In fifteen-plus years of ministry, I have been in many planning meetings for worship services. In all these years, I have never heard this suggestion. "Let's make it identical to last week!" From the minister's side of things, there is a desire to keep it interesting. We want the service to be engaging and compelling. But what if those attempts actually get in the way … [Read more...] about The Perfect Church Service
Worship
The Moment We Most Glorify God in Singing
In the church, there is much concern about singing the right songs. After all, we want to glorify God and edify believers. So, how do we do that? Which songs or types of songs are best? C.S. Lewis, as usual, provides an intriguing answer. Lewis (1996) observes this about church music: "The first and most solid conclusion which (for me) emerges is that both musical … [Read more...] about The Moment We Most Glorify God in Singing
The Importance of Singing in Spiritual Formation
Andy Crouch (2017) makes an interesting point about the wholistic nature of singing and its contribution to our spiritual formation: Worship is more than singing, of course. But there is something about singing that is fundamental to Jewish and Christian worship - starting with the Psalms, continuing with the hymns that grew out of the early church and the renewal and … [Read more...] about The Importance of Singing in Spiritual Formation
Old Liturgy
Growing up, the old liturgy at my church seemed tedious at times. Sit down. Stand up. Repeat. But Kevin DeYoung's got me thinking. DeYoung comments on the New Evangelical liturgy. He points out what few of us consider: We all have a liturgy. We may not think of this or that church as particularly liturgical, and yet, technically, every order of service is a type of liturgy. … [Read more...] about Old Liturgy