worship – jeremycouture.me

Should We Read the Psalms in Church?

Should we read out of the Book of Psalms together as a part of a public worship service? At first glance, they may seem hopelessly outdated or intended only for private study. Some of the Psalms contain sentiments that are so severe and malicious they are hard to square with Christ’s teaching about loving one’s enemies. When these shallow impressions are pushed aside, the Book of Psalms becomes a rich resource for gathered worship. Here are five reasons why.

The Psalms are part of the history of worship. The Psalter had a prominent place in ancient Israel and the early church. Paul calls first-century believers to “teach and admonish one another” with “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” in Colossians 3:16. In a world before the Contemporary Christian Music establishment, this is a clear reference to the Psalms of the Old Testament.

The Psalms are deeply personal. Composed by various authors and collected over many centuries, the Psalms were written as a response to Israel’s covenant relationship with God. They address a wide range of human experiences, from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and they do so, often, in the first person.

The Psalms use evocative language. The poetic form and terminology of the Psalms draws the reader into a spirit of adoration. The vivid imagery and colorful language begs for a response. These passages of Scripture are meant for a worship setting, by design.

The Book Psalms is organized into user-friendly parts. The 150 individual psalms can be organized into five books. These books contain passages that are all 50 verses or less, except for Psalms 18, 89, 78, and 119. Even these longer portions can be subdivided easily to be include in a public worship setting.

The Psalms are interconnected with the rest of Scripture. According to the Luke 24:44, the Psalms were considered the most important part of the Old Testament’s primary divisions: “The Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” The 90^th Psalm is based on the so-called “Song of Moses” in Exodus 15. The historical books of 1 & 2 Samuel provide the historical background for many of the psalms attributed to King David. The Psalms are quoted in the New Testament more than any other book. These links all show how central the Book of Psalms is to the rest of the Bible.

1 Timothy 4:13 says in part, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture.” This expression may take on many forms in a gathered worship service, but it can only be enhanced by reading the Psalms.

God-Centered Worship versus Self-Centered Worship

How do they differ?

This past Sunday at Northside Baptist, we studied the cleansing of the temple story in John 2:13-25. We took note of several ways that Jesus challenges believers today, including challenging our self-centered forms of worship. The Jews in Jesus’ day allowed merchants and money changers to distract from true God-centered worship. Even though elements and styles of worship change through the years, there are some priorities of gathered worship that stay the same. These priorities help us differentiate between God-centered worship and self-centered worship.

Preaching God’s Word. The Bible is God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative message to humanity. It tells us what we need to know about the world, ourselves, and most importantly God. The Scriptures inform and empower our worship; without them we have no basis for truth.

The Bible may be used in a variety of ways in worship, but the primary way it guides our worship is through expository preaching. Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix define expository preaching as “the process of laying open the biblical text in such a way that the Holy Spirit’s intended meaning and accompanying power are brought to bear on the lives of contemporary listeners.” This kind of proclaimation and explanation are essential for God-centered worship.

Praising Christ and Exalting His Name. In Hebrews 1:1-2, we find that Jesus Christ is God’s full and final revelation to the world. He is the “heir of all things” and should be the focus of our adoration and praise. The expressions of worship that we include in our times of gathered worship should all be intended for one purpose – to praise God’s one and only Son.

Music is a big part of modern worship and for good reason. Corporate singing allows congregants to participate in the service in an active way. But care should be taken to choose songs that highlight the objective nature of God and His redemptive plan for humanity in Jesus Christ. Some songs only talk about our subjective feelings as objects of God’s love. This second category falls short of the true nature of worship.

Engaging with the Holy Spirit. The Third-person of the Trinity is active in the worship of the church. In addition to salvation, the Holy Spirit is involved in empowering, illuminating, sanctifying, and bestowing gifts on all believers (Acts 1:8, John 14:16-17, Romans 8:2-17,1 Corinthians 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit makes His presence known as believers gather for worship.

There are other priorities that could be added to this. Specific expressions of worship like fellowship with other believers, observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and sacrificial giving are all valuable and worth noting. My goal has been to highlight the participation of all three members of the Trinity in God-centered worship. It is only when we pursue these priorities together that we avoid the self-centered alternative.

What priority would you add to the list? Feel free to add it below!

The Value of a Multigenerational Church

Family reunions are multigenerational by design. Grandmas and grandpas get together with their children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, and in-laws to love on one another and reconnect. As often as they happens, they are times to pass family values on from one generation to another.

The Bible affirms the value of the young and the old when it states, “The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair” (Proverbs 20:29, NASB). The Bible also assumes that the younger and older generations will come together in the ministry of the church. Titus chapter 2 includes instructions for older men and women who are worshipping and serving along side their younger counterparts. Older believers are to set a good example while looking for ways to encourage the next generation to follow in their footsteps (Titus 2:2-4a). Younger believers are to be teachable and responsive as they live out their faith (Titus 2:4b-8)

A multigenerational church is a healthy church. It’s not easy to bring the younger and the older together into one big family of faith. Every generation has its own concerns, preferences, and expectations in life and life in the church. It’s not easy, but it’s good and healthy. It’s good to see grandparents and their grandchildren worshipping together for the sake of the gospel. It’s healthy for young adults to learn from senior adults and vice versa in the ongoing ministry of the church.

Seven Ways to Prepare for Worship This Weekend

I have the privilege worshiping with my church family every Sunday at Unity Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky. I may be a pastor, but I’m a worshipper at heart. My primary responsibility in life is to glorify God and worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Worship is one of the spiritual activities (a.k.a spiritual disciplines) that gives focus and provides growth spiritual for those who want to live as Christians. I enjoy worshipping God on my own, but I also enjoy worshipping God with my church family as part of our formal church gatherings.

I rediscovered a fantastic book recently on the spiritual disciplines: Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. In it, Foster outlines the path to spiritual growth through thirteen different spiritual disciplines. Personal and public worship are one of those activities. I was so encouraged by his seven ways to prepare for worship (he calls them “Steps into Worship”) that I wanted to share them with you here.

1. Learn to practice the presence of God daily (1 Thess. 5:17). Public worship is really just an extension of private worship. Try to cultivate a sense of appreciation and awe throughout the week. When you get to church on Sunday you will eager to share your worship with others.

2. Have many different experiences in worship. Foster suggests worshipping with others in smaller settings throughout the week in addition to worshipping on your own. These sessions can provide the encouragement and accountably you need to express your praise to God.

3. Find ways to really prepare for the gathered experience of worship. Sundays can be busy days. Sometimes we are grateful just to make it to our pew on time. You can improve your experience in the worship service, however, by getting adequate rest the night before or by reviewing the songs or Scripture passages that will be used in the service that day.

4. Have a willingness to be gathered in the power of the Lord. Foster suggests that the language of gathered fellowship (worship) is not “I,” but “we.” We should be more concerned with God’s presence and work in the church as a whole than if our own individual needs have been met.

5. Cultivate holy dependency. The danger of “preparing” for worship is that we think that worship depends on us. God is the one who took the initiative in revealing Himself and His Word to us. Our worship is really just a response to Him and His gracious work.

6. Absorb distractions with gratitude. Distractions are unavoidable in public worship. Foster suggests thanking God for the life and energy of a little children who may be making noice rather than being annoyed by them.

7. Learn to offer a sacrifice of worship. Worship is rarely convenient. It takes time, energy, and other resources to praise God like He deserves. It takes commitment to gather with God’s people every week to worship God. When we learn to see these “difficulties” as a sacrifice in themselves, we will be more inclined to overcome them.

In the end, we are all worshippers at heart. We can either worship the One True and Living God revealed to us in the Scriptures, or we can worship something or someone less than God. If you are drawn to worship God, then I hope this helps you prepare well for worship with your church family this weekend.