Attractive Worship (redux)

Here is a link to the complete discussion of attractive worship over at Mere Comments.  I would urge our readers to invest the time and take in this dicussion in its entirety.  I particularly like the point that though we would not tolerate relativism and pragmatism in our theology, we are all to eager to embrace it in our worship.  We must ask ourselves why?  The discussion at Touchstone attempts to grapple with these heart issues.

I have personally been driven to a contemplation of Philippians 4:8 and consideration of the phrase "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness" (1 Chr. 16:29; 2 Chr. 20:21; Ps. 29:2; 96:9).  This consideration of what is holy and beautiful leads us to the field of aesthetics--the study of what is beautiful, true, and good, and our experience and judgments of the same.  I believe that beauty is an objective reality.  When Yahweh looked at all He had created and declared it to be "good," He was not making a declaration based upon mere personal taste or whim--it really was good, very good. 

We are commanded to worship in the beauty of holiness.  As beings who are created in His image we have the capacity (though fallen) to pursue the knowledge of what that means--the essence of beauty and holiness.  Some of the main elements of beauty are:  order, structure, balance, harmony, truth (corresponding to reality), and variety.  Every aspect of our worship should be characterized by these elements.  Our senses can be trained to recognize them and appreciate them.  We know when a pianist hits the wrong chord, or a soloist sings the wrong note, that what we are hearing is not beautiful.  When there is an absence of harmony, or any other element of beauty, there is a loss of order.

Theology is beautiful because our God is beautiful.  Our worship should be no less.  When we advocate the use of Marva Dawn's quality test for music, we are pursuing beauty.  We desire music that is God-centered, theologically accurate, sung in a style appropriate to the occasion, and characterized by beauty and excellence to a significant degree.  This same filter can be applied to all of our worship elements, from the preaching to the prelude.  This is putting feet to the command "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."  Like most quality products, it requires time, effort, training, and practice.  We will not happen upon beauty in a moment, it will be the by-product of lives well-lived before the face of God.

Joel at Unknowing has some thoughts on Christian Elitism that are worth reading for the pure fun of it.

Comments

[Joel]

What about Hutchens' main point about the recovery of worship?

[Brother Quotidian]

The reference to the beauty of holiness made me think of the standard fare in our worship.

After a processional hymn, it opens with a confession and absolution, and the Lord's Prayer.

Next is a section of praise, opened by the congregation chanting the "Venite, Exultemos Domino," a canticle formed of portions of Psalm 95 and 96. So, each Sunday, we lustily belt out the following to a soaring Anglican chant:

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD; *
let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; *
and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God; *
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth; *
and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it; *
and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, *
and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; *
and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth stand in awe of him.

For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; *
and with righteousness to judge the world, and the peoples with his truth.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
And to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, *
World without end. Amen.

After singing this, we actually do what the Canticle bids us to do, that is, to praise the Lord with the chanting of an additional pslam or two (depending on what is appointed in the lectionary).

The follow readinngs from the OT, the NT epistles, and the Gospel, interlarded with additional canticles and hymns which we sing.

We sing a lot. Take away the sermon, and I'd guess that the congregation sings about 75 percent of everything else that is said (excepting the prayers).

[Scott M]

Ah.... good ole Joel and his Christian Elitism. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. :-)