Without the Holy Spirit, Worship is Dead

In his introduction to David Well’s book, God the Evangelist, J.I. Packer writes of our true need in worship. The quote is by Packer, but he begins by quoting A.W. Tozer. (Just in case you got lost there: the book is by Wells, it contains an introduction by Packer, and the Packer intro includes a quote from Tozer!). Here it is:

With regard to worship, A.W. Tozer wrote in 1948,


There are today many millions of people who hold “right opinions,” probably more than ever before in the history of the Church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.” This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.


This is arguably truer now than it was when Tozer wrote about it. Worship — in the sense of telling God his worth by speech and song and celebrating his worth in his presence by proclamation and meditation — has been largely replaced, at least in the West, by a form of entertainment calculated to give worshipers the equivalent of a sauna or Jacuzzi experience and send them away feeling relaxed and tuned up at the same time. Certainly true worship invigorates, but to plan invigoration is not necessarily to order worship. As all that glitters is not gold, so all that makes us feel happy and strong is not worship. The question is not whether a particular liturgical form is used, but whether a God-centered as distinct from a man-centered perspective is maintained—whether, in other words, the sense that man exists for God rather than God for man is cherished or lost. We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian heart, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal. Neither stylized charismatic exuberance nor Anglican Prayer Book correctness nor conventional music-sandwich Sunday-morning programs provide any magic formula for this rediscovery. It can occur only when the Holy Spirit is taken seriously as the One who through the written word of Scripture shows us the love and glory of the Son and the Father and draws us into personal communion with both.

38 Hindrances...

In my class on Worship at Toronto Baptist Seminary, I asked my students to identify five ways they are a hindrance to the Corporate Worship of God. Their lists were very interesting and I assembled a bit of a highlight reel here. I think it is a great question to ask yourself before next Sunday – how do I hinder the worship of God at my church? Here are some of the items my guys came up with...

1. Not even thinking about how God desires to be worshiped
2. Sin in my life
3. Not showing up at all
4. Being grumpy
5. Not arriving grateful for the cross
6. Not praying in advance
7. Being tired or lazy
8. Taking pride in my contributions to the service
9. Distracted by the details and running of the service
10. Showing up late
11. Processing other things than what is happening in the service
12. Worrying about what my kids are doing
13. Looking for a pen and writing a cheque
14. Not fixing relational problems with others in the church
15. Thinking more about the process of worship than the One I am to worship
16. Roaming mind
17. Pride in thinking I could do better than what the person up front is doing
18. Not going to bed early enough on Saturday night
19. Watching car races [insert your program of choice here] so that a) I am late for services and b) my mind is dwelling on them not the Lord
20. Not worshiping God through the week
21. Not paying attention to what I sing or say in worship
22. Worrying about what I wore
23. Wanting the service to be perfect and growing discontent with mistakes
24. Being more excited about friends than God
25. Timing the pastors prayers
26. Viewing the singing as a time of entertainment
27. Trying to get friends to laugh by distracting them in immature ways
28. Enjoying the melody of a song more than delighting in God
29. Pride of thinking I could play a certain instrument better
30. Criticizing every little aspect of the service in my mind
31. Pride of thinking God must be impressed with the way I am worshiping!
32. Doing outward things in order to gain others’ attention
33. Sitting with people I know will lead me to talk and not pay attention
34. Thinking about the problems of my week rather than on the worship of God
35. Not confessing sin
36. Failing to prepare for worship
37. Over-analyzing songs and sermons so that I never think of Christ
38. Doing a shoddy job in my contributions to corporate worship

Got any to add?

Worship in Song Conference - March 1, 2008

Every once in a while we have folks asking us about how and why we sing the way we do at Grace Fellowship Church. This is actually something we have thought a lot about and worked very hard at developing; in fact, it is an ongoing project for us!

As churches think about how to sing in a Gospel-centered and culturally-relevant way, they are faced with a whole string of questions. My experience has been that most people answer those questions out of their preferences rather than the objective Truth of Scripture.

I teach a course on Worship at Toronto Baptist Seminary and it is always exciting to see my students wrestle with what the Bible actually has to say on the subject. We had the idea not long ago to provide the church-at-large with the brunt of this material in a very practical one day conference. We are calling it (quite originally!) "Worship in Song Conference."

The day will include workshops for everyone from keyboardists to sound guys to service planners and we also hope to model (as best as we can) the principles in action with 4 times of worship in song. I plan to give three messages: Why we sing, what we should sing (how to find and choose songs) and how to lead corporate worship singing.

The whole thing is going to take place, Lord willing, on Saturday, March 1, 2008 here in Toronto and we invite you to reserve that date now. Registration will open soon and be open to the first100 registrants only – we want to keep this as practical and as personal as possible. Stay tuned here and to our church website www.gfcto.com for details!

Book Review - A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity, by R.C. Sproul

Book Review - A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity, by R.C. Sproul

Teaching a seminary course on Worship means I am always looking for new books to inform and help my understanding of the church’s primary goal in life. I was happy, therefore, to pick up a copy of R.C. Sproul’s latest offering on the subject of worship.

I have to admit I found the work rather disappointing.

Dr. Sproul is a great thinker and prolific author, so who am I to suggest this work is lacking? But having read from cover to cover, I think it is a book that has the potential to do more harm than good.

Sproul has always had a “shock value” to his teaching – some of us can remember being blown away by statements and illustrations he has made over the years. He also has a strong sense of humour... which may be why (with four chapters defending infant baptism and statements like “dispensationalism... is a nineteenth century departure from orthodoxy”) he dedicated this volume to Dr. John MacAruthur.

The book is essentially an examination of how we are to worship God. Sproul’s framework for discovering this is predominantly to look back to how Israel worshiped God in the Old Testament. Now, that right there will cause many to pause and scratch their heads. New Testament worship is discovered by examining the Old Testament? To be fair, Sproul goes to great length to say that the New Testament has the final word on this matter. “Of course, we can’t go to the Old Testament and discover what is there in terms of the format of worship and then simply carry it across and superimpose it into the New Testament community” (15). Yet, while giving a nod to the discontinuity between the Testaments, he can also say, “we can discern principles in the patterns of worship that God revealed from heaven to His people in the Old Testament, and... those principles can and should inform the patterns our worship” (19). This sounds a little too much like having your cake and eating it, too. In fact, this would be my primary criticism of the book. Sproul’s approach flatlines the story of the Bible and results in a somewhat willy-nilly hermeneutic that plucks from the Old whatever “seems to fit” the New.

That is why you end up with Sproul arguing that

^· Infant baptism is necessary and the only Biblical position (chapters 6-8)

^· We ought to consider the use of incense in worship services (172)

^· Pastors wearing robes might be a good idea (147)

^· We ought to meet to worship in buildings that communicate the glory and beauty of God (144)

Sproul backs off making any of these assertions (except infant baptism) as “do or die” Biblical principles, but I don’t think that matters.

There is an old axiom in seminary education that says, “The teacher’s questions become the student’s doctrine.” In other words, when a professor suggests a certain thing “might be true,” eager students often consider that to be what the fellow really believes and is too scared or too constrained by other forces to come out and say. Zwingli’s questions on baptism led Grebel and others to embrace the doctrine... a time when this axiom proved incredibly useful! But this manner of instruction mostly leads to confusion and muddled thinking.

For example, when Sproul floats the idea of using incense in worship, he undercuts the clear teaching of Scripture that he has already referenced only paragraphs earlier. In 2 Corinthians 2 and other passages, we are taught that physical incense has been replaced by other things: prayer, ministry, service, a life pleasing to God, etc. The Old Covenant physical smoke symbolized the New Covenant reality or fulfillment. By noting this passage, then suggesting a return to the old, outer rite, Sproul deadens the developing revelation of Christ in the Bible’s story and pulls the rug out from under the New Testament teaching. This is a pattern throughout the book.

I thank the Lord for R.C. Sproul! He has been used of God in so many ways in my generation and has personally blessed me on numerous occasions. But when it comes to worship, there are many more cogent and helpful books to read before this one. I recommend buying “Worship by the Book” edited by D.A. Carson. The first chapter of that work will do ten times more to bolster your worship than thousands of robes, new cathedrals or billowing incense.

Helping Little Ones Learn to Sit in Church: A Few Practical Suggestions on Moving from Nursery to "Big Church"

One of the challenges every parent faces is teaching their small child to sit through a worship service. Although temperaments and dispositions vary, there are some very practical things you can do to help make the transition from the nursery to “big church.”

^· The best training begins at home. Having regular family devotions will do much to teach active listening and worship. Even the smallest ones can learn to quietly listen to the Word of God being read and to answer a few questions aimed at their age level and understanding. This learning will transfer right into “big church.”

^· You can “play church” and use a few minutes in the week to demonstrate to your child how to sit and pay attention while sitting on the sofa or in chairs. This is a great teaching time as there is none of the pressure to be quiet, etc! Besides, most kids love to play the part of “preacher!”

^· You can have a few “big church” rules that you rehearse with your child during the week. Maybe things like “No talking,” or “Sit still” etc. Every family can think through how they want to train their kids to be a part of God’s worship.

^· You may start keeping your child in “big church” for the first half of the service. Generally this includes the times of singing and prayer. You can then take them out to the nursery for the second half of the service. Over time, extend the times you keep them in “big church” and make it a goal for them to be able to get out of the nursery for good! It seems wise for you, not your child, to be the one who determines when it is time to exit and when it is time to stay in the service.

^· Do bring your kids to church on Wednesday nights. At Grace Fellowship Church, there is no nursery for the corporate worship time on Wednesday nights (it starts immediately after) so this is great training. The singing and prayer request time is all geared to the kids and teaches them some good skills for corporate worship.

^· Some children will find sitting in church easier if they are given a few books to read. One at a time and with growing breaks between each volume can be a good method. Other kids like to write. They can be encouraged to draw pictures of something they hear in the sermon. Still other families choose to avoid books and paper altogether. Think through what would work best to mentor your child.

^· You may consider encouraging good behaviour by rewarding it. Be sure to compliment even the smallest good choices you see and consider what might motivate your child in particular.

^· Expect a little rustling! Some adults can barely sit still for 5 minutes, let alone a 4 year old! We are used to a little noise and half the time no one hears it anyway. You may need to pull your child out of the service for disobedience, especially if it is loud, but try to keep encouraging good behaviour and participation. At GFC, we try to include the children in as much of the service as we can. You will be shocked to know how much a head that never looked up and a body that wiggled all morning actually took in!

^· Avoid using “big church” as nap time. The goal is to train our kids to be active participants in the worship of God.

^· Please do take your child out of the service if they get noisy. No one thinks you are a failure as a parent! We think you are... a parent... and a pretty good one at that! We have all had to do it and we all understand. Sometimes it is better to sit near the back when you have little ones that are being mentored in how to participate in worship. That gives you quick and easy access out of and back into the service. We do our best at GFC to save these back rows for families with little ones, but you may need to show up a little early to get your spot!

^· Don’t give up! You may have many weeks of things not going so well... but don’t despair! Parents have been doing this very thing for centuries and eventually your little one will figure it out with your training. What you are doing is such important work as you fit them for a life of sitting under the Word of God. Put a bad week behind you and don’t stop praying for the Lord to grant grace and help.

In all of this, remember part of the reason transferring into “big church” can be difficult:

“But children are unregenerate. They do not know God. There is a natural enmity in their hearts against him. Their boredom is not principally caused by their immaturity but because of their hearts of stone. This is to be combated by the loving lives of their parents, regular family devotions in which they become familiar with the teaching of the Bible, the language of prayer and they are confronted with their need to be born again. Their parents' love, respect and enthusiasm for the church services, the pastor and his preaching will be contagious. They will admire and hear the one to whom their parents pay such attention. But where the parents themselves are bored - or just one parent - then there is little hope for the children becoming gripped with the most exciting message in the world - the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When children have been taught to sit still at home, and hear the word of God read each day, and listen to parents coming with thanksgiving and petition to a heavenly Father who cares and provides every good thing the children experience, then they sweetly learn to be still during a sermon on Sunday morning, and to cry from their childish hearts to the Lord for help to worship and serve him, the living God.”

- Geoff Thomas, Banner of Truth Magazine, in an article entitled, “A Child Was Bored in the Service” accessed on Aug 8, 2006 from http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?218

Book Review - The Heart of Praise: Worship After God’s Own Heart

The Heart of Praise: Worship After God’s Own Heart is a new daily devotional written by Jack Hayford, president of the International Foursquare Church.

The book is divided into 31 chapters of near equal length. Each chapter begins by quoting one or two verses from a Psalm, followed by a few pages of Hayford’s comments, and then a suggested prayer. Ron Durham adds several practical questions at the end of each chapter for either individual or group discussion.

According to the introduction, Hayford’s purpose is to take us to the Psalms in order that God might bless us. This is, in his words, “the inherent by-product in the practice of praise.” Thus, he chooses a wide variety of Psalms.

The comments the author makes after each Psalm quote are often pleasant, but somewhat unrelated to the text he has quoted. Thus, they are less an explaining of the Psalm and more a series of vaguely related thoughts and ideas. He writes in a very simple, almost conversational tone that many Christians who either don’t like to read or find the activity laborious would appreciate.

It is hard to believe Hayford didn’t have a subtle agenda behind the book as he spends the best part of two early chapters explaining why all Christians should lift their hands up in worship! He moves from there to discuss why we need to sing more and only then begins to define how we use the mind in worship. In his chapter on singing, he makes the point that “our singing is not the preliminary warm-up to the ‘main event’ called the sermon” (96). This is an excellent point and one that many North American Christians need reminding of today. It ties in well with his definition of worship as “totally giving over our human will to the will of God” (14).

This book might be helpful to a new or young Christian seeking a help to establish a daily quiet time. Once that becomes a habit, they could be directed on to more substantive and Bible-centered books like C.H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening. The follow up questions at the end of each chapter are decent, but the real benefit of the book would be in reading and contemplating the Psalms.

Overall, this is not the first book I would buy to refresh or challenge my mind concerning worship of our Triune God. The truly interested reader would be better served by reading something like Carson’s opening chapter in “Worship by the Book” or Tozer’s small work, “Whatever Happened to Worship.”