"SCRIPTURAL" WORSHIP SERVICES | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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From staid "traditional" formats to almost wild free-for-alls, professing Christians utilize a vast variety of designs in their regular worship meetings. Unfortunately the Bible does not specify any particular formula for this function, so various groups and organizations have adopted another's outline (sometimes with variations) or made up their own in accordance with their desires and ends. While the Bible remains silent regarding specific orders of events, does it provide at least some guidelines regarding assemblies of believers? If so, what are they and how do they apply today? OLD TESTAMENT WORSHIPWeekly Sabbath worship experiences in the Old Testament allowed a tremendous amount of music and praise. The Psalms provide ample evidence of this. Consider these literal commands regarding how God desires to be worshiped:
These directives include not just singing but also use of various instruments (brass, string, and percussion), dancing, clapping and shouting. The core concept centers around joy, gladness, and thankfulness. People should feel excited about who God is, what He has done for them both individually and collectively, and free to express that excitement. But does that comprise the total worship experience? No, because elsewhere in the Psalms is written:
This displays a calmer, more solemn aspect which needs inclusion. Among the many functions of the Levitical priesthood as described in Ezekiel 44 we find that they were to "teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean" (v. 23). Room existed in worship services for teaching as well as praising, but congregational praise appears as the central activity of Temple worship. NEW TESTAMENT WORSHIPDuring the time of Christ, most people attended local synagogues for Sabbath worship. Little detail is given regarding the format, but instances are provided which demonstrate "audience participation" in the proceedings. Christ often took the opportunity to address the congregation.
Paul also took advantage of the opportunity to teach in synagogues on the Sabbath day to preach Christ.
The worship environment allowed people, including "outsiders," to read to and teach the congregation. Those in Berea received commendation for not only carefully listening but studying into the things which were being presented. ORDERWhile no specific components or sequence of events are provided for Christian worship in the Bible, certain guidelines can be found in the writings of Paul. Particularly enlightening aspects occur in his first letter to the Corinthian congregation.
Paul here tells the Corinthians (and us) that clarity should be the rule. The congregation (especially visitors) should be able to understand what is being said. The specific reference here lies in the context of different languages (tongues) but the application as seen in the entirety of the chapter holds for all aspects.
Paul deals with several additional aspects of a congregational meeting in this section. In v. 26 he reiterates the need for understanding, clarity, and therefore a building (edification) of the congregation. Note please that he also makes mention that the various individuals came prepared to become actively involved with the service in a variety of ways. They did not come merely to listen. Many organizations point to v. 29 to justify limiting the speakers to only two or three, totally ignoring v. 30 which demands that if someone else feels the need to add or clarify something, the person speaking step aside and allow the other to make his comments. Verse 31 specifically states that all possess eligibility to speak to the group, that none are left out. However, v. 33 requires that things be done properly and in order, that the proceedings not become an uncontrolled free-for-all. "FORMAL" WORSHIP SERVICESSo why do so many "Christian" groups, denominations, etc. insist on having very staid, formal, and ordered worship services in which the congregation has very little active participation? One word: control. Leaders (be they ministers, elders, bishops, pastors, deacons, apostles, or whatever) feel the need to keep everything under their personal control. In many cases it is simply a continuation of a tradition which their particular organization adopted years, decades, centuries, even millennia ago. The desire for control originated ages ago with the Babylonian Mystery religion which introduced a class structure into religious life. In a sense there existed something similar to a class structure in the Old Testament church in that the Levites were separated from the other Israelites and the descendants of Aaron were further separated from the rest of the Levites. Even in this scheme of things, however, the priests and Levites did not exercise control over the people. By Christ's time, however, things had changed and the leaders of the synagogues (not necessarily priests or even Levites, but usually rabbis, Pharisees, etc.) had taken this sort of control and were recorded as taking upon themselves the right to "disfellowship" people who went against them (see Jn 9:22). The New Testament describes no flavor of "rulership" or class structure within the body of believers. Christ taught that the leaders needed to be servants (Mt. 20:25-26) and Peter taught that leaders should lead by example, not by force (1 Pet 5:1-4). In the letter to the Corinthians in which Paul described how services should be orderly, there exists no mention of an elder. It was not addressed to an elder, corrections were not given to an elder, no elder was told to pass along admonitions to the congregation. These were instructions to the congregation which was expected to keep itself in order. It becomes obvious that there was not an elder "in charge" of the group, that it was not a "sit down, shut up, and listen to the elder" situation. On the contrary, Paul was telling them to each take their turn, to allow others to speak or sing or pray, but above all to keep it orderly. For a more thorough treatment of leadership and leaders, please read our article "Priests, Elders, and Ministers." Considering all the commands in the Psalms to shout, clap, dance, and other such "rowdy" types of behavior, it actually begs the question as to why they are considered "taboo" in the worship activities of a majority of "Christian" groups. Some observe the applications other groups make of these aspects of praise and say, "If that's what it's all about, we want no part of it." Others take a somewhat different approach, saying essentially, "We don't believe the same way they do and since that's the way they worship, we can't do it that way ourselves." (Of course, they will often adopt other activities which those same "different" groups incorporate.) Still others, so bound up by traditions ("teaching for commandments the traditions of men") that anything which departs from their traditions cannot be accepted, despite the fact that the Bible commands it. Besides, such "rowdy" behavior allows those in the congregation to at least temporarily take control of the service, therefore removing it from the "ordained" leader of the assembly. Control is the name of the game and "leaders" tend to dislike anything which can potentially interfere with their control over others. THE ROLE OF WOMENThe place of women in worship services has been a subject for much debate and controversy in recent years. Some feel that women should not be allowed any active participation, particularly in a leadership capacity, in worship services. This same chapter of Paul's letter to the Corinthians provides apparent ammunition for this position.
On its surface, this injunction seems to preclude women from speaking during services. One small phrase, however, serves to shed a different light on the subject. Paul included "as the law also says" in v. 34. What law? One may search through every single law in the Bible but will not encounter one which prohibits women from speaking in a worship service. So what law did Paul reference? In the Jewish scheme of things, the rabbis taught that "a woman should know nothing but the use of her distaff." And the sayings of Rabbi Eliezer, as delivered in Bammidbar Rabba, sec. 9, fol. 204, include, "Let the words of the law be burned, rather than that they should be delivered to women." There existed civil laws prohibiting women from leading or speaking to any public gathering. These laws excluding women from participating came from outside sources, not scriptural sources. Paul wished to have the church refrain from violating laws which would promulgate civil legal problems and thereby bring shame upon the congregation. The other place where Paul prohibits women from speaking occurs in a letter to Timothy.
The KJV renders v. 12 slightly differently: "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Here the word "usurp" was used and, when upon examining the Greek, presents itself as the more accurate rendering. The Greek word means "to take authority upon oneself, to exercise authority on one's own account, or to domineer over." This is inappropriate behavior for a woman. It is also inappropriate for a man. Note here the absence of any mention of a legal problem or some sort of divine displeasure should a woman speak to the congregation. Given the time he lived, his Jewish upbringing and education, and the civil laws which existed, this approach can be justified. It remains plain, however, that the prohibition emanates from Paul, not the scriptures, and understanding where he was coming from assists in evaluating his statement. Paul himself provided the basis for eliminating this prohibition when time, circumstances, and societal conditions improved.
Once in the faith, all become spiritual equals without distinction between racial or national origins, position in life, or sex. Only when outside influences require a discrimination be made may they be applied. If sexual discrimination is permitted in the church, how will the prophecy in Joel and repeated by Peter on Pentecost be fulfilled?
Among those who practice sexual discrimination in the last days, how many will be ready to receive the prophecies of the "daughters" and "maidservants"? Few if any! Sexual discrimination was required by civil law in Paul's time, but that condition no longer applies in most of the world today. It is incumbent upon the Church to apply God's Word carefully and accurately on this delicate subject. For a more thorough treatment of this subject, read our article "The Role of Women in the Church." CONCLUSIONWorship services should be lively, full of music, full of praise, accentuated with shouting and clapping and dancing. It must be sincere and include quieter times of prayer and teaching. All should be allowed to participate and even those from "outside" should feel welcome, appreciated, and free to participate in every aspect of the worship activities. If they have things to share, they should have the opportunity to do so and the congregation should be ready and willing to listen. They should also take what is said home with them and compare it with what the Bible says. Deep discussions, questions and answers, and plentiful joy all have their part.
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