The late Robert Webber, a professor at Wheaton College and a man passionate about biblical worship, wrote that all of our worship – what we think about worship, say about worship, and do in or as worship, flows from our definition of worship.
Is worship just teaching? Is it a few “preliminaries” (as Webber calls them) that lead to a great, 45 minute sermon?
Is worship primarily evangelism? Is it all designed to get us to the invitation?
Is worship primarily praising God through song?
Is worship primarily (dare I say it?) entertainment?
Or is it, as he says, “all this and more”?
I welcome comments on this topic. What is your definition of worship? I haven’t finished the chapter yet, so I will report back in when I have pondered this a bit more.
January 3, 2008 at 1:28 am
Webber opened my eyes to regarding worship as more than preliminaries.
I wonder if everything we do as a church should be regarded as worship, or if that just makes it too vague.
February 2, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Been a way awhile…
Yeah, I wonder about that. His idea seems to be that worship is MORE than singing. I like looking at the “fourfold pattern of worship” about which he wrote. Worship – regardless of our tradition – if it’s truly full-orbed, healthy worship will have the following pattern:
Acts of Entrance – opening hymns/songs/prayers/acclamations;
Service of the Word – Readings and preaching/teaching;
Service of Table/Eucharist – Whether with or without Communion, a time of thankful response to the Gospel, with a focus on the Work of Christ on the Cross; and
Sending out – Benediction/Closing hymn.
So, it seems to me that worship is a time-set-apart that many things can support.
I don’t think I’d call a sermon on its own as worship, but corporate reading of the word is worship that can really prepare one’s heart for the message.
I ramble. I think I’ll cut and paste this as my next post.