As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In a previous article, I outlined a brief case for why the regulative principle of worship (“RP”) wasn’t a label worth owning. I still believe that. Here is a modified version of the argument I presented there:
“The English word worship comes from the early Modern English ‘worthship’; at its root it’s simply recognizing the worth of someone. … we do that in the same ways that we’d show respect for anyone else, but elevated, or exponentiated, because he’s exponentially more worthy than anyone else.” - Olinger
“53% of Protestant pastors say ‘our congregation sometimes seems to love America more than God.’” - Stetzer
Related
“Christian cases for yes, no, and flying other nations’ flags as congregations balance love of God, neighbor, and country.” - C.Today
“The focus of our worship is the Triune God of the Universe. On Independence Day, or any Lord’s Day, we mustn’t lose sight of the principal reason for our gathering.” - BPNews
“Conversational narcissism is manifested in worship when we take the topic and shift its focus to a topic of our own choosing. Instead of worship focused on God and God’s story, it is focused on me and my story.” - C.Leaders
How should we worship on Sundays? The Church has often framed this as an argument between the “regulative” and “normative” principles. This is a simplistic grid―these approaches are more complementary than we realize. This article discusses the regulative principle.
“…flipping a switch does not always have immediate results. Similarly, understanding God’s command for us to use our skills and resources for his glory does not immediately transform our outlook on work.” - IFWE
Jonathan Cruse’s book What Happens When We Worship has a simple point. Something important happens between us and God when we worship (p. 1). He presents a theology of worship (ch. 2-7), the pieces of a proper worship service (ch. 8-13), and some brief remarks about how to prepare for worship (ch. 14-15).
This is a book written with more zeal than tact.
“I sometimes enjoy the conveniences of our new Sunday morning routine, but there are pangs of sadness every week when my daughter hears music, turns to the screen, and almost immediately loses interest. I recall how engaged she was in the sounds, sights, and vibrations of congregational worship during the ‘before times.’” - C.Today
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