[Note: This is the second of a nine part series on a Theology of Worship being taught to our Worship Team, Tech Team, and Choir. Join us Wednesday evenings at 7 PM if you'd like to join the dialogue!]
The Author of Days
The story of all that was and is and is to come is the story of God. This larger story, sometimes referred to as a “meta-narrative,” is a crucial element in understanding our Christian faith, for it is the story of God’s activity in the universe as it has been revealed to us. This meta-narrative can be described as the continuing three-act play of creation, fall, and redemption. As Christ-followers, we can relate to this meta-narrative, as each of our lives are stories that mirror and fit into the larger story of God, who is the Author of Days.
Robert E. Webber says that “worship is a rehearsal of the saving deeds of God in history.” If you look at worship in the Old Testament—the feasts, Passover, and even regular gatherings in the synagogue—you see that worship is centered on the re-telling of God’s redemption. More than an encounter with God, we encounter the Truth of God—who He is, what He has done, and what He continues to do. We are reminded that God is still in the business of enfolding our redemption stories into His redemptive meta-narrative. And we respond in humility, gratitude, and obedience.
So when we gather together in corporate worship, one of our primary functions as worship leaders is to tell God’s story. We do so in all four of the movements of the service—Gathering (of which Acts of Praise is a part), The Service of the Word, The Service of the Table (think of the act of Communion as Jesus’ beautiful retelling of the story of redemption), and Sending. And as we do so, we celebrate God’s work in our lives and in the lives of others, as well as anticipate God’s on-going work of redemption and recreation in the world.
Implications
• Worship is something that is not centered on us and our experience of God, but as something much bigger and God-centric in which we engage.
• Worship spans both universe/world/creation as well as eternity/time/history. Worship is an eternal on-going act. So when we gather, we join with all creation, as well as with the Church around the world and the historical Church that came before us, in glorifying God.
• We are brought together by our redemption stories, which are mysteriously intertwined through our community, and through God’s saving grace. This is another reason why corporate worship is an essential part of the Christian faith. When I gather with others with whom I know and am known, I know their story, and I am reminded of how their story is entwined with mine, and enfolded into God’s larger story. Our definition of the Church changes when we understand this concept.
• Finally, the content of our worship is vitally important. The depth of the Truth we express becomes paramount. If our worship is an act of re-telling, then it affects the forms of our worship on a Sunday morning. We understand the importance of Gathering, Acts of Praise, the Service of the Word, the Service of the Table, and Sending.
