Worship & Liturgy (plus a case-study of Covenant Evangelical Free Church, Singapore)

Sep 12, 2024

Introduction

Imagine a conversation between two congregation members after a Sunday worship service in church. One member askes the other, “How was worship for you today?” The other replies, “It was ok. The worship team was pretty tight; that new guitarist played really well. I just wished we had sung more hymns and fewer of those new songs. Those minister to me more, and at the very least, I can sing along to them.” This exchange, while hypothetical, probably reflects some common attitudes Christians have about worship.

Now, it is not that worship isn’t about singing or songs or music. It also is not that songs shouldn’t minister to us or that we ought to participate in singing. But worship encompasses so much more than just the part where we sing to God. Every element of what goes on when God’s people gather as a worshipping community in local congregations throughout the world on any given Sunday constitutes worship. But even saying this is not sufficient. There is something deeper that ought to be understood about worship. Many Christians understand that worship can be understood as our entire lives being offered to God and lived for His glory (Romans 12:1–2); it is not merely what happens on a Sunday in church. These two aspects of worship are distinct, yet related. For the purposes of this paper, I shall attempt to elucidate my understanding of worship as applied to the Sunday worship service in particular, even though it could apply more generally to our Christian life being lived as our worship unto God.

Worship as human response to Divine grace

When most Christians think about worship, images of going to church on Sundays, singing songs, listening to a sermon, giving tithes and offerings, serving in various ministries, etc. come to mind. In other words, worship is what we do unto God. While this is not untrue, it is also the wrong starting point. Fundamentally, worship is our response to the self-revelation of God in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. James Torrance puts it this way, “Christian worship is therefore our participation through the Spirit in the Son’s communion with the Father, in his vicarious life of worship and intercession.”^[1] What Torrance means to say is that Jesus is the perfect and only acceptable sacrifice to God; it is only on the grounds of Jesus’ death on the cross that we may gain access into the presence of the Father.^[2] Our worship is acceptable to God only because Jesus’ own worship of self-sacrifice made us acceptable to Him.

The implications of this truth are many. Firstly, it reminds us that worship is not first and foremost based upon our self-efforts. Worship that pleases God comes from a recognition that “everything we are and have is a gift”^[3], and what we offer God in song, in sacrifice, in service, are only out of that which He has given us in the first place. Thus, when we come to worship, we ought to approach God in a spirit of humility and gratitude. Secondly, as a corollary, because our being in Christ and not our worship is the grounds of our acceptability to God, it frees us to worship God without need to perform for Him nor prove ourselves to others; we can be authentic. Thirdly, because worship is a response to the self-revelation of God, it is crucial then to worship God as He truly is. This is what Jesus meant when He said in John 4:23 that God seeks worshippers who would worship Him “in spirit and truth”.

This third implication deserves further elaboration. Simon Chan, in referencing Rudolf Otto’s The Idea of the Holy, speaks of our encountering God using the phrase fascinans et tremendum. It is the idea that the presence of God both attracts and fascinates (fascinans) us, and also fills us with fear and awe (tremendum). The biblical idea is that God is both loving and holy.^[4] In worship, this speaks to two groups of Christians. There are those who presume upon the grace of God and enter into the presence of God almost flippantly, without any form of self-examination or reverence. On the other hand, there are others who are so apprehensive about offending God that their relationship with God is best described as Master-servant; one of duty and obligation and not of intimacy. To worship God in spirit and in truth means that Christians must hold the tension between the two aspects of God’s character: His “kindness” and His “severity”, to use the words of Romans 11:22.

Worship as Trinitarian

Simon Chan states that “(t)he uniqueness of the Christian religion is that the God who reveals himself is the triune God.”^[5] Several major religions of the world claim to worship God: Judaism, Islam, etc. But Christianity alone directs worship to a God who is Trinity. The early church’s liturgical prayers were frequently trinitarian in nature, underscoring the importance of the distinct roles each member of the Trinity plays in the work of salvation. Prayer, and thus worship, is ultimately “to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit”.^[6]

Torrance articulates the significance of this aspect of worship in this way, “worship is the gift of participating through the Spirit in the incarnate Son’s communion with the Father”.^[7] The locus of New Testament worship is not our repentance and faith, but the Son’s unique relationship with God the Father, with whom He communes in perfect fellowship, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. In the Incarnation, Christ embodies our humanity, and at the crucifixion offers Himself to the Father on behalf of humanity, through the eternal Spirit. Now, through the same Spirit, He invites all people to join in His worship of the Father, and His mission to the world.^[8]

There are several ways in which to apply the doctrine of the Trinity in worship. First, we recognize that worship is not a burden. It is not something we have to do, but get to do. It is a glorious and gracious invitation of God to experience life in the Trinity. Second, Jeffrey Truscott sounds a reminder to pastors and worship leaders of their duty to lead and guide their congregations in growing their awareness and practice of Trinitarian worship, by not neglecting any divine person of the Trinity.[9]

Worship as Communal

There is one other fundamental implication of the Trinity as it relates to Christians; that is, their identity as a people of God, a worshipping community. Torrance believes that in an age of strident individualism, the Church needs to recapture and articulate the view that our true self is to be in relation to God and with others; which really is an extension of and overflow from the life of the Trinity.^[10]

Biblically, evidence that worship was meant to be communal can be found throughout Scripture. From the Old Testament to the New, from the tabernacle to the temple, from the synagogue to homes, God’s people gathered to worship Yahweh.[11] While worship can be intensely personal, the gospel knows of no such concept as individualistic worship. The difference, though subtle, is crucial.

There is a myriad of reasons why God intended His people to worship together, one of them being the building up of faith. In communal singing and prayer, individuals who are going through challenging times of mental, emotional, physical or spiritual distress are uplifted and supported by the community. The people of God stand in solidarity with one another during times of need.[12] This lies at the heart of the author of the book of Hebrews when he exhorts believers to gather for regular worship and fellowship (Hebrews 10:24). In fact, the eschatological destiny of God’s chosen people is communal worship, as revealed in the book of Revelation 5:11-14, and it could be said our earthly worship is but dress rehearsal for the worship in the age to come.[13]

Worship as Liturgical

If worship is communal as argued previously, then there is a sense in which it will also be liturgical. There is a certain content in the gathering, and a certain order or structure which guides the manner of the meeting of the people of God. Chan calls this “embodied worship”, because it is where worship is fleshed out in reality, in the activity of the Church.^[14] The order of service, which is normative in churches today is the natural outworking of this principle. Therefore, for a good many Christians, particularly those within Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions, the term “liturgy” (derived from the Greek leitourgia) is often interchangeable with “worship service”.[15] With regards to the content of the liturgy, there is a general consensus in the book of Acts 2:42 from which to construe the Church’s liturgy; the Church is embodied by Word and sacrament, and these two parts have been recognized by the Church throughout its history.

Chan makes an observation that Christians have tended to emphasize one to the neglect of the other. Roman Catholics have previously downplayed the preaching of the Word and highlighted the rituals of worship. Protestant Christians are sometimes guilty of giving too much weight to the Word that the Eucharist may have been viewed as an occasional practice.^[16] But both are integral in Christian worship. It is in hearing the Bible preached that God is revealed to us and His invitation goes out to us; it is in the Eucharist that we respond to God in partaking of the gift of His Son, eating and drinking His body and blood, in the communion of the Triune God.

Whereas the liturgy can be understood as the sum total of the Church’s worship service, it also can refer in a narrower sense to the particular elements which constitute the service: the utilization of authorized worship materials such as books and hymnals, designated readings outlined in lectionaries for Sundays and sacred occasions, adherence to liturgical calendars, scripted prayers as opposed to impromptu ones, and the donning of specific attire (vestments) for worship leaders.

It is this last portion of what liturgy means, and whether it is still relevant and useful in a church’s worship setting, that may stir up the most controversy amongst Christians today. I shall explore this issue further by using my current local church as a case-study.

Worship in Covenant Evangelical Free Church (CEFC)

Chan, references the recorded account of one of the church fathers, Justin Martyr, who described the early church’s worship as consisting in these six elements: “the reading of Scriptures (Old Testament and New Testament), sermon, intercessory prayers for the people, bringing in of bread and wine, the great prayer of thanksgiving and communion (bread and wine)”.^[17] Whilst most church services today contain most if not all of these elements, the manner in which they are expressed varies in degrees from church to church. I shall be evaluating CEFC’s worship services in the light of some of these considerations and more.

CEFC’s worship services could be categorized under the broad heading of a non-liturgical, contemporary worship style. The general pattern of flow in any typical Sunday would look like this:

i.               Welcome
ii.              Singing
iii.             Church Announcements, tithings and offerings
iv.             Sermon
v.              Eucharist (once a month)
vi.             Benediction

Confession and Absolution

One of the missing elements of a non-liturgical verses a liturgical approach to worship is that of the rite of confession and absolution before the singing commences. While CEFC song leaders may on occasion lead the congregation in repentance and confession, it is an ad-hoc rather than a regular practice. Instead, many services begin by song leaders inviting the congregation to surrendering their worries or burdens to the Lord as they enter the house of worship, or they may invite the congregation to think of how God has been good to them in preparation to praise God in song. Whilst these approaches are not unbiblical, yet without a regular rhythm of self-examination, repentance, confession, and absolution, one may presume to come into the presence of Almighty God, harboring unconfessed sin.

There are at least two spiritual consequences to unconfessed sin. The first is that the worship that an unrepentant Christian brings would not be pleasing to God (Psalm 24:3, 4; Psalm 51;1). The second, and as particularly relevant to corporate worship, is that the sin of the individual affects the entire community. As Truscott puts it, “confession is properly a corporate act of worship since all members of the body are affected by sin and some sins are corporate in nature”.[18] There may be those who would argue that an advantage of a non-liturgical approach to preparation for worship would be flexibility to minister to the felt needs of the congregation in a particular season. However, who’s to say that both cannot be integrated. A recovery of the practice of confession and absolution would absolutely go some distance in preparing the hearts of God’s people to worship the Lord, and this is what CEFC could do with.

Reciting of Creeds

Another component of liturgy that is not commonly observed in CEFC is the recitation of creeds. Truscott insists that one of the ways in which the Christian faith is passed down from generation to generation is via the recounting of the essential tenets of the Christian faith, i.e., the creedal statements. If this ritual is not continued, the people of God could potentially lose its unique identity and stray from orthodoxy.[19] The resistance to making this a regular aspect of worship might be that some would liken it to reciting the Singapore National Pledge, a formality done often without thought or heart. However, it could also be argued that for those who love our country, it is a deeply meaningful exercise.

A potential solution to this would be not only a regular recitation of the creeds, alternating between the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed for variation, but also an education as to the substance of the creeds so that Christians can grow in their understanding of their faith, and deepen their devotion to the Lord thereby.

Lyrics of worship songs

There is no question there is power in songs: lyrically and musically. It has the potential to stir our hearts, move our spirits, and heal our souls. However, in the context of the Church, the songs we sing in church serve other crucial purposes: the conveying of doctrines, the formation of godliness, and the building up of faith.[20] For these reasons and more, God’s people were meant to be a singing people.

In CEFC, the choice of songs sung during worship services is significantly weighted towards modern, contemporary praise songs, rather than the hymns. Christians may have personal preferences and thus views regarding the choice of songs to be sung during worship. Some may prefer the hymns and argue they are weightier. Others may argue for current worship songs because the lyrics speak closer to their situations. Still others may champion a mix so as to get the best of both.

Truscott suggests that current worship trends lean towards emotionalism and anthropocentrism, a matter of “enjoyment or self-expression”.[21] This characterisation may be debated, but in my opinion, holds a kernel of truth. While worship songs can certainly speak to our personal relationship with God, it also has to speak about our corporate identity as the body of Christ; not just “me” but “we”. Also, while singing responsive songs to God is appropriate in worship, declaring gospel truths and singing about the nature and character and works of God is arguably more fundamental.

Truscott gives several other worthwhile considerations that may assist song leaders or pastors in choosing which songs to sing during worship. He says that singing has the potential of teaching doctrine, aids the understanding of the sacraments, and educates Christians in terms of ethics and missions.[22] At the end of the day, the debate isn’t about singing hymns verses modern praise songs. The onus is on CEFC song leaders and pastors to choose a range of songs that would not only edify, but also to educate the people of God on the attributes of God, and to encourage them to be on His mission.

Sermon Calendar

The sermon is likely the centrepiece in an evangelical worship setting. For CEFC, the pulpit ministry is based upon the principle of expository preaching; pastors and preachers preach through a book of the Bible a year, alternating between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The pros and cons of such an approach to preaching can be studied against a couple of other ways churches plan their pulpit schedule.

Many contemporary churches, often though not limited to non-denominational, independent churches, employ a topical approach to sermons. Pastors or preaches choose a text from the Scriptures in order to address a certain topic of the day. It may be that this style grants a certain flexibility and freedom to ministers of God’s Word, but there are potential downsides. The first is that the Scriptures may become subordinate to the pastor’s words. The second is that difficult issues may be skirted to avoid offending people. The third, and corollary to the second, is that the entire counsel of God’s Word may not be covered.[23]

In contrast, many denominational churches, such as Methodists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Lutherans, etc. make use of the Revised Common Lectionary. A lectionary is a structured arrangement of readings from both the Old and New Testaments, chosen in accordance with the specific days and seasons observed within the church calendar. It is a Christological approach to the Scriptures with the added benefit of allowing the congregation to feast upon a variety of texts through the year. In addition, the gospel of Jesus Christ and His saving work offered to sinners is kept central to the church’s message, and preachers will occasionally have to wrestle through needed but challenging texts. Furthermore, working through the liturgical year not only gives the congregation opportunities to meditate upon the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, it also gives those who are serving in the worship band or as lay readers of Scripture the opportunity to reflect upon the passages for any given Sunday beforehand, and prepare for their service unto the Lord accordingly.[24]

CEFC’s expository approach to sermons does mitigate some of the downsides of a topical approach in a couple of ways. It allows the preacher to explore the context to any given text, present the big picture of the book of the Bible being preached, link sermons one to another in exploring the themes of that particular book being preached through, etc. Whilst pivoting to using a lectionary to guide the sermon calendar of the church will likely not be an option for CEFC, yet there can be ways in which the strengths of that approach can be incorporated. For example, preachers may keep a Christological framework in mind even as they exposit the sermon passage, or it could be that certain lectionary readings could be used as Scripture meditations before the start of service, etc.

The celebration of the Eucharist

Holy communion is a monthly affair in the rhythm and life of CEFC. As to the view of Holy Communion, the theological stance is likely the memorial view of the Eucharist. These two points are, in my opinion, weaknesses in the worship life of CEFC. That the Eucharist is only commemorated once a month conveys the message that it is an optional aspect of worship, and not essential to the spiritual health, growth and life of God’s people. The reason this is so could be tied to the memorial understanding of holy communion. If this sacrament is merely remembrance, then there could be other ways in which we commemorate the sacrifice of Christ.

Truscott notes that in the Emmaus narrative in Luke 24:13–25, the disciples only came to a realization of the identity of Jesus in the breaking of the bread. He goes on to say that in the communion, the presence of Jesus Christ the Risen Lord is amongst us. Furthermore, in referencing 1 Corinthians 10, he notes that to partake in the Eucharist is indeed a means of communion with Christ and also with His people.[25] If as Chan says, that the Eucharist is “the sacrament of sacraments”^[26], then certainly room will be made for its incorporation into every service, not confined to a once-a-month occasion, despite the logistical challenges that likely needs to be overcome in order to facilitate it, and this is what CEFC ought to consider doing.

Intercessory Prayers

Prayers on behalf of others, or intercessory prayers, are not a permanent, regular feature in the worship life of CEFC. There may be seasons where this is practiced because of the evangelistic focus of the church, or on occasion as a response to a particular sermon, but it is not a given vis-à-vis liturgical churches where “intercession is viewed as a response to the Word”.[27] The great downside to this laisser-faire approach is that prayers are often centred upon the local congregation. There is often no expansion of the vision of the church beyond its four walls to the nation and the nations, no connection to the suffering Church around the world, etc.

One possible way for CEFC to implement this practice is to craft and insert pertinent intercessory prayers for current situations in the local or global scene during the time of church announcements. In this manner, it signifies to the people of God that the business of the world is the business of the Church. We are called to be salt of the earth and light of the world, and praying for the world is one way in which we live out this identity.

Conclusion

In an era in which the largest growth of Christianity has come via the Pentecostal/charismatic movement, the place of liturgy in the life of churches may come increasingly into question. However, the liturgy has spanned church history and still continues to bequeath the Church of Jesus Christ with invaluable resources by which disciples are made, and the Church is strengthened and nourished.

Even though churches may not necessarily replace their current mode of worship wholesale, yet making use of the best practices of a liturgical approach could potentially enrich worship services greatly. This is certainly applicable for CEFC. It is true we are not currently in a bad place. Church membership is ostensibly growing. We have recently secured a permit to build a third church building. We are engaged in social services as well as in missions abroad. However, as to the unique call of God to be a disciple-making church, I for one believe that applying some of the suggestions I have proposed in this paper will significantly position us better to carrying out God’s mandate for us, for our good and for His glory!

Bibliography

Chan, Simon. Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2006.

Segler, F.M., and R. Bradley. Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice. B & H Publishing Group, 2006.

Torrance, James B. Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace. Carlisle, U.K.: Paternoster Press, 1996.

Truscott, Jeffrey A. Twelve Whys of Worship. Genesis Books, 2018.

Truscott, Jeffrey A. Worship: A Practical Guide. Genesis Books, 2011.

^[1] James B. Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace (Carlisle, U.K.: Paternoster Press, 1996), 3.

^[2] Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace, 8.

^[3] Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2006), 53.

^[4] Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community, 56.

^[5] Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community, 58.

^[6] Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community, 47.

^[7] Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace, 18.

^[8] Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace, 18–19.

[9] Jeffrey A. Truscott, Worship: A Practical Guide (Genesis Books, 2011), 22.

^[10] Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace, 27.

[11] F.M. Segler and R. Bradley, Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice (B & H Publishing Group, 2006), 82.

[12] Segler and Bradley, Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice, 87.

[13] Truscott, Worship: A Practical Guide, 17.

^[14] Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community, 62.

[15] Truscott, Worship: A Practical Guide, 14.