Philosophy of Worship

I am often asked what my philosophy of worship is and I am sure there are others who may wonder but never ask. So, here is the philosphy of worship that I attempt to apply to my worship leading each and every Sunday.

I believe corporate worship should be:

1. God-centered: Celebrating the distinctive roles and work of the Trinity

• God the Father (Ephesians 1:3-6)
• God the Son (Ephesians 1:7-12)
• God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14

2. Bible-based: Concentrating on teaching the truth of God’s Word

• Pray the Word (1 Timothy 2:1)
• Read the Word (1 Timothy 4:13)
• Sing the Word (Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19)
• Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2)

3. Gospel-declaring: Communicating the good news of Jesus Christ

• Man’s sin (Romans 3:23)
• Sin’s consequences (Romans 6:23)
• God’s solution (John 3:16)
• Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 5:8)
• Man’s faith (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• God’s gift (Romans 6:23)

4. Church-building: Cultivating the common good of the Church

• Edify the body (Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Cor. 14:26)
• Educating the believer (Colossians 3:16)
• Engaging the head and heart
• Encouraging unity (Romans 15:5-6)
• Evangelizing the lost (Matthew 28:18-20)
• Exhorting saint and sinner

I value corporate worship that is:

1. Congregational (Psalm 111:1, 149:1)

• I believe that our chief instrument of praise is the congregation’s voice. This impacts my choices of music and instrumentation. During congregational singing, the congregation’s voice will be primary. Instrumentation and corporate worship leaders will enhance the congregation’s voice, not cover it up.[1] I believe that the congregation should have an active role in our corporate worship services through attitude, action, thought, preparation, and response. Corporate worship is not passive entertainment, but intentional engagement. I should come to church ready to participate by paying attention and involving myself in the worship in order to bear witness to the message being declared through the worship service.[2]

2. Excellent (Psalm 33:1-3)

• I believe that corporate worship should be intentionally planned, creatively designed, adequately rehearsed, skillfully led, and intentionally evaluated in order to better promote an atmosphere of worship.

3. Appropriate and Relevant

• I believe that corporate worship should be both, appropriate in holding exclusively to God’s commands in Scripture as my rule of worship, and relevant in applying those commandments in legitimate, and often nontraditional ways.[3] Although worship is directed to God, the songs will be understandable and usable by the congregation.[4

4. Authentic and Genuine (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:8-9)

• I believe that corporate worship should be done in a sincere and humble manner. Vain repetitions and empty exercises have no place in heartfelt worship.[5]

5. Trans-generational (Philippians 2:1-7, Romans 15:5-7)

• I believe that corporate worship should transcend generational barriers by recognizing and embracing an appreciation for various worship styles, tunes and texts. I believe in forging a form of corporate worship within a framework of Biblical theology that takes seriously both our history and our contemporary reality.[6] The primary characteristic of our worship will be that it is based upon the truth of God’s word.[7] Scripture alone takes precedence over opinion, tradition and preference.[8] I believe that corporate worship should unite the church, not divide it. Therefore, I believe that the predominant attitude of worship must be one that is preferential toward one another in love.

[1] Adapted from Crossroads Evangelical Free Church in Earlham, Iowa
[2] Adapted from a quote by John M. Frame in Worship in Spirit and Truth, p. 107, P&R Publishing, 1996
[3] Adapted from quotes by John M. Frame in Worship in Spirit and Truth, p. 46 & 67, P&R Publishing, 1996
[4] Adapted from Crossroads Evangelical Free Church in Earlham, Iowa
[5] Adapted from a philosophy of worship by Joshua Berrus
[6] Adapted from Crossroads Evangelical Free Church in Earlham, Iowa
[7] Adapted from Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana
[8] Adapted from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Martinez, Georgia