Leading God's People in Christian Worship

Leading God’s People in Christian Worship Philip P. Eapen

The Lighthouse Cochin

Leading God’s People in Christian Worship by Philip P. Eapen Copyright © by Philip P. Eapen All Rights Reserved A Lighthouse Publication First Edition 2005 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1977

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CONTENTS Introduction ..................................................

The Essence of Christian Worship ...............

Understanding God’s People ........................

Planning a Worship Service .........................

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Introduction

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n this era of the “third wave” of Pentecostal/Charismatic movements, “praise and worship” sessions, not to mention the leaders of such sessions, have taken on a role of special importance.

“Praise and worship” sessions, people think, can make or mar a church service.

Today’s churches need spirit-filled, dynamic men and women who can minister to God’s people by leading them to meaningful times of worship, consecration, encouragement and edification.

How many times have you attended a Pentecostal or Charismatic church and have felt that the worship service was not up to the mark? You certainly have company. Despite the pomp and splendour employed to make the time of worship significant, despite the money and 5

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talent deployed in the area of musical accompaniment, the service crash-lands due to the ineptness and lack of preparation of the so-called “worship leader(s).” Participants who have access to the best of worship songs in the world are none too willing to forgive these worship leaders who neither understand the basic principles of Christian worship nor the dynamics of a post-modern worship service.

Vinson Synan, a scholar on Pentecostalism, says in his book The Holiness Pentecostal Tradition that popular discontent with liturgical forms of worship contributed to the growth of Pentecostal worship services Pentecostalism in the twentieth are very often at century. the mercy of the Pentecostals whims and fancies generally look down on churches of ill-trained worship leaders that follow a who blindly mimic liturgy. “Their prayers are all the West written down— Leading Worship

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straight from the cold storage. We are led by the Spirit,� they claim. Yet, there are many Pentecostals and Charismatic Christians, who are disillusioned by the free structures of their services.

Churches that do not follow a liturgy are very often at the mercy of the whims and fancies of the worship leader or anyone in charge of the service. Most pastors become nervous when a member hijacks the service with a long testimony or prayer or out-of-tune worship session. It is to avoid such haphazard events that ancient churches sought refuge in liturgies.

In spite of the Pentecostal dislike for written liturgies, I believe that it is worthwhile for them to examine several liturgies to appreciate their content, structure and progression, all designed around the all-important Eucharist. A lot of care goes into the construction of a liturgy.

Moreover, worship services in liturgical churches are regarded as a form of testimony and a proclamation to the Introduction

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world. These liturgies are also confessions of faith (doctrines) that serves an educational purpose. Any member of a Protestant mainline church is familiar with the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed, which neatly summarises the Christian faith. These liturgies make use of Psalms and other Bible portions extensively. It is, of course, true that liturgical services lack the flexibility of a non-liturgical service.

Besides, lay participation in liturgical services is very limited.

People complain about liturgical services and move on to Pentecostal churches only to discover that they have jumped from the frying pan into the fire! Why is this so?

Most Pentecostal/Charimatic services do not deliver on their promises of greater flexibility, use of charismatic gifts, and lay participation.

Pentecostal churches in India stick on to “unwritten liturgies.� These can form rigid structures in the minds of people. Pastors too get tied up by these structures. Thus, most Pentecostal churches do not in reality enjoy the full extent of flexibility that a Leading Worship

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non-liturgical My aim in writing service can afford. this book is to The little encourage pastors flexibility that is and worship permitted is during the “praise leaders to take a and worship” hard look at their session and the worship services to proper use of it bring about rests with the positive changes. worship leader.

And what about charismatic gifting?

Pentecostal churches in general do not seem to have any interest in any spiritual gift other than praying in “other tongues” and in prophecy. Lay participation too is limited to a few opportunities to pray in public or to testify. The clergy-lay divide in Episcopalian churches is present in Pentecostal churches too.

Am I recommending that Pentecostal churches should adopt a written liturgy?

No. My aim in writing this little book is to encourage pastors and worship leaders to take a hard look at their worship services. I hope my readers will understand that in Introduction

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rejecting liturgical worship services, Pentecostals have thrown the baby out with the bath water. We rejected written liturgies in the name of flexibility and freedom in the Spirit. In the process, we turned our backs on everything that is good in liturgical services.

Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, due to lack of understanding and careful preparation, miss out on the essentials of worship – such as the public reading of the Scriptures, regular communion at the Lord’s Table, and intercessory prayer, just to name a few. With a large number of pastors who opt out of theological training, and with busy churches that have no time for Bible teaching, Pentecostal believers are vulnerable to false teachings based on hearsay, faulty interpretations, and on mystic experiences. Worship leaders blurt out blunders without any regard for newcomers or detractors who may be attending the service.

Few theological seminaries in India offer a course that instructs worship leaders.

There are quite a few quality websites Leading Worship

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offering on-line articles and helps; and there are seminaries in the West and in Australia that offer courses in this area.

Western music leaders and singers visit India to conduct “worship seminars.” Very often, their methods are not suitable for Asian contexts. Even then, our worship leaders are too eager to mimic these teachers down to their odd clichés.

Week after week, thousands in our country are caught between unrefined Pentecostal worship services and those of the traditions that they had left behind. If they are dissatisfied with Pentecostal worship services, they have no other place to go. Worse still, many do not even realize the shortcomings of their church services.

In such a scenario, I felt the need to pen some guidelines for those who lead God’s people in worship week after week. This book is not just for pastors or worship leaders. Neither is it just for Pentecostals and Charismatics. My prayer is that the greater body of Jesus Christ will benefit from this humble effort.

Introduction

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The following chapter, “The Essence of Christian Worship� presents biblical teaching on Christian worship. Without grasping what God demands from us in worship, without learning what worship is all about, there is no point trying to lead a worship service.

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The Essence of Christian Worship

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he Pentecostal/Charismatic Revivals and Renewals have brought about positive changes to the way Christians worship. This welcome change has liberated millions of people from the dreary routines of lifeless liturgical motions. They desire to worship God in the power of the Spirit, bringing glory to God and edification to fellow Christians.

However, I feel that many Christians do not have a clear concept of worship in their minds. (Oh Yes! We need to take our minds to church!) We mistakenly assume that there is nothing more to worship than what we call “praise and worship.” “Praise and worship” sessions are indeed a part of worship; it is not what worship is all about. Often we consider external manifestations such as singing, clapping and dancing as the essence of worship. In 13

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this chapter, I explain briefly what constitutes true Christian worship. This certainly is not intended to be a comprehensive treatise on Christian worship; we are laying the foundation for our understanding of how a good worship service is to be arranged and conducted.

Let us begin with the Object of our worship.

A. WE WORSHIP THE TRIUNE GOD Have you ever encountered a Jehovah’s Witness? Invariably, the most important question he/she would ask you is, “Whom do you worship?” Through your answer they expect to launch out into their tirade against the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

Jehovah’s Witnesses worship God the Father. They do not consider Jesus or the Spirit as worthy of worship.

The God of the Bible has revealed himself to humankind over a long period of time.

The revelation of God in Jesus Christ and in the Scriptures make it amply clear that there is more than one person in the Godhead. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are coequal Leading Worship

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with God in divinity. Thus, there are three distinct Persons in the Godhead. Yet, we have one God. This triune God created the world and has accomplished its redemption through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are baptized in the name of the triune God - the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We pronounce a benediction in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Generally, it is said that we worship God the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. However, all the three Persons of the Godhead are worthy of our worship and adoration.

There are Pentecostals who focus on just the Spirit. Their worship does not reflect their faith in the Triune God. We should therefore steer clear of such tendencies.

Simon Chan in his book Pentecostal Theology and the Christian Spiritual Tradition writes about the need for a balanced Pentecostal spirituality: “If the doctrine of the hiddenness of the Spirit is taken seriously it will actually produce a balanced The Essence of Worship

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Pentecostal. A balanced Pentecostal is one who speaks in tongues, prays for the sick, casts out demons without paying much attention to any of these things in and of themselves. He or she is concerned with, namely, the glorification of Christ. The Spirit is truly glorified precisely when the Father and Son are glorified. That understanding must become a basic part of Pentecostal spirituality.” (SAP 2000; 34) The Ten Commandments begin with God’s unchangeable command that prohibits the worship of anyone or anything other than the God who The “God” in our has revealed Himself to the minds should match the Biblical world through the revelation about Bible. He has revealed Himself God. For many, through His Son. God is just a coin- And the Bible operated vending mediates that revelation to us. machine The question we Leading Worship

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need to ask ourselves is, “Am I worshipping this God of the Bible?”

We may not be bowing down before any graven image. However, we may have many small idols in our lives—idols that compete to get our love and adoration.

Money, gadgets, our loved ones, pleasure, career, and even your church can vie for God’s rightful place in your life.

Equally dangerous is the tendency to “create” a God of our liking in our minds.

The concept of God in our minds should match the Biblical revelation about God. If not, we may conjure up a God in our minds according to our imagination. There are people who think that God is like our corrupt officials who accept a bribe to do our bidding! There may be many more who think that God is like their earthly fathers who were abusive and cruel. For millions, God is just a coin-operated vending machine that grants them their wishes.

It is dangerous to believe that God is love if at same time we do not believe that He is The Essence of Worship

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a consuming fire that punishes sinners. In all matters likewise, we need to have a balanced understanding about God. Is the picture of God in your mind the same as the one that the words of the Bible paint? If not, you are worshipping a “god” of your imagination.

B. WORSHIP BEGINS IN THE HEART True worship does not begin from the outside. Exuberant singing, clapping, and dancing cannot lead to worship if one’s heart is devoid of worship. Worship should flow from the heart. A heart that is full of worship should lead us into the various expressions of worship.

It is disheartening to watch worship leaders try hard to “shake up” a congregation with lots of forced outward expressions: “Let’s shout ... Let’s lift our hands... Let’s jump... Let’s run around.”

Such attempts to ignite hearts from the outside reveal a thorough lack of understanding.

Some even go to the extent of trampling down those who do not respond to their Leading Worship

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invitations to “rejoice.” Disrespect shown to the congregation and the ridiculing of those who do not conform to certain behaviour amount to people-abuse generally known as “spiritual” abuse, though there is nothing spiritual about it.

Sometimes there may not be any external expressions at all! Take the example of a handicapped person who cannot sing or clap or raise hands. Even such a person can worship the living God with all sincerity and in the Spirit for true worship is a matter of the heart. When it comes to the heart, there should be the following attitudes or qualities in a true worshipper.

Humility We need to be adorned with a humility that comes from the understanding that all we are and all we have are from God and due to His grace in Christ. The Apostle Paul concluded his long discussion on God’s salvation in Romans thus: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (11:36).

All said and done, the story of human The Essence of Worship

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salvation is not about us; it’s about God’s love, wisdom, goodness and mercy.

Awe and Joy The heart of the true worshipper is filled with joy and celebration; Yet, he/she must be awe struck in the presence of his/her Almighty Creator & Redeemer.

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” Ps. 33:6-9.

Adoration with Reverence The heart of the worshipper must overflow with love for the God who loved him/her first and must be tempered by a healthy fear of God. Respect for God must be reflected in one’s obedience to God’s Leading Worship

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Word. God will not connive at the disobedience of a person or a crowd that disregards His Word (See 1 Samuel 4:4-5, 10-11; 2 Samuel 6: 5,6).

Allegiance The heart of the true worshipper is loyal to the one true God. A true worshipper pledges his allegiance to God—not just for Sundays, but on 24x7x365 basis. God is angry is with people whose devotion to Him evaporates like morning dew. He condemned such unfaithfulness in the Israel of old: “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud and like the dew which goes away early” (Hosea 6:4) It is the responsibility of the worship leader to remind the congregation of these attitudes (through appropriate songs) and to lead them into true worship during the various stages of the worship service.

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C. WORSHIP BEGINS AT THE CROSS The third main feature of Christian worship is that it takes place in the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ. How else can sinners who were cut off from God worship Him? The only way to approach a holy God is through faith in the Son of God who offered himself up for us on the cross to open a way for us to reach God. Reference to the “blood of Jesus” is a way of talking about the great sacrifice which Jesus accomplished for our redemption. Jesus’ blood by itself should not be regarded as a magical charm that protects us. Jesus’ supreme sacrifice has accomplished everything for our salvation.

A “cleansing” or “sprinkling” by the blood of Jesus is a metaphorical way of referring to God’s pardoning of our sins, to give us a clean record.

It also alludes to the literal sprinkling of sacrificial blood by Moses on people of the Old Covenant (Exodus 24:7-8). Hebrews 12:24 and 1 Peter 1:2 refers to the “sprinkling” of Jesus’ blood to underline the fact that born-again Christians of all races, as participants in the New Covenant, are the new Israel.

Therefore, any worshipper who approaches God should remind himself/ Leading Worship

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herself about the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We should approach God with a conscience that has been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. A good worship leader will, at the beginning of a service, lead the congregation into a fresh cleansing by choosing appropriate songs and by letting the participants pray in silence for a few moments.

A worship service that does not remind worshippers about the slain “Lamb of God” (Jesus Christ) cannot be called a Christian worship service. Worship leaders must take note of this.

I have had the misfortune of attending several worship services that did not have the Jesus’ atoning sacrifice in the foreground. While attending such services, I often have wondered, in what way these “worship” services were different from that of the Jews. All the songs sung there were about the Father and about the Holy Spirit.

There’s nothing wrong in it per se. My complaint is that there is nothing distinctly The Essence of Worship

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Christian about it. Any Jew can attend such a session and shout “Amen!”

DO WE WORSHIP TO GET DELIVERANCE? Christian worship is the natural response of those who are redeemed from sin and its consequences.

When the tribes of Israel were delivered from slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh, they worshipped God under the leadership of Miriam. Indeed, only those who experience God’s deliverance today in Jesus Christ can worship him in truth. Worship should not be seen as a means to obtain deliverance. Those who are weighed down by sin and life’s problems should first take victory over these through God. It is not “worship” that sets us free; it’s God! If it were “worship”, it would be reduced to the level of a magical ritual.

How can Christians forget to give Jesus the central place in their “praise and worship” sessions? Let me reiterate that any worship service that is not characterised by the shed blood of Jesus, the “Lamb of God,” is not worthy to be called “Christian.” This is because Christian worship is the privilege and duty of the redeemed community. Here again, Leading Worship

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Christ and his atoning work are given their rightful place by the choice of songs that extol our Saviour’s sacrifice.

It would be great if we incorporate the Eucharist (the Lord’s Table) into the “praise and worship” session such that it provides a fitting climax for the entire exercise. Songs related to the Cross can lead the congregation to “remember Christ” and prepare them to partake of the Lord’s Table.

One drawback in many a Pentecostal and Charismatic churches, compared to the socalled mainline churches, is the sidelining of the Lord’s Table. Either the Lord’s Table is too infrequent or else its gravity is compromised by the negligible time assigned to it. Ultramodern churches are in a hurry to finish their service in 90 minutes. They think that the Lord’s Table does not deserve more than five or ten minutes of their precious time.

The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the The Essence of Worship

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Lord's death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). The proclamation of “Christ crucified” constituted the core of Paul’s evangelistic ministry. What better way do we have to proclaim the crucified Christ during a worship service than to observe the Lord’s Table regularly with all the respect it deserves? The Eucharist can thus be the best occasion to present the gospel to newcomers in church.

D. OUR OFFERINGS TO GOD No true worshipper comes to God empty handed. We are commanded to offer our bodies (our whole selves) as a living, holy sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1). We are also commanded to offer the sacrifices of our lips - praise and thanksgiving - to God (Heb. 13:15). In the very next verse, we are exhorted to practise Christian sharing and giving — sacrifices that are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16).

This is how the inner worship bursts forth in various forms of outward expressions: physical expressions, vocal expressions, and actions of service/charity.

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Physical Expressions: The word translated as “worship” in the Old (shachah) and in the New Testaments (proskuneo), means “to bow down.” That is how the nations worshipped the gods that they made of wood/stone. The Psalms has numerous invitations to worship the true God. “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.“ 95:6 “I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name.” 138:2a A call to “tremble” before God: “Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

96:9 “And a call to clap our hands and exult: O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.” 47:1 These physical expressions must be the outward signs of our decision to offer our bodies before God—to be owned by Him, The Essence of Worship

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to be used for Him. It goes without saying that the sick, the infirm and the handicapped saints cannot be very expressive physically during times of worship. Even those who are physically well may be indisposed to physically expressive worship. God examines our hearts; we would be better off if we do not judge others on the basis of their external demonstrations of worship.

No worship leader should force his/her favourite expressions of worship on any congregation. If a congregation is compelled to do something – clapping, dancing, or whatever – most of it will be hollow and devoid of sincerity. It is also worthwhile to remember that outward expressions of worship are not a measure of a person’s relationship with God. Without realising this important principle, worship leaders lash out at quieter participants who are not disposed to highly expressive modes of worship.

True freedom in worship is the freedom to express one’s devotion and worship unhindered by group pressure or fear of Leading Worship

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rejection. And that includes the freedom to remain quiet and still.

Vocal Expressions & Music: The Psalms abound in praises to God. The Psalmists invite God’s people to sing (new) praises to God, to make a joyful noise. The use of musical instruments in skilful way is enjoined (Ps. 150:3ff). Unfortunately, we are only able to read these wonderful compositions. However, Christians have developed a rich heritage of devotional music.

Not many Christians in Asia are talented singers or musicians. But then, devotional singing is not the exclusive preserve of the talented and trained people. God will be pleased with our best efforts that might not measure up to the melodies of the masters.

In churches and public meetings, however, it would be desirable to employ the abilities of trained musicians and vocalists. I am aware that the services of trained musicians are beyond the reach of majority of Asian churches. Only a tiny The Essence of Worship

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percentage of our churches can afford to buy musical instruments. Formal training in music is costly; therefore, the dreams of most Christian youth to become proficient in the use of an instrument remain unfulfilled. Here is an opportunity for our few trained Christians to train their brethren free of cost or at a subsidized rate.

Trained vocalists can offer their services to train up church choirs. Such services are no less a ministry than preaching and teaching.

Singing is not the only way to vocalize your worship. We can praise God. Praise is not prayer . To praise God is to recount His great works and praise Him for all that He has done. We should also praise Him for who He is. Just saying “Lord, I praise you” or “Praise the Lord!” is not praise.

The latter is an invitation to praise God as is the whole of Psalm 150.

Let us look at some examples from the Scriptures. Psalm 104 begins with exhortation to oneself to praise God and goes on to describe God’s awesome power over creation.

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“Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendour and majesty ... “ 104:1 The Apostle Paul worships God by exclaiming, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” Rom. 11:33 The book of Revelation has some classic expressions of worship, some of which are cited below.

"Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” 4:8 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” 4:11 “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and The Essence of Worship

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wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 5:12 and in the next verse: “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

As the new Israel of God, the Church is called to declare the praises of God to the world (1 Peter 2:9). That is a part of our mission in the world.

When we grow in our understanding of who God is and what He has done for us, we will be well equipped to praise Him during our worship services and while preaching to the world.

Acts of Service: Acts of sharing and Christian giving are integral parts of true worship. Our sharing and giving are “sacrifices” that are well pleasing to God (Heb 13:16). The offertory during a worship session affords us an opportunity to honour God with our possessions.

However, Christian giving is not restricted Leading Worship

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to the church offertory. Any person in need, especially a fellow Christian, deserves our attention and gives us tangible opportunities to worship the unseen God. Thus, Christian worship is not limited to “praise and worship” sessions or to within the four walls of church buildings.

E. LIVING OUT OUR WORSHIP After offering our bodies (and thus, our total selves) to God as living sacrifices, we cannot walk away from the worship service as if nothing has happened. If God has become our master, then we must serve him.

The Hebrew word for worship is sometimes translated into English as “service.” See Nehemiah 12:45 and Daniel 3:14 in NIV & RSV. A life of service, at God’s disposal, validates our worship.

Isaiah had a vision of the God Most High (Isaiah 6:1ff). After that magnificent angelic “praise and worship” came the question: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for The Essence of Worship

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me?” And Isaiah offered himself to serve God saying, “Here am I, send me.”

I believe that every worshipper must hear that voice thundering from the throne of God. Those who offer mere lip service during a worship service to God, for whatever reason, will walk away to live their own lives. True worshippers will yield themselves to God’s call and live out that call in their daily walk with God. It is therefore of utmost importance to include songs and prayers of consecration towards the close of a worship session.

There are excellent hymns and choruses that declare the desire of saints to proclaim the gospel, to live holy lives, to serve Christ in their daily lives.

Apart from knowing what the Bible teaches about worship, it is important to know the people whom we lead in worship. We shall consider that in the next chapter.

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Understanding God’s People

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deep understanding of the nature and needs of the congregation or participants is vital for leading worship sessions. This calls for a prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit. Usually those who have a gift of pastoral ministry (those who have the title need not have the gift!) sense the pulse of their congregation.

Such pastors should be at the helm of the worship team.

Church services are (or ought to be) public services. That is, any member of the public should feel free to walk in and participate in a worship service. A church service therefore may be attended by bornagain Christians, nominal Christians and by people of other faiths. The Apostle Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to be aware of this possibility. That’s why he advised them against the unwise use of the 35

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gift of speaking in unknown languages during public services in the absence of an interpreter (1 Corinthians 14:23). Besides, while describing the usefulness of the gift of prophecy, he talks about how a prophecy might reveal the secrets of an outsider, leading that person to believe in the presence of God in that service (14:24).

With regard to these special situations that we might have in our churches, we should be careful to make our worship services as intelligible as possible to our friends from other religions. (Notice that I did not refer to them as “unbelievers,” “pagans” or “non-Christians.” People who follow other religions are not We should be “unbelievers”— they too believe in careful to make something. We our worship need to weed out services as all derogatory intelligible as words from our possible to our services.) Let us friends from other avoid all jargon.

Biblical terms religions such as Leading Worship

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“righteousness,” “justification,” and our shouts of “victory in the blood of Jesus” are mere strange sounds for a newcomer.

Even among Christians who are born anew, we can have a mind-boggling diversity, especially in an urban church.

People come from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The English language may be a unifying factor but there may be more that divides under that thin veneer of spoken English.

Add to it factors such as social and economic stratification, and the emotional, religious and intellectual baggage people carry! National identities vary; political affiliations differ; and prejudices abound.

Worship leaders must be sensitive to other people’s feelings and must constantly screen their thoughts and speech to avoid giving offense. For instance, we may be tempted to use Biblical expressions without realizing that those were spoken/written in a context different from our own. Think twice before you assail “Egyptians” or “Babylonians” Understanding God’s People

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on the basis of the Exodus story or other narratives in the Old Testament; an Egyptian or Iraqi Christian may be present in your church!

Many Christians all over the world ape the West in their style of worship. In God’s sight no particular style is more acceptable than another. God likes diversity. If each people-group retains its cultural affinities in its worship services, I believe, it’s a treat for God! Let the West worship in their style using their instruments, music sytles and body language. Let the Hindustanis worship God using Hindustani music; the Pujabis, using Punjabi dance and music; and the South Indians, in the Carnatic tradition!

Only the Christian faith permits such diversity in the expression of one’s faith.

Take the Muslim world, for instance.

Muslims rarely exhibit such freedom in cultural expression. Instead, they export the West Asian culture – dress code, food habits, and Arabic language – to every country, producing a boring uniformity.

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This is one reason why Muslims are disliked among any people who value their culture.

Let the West worship in their style; let Hindustanis, using Hindustani style; and south Indians, in the Carnatic tradition!

Christian missionaries too have committed the same mistake in Asian and African countries. Local culture – that is local music, clothes, architecture, dance, and food habits – were condemned and replaced by Western culture. Christianity, like Islam, has obtained the disgusting label of “foreign religion” in many countries. One of my western teachers of theology regarded the south Indian dhoti as an indecent “pagan” apparel!

Today, we love to worship God with the accompaniment of western instruments, singing English songs in hep western tunes. Should we then wonder why we are not able to attract our Hindu (or any other) friends to our churches. A Hindu Understanding God’s People

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can never imagine entering his temple with footwear on. Hindus generally prefer to sit on the floor during prayer times.

They venerate sacred books and never can understand why Christians place their Bibles on the floor. A western preacher, once was preaching in an Indian meeting about trusting God. And guess what? He stood on his Bible and declared: “I stand on the promises of God!” Christians who understand these principles of contextualization are increasingly adapting to local cultures and mores. Their churches resemble local places of worship. They worship in the local language, employ local Christians who music styles and instruments, and understand respect cultural principles of contextualization rules. These people are not are increasingly wierd. They are adapting to local just following the cultures and Lord Jesus Christ and his mores. “incarnational” Leading Worship

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ministry. Jesus, in his human form, did not land in Nazareth as an alien form outer space or from a different empire. He was well connected with the local language, culture and mores.

In the urban centres of Asia, young people are increasingly drawn towards western culture due to the influence of visual media. This is because young people (and older ones) do not have a sense of pride in their language and culture. On the other hand, there are religious and cultural organizations that resist any foreign influence.

Some urban churches consider it their God-given task to communicate the gospel to such westernised Asian youth. I appreciate the efforts of Asian urban churches that adopt western styles and language to win our westernised urban youth to Jesus Christ. Even such churches can have special Sundays for the celebration of local culture and language.

To top it all, there is diversity in attitudes and spiritual status of individuals. It is not Understanding God’s People

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possible to minister to such a varied congregation without the help of the Holy Spirit. The weak have to be strengthened; the dejected ones have to be lifted up and encouraged; the backsliders have to be warned and restored; the faith of some has to be built up; the bereaved have to be comforted; those at odds must be led to reconciliation; the hopeless need to be given hope; the joyful ones need to express their celebration ... the list seems to be endless.

Many of these services can be offered in a small group situation. But those who go to small groups (or Care Cells) are the ones who come to the main worship services on Sundays. There is nothing wrong if they expect the Sunday services to be relevant to their situations. It is foolish to dismiss them by saying, “Get your spiritual and emotional needs met in the care cell meetings. This is the time to forget your situations and to worship God.� We are creatures who are grounded in our respective situations. And God appreciates that fact more than most pastors do.

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Worship leaders who fail to feel the pulse of the crowd will flounder at selecting the most appropriate songs for the occasion. Those who do not understand the needs and situations of their congregation are left without a clue when the congregation does not respond to their overtures to “celebrate.” They might resort to “sheep-bashing” and preaching. There are times when the worship leader has to deviate from his/her order of service to accommodate the leading of the Spirit. That flexibility, however, is no excuse for slack preparation.

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Planning a Worship Service Worship leaders ought to prayerfully plan each service. They need to be guided by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s help does not eliminate the need for a thorough preparation. A worship service may be structured in the following way based on our discussion on the “Essence of Christian Worship.”

A. AN INTRODUCTION An introduction to a worship service includes an invitation to worship to God and a time to prepare oneself through introspection.

An Invitation to Worship The initial moments of a praise and worship session should help the congregation to gather their thoughts to God so that they can worship God with all their being. There are several psalms that 45

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invite God’s people to worship. These psalms remind us of God’s goodness and faithfulness, God’s strength and greatness, and encourage us to worship him.

“Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.

“Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

“Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

For the word of the LORD is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness.

“He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.” Ps. 33:1-5 “Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

“For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” Ps. 95: 6,7 “Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty Leading Worship

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deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

“Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.

“Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!” Ps. 150 These verses are not praises. They are just invitations to praise God. Similarly, there are several songs in English and other languages that invite God’s people to praise God. Invitation to worship can be given through the reading of these psalms or through a song that does the function of these psalms. Songs of invitation may be classified separately and stored in the church’s music database. The worship leader should not convert this invitation into a preaching session.

Often, we mistake these invitation songs for real praise. At other times, songs of invitation are sung at the close of a Planning a Service

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worship service! The point is, we do not pay attention to the words that we sing, much less to the God whom we worship.

Confession and Repentance We are exhorted to come before God with clean hearts and hands, being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus … let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Heb. 10:19-22 A short time of silent introspection and confession is necessary in the introductory part of the service. Not all Christians take time at home to prepare themselves before setting out for church. Christians must be encouraged to confess their specific sins to God. When one person sins against another, it is important to seek forgiveness and reconciliation.

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“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18).

"Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." Matthew 5:23-24 This time of silent prayer may be followed by a song that helps the worshipper to vocalise his repentance and surrender before God. Again, this should not be done through “preaching.” This time of introspection may be given before the extending an invitation to worship.

B. THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS These may also be called “nonnegotiable” elements because they have to be included in a service to make it a true Christian worship service.

We worship God because He is our Creator and because He has become our Planning a Service

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Redeemer. Therefore our worship services must help participants to reflect on the creative and redemptive works of God. God the Creator: In the Psalms, we find Israel extolling the Lord for his creative power and his providential care for His creatures. Special care must be exercised to include psalms and songs that highlight this theme. Examples from the Psalms include psalms 8, 19, 103, 104, etc.

God’s providential care includes His supply of our daily needs, physical healing, and protection and deliverance from harm. Songs of thanksgiving can be integrated into the worship session.

God our Redeemer: Worship of the Redeemer God by the redeemed forms the core of Christian worship. By virtue of creation, we belong to God; by virtue of redemption, we are doubly His. This session can climax at the Lord’s Table.

As the company of the redeemed we worship the gracious God for his salvation through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament times, the theme of redemption can be seen in the frequent reference to the God’s act of Leading Worship

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liberating Israel from slavery in Egypt (For instance, Ps. 107, 136, etc.)

There are innumerable songs that dwell on the theme of the Cross and on Redemption. These songs ought to be carefully chosen and arranged so that the pastor need not take extended time for preparing the congregation for the Lord’s Table. The Lord’s Table should be positioned to be the climax of the congregation’s adoration for the crucified Messiah and of their pledge of allegiance to Him. Consecration for service and obedience: Worship of the CreatorRedeemer God demands our total consecration to obey and to serve this God. Here again, we have plenty of songs that express the worshippers’ desire to serve God and to be committed to Him. As these songs follow the Lord’s Table (and sometimes, the sermon), they provide a fitting finale to the “praise and worship” session. The offertory too is a token of our consecration.

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Conclusion: Songs of blessing and hope, songs that confess one’s faith in the unfailing love of God can charge-up a congregation before they leave the sanctuary to face the challenges of daily life. I find the practice of the Garden City Assembly of God in Bangalore very effective. The Pastor concludes every worship service with the chorus: “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.” The significance of that song is understood when we learn that this church is located in the suicide-capital of the world. The congregation sings this piece with all their heart, expressing their faith and confidence in God. C. THE “ADD-ON MODULES” These are not “optional” extras; they are necessary components of worship that have to be integrated into the service according to the specific needs arising within the church. Here are a few examples of such components : Themes of the season: Easter, Christmas, Independence Day, Earth Day, war, natural disasters, etc.

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Themes of mission and evangelism Grief, bereavement and consolation Special season of thanksgiving A testimony Scripture reading Intercession Faith-building exercises D. TIPS FOR WORSHIP LEADERS Avoid the following and other worn out clichés: “How many of you are happy today?”

“Turn to your neighbour and say ...”

“Lift your hands ... “ “Seems you people did not have your breakfast ...”

Remember that you are not teaching a kindergarten class. Those who participate in the service may be much more intelligent, godly and mature than you.

One of the greatest mistakes that Pentecostals and Charismatics committed was to forsake the best of Christian tradition of the past nineteen centuries.

One such “baby” that we threw out with Planning a Service

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the “bath water” was a rich heritage of Christian teachings about suffering and sorrows. Most Pentecostals have not even heard of the Christian classic The Dark Night of the Soul written by St. John of the Cross. And the result? We are at a complete loss when sorrow and failure hit us hard. All that we know is to rejoice and to celebrate. We know how to laugh with those who laugh; but we have forgotten the Saviour’s command to mourn with those who mourn.

Sunday after Sunday, Pentecostal worship leaders make fools of themselves by asking their congregations, “How many of you are happy today?”—as if the Lord loved only the happy ones, as if worship is only for the happy people. Our services can cater only to happy people. The sad ones are either trampled upon or are forced to act as if they were happy!

Do not make the congregation stand for the entire worship session. Not all can stand at a stretch for 45 minutes or an hour. Incorporate such items as the public reading of scripture, a testimony or a Leading Worship

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hymn during which the congregation may sit.

While selecting and arranging songs, give attention to the tempo and mood of songs. Not all songs should be fast ones and not all songs must be slow ones. Just like a preacher varies his tempo and tone during a sermon, the “praise-andworship” session must integrate slow, fast, medium paced songs. Moods of songs vary too; there are songs of celebration, meditation, introspection, devotion, etc.

Lead or get out of the way: If a worship leader feels that he is out-of-sync with the congregation or if the worship session does not progress the way he/she intended, the leader must hand over the service to his/her associate who might be better prepared for that moment. This is far better than trying too hard to bring in “revival” on a non-responsive congregation through in-between preaching.

Make use of hymns: The western world has a rich tradition of hymns. There Planning a Service

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are also the new generation songs and choruses. Hymns are not the sole preserve of the Anglican, Methodist or Presbyterian churches. Pentecostals too can benefit from these time-tested, edifying masterpieces.

It’s a pity that most Pentecostal churches give a wide berth to hymns. Worship leaders should integrate old time hymns into their new exuberant charismatic services.

Do not repeat a song more than once.

Repeating a song more than two times is unforgivable! Running out of songs– because you selected too few songs for the time allotted–will result in unnecessary repetition of songs and to unnecessary preaching in between singing.

Avoid sheep-bashing: Do not find fault with the congregation if it fails to respond to your invitations to worship freely. The problem might be with your style of leading!

Do not preach during the time for singing. Some people have the habit of introducing each song with a mini-sermon.

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Avoid Christian jargon: There might be newcomers in your service. Explain, if necessary, in a few words, the meanings of difficult words in songs.

Always keep a “Plan B” ready—just in case something goes wrong. That includes a second worship leader who can step in and take over at any time, and a set of songs for unscheduled altar calls and for the Eucharist.

Avoid all militant/triumphalist attitudes: Most Pentecostals consider worship as a “warfare.” Instead of focusing on God and His love, their focus is on the enemy. And so, they keep “fighting” through worship! In such services, you may come across a number of words and phrases that are related to warfare. “Let us conquer the land”; “the enemy is under my feet”; “victory through the blood,” etc.

Although the Bible uses figurative speech related to warfare, it is better to avoid such usages in our public services. These are highly misleading phrases. Newcomers Planning a Service

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may be misled into thinking that we are referring to ordinary battles or to an armed rebellion!

It is also worthwhile to remember that our salvation is not yet perfected. We are “saved”; but we are yet to be saved from the coming wrath of God. God has defeated the devil at Calvary; but God is yet to consummate His victory over the devil. God has ushered in a new age through Jesus Christ. Yet, we have not reached that Day when we will have no tears or sickness or pain. This is what is commonly referred to, in theological parlance, as “Already, not yet.” Worship leaders often forget this reality and talk as if Christians will not have any more pain, sickness, poverty or defeat.

A word about “tongue-speaking:” Corporate “tongue-speaking” or loud collective prayer in unknown languages, as enable by the Spirit, is encouraged in Pentecostal and charismatic congregations.

Often, it is regarded as a measure of one’s spirituality. I have just one comment on this. A mature congregation that is friendly Leading Worship

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to newcomers will understand and obey the instructions given by the Paul (in 1 Corinthians 14) for public exercise of the gift of tongues. There may be times when someone, under the power of the Holy Spirit, might speak in “tongues” loudly.

But even such brethren can train themselves to obey scriptural guidelines.

We can never be too spiritual to ignore the Bible’s injunctions.

Regardless of all the planning that we do, the Holy Spirit, if we are led by Him, can take over a service and upset our neat plans. Often He does this through the operation of spiritual gifts such as prophecy, a “speech” in an unknown tongue followed by its interpretation, or through the ministry of the Word. (A detailed discussion on the operation of the charismatic gifts is beyond the scope of this book.) He can choose to lead people into special seasons of repentance, renewal, and intercession. Yet, in all this, a mature congregation will obey Scriptural guidelines in 1 Corinthians 14 to maintain a sense of order. The Holy Spirit does not violate the self-control of an individual.

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Finally, the worship leader’s office is no shop-window for the display and promotion of one’s self. A good leader is one who turns the people’s attention to God. The leader may be forgotten after a good worship session but the worshippers will cherish the moments that they spent in the presence of God.

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