AP

Substance and Style in Worship

Both style and substance are important, but substance is more foundational. For example, a police officer should wear his uniform with dignity, but even if his shirt is not tucked in, he still has authority. That is substance without appropriate style. On the other hand, a couple can be married in the most beautiful ceremony, in stunning clothing, with everything just right, but making empty, sentimental vows. This is good style devoid of substance, which seems to be worse. In gathered worship, both substance and style are important.

Worship services are sometimes described as being either ‘contemporary’ or ‘traditional’. Contemporary worship might mean things like neat but casual attire, informal language, unstructured engagement between ministers and the congregation, and modern instruments and music. Traditional worship could refer to things like jackets and ties, formal call and response elements in a liturgy, and classic church hymns, perhaps with an organ.

The ideal, of course, is for style and substance to match. Surely ‘Zadok the Priest’ is fitting for a coronation, but as tastes and fashions change, so does what seems appropriate. Before considering what is and isn’t appropriate stylistically in church, let’s consider the substance of worship. In addition to singing, prayer, Scripture readings and preaching, the Bible sets out elements of worship in a call to worship, confession of sins, assurance of forgiveness, blessing, and doxology.

Call to worship

The Psalms are full of statements which urge God’s people to praise him or give thanks. The word ‘hallelujah’ means ‘praise God.’ It is found throughout the Psalms, and especially at the end of each of the Psalter’s five books. Of course, there are other ways to start a service, but beginning with a specific instruction from God’s word to worship him seems appropriate in terms of the broader dialogue between God and his people each Lord’s Day.

‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever’ (Ps. 118:1).

Confession and assurance

Inspired by passages like Psalm 32 and 51, and Daniel 9, the church has developed a rich heritage of prayers of confession.  

‘I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws”’ (Daniel 9:4-5).

Historically, services have included a prayer specifically for confession soon after the call to worship, or otherwise combined with general prayer later in the service. While this aspect might at first seem to be a mood-killer, actually it proves to be a highlight of the week. Weighed down and frustrated by our sins, it is refreshing to pour them out together before God. Moreover, when confession is followed by a proclamation of forgiveness in Christ (e.g. Psalm 32:1-2), our sincere thanks will naturally spill over in joyful songs of thanksgiving and praise. What could be better than to live out this rhythm of confession, assurance, and praise, week after week?

‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9).

Blessing

The Bible is full of blessings (also called benedictions). Paul begins his letters with the phrase ‘Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ’ and Peter writes ‘Grace and peace be yours in abundance.’ In other places, the Spirit is included. Perhaps the most moving blessing is found in the Old Testament, in the way Aaron was commanded to bless the Israelites:

‘The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine on you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26).

Often, at the end of a service, the minister raises one or both hands and pronounces a similar blessing on God’s people. That is not magic, but just a symbolic way to illustrate God’s blessing through his servant, the minister. Hearing and receiving God’s blessing week after week is another highlight of church life and is an example of the substance of worship in the Bible.

Doxology

Whereas the benediction is God’s blessing to us, the doxology is our praise of him. A scriptural example of this is seen in the second half of Revelation 1:5:

‘To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen’ (Revelation 1:5).

Of course, praise permeates the service in all the prayers and songs, but just like with confession, some might consider it helpful to have a doxology as a separate aspect in its own right. Typically the doxology has been sung, and the famous verse written by Thomas Ken in 1674 has words and a tune that are easy to memorise:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Conclusion

So then, rather than beginning with the question of whether a given service is contemporary or traditional, we might ask first which biblical elements of worship are included in the substance of our services. Which are not included? From there, we could more confidently consider the question of style. Perhaps, the debates about contemporary vs. traditional will not seem quite as urgent anymore.

– Jacques Nel