Comments on: Thoughts on Worship After A Day Away http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away On life, learning, love, and laughter. Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:09:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ETS Biblical Worship http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/comment-page-1/#comment-42 ETS Biblical Worship Fri, 22 Aug 2008 21:18:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=10#comment-42 Mike--<br/><br/>Many thanks for making your way through the book! I am really glad that it impacted you as it did. The things I write about have impacted me as well, so it is a delight to share them.<br/><br/>Blessings in your ministry,<br/>Ron Man Mike–

Many thanks for making your way through the book! I am really glad that it impacted you as it did. The things I write about have impacted me as well, so it is a delight to share them.

Blessings in your ministry,
Ron Man

]]> By: Evonne http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Evonne Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:00:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=10#comment-41 So, Mike? Does it seem that I am disagreeing with you? Biblical diversity within each culture's expression of worship is beautiful and good. Yes, the Lord is concerned with our hearts and one thing is reflected by another. <br/><br/>I am also frustrated by songs that invite the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit to join us, as if we arrive anywhere before Him. Perhaps this attitude is a key to the seeming lack of reverence in the evangelical church today.<br/><br/>The how of worship encompasses so much more than style. What we do and say springs from within our hearts and reveals much. The worship service in all its components, especially culminating in Communion, should be the climax of each week. I am not pretending that I am yet observing rightly. I know that I am not. I want to get there. Yes, humility is the way and then like Mary Magdalene, who in extreme humility knelt at the feet of Jesus, we must give all that we have, all that is most precious to us. A broken and contrite spirit is what the Lord desires. C.S. Lewis said that the precious alabaster box that one must break over the Lord's feet is our heart. Then the contents, our fragrant prayers and praises, will be released in worship. Worship is what the entire service is about in all the diversity that Scripture allows. So, Mike? Does it seem that I am disagreeing with you? Biblical diversity within each culture’s expression of worship is beautiful and good. Yes, the Lord is concerned with our hearts and one thing is reflected by another.

I am also frustrated by songs that invite the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit to join us, as if we arrive anywhere before Him. Perhaps this attitude is a key to the seeming lack of reverence in the evangelical church today.

The how of worship encompasses so much more than style. What we do and say springs from within our hearts and reveals much. The worship service in all its components, especially culminating in Communion, should be the climax of each week. I am not pretending that I am yet observing rightly. I know that I am not. I want to get there. Yes, humility is the way and then like Mary Magdalene, who in extreme humility knelt at the feet of Jesus, we must give all that we have, all that is most precious to us. A broken and contrite spirit is what the Lord desires. C.S. Lewis said that the precious alabaster box that one must break over the Lord’s feet is our heart. Then the contents, our fragrant prayers and praises, will be released in worship. Worship is what the entire service is about in all the diversity that Scripture allows.

]]> By: Jesse http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Jesse Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:03:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=10#comment-40 I'm not sure that within the category of the "how" of worship such expressions as kneeling, raising hands, bowing, and clapping should be included. I also do not consider these expressions merely stylistic or dismissable. These things are biblically described and it seems that each believer, regardless of background, ought to be challenging themselves to express worship within these biblically described expressions of worship. Granted each of us will have comfort zones through which to break whether it be clapping or bowing etc. But I do believe it is important to participate in biblically described forms of worship even if it means breaking out of our comfort levels.<br/>Therefore, I think style is different from the forms of expression mentioned above.<br/>I think style has to do with the manner in which you carry out these expressions of worship and Style/how may or may not be negotiable on biblical grounds. I’m not sure that within the category of the “how” of worship such expressions as kneeling, raising hands, bowing, and clapping should be included. I also do not consider these expressions merely stylistic or dismissable. These things are biblically described and it seems that each believer, regardless of background, ought to be challenging themselves to express worship within these biblically described expressions of worship. Granted each of us will have comfort zones through which to break whether it be clapping or bowing etc. But I do believe it is important to participate in biblically described forms of worship even if it means breaking out of our comfort levels.
Therefore, I think style is different from the forms of expression mentioned above.
I think style has to do with the manner in which you carry out these expressions of worship and Style/how may or may not be negotiable on biblical grounds.

]]> By: Mike Potter http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Mike Potter Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:51:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=10#comment-39 My point is that the "how" is not the first thing God looks at when we respond to His revelation. He looks first at our hearts, and He is much more - exponentially more - concerned with our hearts than with our how. Are we coming to Him in humility, recognizing that He is God and we are not? <br/><br/>Unfortunately, the "how" is usually the first thing we look at. We get hung up on the style of our worship while God is hung up on the heart of our worship.<br/><br/>I agree that our worship - our response to God's revelation - both individually and corporately ought to be done with all the creativity and passion we can muster. However, I still stick with my original premise that how we do it can be as diverse as diversity will allow as long as our hearts are set on Him and as long as we are worshipping the Lord in and through Jesus, our worship leader. Therefore, the how - that so many of us get so hung up on - is not what matters to the Lord. It's the heart.<br/><br/>By the way, I believe that an understanding of this truth ought to motivate us to make the "how" as excellent, relevant, and passionate as possible. Knowing that God is concerned with the condition of our hearts, and knowing that as embodied souls, the "how" helps pave the way for us respond to the Lord with humble hearts, I believe that we ought to make the "how" (the style of our worship) as excellent, creative, and engaging as possible. My point is that the “how” is not the first thing God looks at when we respond to His revelation. He looks first at our hearts, and He is much more – exponentially more – concerned with our hearts than with our how. Are we coming to Him in humility, recognizing that He is God and we are not?

Unfortunately, the “how” is usually the first thing we look at. We get hung up on the style of our worship while God is hung up on the heart of our worship.

I agree that our worship – our response to God’s revelation – both individually and corporately ought to be done with all the creativity and passion we can muster. However, I still stick with my original premise that how we do it can be as diverse as diversity will allow as long as our hearts are set on Him and as long as we are worshipping the Lord in and through Jesus, our worship leader. Therefore, the how – that so many of us get so hung up on – is not what matters to the Lord. It’s the heart.

By the way, I believe that an understanding of this truth ought to motivate us to make the “how” as excellent, relevant, and passionate as possible. Knowing that God is concerned with the condition of our hearts, and knowing that as embodied souls, the “how” helps pave the way for us respond to the Lord with humble hearts, I believe that we ought to make the “how” (the style of our worship) as excellent, creative, and engaging as possible.

]]> By: Evonne http://www.mikepottersblog.com/2008/08/thoughts-on-worship-after-a-day-away/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Evonne Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:04:00 +0000 http://www.mikepottersblog.com/?p=10#comment-38 How always matters. Failure to attend to the how can result in individualism and even laziness. True creativity springs from the structure of discipline in the arts, in business, in all of life. I don't presume to dictate the how, but even in penecostal and charismatic worship services (of which I know first hand) there is a how. The Old Testament is full of how. Corporate worship must be attended by how. Corporate worship is the real thing not just a shadow, rehearsal, or mimic of what goes on in our private lives the rest of the week. It is the foundation from which we can then creatively express our adoration, allegiance, and grateful love. How, however, is not about whether or not the mood has been set emotionally so that we can worship. Believers are to arrive prepared for worship. While individuals may have their style preferences none of us are entitled to be worship fussbudgets. A real worship experience is not to be defined by the presence or absence of emotional experience. Too often when we think about the rhythm of revelation and response we judge response by "what did I get out of it". So that if someone is emotional we assume they are "really worshiping". Response has more to do with responding to the reality of the glorious triune God. So, did we come prepared to worship together? Or are we waiting for the mood to be set and, "hey, some days, they just didn't do it for me..." thereby creating a dead spot in the flow, quenching the Spirit with an attitude of entitlement to be "moved". Aspects of how we worship can facilitate our response, but our response must not be dependent upon the how or upon our emotions. Nevertheless, we are embodied and what we do with our bodies matters. Standing, kneeling, arms lifted, head bowed, head covered, genuflecting, crossing oneself, the bitter bite of real wine on our tongue, the recitation of the creeds, spontaneous praise, the rhythm of drums, the haunting sweet joy of the banjo, the raw passion of the guitar, the nearly human voice of the violin, the depth of the doctrine found in good hymns, the spontaneity of expression in some choruses, it all matters...and when it matters rightly it is good...and when it matters wrongly, we are all the worse for it. How always matters. Failure to attend to the how can result in individualism and even laziness. True creativity springs from the structure of discipline in the arts, in business, in all of life. I don’t presume to dictate the how, but even in penecostal and charismatic worship services (of which I know first hand) there is a how. The Old Testament is full of how. Corporate worship must be attended by how. Corporate worship is the real thing not just a shadow, rehearsal, or mimic of what goes on in our private lives the rest of the week. It is the foundation from which we can then creatively express our adoration, allegiance, and grateful love. How, however, is not about whether or not the mood has been set emotionally so that we can worship. Believers are to arrive prepared for worship. While individuals may have their style preferences none of us are entitled to be worship fussbudgets. A real worship experience is not to be defined by the presence or absence of emotional experience. Too often when we think about the rhythm of revelation and response we judge response by “what did I get out of it”. So that if someone is emotional we assume they are “really worshiping”. Response has more to do with responding to the reality of the glorious triune God. So, did we come prepared to worship together? Or are we waiting for the mood to be set and, “hey, some days, they just didn’t do it for me…” thereby creating a dead spot in the flow, quenching the Spirit with an attitude of entitlement to be “moved”. Aspects of how we worship can facilitate our response, but our response must not be dependent upon the how or upon our emotions. Nevertheless, we are embodied and what we do with our bodies matters. Standing, kneeling, arms lifted, head bowed, head covered, genuflecting, crossing oneself, the bitter bite of real wine on our tongue, the recitation of the creeds, spontaneous praise, the rhythm of drums, the haunting sweet joy of the banjo, the raw passion of the guitar, the nearly human voice of the violin, the depth of the doctrine found in good hymns, the spontaneity of expression in some choruses, it all matters…and when it matters rightly it is good…and when it matters wrongly, we are all the worse for it.

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