Not All That Could Be Worship Should Be Worship At Church

In the previous article, we began thinking about whether dance teams are appropriate for a Sunday morning worship service.

Hang on, are you telling me I can’t dance?

As I said previously, our corporate worship in a church should be founded positively from the directions of Scripture. The Bible says New Testament Christians should read the Word (1 Tim. 4:13); preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2); sing the Word (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16); pray the Word (1 Tim 2:8; James 5:13; Jude 20); and see the Word in the Lord’s Supper and Baptism (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38–39; 1 Cor. 11:23–26; Col. 2:11–12).

This is different from “worship in all of life.” For example, Paul writes in 1 Cor 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

As many have pointed out in explaining this verse, you should be able to find a way to drink orange juice to the glory of God. “God, I thank you for this juice. What an amazing world You created!” Every day ought to be filled with moments of worship like this.

“All-of-life” vs. Corporate Worship

However, this does not mean everything that could be worship should be worship at church on the Lord’s Day. For example, would it be appropriate to make time as an element of worship to drink orange juice corporately? Can you imagine a church where everyone is given a thimble to drink, and they all drink it together as an act of worship, saying together “Thank you Jesus giving us a world that has oranges”?

If we don’t set limits to our worship services, then anything goes! So, yes, you can dance to Jesus. You may be gifted by God to dance. But that does not mean that we should have to be afflicted in sitting through your dance special in the middle of a worship service on the Lord’s Day. Something more is happening in corporate worship than you expressing yourself, displaying your gifts, or individually worshipping God.

Freedom of Conscience

But what about my freedom? And what about the freedom of a church to decide how they are to worship?

Yes, you have freedom of conscience, within the bounds of Scripture. But that does not mean we have to have our consciences bound by your freedom.

When we gather for worship, we are saying that this is how all Christians must worship God as their duty. We are expecting everyone here on a Sunday morning who is a Christian to worship God through these elements.

Imagine crafting your own worship service. What sorts of things would you put in it? Dancing, painting, poetry reading? Can you say, based on the positive commands of Scripture, that it is everyone’s rightful obedience to God to worship Him in these ways? Pastors are only able to say such things with a clear conscience and with integrity if they are certain the elements of worship they arrange for their services are commanded by God.

God has given us in His word a sufficient testimony of what obedience and worship look like. If it is not there, then we do not have the right to bind the conscience of anyone. Therefore in corporate worship, we’re only going to do things that can be clearly seen and defended in Scripture for the Church in their New Testament worship.

Freedom of Forms

There are three terms that would help us get a better grasp on this topic: Elements, forms, and circumstances.

Elements of worship: What the Bible commands us positively to do.

Forms of worship: How those elements will take shape, dependent on prudence and wisdom.

Circumstances: Cultural assumptions and aides to help people worship practically. (A/C, chairs, electricity, microphones, a building, removing shoes at the door, bulletins, etc.)

Here’s how it would work:

Element of worship: Prayer. God commands Christians to pray when they gather. See 1 Tim 2:8; James 5:13; Jude 20.

Form of worship: But what form should that take? How long should we pray? Two minutes? Ten minutes? How many different types of prayers should a worship service have? Three prayers? Five prayers? The congregation and the pastors have the freedom to decide what form the biblical element of worship (prayer) might take. These forms are decided upon by wisdom and prudence. The element is non-negotiable. The form is negotiable.

Circumstances: There are several good and necessary consequences to prayer. It may be good to close our eyes and bow our heads when praying to minimize distractions. Other cultures may stand and lift their hands. We also are helped by using a microphone for prayer.

What If We Don’t Want to Use the Regulative Principle?

If we don’t use the regulative principle, then what are our options? First, let’s recap.

What is the regulative principle?

• Whatever is commanded, is required.

• Whatever is not commanded, is forbidden.

Here are three alternatives:

1. The Normative principle

• Whatever is not forbidden, is allowed.

“God didn’t say we couldn’t have a dance team—so we’re going to have a dance team.”

You are correct. God didn’t say you couldn’t do it. God also didn’t say we can’t have a team of dancers on stage who are dressed like stormtroopers from Star Wars and dance to Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough. But just because God didn’t say we couldn’t do it is not a good enough reason to do it.

If you’re curious about what I’m talking about—in 2016, The Church by the Glades did a “Family Drive-In” sermon series, which included the below:

Watch Church by the Glades - Stormtrooper Dance

2. The Pragmatic Principle

• Whatever works, is allowed. Or, Whatever we deem to be beneficial, is allowed.

“Dance teams work! It draws a crowd. People share it on social media. There is such a stigma about going to church—that it’s too stuffy and formal, and we’re reaching people where they’re at and letting them know it's fun to come to church! When we do stuff like this, they will invite their friends. Don’t knock it if it works. God is blessing this!”

The pragmatic principle, unfortunately, is not new.

In the Lutheran Formula of Concord, 1577, Article 10, “On Church Rites” we read this:

[Regarding ceremonies ‘which are neither commanded nor forbidden in God’s Word’] We believe, teach, and confess that the congregation of God of every place and every time has the power, according to its circumstances, to change such ceremonies in such manner as may be most useful and edifying to the congregation of God.

In other words, if we deem it to be useful and edifying, then we can do it.

3. The Ecclesial Principle

• Whatever the church deems to be correct, is allowed.

The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles, 1563, Article 20 says this

Of the Authority of the Church. The Church hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies, and authority in Controversies of Faith: and yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written…

Essentially this says

• Whatever is not forbidden, is allowed, because the church says so.

I want to continue to think about this important topic with you, but let me leave you with a few bullet points:

Theology of Worship

1. God alone deserves to be worshipped. [There is a God. He is worthy of worship. We were made to worship Him.]

2. God decides how He is to be worshipped. [See Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10, if you disagree]

3. Scripture is sufficient to tell us how He is to be worshipped. He doesn’t leave us guessing as to how He wants us to worship Him. He says worship Me, and then tells and shows us how. Related to that:

4. What God requires, He also provides. If we are to draw close to God, then He tells us how, and He makes the way. He is a gracious God to provide all that we need to worship Him. He gives us both instruction and provision for worship. [Consider the sacrificial system, and consider the provision of His Son on the cross].

5. We worship with the saints.

Philosophy of Ministry

1. Worship is not about us. Man-centered vs. God-centered. Worship is not about our self-expression or our preferences. [For example, we’re not going to divide services based on preferences in music. We don’t do contemporary vs. traditional. We will not focus on self-expression or showing off our gifting. No drum solos].

2. Freedom of conscience. You can’t impose your freedoms on another.

3. There is a difference between All-of-life worship vs. the gathered assembly.

4. Understand the difference between the elements of worship and the forms of worship.