In a worship service the worshipper gives acts of worship to God. Each act of worship is a response to participation in the Divine Life of our Trinitarian God. Some communities of faith have a wealth of worship actions that are used (chanting, bowing, singing, giving a financial offering, interacting with icons, listening, public praying, public Scripture readings, Eucharist and symbolic actions by the priest (minister), lighting candles, smelling incense, and hearing bells.

My observation is that in most “independent Bible churches”, a dearth of worship actions is experienced. Listening to a sermon, listening to a pastor’s prayer, giving financial offering and congregational singing are the common fare served at these churches. With such limited worship “vocabulary” music becomes greatly burdened to carry more than it is capable of delivering. Evidence of this is seen in the demands that are placed on music: the music should “engage” me in worship; the music should be a peppy “celebration”; the music should express the transcendance of God; the music should express the immance of God; the music has to be “my musical language style” so that “I can express my worship to God.” and on and on it goes. . .

I suggest that music is one of many acts of worship in response to participation in the Divine Life of our Trinitarian God. When music takes its rightful place among many acts of worship, the over-weighted issues of style, could perhaps be considered more rationally.

My notes for today.

Allen