A Theology of Worship
Tom Fisher
Personal History
I would like to begin my theology of worship by sharing some of my greatest influences, as they are something upon which I draw greatly when I think about the subject of worshiping God. It seems that my entire life as a worship leader – and even my entire Christian life – has been a process of the discovery of biblical worship. Much of my influence has been something I have “happened upon” as it were, and the Holy Spirit has used it all to help me formulate my theology of worship, which is still developing.
One of my earliest influences was when I attended a weekend retreat called Chrysalis (Chrysalis is the youth version of the Walk to Emmaus, the Methodist Cursillo ). There, less than a year into my walk with Christ, I was immersed in what I now describe as a three-day-long liturgical journey into the Christian life. In that environment, I was overwhelmed by both the enormity and immediacy of this God I had just begun to know. Everything was structured as an act of worship, from the talks to the daily communion services, from the song choices to the way we went to bed in silence and were awakened in the morning, quietly, with song. Nothing was out of place, nothing done carelessly. We entered into worship on Saturday morning and, when we left on Monday night, were encouraged to continue in a lifestyle of worship.
Church camp was another formative experience for me, both as a worshiper and as a worship leader. The days began with “the morning watch” – a quiet teaching and then a time alone with God and His Word. The day likewise ended in worship, and we were led through times of quiet, joyous song and reflections on the Word. This “bookending” of each day with worship gave a sense of structure, purpose and direction to our time; we were embraced by Christ and His presence, and our worship was both His gift and our response.
Another powerful experience I had was when my university’s Catholic priest – seemingly out of the blue – paid for me to attend a worship conference. Having never had any exposure to the Catholic tradition before, I was awestruck and a bit stunned by all I was experiencing. I learned some amazingly powerful things about worship that had never been explicitly taught to me (though I had seen them lived out in the Chrysalis/Emmaus community and at camp): the power both of story and of listening as worship. I learned that story can be an act of worship, that it can communicate God’s Story in new and exciting ways. I also learned that sometimes the congregation can stop singing and listen, and be changed by the simple act of call and response.
I also made a profound discovery along the way through my time with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. As we attended regional conferences, I was surprised to see young people in worship bands singing hymns! These old songs, which I found surprisingly refreshing as they were blended with newer choruses, began to find their way into my repertoire, and their theology began to work its way into my perspective on God.
These and many other smaller experiences began affecting the way I thought about and structured times of worship. I began to do things that were liturgical – even before I knew quite what that word meant. I would structure the order of songs to bring people into the presence of God, and gradually invite them through songs and times of prayer to prepare to hear the message. The message would then be followed by more intimate songs, and we would close with songs that sent us out into the world. All this, mind you, before I ever considered myself a liturgical worshiper!
The next step in my development (one I think I am still in the middle of) actually began about 12 years ago when I began attending the Church of the Resurrection with my future wife, Anne. She had described it to me as an “evangelical, Episcopal church”. When I finally got to visit and worship with her, I was amazed by what I saw. I had previously worshiped with Catholics and gotten a taste of what it means to worship with true reverence for God. My current church at the time was a non-denominational “low-church” evangelical congregation, and so I knew well what it meant to worship God as intimate and near us. But – with the exception of my time in the Chrysalis/Emmaus community – I had never seen both truths come together in such amazing harmony! God was clearly, intimately there, with us and in us – there was no doubt. But at the same time, through the liturgy, through the hymns and the prayers, He was highly exalted and given recognition for the great King He truly is! All of this was brought to an amazing culmination for me as I took Holy Communion and sensed both the awe and intimacy of Christ in the bread, the wine and the songs. This amazing sense of freedom within the structure of liturgy was an epiphany for me. Since then, our journey as a family has led us deeper and deeper into a discovery of worship.
We have, since Church of the Resurrection, belonged to two amazing bodies of believers: Holy Trinity Church in Hyde Park, Chicago (where I was encouraged and began to grow as a writer of songs of worship) and Church of the Good Shepherd in Davidson, NC (where our priest, Alan Hawkins, made liturgy meaningful and accessible to all). Other important aspects have followed: appreciation for the seasons of the Christian year; fixed-hour prayer; and regular, intentional fellowship with families and singles together in homes for edification, teaching and worship, to name a few.
I’ve had many great teachers along the way, but one stands out: I have become quite affected by the writings of the late Robert Webber – specifically in his books, Blended Worship and Planning Blended Worship. Much of what I discuss below will be a reflection on my admiration of him as a teacher, worshiper and man of God.
Theology of Worship
There are two main principles regarding Christian worship which I have come to embrace and hold dear. One refers to the nature of worship and the other to its purpose.
First, the Bible pulls back the curtain at least twice to show the believer a glimpse of the throne room of God – both in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4. In both of these scenes, we hear cries of “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord…”; and both are unceasing. The double-principle here is that worship is both centered on God and is constantly going on, right now and eternally (a worthy expression of this biblical picture is the 4th century prayer, known as the “Te Deum”).
Secondly, as Robert Webber has pointed out, both pre-Christian Jewish worship and post-resurrection Christian worship are grounded in the remembrance of a salvation event, and in the worshiping community’s grateful response to God for His saving work. The Jews constantly looked back to His saving work in the Exodus, and Christian worship recalls the Christ-event: His life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension (this is further evidenced by the fact that the Revelation glimpse of eternal worship is centered on the “Lamb who was slain” – Rev. 5:6). Both of these powerful truths have profound implications for how we should view – and practice – worship in the Church.
Some Implications for Worship
The complementary truths of ongoing worship centered on the saving work of God in Christ provide some powerful food for thought. This knowledge affects everything from the shape of our worship services, the content of songs, the breadth of content from which we choose, and many other considerations.
The Pattern of Worship
Webber outlined a “fourfold pattern of worship” – a pattern I began to use almost unconsciously during
my days at IVCF. This pattern, which has been found to be present in many churches, within various traditions, involves:
- The Acts of Entrance
- The Service of the Word
- The Service of Thanksgiving
- The Acts of Dismissal
This pattern of worship, beginning with “Acts of Entrance”, reflects the constancy of worship in that it reveals how we, as a Church, do not start worship – we join it. It is not unrealistic to say that there is a worship service going on in the heavenly places, and we come, requesting to participate. Prayer manuals such as Phyllis Tickle’s The Divine Hours rightly include a “Request for Presence” in each fixed-hour prayer session. Our transition into worship requires both reflection and an acclamation of the worthiness of God. This can be done by many means – by a combination of elements such as silence, a Psalm, a God-centered hymn or song, a collect or other acts of worship which are designed to lay aside the concerns of the day and the week and to prepare us to enter into the worship service that is always going on before God.
The next two steps through the fourfold pattern of worship reflect the event-centeredness of Christian worship. The reading, singing and teaching of the Word are acts of worship which draw us into the Story of God’s redemptive work. And the Service of Thanksgiving – usually involving the Eucharistic celebration of Communion – is an opportunity for the Body of Christ to claim and proclaim, with gratitude, that saving work; we partake of, in a mysterious but real way, the sacrifice of Christ. All our worship centers on both hearing and experiencing the work of God in Christ.
Finally, the pattern of worship concludes with a “sending out”. We conclude our time of formal worship into our life of service, to, according to certain services, “go in peace to love and serve,” to “go forth in the name of Christ,” or “go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.” This is accompanied by a benediction, and a song or hymn specifically chosen for its message of “commissioning” to the Church.
A Blended Approach to Worship
Throughout the two millennia since the resurrection of Christ, new songs and powerful scriptural prayers (as well as art, dance and writings) have been created by devout men and women from all of the Church’s great traditions. This continually growing chorus of adoration has much to add to our worship. As the never-ending worship of our God continues, these voices are added to the song, and they are worthy of our consideration as we choose songs, prayers, dance, meditations, drama and art for our worship. The constancy of heavenly worship recommends, I believe, a blended approach to worship.
While I recognize that many church congregations choose to offer services that lean toward “traditional” or “contemporary”, the worshiping Church should always be open to all the worthy voices in the “great cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12 (which I believe includes all saints from all generations). For example, while a traditional service will use predominantly traditional hymns from the hymnal, there may be times when a newer song is appropriate for offertory or Holy Communion; this behavior represents an openness to a blended approach to worship.
Similarly, contemporary services have a great opportunity (and, I believe a need) to use the great voices of the past. In addition to the great modern hymn-writers with which we are currently blessed (Kathryn Scott, Paul Baloche and the Gettys to name a few), many talented brothers and sisters are bringing new life to the traditional hymns of Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts and others. For example, Sandra McCracken, Andrew Osenga and Kevin Twit (Indelible Grace) continue to pen amazing new, accessible tunes to great hymns such as “Thy Mercy, My God”, “O, Day of Rest and Gladness” and “Arise, My Soul, Arise”. The contemporary worship service can be true both to its commitment to relevance and our great heritage.
But a blended approach to worship includes more than just song choices. As mentioned above, a blended approach to worship means calling upon all the gifts within the Body (dancers, readers, speakers, actors, writers and artists) to draw all of our senses and sensibilities into the worship of the risen Christ. Blended worship (whether it leans toward the contemporary or traditional) welcomes liturgical dance, dramatic scripture readings and colorful scriptural banners. The voice and ears, the sense of smell, sight and touch are all employed to the glory of God.
An Inclusive Approach to Worship
Scot McKnight, an ecumenical Christian author and thinker, has written in his devotional 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed, about his admiration of liturgical Christian practices, such as crossing oneself in reverence to the Trinity. Christian Worship – much more than just singing songs of praise – is multifaceted and diverse, and therefore is inviting to all the faithful members of the Body. 1 Corinthians 14:26 acknowledges the contributions of all the Body of Christ into orderly, orthodox and Christ-glorifying worship. When offerings of worship (testimonies, readings, drama and art, for example) are used “for the strengthening of the Church” (14:26 NET) and done in love and humility, there is definitely a place for those offerings.
Additionally, it is a blessing when worship team members – both musical and non-musical – are invited to participate in corporate worship. As the entire Body is called to use their gifts to contribute to the continuing adoration of the Trinity, the worship leaders should be continually seeking out those who have gifting and a desire to serve God in various ways in the service.
A Seasonal Approach to Worship
Finally, I believe the event-centeredness of Christian worship calls us to a seasonal approach to worship. The seasons of the Church continually recite and rehearse God’s great Story of salvation in Christ. This seasonal rhythm keeps our individual and corporate Christian life focused on the Gospel.
Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, writes in his thought-provoking work, Eat This Book, “The Bible must be read liturgically” (72). While Peterson uses the term more loosely than would many, he does acknowledge that “liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story of Jesus and the Christian makes its rounds century after century…” (74)
As we continue retelling “the story of Jesus… century after century”, this shapes all of our worship. From Advent’s expectation through the sorrow of the Good Friday Cross, from the joy of Easter to the day-in-day-out living out of faith during the season after Pentecost, we, as Christ’s Bride live out the recognition of the Kingship of our risen Savior. The passages of Scripture, the colors, the songs, the prayers and even the choice of when to shout (or save up) our “Hallelujahs”, are all a reflection of the story being told and retold. Biblical worship, I believe, is meant to be seasonal.
Conclusion
Many experiences in Christian worship, and much study of God’s Word and worthy Christian thinkers, have shaped my continually maturing perspective and theology of worship. The continual heavenly worship of our Triune God, and the biblical focus on the Christ-event have formed a template for my personal philosophy of Christian worship. I see this theology and philosophy manifesting themselves in the fourfold pattern of worship, and in blended, inclusive, multi-sensory and seasonal worship.
