Christian worship

The Worship Sourcebook is a fine collection of worship materials published by the Christian Reformed denomination. We bought copies for our worship leaders several years ago. Yesterday Zac Hicks, a pastor in Colorado, summarized its Prologue in "9 Things that Christian Worship Should Be." Four of the nine:

1. Christian worship should be biblical.

• worship includes prominent readings of Scripture
• worship presents & depicts God’s being, character, & actions consistent with how Scripture does
• worship obeys explicit biblical commands about worship
• worship heeds scriptural warnings about false/improper worship
• worship focuses primary attention where the Bible does–on Jesus

2. Christian worship should be dialogic.

• God speaks through the Spirit, and we respond in a variety of ways
• worship is initiated by God
• worship balances attentive listening and honest speech

4. Christian worship should be trinitarian.

• worship addresses each person of the Trinity
• the Father invites us to worship and hears our response
• the Son perfects and mediates our praise and petitions
• the Spirit helps us comprehend what we hear and prompts our response
• worship draws us into relationship with God (the Father) through God (the Son) and by God (the Holy Spirit)
• worshiping Trinity keeps us from the temptation to worship worship itself

8. Christian worship should be a generous and excellent outpouring of ourselves before God.

• worship should not be stingy
• worship calls for our best offerings (music, words, money, time, etc.)
• worship practices excellence worthy of God [more]

Doxology and Theology » 9 Things that Christian Worship Should Be by Zac Hicks