What follows is my theology of Christian worship. Let me know your thoughts on it!
Worship is an activity that all people participate in on both the personal and corporate level. Christian worship on both the personal and corporate levels is created by the Triune God, in order to supply the opportunity for humanity to participate in the divine. The corporate Christian worship event has been revealed by both Scripture and Christian tradition to have six elements in order to be faithful worship of the Triune God.
First, corporate Christian worship recognizes that God has called or gathered people together for the event. This was done in the Exodus model of worship, through the recognition of God’s purpose for delivering the people of Israel from Egyptian slavery, in order that they might worship God. The recognition of a divine gathering of the people has been performed throughout Christian tradition with the practice of a “call to worship.”
The second element to Christian worship is the recognition that God gives His word to the people. In the Exodus event, God gave His word to Moses. In Synagogue tradition, there was the recognition that God had given the scripture to the covenant community. In the New Testament church, there was the reading of the Apostle’s teaching which were recognized as beneficial for the edification of the Church. Throughout the history of Christianity, there has been the practice of the reading of the Scriptures which are authoritative for directing the life of the Church.
The third element of corporate Christian worship is the proclamation of the Word. In the Exodus event, Moses proclaimed the Word to the community of Israel. In the New Testament church, there was the explanation of the Scriptures to the people. And throughout the tradition of the Church, there has been the practice of the proclamation of God’s Word through the ministry of preaching.
The fourth element of corporate Christian worship is a response of obedience to the Word which is both read and proclaimed. This response of obedience was made by the community of Israel during the Exodus event in verbal affirmation. The response of obedience was found in the New Testament church as they devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching. The response of obedience was found in the liturgies of the Church as penitent prayers, altar calls and corporate affirmation of “amen” to the proclaimed Word of God.
The fifth element of corporate Christian worship is the ratification of obedience in dramatic symbol. In Temple worship, there was the sacrifice of the animal which was performed as a dramatic symbol of ratification. In all of Church history, the partaking of the Eucharist has been the dramatic symbol of ratification.
The sixth element of Christian worship is the sending of God’s people into the world. In the Exodus event, the people of Israel where sent out toward the Promised Land and were to be a witness to God’s faithfulness to the world by being a blessing to the nations. In the New Testament, the early church was sent to be witnesses to the world in order to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout Church history, the benediction has been an element of worship which affirms that reality that we are a people sent to be witnesses of God’s continued faithfulness to His world by proclaiming the goodnews of Jesus Christ.
These six elements determine the faithfulness of a worship event to the Triune God. In recognizing that we are a gathered people who are under the authority o f God through His word, which calls us to proclaim the truth for our day and respond in complete obedience, then we are able to be sent out into the world to be witnesses of the reign of God. Thus from beginning to end, corporate and individual Christian worship is created for and sustained by the Triune God.
