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Vintage Worship
Please see below for information about a summer WORSHIP WORKSHOP in Louisville, Kentucky. ============== In today’s WORSHIP QUOTE, author Dan Kimball describes “vintage worship” as getting back to the basics of a biblical model. It seems that the latest thing might just be the earliest thing. VINTAGE WORSHIP I wonder if in the rush of creative planning and the desire to see people enjoy our worship gatherings in the modern church, we have pushed to the sidelines what we are supposed to be doing. We need to keep these definitions of worship [earlier in the chapter] in the forefront of our minds as we plan our services, asking the Spirit to guide us. In the emerging church, we need to make sure we view our worship services as gatherings in which people come to “attribute worth to God,” “to kiss toward him in reverence and lay prostrate” or “bow down” to him either physically or in our hearts. This can be done by singing praises to God (Eph. 5:19) in community, by having God’s Word taught and read and used to focus our hearts and minds on who he is, and by honoring and remembering Jesus, our shepherd (Col. 3:16-17). Worship gatherings can also include our participation in serving and in ministering to one another as an act of worship (Mark 10:43-45; James 5:16). In our discussions about the emerging church, it is a mistake to focus more on the arts, on making organic flow, and on including experiential elements than on asking how this gathering is creating an environment in which people worship God. We should always be asking how any interactive element moves people to worship God more. Dan Kimball, in THE EMERGING CHURCH: VINTAGE CHRISTIANITY FOR NEW GENERATIONS. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), pp. 114-15. ISBN 0-310-24564-8 [FAVOR: Please consider forwarding the following paragraph to pastors or church musicians who might benefit from a wonderful WORSHIP WORKSHOP this summer.] WORSHIP TO THE GLORY OF GOD (July 12-16, 2004 in Louisville) will feature lectures by Harold Best and Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries. The five-day event is available as a two-credit course at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary or simply as a workshop for interested participants. You can expect an intensive experience combining both theological reflection and practical guidelines for planning and leading authentic biblical worship in today’s church. All lectures and materials will be relevant to both traditional and contemporary expressions of corporate Christian worship. If you have questions, please call 1-800-626-5525 (ext. 4115). This and other summer offerings can be seen at www.sbts.edu/icw. Click on “2004 Summer Workshops”.] Have a great week. Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu/icw =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org =========================== |