THE HOLY SPIRIT'S WORK IN PREPARATION

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THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK IN PREPARATION

            As a worship leader, discussions of the balance between preparation and spontaneity often arise. Inevitably, I hear arguments for spontaneity over preparation usually because it feels better or is cooler and less rigid. Further, a problem arises when the Holy Spirit is solely linked to spontaneity. God the Spirit, however, commonly uses planning, especially in matters related to Christian worship. In response, without quenching the possibility of spontaneity and its good, my aim today is to argue for the good in how God uses preparation.

Spontaneity Has No Corner on the Holy Spirit

            Often, believers make the mistake of synonymizing spontaneity and the Holy Spirit, as if he may only be spontaneous. Such an idea is derived perhaps from the seeming chaos of Pentecost; yet, the Acts account does not seem to suggest chaos but rather passion. God had Pentecost planned from before time began; thus, even Pentecost was not spontaneous. Passion and emotion is not founded upon spontaneity but upon the move of God. When Christians worship, spontaneity should not necessarily be the goal. In fact, I contend that fruitful and thorough preparation should be a goal with flexibility for spontaneity as God leads, although I would also argue that such leadership perhaps does not occur as much as churches attempt to force. No matter the tradition, careful preparation has proven to be beneficial to the church throughout the centuries and should not cease to be. Those in worship leadership should not limit the Holy Spirit’s work to spontaneous actions but should expect him to work through organization, for certainly, God can and does use the planning of his people equally as much as spontaneity if not more.

God’s Work Is Ordered

            Throughout Scripture, the work of God is ordered.  The Apostle Paul proclaims, “…God is not a God of confusion but of peace” (1 Cor 14:33 ESV). We are told in Jeremiah, “It is he who made the earth…by his wisdom…by his understanding…” (Jer 10:12). The orderly fashion of God is evident in the Bible. Thus, Christians should model worship after the God who is the subject (the one who works) and object (the one for whom work is completed) of the faith. Believers must bear in mind that while an action could seem spontaneous to humankind, it is always planned and ordered to God. Proverbs 16:9 reads, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Consider Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. Is it possible that God did not know an animal sacrifice would be provided and that Abraham would indeed need to kill his own son? Absolutely not! While, to Abraham, his obedience could have seemed random or unordered, the act was pointed and meticulous to and by God himself. Therefore, in Christians worship, preparation should be the rule, not the exception. While spontaneous moments surely occur in God-honoring worship, my contention is that they are rarer than perhaps realized. As the gap between so-called high and low church worship has narrowed over the past decades, it has become clearer that planning yields many advantages; yet, God still uses the preparation of his saints. God’s work is ordered; he, thus, should be the model by which God’s people plan their worship.

The Biblical Model Reveals the Good in Formulating Plans While Being Aware of God’s Constant Guidance

            Scripture testifies to a model that is orderly and simultaneously relies on a keen awareness of God’s presence and guidance. Consider Paul’s missionary journeys. They were planned, pointed, purposeful, and ordered; yet, God often changed Paul’s plans throughout his life, e.g. shipwrecks, prison, etc. Eventually, Paul was martyred for his faith. While that surely was not his goal, he eventually knew it was coming and followed the leadership of God. In Acts 16, Paul plans to preach the gospel in Bithynia; nonetheless, the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to do so; thus, Paul was given a vision to preach the gospel in Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). While Paul prepared and planned, God had other plans. Mindful of the fact that God’s plans are not random but predetermined, to humankind, his plans could certainly come at unexpected times and cause preparations to shift. This was the case for Paul. Such a shift, however, does not imply the norm but rather a miraculous occurrence. Throughout Scripture, God’s people make plans and preparations but are often led in unexpected directions. Such action does not negate the importance of formulating plans. In Christian worship, preparation should be the norm and that through which the Holy Spirit works; yet, believers (particularly those in leadership) should be ready to follow God’s leadership when he seemingly changes (at least in human minds) those plans. Scripture points to a God who is ordered and prepared and expects his people also to be so while also remaining flexible and in tune with the Holy Spirit’s leadership in such a manner that seemingly unexpected nudges become shifts in already made plans. In such cases, believers should not be rigid or timid but should trust that because God is leading, he is also providing, i.e. God equips his people where he calls them. Nevertheless, God’s people should not dismiss the importance of preparation according to Scripture.

Liturgy Is the Historic Pattern of the New Testament Church

            Regarding worship, liturgy has been the historic pattern of the New Testament Church including during the time of the Apostles. Documents such as the Didache reference such a fact. Order and preparation was vital to the New Testament Church and has been an important part of the church for centuries. While many have taken preparation to an unbalanced extreme, the rule has been that preparation yields good for God’s people. Worship is the most important act the church accomplishes. In fact, all missional activity exists because worship does not. Therefore, worship should be treated with utmost priority. People offer careful preparation to other activities of life, e.g. legal matters, marriages, athletics, academics, etc. Why then would God’s people choose to approach God with less than careful provision? Without fully advocating for only utilizing historic liturgy, the point is that preparation is good, godly, and necessary in Christian worship.