that song”), which for many is the end of the discussion. Teaching church members to think about worship, and then making changes to worship methods based upon a new set of foundational principles from good thinking is a process that will take time.

But, it is worth the investment of time and energy. True renewal of corporate worship will only come from a renewal and transformation of the minds of people – beginning with our view of God and of ourselves.

Right actions (practices of worship) will proceed from good thinking (a solid Biblical foundation of worship), and so our primary need is to learn to think aright.

For  more insight to this subject, get the book, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship, by Robert Letham, from our online store.

Or read the article, “Some Thoughts on the Use of Music in Worship,” by Stephen C. Perks.