Worship

Continue to explore “Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace” by J. B. Torrance. He states, “The Trinitarian View. The second view of worship is that it is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son's communion with the Father. "Consider that the word "gift" describes worship. Torrance continues, "It means participating in union with Christ, in what he has done for us once and for all, in his self-offering to the Father, in his life and death on the cross. It also means participating in what he is continuing to do for us in the presence of the Father and in his mission from the Father to the world." Consider that our missional endeavors are acts of worship that are echoes of and done only in Christ. Explore that the Second Great Awakening shaped Evangelicalism. Consider the balanced worship of both the physical and emotional. Part of the balance is discerning where the congregation is at with the physicality of worship. Worship is active and there is response.

J. B. Torrance addresses the gospel in “Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace”. Consider that the gospel is at stake when we view God only as the object and not the subject of worship. Our understanding of the Trinity is the Gospel. Explore John 4: 19-24 and the account of the Samaritan woman at the well. Explore what St. Basil the Great stated concerning this text. Explore the connection between Trinitarian worship and Christ-centered worship. The end of our whole life worship and gathered worship is being caught up into the Trinity's glory and love. The means of worship is the redemption through Jesus Christ. True Trinitarian worship in life and gathered worship is Christ-centered and Christ-mediated. Consider what Bryan Chapell states in his book, “Christ Centered Worship”. Explore the definition that Block gives for worship: “True worship involves reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign in response to his gracious revelation of himself and in accord with his will." Farley edits Block’s definition and gives this one: “True human worship is our participation through God the Holy Spirit in God the Son's acts of reverential love offered to God the Father in response to his gracious love and in accord with his will."

Continue to explore the definition of worship given by Block: “True worship involves reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign in response to his gracious revelation of himself and in accord with his will." Recall also the definition of worship by Farley: “True human worship is our participation through God the Holy Spirit in God the Son's acts of reverential love offered to God the Father in response to his gracious love and in accord with his will." Lester Ruth uses the term "Christ-mediated". A suggested website for worship leaders to access information from is CCLI, Christian Copyright Licensing International. Consider that a worship leader is a "Theological Dietitian". It is important for worship leaders to know the history of contemporary worship. Worship leaders also need to be theologians. Explore the text of Come, Thou Almighty King (anonymous) in which the Trinity is displayed.

Explore the physicality in corporate worship. Daniel I. Block states, "Many evangelical churches resist physical prostration as an expression of homage and submission to God. This resistance represents both an unfortunate overreaction to Roman Catholic abuses and the arrogance of our culture." Why is the physicality of worship in a variety of traditions such a touchy subject? Students discuss coming from a Catholic background and from a Charismatic or Pentecostal background. Consider the stigma of bowing down in worship and the influence of a parent bowing down regularly. Everyone reacts from something in our past either positively or negatively. When we look at the Scriptures, we see a lot of bodily actions. View a wall painting from the early catacombs from 4th century Rome. Consider that our songs of worship are intoned prayers. Explore another word in Hebrew: (עָבַד) or 'ābad or in Greek, douleuō or δουλεύω which means to serve. We see it in Exodus 3:12. Another example is found in Numbers 16:19. In Matthew 6:24 we read, "No one can serve (δουλεύειν) two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve (δουλεύειν) God and money." Other words are šārat or (שָׁרַת)in Hebrew, and Latreuō or λατρεύω used in 1 Chronicles 6:32. Steven also uses these terms as he quotes God in Acts 7:7. Consider Romans 12:1. Block prefers "reasonable service" over "spiritual worship". Another word for "serve" is leitourgeō orλειτουργέω. Nicholas Wolterstorff, “The Reformed Liturgy,” in Major Themes in the Reformed Tradition, states, "Etymologically the word leitourgia comes from two Greek words, leitos and ergon, meaning, respectively, “of the people” and “action.” In numerous books on liturgy it is said, accordingly, that the word originally meant action of the people. And often nowadays an argument for more participation of the people in the church’s liturgy is based on this claim. It is said that for something to be liturgy, it must be action of the people and not action of a few priests or pastors. But the word leitourgia never did mean action of the people. It meant action for the benefit of the people. A liturgy was a type of public service." A German word is Gottesdienst, which means "divine service". Explore Romans 15:16 and Hebrews 8:2.

Explore Psalm 95: 1-7. Review that worship is a response to God's revelation, of who He is and what He's done. Worship is a dialogue between God and His people. Worship is the goal of redemption and worship ends in intimate relationship. We read in Mark 1: 9-11, "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’" This verse gives us a glimpse into intra-Trinitarian life and delight. Explore John 17. Consider the word δόξα which means "glory" and is where we get our word "doxology". Kavod means "weightiness" in Hebrew. Consider that the glory of God is displayed in His love. Worship is when God calls us into His glory. Consider John 14: 15-21, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

Consider the Trinity and explore what Daniel I. Block states in “For the Glory of God: Recovering a Biblical Theology of Worship”. "The worship that the New Testament ascribes to Jesus contrasts sharply with the inattention given to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity. While many doxologies glorify God generally, without specifying a person within the Trinity, the focus is usually on God the Father and in some cases on Jesus Christ. Remarkably, the doxologies never ascribe praise, honor, glory, dominion, or power to the Holy Spirit. This reserve is consistent with the portrayal of the Spirit generally in the New Testament. No one addresses the Holy Spirit in prayer, or bows down to the Holy Spirit, or serves him in a liturgical gesture. Put simply, in the Bible the Spirit is never the object of worship. This interpretation is reinforced by Philippians 3:3, in which Paul disavows the circumcision practiced by his own people as false . . . Should Christian worship be trinitarian or binitarian-addressing only the Father and the Son? If we agree that it should be trinitarian, how would this look in practice? The biblical pattern suggests that this does not call for the three persons of the Triune God to receive equal and identical attention in worship. The pattern established by Jesus in the Lord's Prayer (Matt.6:9-13) appropriately addresses praise and prayer to the Father, though other texts demonstrate that these may also be directed to the Son. When we read Scripture, the focus will be on God the Father or Jesus Christ the Son. However, it seems that the Holy Spirit is most honored when we accept his conviction of sin, his transforming and sanctifying work within us, and his guidance in life and ministry, and when in response to his leading we prostrate ourselves before Jesus. The spirit is also honored when we give thanks to the Father and the Son for his presence and work within us, referring to him in the third person rather than addressing him directly. We are trinitarian when we acknowledge the presence and roles of all three persons of the Trinity, when we recite the trinitarian formulation of the rite of baptism (Matt. 28:19), and when we hear the benediction with which people are sent into the world at the end of corporate worship: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14[13]). But trinitarian worship need not be balanced, if by balanced we mean giving the three persons of the Godhead equal time and space. True Christian worship focuses particularly on Christ, through whose sacrificial death and justifying work sinners are qualified for worship, and through whose resurrection they hope in eternal life and worship in the presence of God. This christocentric focus is most evident in Revelation 5:1-14. Having introduced the One who is worthy of worship as the Lion of Judah, the Root of David, and the Lamb, the passage offers three reasons why he is worthy of worship: (1) he was slain-the historical fact; (2) with his death he purchased for God a people from every tribe and nation-the missiological fact; and (3) through him the redeemed are made to be a kingdom and priests to God, and they shall reign on earth- the ecclesiological and eschatological fact. This worship begins with worshipers on their knees, is focused on the Son, and involves enthusiastic songs of praise and prayer." Explore Block's comments of the doxology and Gloria Patri. The Holy Spirit points us to Christ.

Explore the object and subject of worship. There is another subject to worship - God himself. Trinitarian theology is the gateway to Christ-centered worship. Explore what J. B. Torrance says in Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace. Consider that when we gather and worship each time it is a cosmic event. Torrance states, "Whatever else our worship is, it is our liturgical amen to the worship of Christ." Consider that the Gospel resides in Trinitarian life. Consider that Christian worship is Jesus.

Continue to explore what J. B. Torrance conveys in “Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace”. "For a proper understanding of prayer, we need to recover the New Testament teaching about the sole priesthood of Christ - that we have someone who stands in for us to do for us and in us what we try to do and fail to do - someone who lives forever to intercede for us (Heb 6:20; 7:25-28; 8:1-6) and who gives us the gift of the Spirit to share in his intercessions. Students discuss the pendulum swing between legalism and grace in worship.

Explore a chart showing the scriptural language used for attitude and disposition in worship, the physical in worship, and liturgical/cultic. Also explore a diagram from Block, the Dimensions of Devotion, as he illustrates devotion through the heart or worship from the inner being (Dispositional worship), person where worship involves the whole person (Gestural and liturgical worship), and through resources or worship with all one's resources (life as worship). Mike Cosper, in Rhythms of Grace: How the Church’s Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel, uses the terms "gathered" and "scattered" worship. Simon Chan, in Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community, uses the words "liturgical" and "private" worship. Bob Kauflin, in Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God uses the terms "event" and "every day" worship. Miroslav Volf, in “Worship as Adoration and Action: Reflections on a Christian Way of Being-in-the World,” in Worship: Adoration and Action uses the terms "adoration" and "action" worship. Consider that evangelism is reclaiming lost, misdirected worshippers. Sanctification is growing in increased proportion of worshipping God and not everything else. Unbelief is losing your wonder and awe for the gospel. Consider that at the heart of believing is worship. The root of sin is misplaced and misdirected worship. Pastors and worship leaders need to shape their flocks both inside and outside the worship service.

Explore Exodus 3:1-12. The Hebrew term used for serve in verse 12 is (תַּעַבְדוּן). The following verses in Exodus chapters 3-10 say the same thing: Exodus 3:12, 18; 5:1, 3, 8; 7:16; 8:1, 20, 25-29; 9:1, 13; and 10:3, 7-11, 24-27. Consider Exodus 3:18, "They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'" Exodus 5:1 tells us, ”And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’" In Exodus 7:16 we read, "You shall say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, ‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.’" The goal of redemption is worship. Worship can never happen apart from the initiation and revelation of God. Our worship is always a response to God's revelation of Himself. What does revelation and response mean for the structure and content of our worship services? Worship is a dialogue between God and His people. God reveals who He is and what He has done. Consider Exodus 19:4, "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." In summary of Exodus 3:1-12, worship is a response to God's revelation, who He is and what He's done. Worship is a dialogue between God and His people. Worship is the goal of redemption and worship ends in intimate relationship.

This first lesson is an introduction to Zac Hicks and the Worship course. What does it mean as a worship leader to pastor people? Explore the term, yare’( יָרֵא ) which means “fear”. Consider Psalm 22:23, “You who fear the LORD (יִרְאֵייְהוָה), praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!” For the term, yārē (’יָרֵא ) or “fear”, there are four words used: phobeomai (φοβέομαι); sebomai (σέβομαι); eusebeomai (εὐσεβέομαι); and eulabeomai (εὐλαβέομαι). Matthew 15:8-9 uses sebomai, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship (σέβομαι) me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Also, sebomaiis used in Romans 1:25, "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped (ἐσεβάσθησαν) and served (ἐλάτρευσαν) the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!" Another word, hištaḥwȃ (נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה) or proskune ōorπροσκυνέω meaning to "bow down" is found in Psalm 95:6, "Oh come, let us worship (נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה) and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!" Paul uses this word in Acts 24:11, "You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship (προσκυνήσων) in Jerusalem." Consider that the word is being used for corporate worship.

Explore James K. A. Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom (Cultural Liturgies): Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation and his views under “Habits: Love's Fulcrum”.

Explore Philip Melanchthon’s view of the will in Loci Communes 1521: "For there is in him, first, the faculty of knowing, and then there is the faculty of pursuing or resisting what he knows . . .For the will in man is like a tyrant in a republic: just as the senate is subject to the tyrant, so is knowledge to the will, so that even if one's knowledge offers good advice, the will nevertheless rejects it and runs wild in its passion . . ."What the heart loves, the will chooses and the mind justifies. Reformers held that before we are at our core affective creatures we need change to begin at the heart level for it to be true and lasting change. The heart needs resurrection and replacement. We read in John 12:24, "Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” In Deuteronomy 30:6 we read, “Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants , so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.” In Galatians 2:19-20 Paul states, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The Reformers, Paul, and Jesus had a bottom up view of formation and change. Which heart are we forming? The heart of stone or heart of flesh? True virtue is only begotten by God's love bestowed as a gift in the gospel. With Aristotle, we can believe that all habits are truly formative but Aristotle misses that the will is bound and left to itself only and always chooses sin. We can believe with Aristotle that habits are truly formative but only in one direction. All habits apart from Christ are malformative. Habits which bring us into repentance and bring us back to the gospel are those which truly have the power to form us. For Melanchthon, "Those philosophers and modern theologians who teach this kind of freedom imagine a morality based on some external and affected civility."

Explore Block’s view of worship from For the Glory of God, "Third, when we gather for worship, we gather with an eschatological vision. We acknowledge that all space is God's space, but we also recognize that it is contaminated by human rebellion. In worship we experience in microcosm what we will enjoy for all eternity, and we anticipate the day when God will make all things new. In the meantime, worship space that lifts our minds and spirits out of the mundane world to God, who resides in ineffable glory in the heavens, brings glory to him and transformation to the worshiper. It reminds us that our primary citizenship is not here in this world torn by sin and strife, but in the City whose maker and builder is God. Within sacred space we are cleansed from the contamination of this world and equipped to reenter it as cleansed agents of grace, as God's polished royal treasure, declaring the praises of him who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). Fourth, when we gather for worship, we gather to edify and build up the body of Christ. This edification may be achieved through many means: the reading and preaching of the Word, public prayer, songs of lamentation and praise, public testimonies of God's grace, celebrating in communion, joining hands in ministries to those in need. But we waste a glorious opportunity if the design of the worship environment is purely utilitarian. Buildings referred to as "the house of God" or "the house of worship" should proclaim the excellencies of the One in whose honor they are constructed and in whose honor we gather. The second command of the Decalogue, ‘You shall not bear the name of YHWH your God in vain,’ applies not only to individual believers and to the church as a body, but also to the buildings we have consecrated for worship. Structures that bear the brand of the Lord but reflect the materialistic values or chaos of our culture shame the name of Christ. Sacred space should be as countercultural as believers' personal lives, responding to the surrounding disorder and tension with a message of hope and grace and order, expressing the lofty ideals of "the heavenlies," to which we have access through Christ (Eph.1:1-14). Solomon's temple was a glorious accomplishment, massively built and lavishly adorned. YHWH provided the blueprint for the building (1 Chron. 28:11, 19), but the Phoenician artists and architects that Solomon engaged ensured that its design and ornamentation were perfectly at home in the ancient Near Eastern world." Consider Psalm 20:1-10, Psalm 92:9, and Psalm 104. How does our culture sense connection with the transcendent? Touch on worship and eschatology. Explore a chart from Block on the different church designs: Classic Gothic Design; American Free Church Design; Traditional Processional Design; and Antiphonal Design.

Consider James K. A. Smith’s thoughts on the liturgy of the shopping mall. Consider that behind every pedagogy is a philosophical anthropology. His point is that "human beings are not primarily thinkers, believers, but lovers." Explore Smith's chart on Homo Liturgicus: The Human as Desiring Animal in which aim or intention (Love) leads to a Target or object (Kingdom) which lead to habits and communal practices (Liturgy).

Explore James K. A. Smith’s Desiring the Kingdom (Cultural Liturgies): Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation". He states, “More specifically I want to distinguish liturgies as rituals of ultimate concern: rituals that are formative for identity, that inculcate particular visions of the good life, and do so in a way that means to trump other ritual formations. Admittedly, this might include rituals not associated with traditional religions (e.g., rituals of Nazi fascism or other rituals of totalizing nationalism); indeed, expanding our conception of what counts as worship is precisely the point. Our thickest practices -which are not necessarily linked to institutional religion - have liturgical function in so far as they are a certain species of ritual practice that aim to do nothing less than shape our identity by shaping our desire for what we envision as the kingdom—the ideal of human flourishing. Liturgies are the most loaded forms of ritual practice because they are after nothing less than our hearts. They want to determine what we love ultimately. By ultimately I mean what we love “above all,” that to which we pledge allegiance, that to which we are devoted in a way that overrules other concerns and interests. Our ultimate love is what defines us, what makes us the kind of people we are. In short, it is what we worship. Another way of putting this, in terms we've used before, is to say that liturgies are ritual practices that function as pedagogies of ultimate desire. The reason to employ liturgy in this sense is to raise the stakes of what's happening in a range of cultural practices and rituals. Insofar as they aim to shape our desire and specify our ultimate concern, they function as nothing less than liturgies. Above we emphasized the importance of seeing what might appear to be thin practices (such as shopping at a mall or attending a football game or taking part in “frosh week” at university) as thick practices that are identity-forming and telos-laden. We need then to take that recognition one step further and recognize these thick practices as liturgical in order to appreciate their religious nature. Such ritual forces of culture are not satisfied with being merely mundane; embedded in them is a sense of what ultimately matters. Secular liturgies are fundamentally formative, and implicit in them is a vision of the kingdom that needs to be discerned and evaluated. From the perspective of Christian faith, these secular liturgies will often constitute a misformation of our desires—aiming our heart away from the Creator to some aspect of the creation as if it were God. Secular liturgies capture our hearts by capturing our imaginations and drawing us into ritual practices that 'teach' us to love something very different from the kingdom of God. By the same token, Christian worship needs to be intentionally liturgical formative, and pedagogical in order to counter such misformations and misdirections." Consider worship as a covenantal ceremony and worship before the Fall and how it was originally meant to be.

Explore the views of Aristotle and the reformed response. Consider that both observed the same anthropological makeup. Both observed that bad behaviors spring from bad desires and loves. For Aristotle, our animalistic impulses need to be brought into submission by the higher faculties - the solution was education. Explore Aristotle’s view in Nicomachean Ethics(Tr. W. D. Ross).

Explore The Worship Pastor as Doxological Philosopher by Zac Hicks. In defining worship, Hicks asks, "How do you define worship as a transcultural human reality, and how does this definition play into your understanding of how human beings live and make decisions?" The transcultural reality is that everyone worships. We make decisions based on what we love and worship. He continues, "How do you define Christian worship, and how does this definition inform the Christian’s life and decisions?" Uniquely Christian worship is worship in the Son by the Spirit of the Father. He asks further, "How do you define gathered Christian worship? Who is worship for? God? Us? The world? All three?" Consider the term Gottesdienst which means "divine service". Worship is for the world - "for the life of the world" (For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy by Alexander Schmemann). Hicks asks, "What role does gathered worship play in the Christian life? Is it merely beneficial? Or is it necessary?" For Torrence, God exists in community and as image-bearers and so do we. Hicks asks, "Does God do anything unique in the context of gathered, corporate worship that He ordinarily reserves for only that time and place? If so, what does He do?" Under Form and Content of (Gathered) Worship Hicks asks, "What role does Scripture play? How does the Bible inform worship? Do we do only those things that Scripture tells us explicitly to do? Or are we free to do something in worship so long as Scripture doesn’t forbid it? What role does Christian tradition and history play? What obligation, if any, does Christian worship now have to engage elements, structure, and content of Christian worship of the past? What role does cultural context play? How should biblical Christian worship be contextualized to given times, places, and cultures? What role do cultural forms and expressions play in worship? Should worship reflect the culture, be distinct from culture, or be a balance of the former and the latter?" A healthy explanation for the tension we all feel is the 'old age and new age now'.

Explore Chapter Three in The Worship Pastor as Doxological Philosopher by Zac Hicks. Hicks asks, "Should worship take on a specific structure or shape? How does the gospel (i.e. how we are made right and enter into relationship with God) inform worship’s structure? Do the structures of Old Testament worship (i.e. the sacrificial system, the feasts and festivals, and other rituals) have any carryover and bearing on New Testament worshiping communities? If so, what? What elements of worship are non-negotiable? Are there universals for Christian worship which transcend context? If so, what are they? Is preaching a non-negotiable element? If so, what form(s) can it take and not take? Are the ordinances/sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be included in this list of non-negotiable elements?" Under Expression of Worship Hicks asks, "What human faculties—mind, body, will, emotions, etc.—should be expressed in worship, and how are they best employed? What is the acceptable scope, range, and balance of human expression in worship? Should worship be loud, energetic, and up-beat? Should it be soft, quiet, and reverential? What role does music and particularly singing play in corporate worship? Is singing necessary? If so, why is it valuable and what does it accomplish? Is music unique among the different art forms when it comes to use and implementation in corporate worship?" Music is unique among the art forms in its ability to be expressed corporately and to wed text and truth with affect and aesthetic. Are we all commanded to sing? The Holy Spirit's shines the spotlight on Jesus. Hicks continues, "Is musical style an amoral category, purely based on preference? Is special music (a moment when the congregation is not singing but music is being presented) appropriate and/or beneficial? What factors play into determining appropriate dynamic/volume levels for music accompanying congregational song? How is worship’s expression relative to one’s cultural context? How does the fact that the universal church transcends cultures, times, and nations inform worship in any one local church? Does a local church bear the responsibility of reflecting its multicultural nature in the actual expression of worship? "How does the church’s trans-cultural identity address issues of nationalism and patriotism in the worship service (i.e. national flags, patriotic songs, etc.)?" Explore worship and formation. Consider lex orandi, lex credendi or the law of prayer is the law of belief. What you pray betrays your theology. Our habits of worship shape our beliefs in who God is. A worship service teaches us how to approach God. Explore Simon Chan's view in Liturgical Theology. Explore the concepts of Primary theology and Secondary theology. Secondary Theology is the reflection upon Scriptures and practice seen in Systematics, theological reflection, thinking, and writing. Primary Theology is enacting and doing as seen in praying. Orandi is Primary Theology; Credindi is Secondary Theology. Consider that doctrine and worship are both theology. Doctrine and worship are in dialectic relationship - they form and inform one another. Consider that good worship fights heresy. Primary and Secondary Theology is the dialectical relationship between doctrine and worship.

Consider worship and mission. In Matthew 28:19-20 we read, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." The verbs are highlighted: make disciples, baptizing, teaching. The way to make disciples is by baptizing and teaching. Explore the view of Jean-Jacques von Allmen in Worship: Its Theology and Practice. View a metaphor of the physical body - the body as the church; worship as the heart; and mission as the veins and arteries. Consider that worship is the place where God announces His gospel to the world. God reserves and gives certain things to the world in worship that He chooses to give nowhere else ordinarily. Ordinances include the Word, sacrament, and prayer. The concept of mission is contextualization. The Gospel is to be enculturated. We need to listen to three things: Scripture, the Great Tradition, and local context - then comes the Holy Spirit. Consider this in process and pictorial form in a chart (Scripture, Great Tradition, local context) with timeless worship practices and contextualized worship practices. How can a missionary prepare for a different culture? Consider the cultural exegesis of South Florida.

Mike Cosper states in Rhythms of Grace: How the Church's Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel in his subheading of Three Ways to Think about Contextualization, “Contextualization begins with ourselves. The fact is, we are enculturated, embodied persons, and no matter what we attempt to do, we will be enculturated and contextualized people doing it. If I choose to wear vestments and shake a smoking censer in a seven-hundred-year-old cathedral, I will be a thirty-something American doing so. My past shapes my present and how people perceive me. We inescapably bring our personalities and our personal histories with us into our gatherings. We're also shaped by the history that precedes us.” Consider that Cosper fills out the local context as expressed in the chart. Consider that a key word is "hospitality". An additional read is suggested, The Next Worship: Glorifying God in a Diverse World by Sandra Maria Van Opstal. Explore the subject of music for both adults and children. How is our worship hospitable to children? How do we equip parents to help their children in worship? Explore the subject of churches that do not appeal to families and children.

Explore the development of a philosophy of worship. Review highlights of the past lessons. Explore a Christ mediated worship flow chart. Consider that pastors and worship leaders have aesthetic tools at their disposal. Reformational anthropology is reflected by simul justus et peccator (simultaneously justified and sinner); the Old Adam- flesh, sin in our members, sinful nature; and Incurvatus in se (curved in on itself) or avon (ןווע) which is iniquity or sin. Consider the Church calendar year offers an annual gospel rhythm. In John 5-10, Jesus declares himself the fulfillment of the Feasts. Consider the contextualization of worship practices. Worship and mission exist in symbiotic relationship. The three things we should be listening to in order are Scripture, the Great Tradition, local context then the Holy Spirit. The professor introduces his chapter on The Worship Pastor as Doxological Philosopher.

Explore the "grammar" of worship. Reformers implicitly believed that the grammar of worship was justification by faith alone. Reformational anthropology is expressed by simul Justus et peccator (simultaneously justified and sinner). It is also expressed by the term "old Adam". Paul uses the term σάρξ (sarx) or "flesh". Thirdly, it is expressed by incurvatus in se (curved in on itself). Consider Luther's Works (on Romans). Explore the terms, avon(עָווֹן), which means iniquity and sin and avah (עָוָה)to bend or to make crooked. Explore Zac Hicks' The Old Adam's Comfort Food and The New Adam's Feast from The Worship Pastor."

Explore Reformational anthropology. Three main points to this view are simul justus et peccator or “simultaneously justified and sinner”; the Old Adam; and Incurvatus in se or “curved in on itself”(avon(ןווע) or iniquity; sin). The Old Adam's job is to lessen the force of the Law. When the Law is rightly displayed and preached, as the full throat character of God, Adam has no leg to stand on. He needs the New Adam, the Second Adam - Jesus - to actually fulfill it for him. How does doctrine apply to worship and the words of worship? Collects are prayers that collect the people and heart of God. Explore Cranmer’s editing of a few Collects. The class participates in a song analysis exercise.

The class continues in the song analysis exercise. In looking at these lyrics, would this be an edit-job or a trash-job? If the former, what would you edit? Explore Psalm 63: “God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You. I thirst for You; my body faints for You in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water. So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory. My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands. You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips. When I think of You as I lie on my bed, I meditate on You during the night watches because You are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me. But those who seek to destroy my life will go into the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the power of the sword; they will become the jackals’ prey. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by Him will boast, for the mouths of liars will be shut.” Consider that there is a confusion today where radio culture influences the song culture of our churches. Consider the work of Cranmer. If justification really is by faith alone and not by works, we need to be sticklers about the language that might undermine and supplant a truly Christ-mediated experience of God's presence among His people.

Explore the Church calendar year chart including Advent (4 weeks), Christmas (12 days beginning Dec.25), Epiphany (up to 9 weeks beginning Jan. 6), Lent (40 days plus Sundays), Holy week (in Lent), Easter (7 weeks including Ascension Day), Pentecost (50th day of Easter), and Season after Pentecost (up to 29 weeks). Consider that Jesus did not abolish the Old Testament system, He fulfilled it. In worship, we actually continue to practice the sacrificial system in and through Christ. Jesus did not abolish the Temple or Tabernacle system, He fulfilled it. In worship, we continue to worship in Christ, the True Tabernacle of God. How are we to understand the Old Testament rhythms of Old Testament feasts and festivals? We should celebrate them but interpret them in Christ. Consider John 5: 5-10 and Leviticus 23.There is a catalog of feasts and festivals that begin with Sabbath. Consider John 6-10.The term ἐγώ εἰμί (egō eimi) means “I AM”. Consider that annual rhythms that walk through the redemption of Christ are good, helpful, and formative. Could there be benefit in observing annual rhythms that are all about Jesus? Consider the worship graph line in light of the Church Calendar year.

Review the structure of worship in the tabernacle and temple worship through the sacrificial system involving the sin or purification offering, the burnt or ascension offering, and the peace or fellowship offering. Consider that worship needs to be approached and mediated through the story of Christ. Explore a visual map of what the worship service might look like which contains the glory of God, the gravity of sin, and the grandeur of grace. Explore the tabernacle and temple worship according to the visual map which includes the gathering or call, sin offering, ascension offering, and fellowship offering. Explore the Sinai worship of Exodus 19-24 according to the visual map including the call (19:3), gathering (19:7), adoration (19:16-18; 20:1-17), confession (20:18), assurance (20:24), instruction (21-23), offering (24:3), and meal (24:11). Explore Solomon's worship of 2 Chronicles 5-7 according to the visual map including the call (5:2), gathering (5:3-6a),confession (5:6b), assurance (5:6b), offering (5:11), thanksgiving (6:1-11), petition (6:12-21), instruction (6:22-42), benediction (7:1-3), and communion (7:4-9). Explore Isaiah's encounter in 6:1-8 according to the visual map including adoration (6:1-4), confession (6:5), assurance or absolution (6:6-7), and sending (6:8). Explore the eschatological worship of Revelation 4-22 according to the visual map including the call (4:1), adoration (4:2-11), confession (5:1-4), assurance (5:5-7), thanksgiving (5:8-14), God's Word (6-16), communion (19:6-10, 11-21), and benediction (22:21). Explore modern day worship models. Evangelical worship according to the visual map includes a worship set and sermon. Praise and Worship "Temple" Progression worship according to the visual map includes praise (outer courts), worship (inner courts with sacrificial encounter and Holy of Holies), and the sermon. The Vineyard Charismatic worship according to the visual map includes singing and worship time (invitation, engagement, exaltation which includes confession then loving embrace in the Gospel), adoration and giving, and then the sermon and ministry time. Worship is very important to the life of the Church.

Consider that a worship service may go through several arcs: the glory of God, gravity of sin, grandeur of grace, glory of God, gravity of sin, and grandeur of grace. Consider the historic liturgical (Word and Table) liturgical structure of worship according to the visual map. The liturgy of the Word includes the call to worship, introit, opening hymn(s), readings, confession of sin, Kyrie Eleison, assurance of pardon or absolution, Scripture readings (OT, Epistles, Gospels) Sermon, Hymn(s), benediction, confession of faith or creed, offering or alms, intercessions (Lord's Prayer) and in varying order the Lord's Prayer, Sursum Corda, Sanctus, Epiclesis, Preparation, exhortation, then words of institution including consecration (implicit confession) and Agnus Dei then Communion with collect, a psalm or hymn and benediction. Explore a proposed Reformational Charismatic worship on the visual map. There is a sung and prayed liturgy or a song set which includes the call to worship and opening songs, confession of sin either sung or prayed, assurance of pardon or absolution, song(s) of grace and thanks, offering including song(s) of consecration or commitment (Baptism may occur here) then the Sermon in which the Lord's Supper may occur and a song and benediction. Explore what can be done in worship when a congregation is in crisis- How would the structure of worship look?

Explore The Great Litany by Thomas Cranmer.Review what has been learned so far. What is the difference between the Regulative and Normative Principles? Theology of worship is shaped by our hermeneutics. What are some of the New Testament elements for worship? How does the Old Testament inform worship structure? Recall the structure of worship summary: a call to worship, a gathering, adoration, confession of sin, assurance or absolution, offering or consecration, the Word is preached or instructed, communion, a blessing, and a sending or dismissal. Recall the structure of worship in the tabernacle and temple worship in the sacrificial system of the sin or purification offering, the burnt or ascension offering, and the peace or fellowship offering.

Using the Reformational Charismatic worship on the visual map, how can this be reconciled to your pastor when he gives you a sermon topic such as relationships and ask you to supply music on that topic? How can we use this format for a thematic approach to worship time? Students discuss. The Doctrine of the Trinity is useful when the sermon is on relationships. Consider what aesthetics would help us experience the Reformational Charismatic model of worship.

Continue to explore the elements of worship. They include teaching or preaching (Acts 2:42) and are to be done in a Christocentric way (Luke 24) Another is fellowship through offering and almsgiving (Acts 2:42, 45) and using our gifts for mutual edification (1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 5; Colossians 3). Communion and Sacraments are also elements (Acts 2:42; Luke 24; 1 Corinthians 11). Worship also includes prayer (Acts 2:42) intercession, petition, and thanksgiving (1 Timothy 2:1). Lastly, singing all kinds of songs (Ephesians 5; Colossians 3; Psalms) is an element of worship. Where is your church in engaging in these acts of worship? The students discuss Communion. We are encouraged to season our devotional and private worship life with historic liturgies and prayers. It will train us to pray and think that way. Explore the Westminster Confession of Faith 21.5, "The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence, singing of psalms with grace in the heart; as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ, are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God: beside religious oaths (Deut 6:13), vows (Isa 19:21), solemn fastings (Matt 9:15), and thanksgivings (Esther 9:22) upon special occasions, which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in an holy and religious manner." Explore the biblical verses used by the Westminster Confession. Deuteronomy 6:13 states, "It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear." In Isaiah 19:21 we read, "And the LORD will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the LORD and perform them." Esther 9:22 states, "…as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor."

Explore the structure of worship. In Romans 1:16 we read, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes . . ."Also we read in 2 Timothy 3:1, 5, "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. . . having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power." Consider that the power of godliness is the Gospel. Worship without the Gospel story is worship which has the appearance of godliness but lacks power. Consider a biblical case laid out for Christ-centered, Christ-mediated worship from the Old Testament. Understand that liturgy is the structure of worship. Explore the structure of worship through the Tabernacle and Temple worship, or the sacrificial system. First is the sin or purification offering which is the admission of guilt and confession (Lev 4:3). There is the imputation of guilt on another, a laying hands on head of animal (Lev 4:4). Isaac Watts, in “Not All The Blood of Beasts” wrote, "In faith I lay my hand upon his head divine...”The sin offering also makes atonement and offers forgiveness (Lev 4:20). Secondly, there is a burnt or ascension offering, which burns and ascends as smoke to God in a sweet aroma (Lev 1:9, 13, 17). It symbolizes access or ascending to God through a representative. The animal not only dies, but approaches God on behalf of the people. It also symbolizes the consecration and offering of oneself. Thirdly, there is a peace or fellowship offering in which the fat and blood is burned off, waved before the Lord and then eaten with the Lord (Lev 3:7, 7:15). Consider Leviticus 3:7 and 7:15. It is a communal meal: God eats, we eat. It is a joyful feast with others in God's presence (Deut 12:7; 14:26; esp. 27:7). Consider Deuteronomy 27:7. It represents consecration and offering of oneself to God in response to grace. The order is the sin or purification offering, then the burnt or ascension offering, and finally a peace or fellowship offering. Explore Leviticus 8 -9, Exodus 29:1-34, Numbers 6:16-17, 2 Chronicles 29:20-35, and Ezekiel 43:18-27. The order is sin or purification offering, then the burnt or ascension offering, and finally the peace or fellowship offering. Worship is a drama - it is a narrative about creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.

Explore the structure of Sinai worship in Exodus 19-24. Follow the order of the call (19:3), the gathering (19:7), adoration or awe and Law (19:16-18) (20:1-17), confession (20:18), assurance or absolution (20:24), instruction (21-23), offering or consecration (24:3), and ending of a fellowship meal with God (24:11). Explore Exodus 19:1-8, 16-18, and 20:24. Explore Exodus 23:14-17: "Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord GOD." Consider that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the Passover. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the feast which God establishes. Should we stop keeping the feast because Jesus is here? Or do we celebrate the feast in the light of Jesus? The Feast of Harvest is Pentecost. Consider the Feast of Ingathering. Maybe there is warrant to think about a Christological calendar rhythm. Exodus 24:3 states, "Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.'" Then in Exodus 24:9-11 we read, "Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank."

How is the journey of encounter with God? Consider the structure of Solomon's worship in 2 Chronicles 5-7. The call (5:2) and gathering (5:3-6a) are seen in 5:2-6. The confession or assurance (5:6b) and absolution are seen in 2 Chronicles 5:11-13. Then there is an offering or consecration (5:11) and 6:1-11 is the thanksgiving. "And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying . . ." There is also a petition (6:12-21). We read in Solomon's prayer of dedication, "If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness." (6:22-23) and also Instruction (6:22-42) and Communion (7:4-9). Blessing and Praise is found in 7:1-3 and Communion in 7:4-9. The dismissal is found in 7:10. In summary, there is a Call (5:2), Gathering (5:3-6a), Confession/Assurance (5:6b), (Absolution)Offering/Consecration (5:11), Thanksgiving (6:1-11), Petition (6:12-21), Instruction (6:22-42), Blessing and Praise (7:1-3), Communion (7:4-9), and Dismissal (7:10).Consider the structure of worship in Isaiah's encounter in Isaiah 6:1-8. Consider that we read in John 12:43, "Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him." This structure in Isaiah is: the Call (6:1), Adoration (6:1-4), Confession (6:5), Absolution (6:6-7), and Sending (6:8).Consider the structure of Eschatological worship in Revelation 4-21. The Confession is seen in 5:1-5. The pattern is the Call (4:1),Adoration (4:2-11), Confession (5:1-4), Assurance (5:5-7), Thanks/Praise (5:8-15), Word Opened (6-19:5), Communion (19:6-10), Royal Supers (11-21), and Benediction (22:21).

Recall the structure of worship in summary. There is a call to worship, a gathering, adoration, confession of sin, assurance or absolution, offering or consecration, the Word is preached or instructed, there is communion, a blessing, and a sending or dismissal. Explore the summary in terms of a dialogue between Revelation and response. Consider that the confession of sin and assurance or absolution are mediated. The Law is expressed through the gathering, adoration, and confession of sin. The Gospel is expressed through assurance or absolution, offering or consecration, as the Word is preached or instructed, and as communion leads to intimacy with God. Consider the formative nature of worship and the rhythms of worship in their effect. Consider the continuity and discontinuity in worship. Explore worship as a covenantal renewal ceremony.

Continue to explore the view of the Regulative Principle through charts. A "Tight" Perspective is shown where the Regulative sphere is that true worship is only what is commanded and false worship is anything outside that which is commanded. The "Tight” Perspective on the Normative is that true worship is what is commanded plus anything not expressly forbidden. False worship, then, is only what is expressly condemned or forbidden by God. The "Loose" Perspective on the Regulative is that true worship is what is commanded plus what may be deduced. False worship is anything outside what is commanded and deduced. We read in the Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6, "The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture . . . and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the word, which are always to be observed." Explore key terms which include “elements” versus “circumstances”, and mode. View a humorous picture of the Regulative Principle of worship according to John Frame from http://presbyterianmemes.com. How does Scripture tell us what worship is supposed to be? Consider scriptural actions and commands sometimes not visible in "Tight" Regulativist Churches. They are clapping, shouting (Psalm 47:1); singing, shouting (Psalm 95:1); bowing (Psalm 95:6); dancing (Psalm 150:4); many instruments with singing (Psalm 98:4-6); all kinds of instruments (Psalm 150); lifting holy hands in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8); and new songs (Psalm 96:1; 98:1). Ephesians 5:19 states that we should be, "...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord..." How did the Regulative Principle apply to the Puritans in the American colonies? The Reformers felt the need to get back to Patristic and early church worship. How do we work with aesthetics within the people God has brought to our congregations?

A clarification is given for the Normative Principle in both the “Loose” and “Tight” perspective. Explore methodology for a biblical theology of worship. What is truly biblical worship? Consider that we cannot engage in debate until we ask, "How are we approaching Scripture?" Explore ideas from Michael A. Farley and his work, “What is ‘Biblical’ Worship? Biblical Hermeneutics and Evangelical Theologies of Worship,” Farley points to the first one, the Praxis-Oriented Model. This model’s method is that Christian worship is determined by following the explicit commands and normative examples of the New Testament and by looking at the apostolic practice (praxis). Those people who used this model were most of the Westminster divines, the Puritans, John Piper, and D. A. Carson. A second model is the Theologically Oriented Model which has two different models within it. The first is the Patristic-Ecumenical Model. This method holds to the New Testament commands and examples, plus how those embody biblical truth. It also relies upon the New Testament and draws ideals from post-biblical liturgies, especially from the patristic era and ecumenical liturgical consensus. The second model under the Theologically Oriented Model is the Biblical-Typological Model. This method uses the New Testament commands and examples, plus how those embody biblical truth. It relies upon New Testament plus substantial attention to Old Testament (through a typological lens). It draws ideals from post-biblical liturgies plus gives more attention to the biblical warrant for those liturgical patterns from the Old Testament. Typology in the Old Testament is the way, in types and forms, it looks to Christ. Consider why this is important. We need to ask, “How am I reading the Scriptures?” It is important due to the theology of the continuity and discontinuity of the Old Testament and New Testament. The Reformed approach views continuity through fulfillment in Christ. Does belief in discontinuity of the Old and New Testament affect confession? Consider Acts 2: 42-47. Explore the terms used in these verses which include apostle's teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. Consider that the apostle's teaching includes preaching, teaching, and reading. Consider Acts 5:28 and Acts 13:12. Consider that fellowship includes offering and the breaking of bread is Communion. In 1 Tim 2:1 we read, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. . ." Consider that prayer includes praise, intercession, petition, and thanksgiving. In Ephesians 5: 18-20 note that singing in this verse is to one another!

Continue to explore the elements of worship through Colossians 3:12-17. Consider that singing can be to one another and also includes special music. Explore 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Discuss the topic of weekly Communion. Explore 1 Corinthians 14: 22-39. Paul gives us the governing idea of edification in everything we do. What are we doing to build people up? Consider that worship includes intelligibility and edification. Also, order to worship is tied to its ability to edify. Explore Luke 24: 13-32. Another element in worship is the Psalms. This singing includes praise, thanksgiving, history-telling, confession, lamentation, and petition. Explore typology in worship. Typology is interpreting Scriptures theologically.

Explore the Regulative Principle for Worship. How do we view the Bible in relation to worship? The regulative principle for worship was codified at the Westminster Assembly. Explore the Regulative Principle vs. the Normative Principle which can also be considered as the Reformed vs. Lutheran or Anglican. “RPW” is the general abbreviation for the Regulative Principle for Worship. The Normative Principle view is that whatever is not forbidden (in the Scriptures) is permitted. Worship practices cannot contradict the Bible. The Regulative Principle view is that a biblical command is needed –that worship services must be prescribed by the Bible. The Westminster Confession of Faith 21.1 states, "The acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture." Consider the Westminster Confession of Faith Question 109:“What are the sins forbidden in the second commandment?” Consider that worship not governed by what God explicitly commands always has the danger of being construed inappropriately in our imaginations. Calvin stated, “ Our hearts are idol factories.” We also see in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” Explore the Westminster Confession of Faith 21.1 Scripture proofs. Deuteronomy 12:32 states, "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." Matthew 15:9 states, "In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." Consider Acts 17:35, Matthew 4:9-10, and Exodus 20:4. Consider that the Westminster divines were responding to Roman abuses. The history behind the Regulative and Normative Principles is the Lutheran perspective versus the Calvinist perspective. The Regulative Principle attempts to apply sola scriptura to worship. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is our final authority. Explore the Cox vs. Knox Issue. Cox objected to the changes to the 1552 Prayer Book that Knox made because those changes were not sanctioned by the civil magistrates. This debate had affected the main Protestant culture throughout England at the time of the Westminster Assembly.

Explore the term, “adiaphora” (ἀδιάφορα) which means "things indifferent". This word is not used in Scripture, but Paul speaks of this type of thing in 1 Corinthians 8: 8-9, "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." What are the ways to approach adiaphora? Pastorally, we need to understand who the people are in the congregation and where they are coming from. We need to also be self aware of our bias that often prevents others from experiencing things that we rule out.

Explore what R. J. Gore has to say in his section on “Adiaphora and the Reformed Confessions” in his work, “Covenantal Worship: Reconsidering the Puritan Regulative Principle”. Consider that we need to receive tradition, contextualize it but winsomely and wisely, thoughtfully and ever aware of what is adiaphora and what is not. Consider that the unity of the Church catholic does not hinge on whether our worship is identical. Gore states, “. . . there is a consensus among these major Reformation confessions that there are matters neither commanded nor forbidden that may be used, established, changed, or removed by the church, depending upon the exact situation the church faces. This is consonant with the teachings of the New Testament on the nature of worship and the concept of adiaphora. Further, we may well conclude that much of the turmoil in the Anglican-Puritan controversy, as well as much of the confusion in the history of Presbyterian worship, could have been avoided by incorporating these two things: (1) a recognition that all of life is worship and is regulated along the lines of covenantal faithfulness, and (2) a healthy respect for and sober use of the concept of adiaphora as applied to the question of circumstances."

Suggested readings are provided to explore the subject of worship. They include, “Proclamation and Praise: Hebrews 2:12 and the Christology of Worship, by Ron Man, “Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community”, by Simon Chan, “Worship: Its Theology and Practice”, by Jean-Jacques von Allmen, “Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship”, by David Peterson, “Worship By The Book”, by D. A. Carson, “Worship: Adoration and Action”, edited by D. A. Carson, “Recalling the Hope of Glory”, by Allen P. Ross, “Worship Old and New”, by Robert E. Webber, “Worship And The Reality Of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence”, by John Davis, “The Message In The Music: Studying Contemporary Praise and Worship”, edited by Robert Woods and Brian Walrath, “Ancient-Future Time”, by Robert E. Webber, and “Worshipping Trinity: Coming Back to the Heart of Worship”, by Robin Parry. Review the past lessons and what has been covered so far in the course. Explore a chart which covers the aspects of worship including Attitude/disposition, the physical, and liturgical or cultic. Explore the words used for “fear” which include yārē' (יָרֵא), phobeomai (φοβέομαι), sebomai (σέβομαι), eulabeomai (εὐλαβέομαι), and eusebeomai (εὐσέβέομαι).The words used for “bow down” include hištaḥăwâ (הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה) and proskuneo (προσκυνέω). The words used for “serve” include ‘ābad (עָבַד), douleuō (δουλεύω), šārat (שָׁרַת),latreuō (λατρεύω), and leitourgeō (λειτουργέω). Consider that Christ is the Minister in the Holy places. Explorethe Object and Subject of worship. The object of our worship is God. Usually we think of ourselves as the subject of worship but God is both the Object and Subject of worship.