Stupid Scholar

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We have already seen some of what motivates contemporary worship, namely evangelism As I have said repeatedly, both sides want to do very godly, biblical, and solid things. This should not be forgotten.

So, now let’s look at traditional worship. Why do traditionalists do what they do?

These Christians see worship as the time to come before the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and God of Gods. This is a highly important and solemn event, not to be taken lightly. In approaching the throne of the most holy God, we are to enter His presence with reverence and awe. Thus, those espousing the more traditional worship style usually do so out of reverence for God. Verses such as Deuteronomy 6:24 – “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day” – take primary importance.

“Fearing the Lord,” means to give God the highest respect and honor imaginable. Therefore, nothing in the worship service should be disrespectful, disorganized, improper, or self-centered. The goal of traditionalists is to order all things as if a king were present; for God is The King, and God is present!

Now, contrary to frequent opinion, traditional worshipists do not (or at least, should not) do things simply because, “That’s the way things have always been done.” Indeed, there are a lot of songs, commentaries, methods, and insights from today’s culture that are reverent, biblical, and helpful. To reject these things would disrespect the current work of the Holy Spirit, who is still at work, leading and teaching His people today. Thus, it is freely admitted and understood that godly, reverent worship elements can be and are produced by modern Christians. It is not the “new” that is inappropriate; it is the trite and disrespectful.

So how does approaching worship from the perspective of reverence affect style?

First, they believe our songs are to show all glory, laud, and honor to God. Thus, songs are chosen for two reasons. 1. Words must be deep and meaningful. They need to reflect the teachings of Scripture and even use biblical quotations. Hence, words of praise, confession, thanksgiving, and adoration are offered to God based on what He has revealed to us. We show Him respect by singing what He has spoken. 2. The tunes need to be both beautiful and appropriate. It is OK for the songs to be complex and difficult to sing, for we should offer God our best, not just what is easy or preferable. Also, the music needs to follow the tone of the lyrics. Thus, a song of lament will be slow and sad; a song of praise will be joyful and peppy; and a song about God’s majesty will be regal and triumphant. Indeed, it would be highly disrespectful to confess our sins happily, or sing praises to a dirge.

Second, sermons need to present the glory of God and teach the congregation to revere Him. Thus, the main purpose is to proclaim accurately what God has spoken. The Word of the Lord must be taught and understood in its entirety – both the joyful and the fearful sections. The Bible discusses deep, theological concepts, and sermons must follow suit. Words like “justification,” “portion,” and “circumincession,” can be used because they are either in the Bible or are terms traditionally used to explain the Bible. This shows respect to the language and concepts God has used in revealing His will to us.

Furthermore, because God and His Word are complex, difficult to understand, and require time to fully grasp, it is not a problem for sermons to be long. It takes time to understand the majestic, holy, and perfect God. Therefore, the overall purpose of a sermon is to lead people to understand who God is and what He desires from our lives (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Westminster Shorter Catechism #3). In this way, the pastor(s) and the people participate in and learn how to revere, worship, and honor their glorious God and King.

Third, prayers should be done with reverence and respect. Like with hymns and sermons, prayers should use biblical language or quote passages directly. Through the Psalms and prayers of Scripture, we are taught how to properly confess our sins, sing praises to God, give thanks, and make requests. Furthermore, God has shown us that our spiritual needs are most important. Thus, the spiritual needs of the people feature prominently in the pastoral prayers. Physical and felts are important, but Living Water is better than drinking water. Therefore, we revere God by praying the way He has taught us to pray and for the things He sees as most important.

Finally, the whole service should be ordered with reverence towards God in mind. There is an order and place for each aspect of worship. Worship cannot be done haphazardly or on the fly. It requires prayer, thought and planning in order to please the Lord. The Sacraments, the offering, the confession of sin, etc. are usually kept unashamedly because God has told us to do these things; we are not at liberty to remove them. That would disrespect the very command of God. Furthermore, Bible reading often takes a place of its own, apart from the sermon. God has spoken and we should listen intently and respectfully to what the King desires us to hear without interjecting our own thoughts. Thus, even the order of the service leads the pastor and congregation to fear, respect, and honor the Lord of life.

Therefore, we have seen that traditional worship is motivated by wanting to revere, honor and respect God. He is our friend, yes, but He is still the Creator, King, and God. He is more than just a pal. The worship service is about worshiping and respecting God, the King of Kings. It is not about us and what we want. Thus, we must approach Him appropriately, in the way He desires, and His Word, the Bible, shows us how to do that. Songs, prayers, sermons, and the whole service incorporate much biblical language, for that is the language of God Himself.

There is a lot more that can be said, but this seems sufficient for now. Those that espouse traditional worship want to honor and glorify God as much as possible, and anytime somebody wants to show the holy God the reverence He deserves, that person is to be highly commended. Hence, whether or not you enjoy traditional services, old hymns, or long sermons, you must admit that traditionalists have solid motivation. Don’t forget that in the worship wars.