My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Typically I like books from this Counterpoint series. But typically the editor sets an agenda and framework for the subsequent discussion by presenting questions that the various authors must answer. This provides a certain amount of unity to the discussion and essays. This sense of unity is completely lacking in this book, except for the fact that they are all in some what talking about worship. The result is a collection of loosely related articles and responses that makes for a somewhat confusing and rather unhelpful read. It’s hard to compare the views because the different authors come at the discussion from very different angles and talk about very different things. In short, it’s not organized.

— Not very impressed this time.

Elements of Corporate Worship (Edmund Clowney)

March 6, 2014Kirk E. Miller

The following is taken from “Presbyterian Worship” by Edmund Clowney in Worship: Adoration and Action (page 117), edited by D.A. Carson. Although some may skibble over certain aspects of this composition, Clowney provides a succinct summary of the elements of corporate worship according to the New Testament’s testimony. (I have reformatted his collection into a bulleted list.) He states, “The New Testament indicates, by precept and example [emphasis mine], what the elements of [corporate] worship are.” According to Clowney, they are the following.

Corporate prayer is offered (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim 2:1; 1 Cor 14:16).
Scripture is read (1 Tim 4:13; 1 Thes 5:27; 2 Thes 3:14; Col 4:15-16; 2 Pet 3:15-16.
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The Relationship Between Worship and Culture (the Nairobi Statement)

February 24, 2014February 24, 2014Kirk E. Miller

The Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture (available for free here), prepared by the Department for Theology and Studies of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) via Lift Up Your Hearts web site, states,

The reality that Christian worship is always celebrated in a given local cultural setting draws our attention to the dynamics between worship and the world’s many local cultures.

The Nairobi Statement helpfully organizes the dynamic relationship between worship and culture in terms of four dimensions:

Transcultural – Having the same substance for everyone everywhere, beyond culture.
Contextual – Varying according to the local situation.
Counter-cultural – Challenging what is contrary to the Gospel in a given culture.
Cross-cultural – Sharing elements across cultures.

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The Self-Worship of Emotionalism

January 3, 2013January 5, 2015Kirk E. Miller 8 Comments

Introduction

It’s been about 2 years since I read Mark Dever‘s Deliberate Church: Buidling Your Ministry on the Gospel. (The book is great; I highly recommend it.) His chapter on “Music,” in reference to music used in corporate worship, still sticks out in my mind. In this post I’d like to share with you a quote from the chapter as well as some of the reflections I had (including some of the notes I took in the margins) when I first read this chapter.

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Define Worship

December 31, 2011December 18, 2013Kirk E. Miller

What is worship?

Worship is our response to God and who He is. Therefore, worship is based on God and His character, not us (Revelation 4:8, 11; 5:12-13).

However, worship involves the worshiper. It involves response to God. Therefore, worship, being about God, still involves us and our worship. Yet our worship of Him is a response based on who He is. And therefore, worship remains all about Him. Thus, we, the worshipers, are to be all about Him.

Consequently, worship is not what we decide to make/define it. It’s what ought makes/define us. We ought not worship a god we simply desire to worship or worship the God in a way we desire to worship Him. Who God is ought not only define the content of our worship (God) but the manner in which we worship Him.
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