Disclaimer: Please excuse the following rant.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A CHRISTIAN WORSHIP SERVICE IN ACTS
So we've discussed some missing elements in previous "Secret Sauce" posts but what are the key elements of true corporate worship gatherings in Acts? The following is only a quick list and I need your input to make it more complete:
1. Corporate Prayer
2. Reading of the Scriptures
3. Teaching
4. Time for supernatural interaction
5. Worship (this is only mentioned twice that I have noticed: in the Phillippian jail and in in Antioch (and this is probably not 30 minutes of songs)
What am I missing?
HOW DID WE LOSE OUR SECRET SAUCE RECIPE--OR DID WE JUST LAY IT ASIDE?
Now, how did our worship services end up looking they way they do now?
Is anyone else getting tired of Broadway production church services or am I just getting old and grumpy? It seems like we are more concerned with "pulling off a successful show" than we are with having a biblically accurate expression of worship--no matter what public opinion says.
What ever happened to the audience of our services sitting on a throne instead of trendy matching chairs? Shouldn't Jesus and His Word determine what our corporate worship services look like? Shouldn't everything we do be directed towards pleasing Him?
What do you think? Is there any virtue to my questions or do I need a Prozac?
6 comments:
Supernatural interaction often occurs in the form of charismatic gifts. In the charismatic gift discussion in 1st Corinthians 12-14 is a chiastic structure with love at the center and therefore the most important element. I believe love to be the most important ingredient in the Secret Sauce Recipe.
Steve--Great point an an obviously important omission on my part.
True love is the basis and motivation for all supernatural ministry.
Good call.
Since I have sent a feed of the blog to my Face Book page, most people are commenting there instead of on this blog site.
I apologize to those of you who a missing the interaction on my notes there!
6 - personal commitment/devotion - to the spread of the gospel, to unity, and most importantly our relationship with God.
I think in the past church services supplemented a persons spiritual growth but now people look at the church and leaders and if they don't grow they blame the message on Sunday not being relevant. If they don't feel close to God its cause the worship is too shallow.
I think you are correct. I see excellence and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit running hand in hand. I think that any time you overemphasize one to the exclusion of the other we do an injustice. Over-emphasis on the Holy Spirit often leads to ignoring excellence in Biblical doctrine and teaching. Over-emphasis on excellence often leads to our performance oriented services with little to no room for the Holy Spirit to work.
Sam,
thanks for your great comment--it is so true.
Do I detect some reformation leaning in you?!!
Keep on being who God made you to be.
Tim
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