THE FULL COUNSEL PART 3: INTENTIONALITY IN WORSHIP

Audio for the following may be found here. You may also listen to podcast episodes here.

INTENTIONALITY IN WORSHIP

            Intentionality is surely required for worship to be pleasing to the Lord. Without intentionality, churches risk human motivation, selfish desires, and false teachings through worship practices. Nevertheless, for an intentional approach to occur, an intentional method must be employed. Even in a free tradition, a useful method is liturgy. Whether utilizing a historic liturgy or a liturgy adapted for contextual reasons, liturgy is the link between intentionality and planning. Despite humanity’s vast imperfections, God’s standards are matchless in demanding perfection. Christians, therefore, should strive for excellence in all worship practices; what is lacking is filled by the power of the Holy Spirit and the mediation of Jesus Christ. On a biblical, Spirit-led, and historic basis, liturgy provides an avenue for local churches to rightly declare the full counsel of God in an intentional manner.

Humanity Is Not Perfect, but God Is

            A common defense to inaccuracies in worship is the notion of humanity’s imperfection. Certainly, no perfect human has ever existed except Jesus; yet, humanity’s imperfection is made both positionally and actually perfect in Christ. A local church’s excuses regarding theological and doxological inaccuracies then are moot points, for although humanity is not perfect, God is. Imperfection is not an acceptable excuse to neglect excellence. Liturgy is beneficial in that the tool provides excellence by utilizing tested and tried methods and resources for God’s people to rightly worship. One who worships God in a prepared manner is less likely to digress from the righteous standards of which the Lord is worthy.

            Paul says, “…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom 8:26-27). The Apostle is not suggesting that anything God’s people offer is acceptable but that despite humanity’s required best efforts, imperfection is inevitable so God the Spirit intervenes and helps the church with a presentable offering to the Lord.

Unfortunately, spontaneity seems to (wrongly) have a corner on the Holy Spirit; yet, the Holy Spirit works through planning and organization as well. The Holy Spirit has certainly been involved in the work of liturgy. Through the church’s centuries of efforts, tools and resources have been developed under the leadership of the Holy Spirit so that God’s people may rightly worship him without concern of theological inaccuracies and even heresies. In my experience, humanity’s imperfection often becomes an excuse to be flippant in the approach to worship or to at least dismiss the responsibility of excellence. God demands excellence; any imperfections in his people’s attempts at excellence is mediated by the Holy Spirit into an acceptable offering. Christian worship should be intentional in all facets; liturgy is intentional and is, thus, a tool for God’s people (even those in free traditions) to worship properly. If daily occurrences such as legal matters, public ceremonies, and academic pursuits reveal more concern from believers than the worship of God by way of preparation and intentionality, there could be an indication of idolatry. Liturgy allows for an intentional method to ensure right doxology.

While semantics seem miniscule to many, every word and every action in worship matters and inherently possesses the role of teaching the people of God. Therefore, everything must be intentional and purposeful. Nonetheless, humanity is imperfect so perfect worship does not exist except that it is employed in the power of the Holy Spirit, which implies great care and work in crafting worship dialogues rather than flippantly employing an unplanned service of worship replete with theological and doxological inaccuracies. God’s people hold a great responsibility in intentionally worshiping the creator. Anything missed then is transformed by the Holy Spirit. To dismiss the responsibility of intentionality, however, is to dismiss God’s requirements for worshiping him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

Humanity is certainly imperfect; yet, God is perfect and receives a perfect sacrifice from his people in the power of the Holy Spirit. Liturgy has been tested and tried by the church for centuries and has been guided by the Holy Spirit so that the people of God today may rightly craft an intentional dialogue between the body and the creator.

Intentionality Requires a Plan

            It is not intended here to criticize spontaneity in worship, for surely, the Holy Spirit works through spontaneous moments; yet, planning is a necessity for the structure God demands. Perhaps, spontaneity should be employed within the bounds of pre-planning. If the Lord sovereignly instructs leaders and his people to deviate from a plan, obedience is necessary; yet, God’s work is not absent from planning. In fact, planning is necessary for intentionality. Liturgy helps guide the planning process so that the full counsel of God is rightly declared. Additionally, planning affords God people to be proactive rather than reactive and certainly does not detract from a free expression of worship but enhances it. For the church to experience the benefit of intentionality in liturgy, the guide for planning through its use should be considered and utilized.

            Even in planning, the Holy Spirit leads. Paul instructs believers to be orderly in their worship practices (1 Cor 14:26-40). The importance of organization, therefore, should not be diminished. A false but common notion is that too much structure disallows the Holy Spirit’s leadership in worship. What should be considered, however, is not only how the Spirit leads in spontaneity but how he leads in planning. Historic liturgy is not the result of Spiritless structure but rather centuries of trial, testing, and prayer, i.e. historic liturgies have been led and proven by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. To fully experience liturgy’s benefit of intentionality, even free churches should understand the importance of planning. Planning does not dismiss the leadership of the Holy Spirit but rather connects to it.

            Moreover, planning is proactive rather than reactive. The word of God is relevant to the people of God no matter the season of life. Thus, declaring God’s full counsel and not deviating from its message will always help the church. Certainly, it is acceptable to modify worship plans as they relate to current events in the body of Christ; yet, nothing should ever distract from the message God has already given through Scripture. Liturgy is designed to declare the story of God without deviation. If current events distract from the word of God, it would be correct to consider such events as a form of idolatry. Liturgy, however, is proactive in declaring the full counsel of God rather the reactive by trying to adapt God’s message to current events. Since God’s word is always useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16), relevance is not an issue; God’s people should conform their lives around Scripture rather than feebly attempting to conform Scripture around their lives, i.e. the church is subject to God’s word, not God’s word subject to the church. Liturgy affords the church a method for proactivity.

            Contrary to what might seem, planning does not detract from a free expression of worship but enhances it. Both free and liturgical traditions have much to learn from each other. Liturgical traditions would benefit from the fluidity that exists in many free churches while free traditions would benefit from the purposeful declaration of God’s story through planning. There surely must exist a middle-ground between fluidity and rigidity that embraces the Holy Spirit’s leadership and the necessary structure liturgy brings to Christian worship. Right worship is employed in spirit and truth; yet, right worship also includes structure. It would be advantageous for free traditions to continue with a fluid approach to worship but to do so within the bounds of Spirit-led planning through liturgy. Liturgy is not designed without consideration of local churches or current events. To the contrary, liturgy is designed to be modified and adapted as necessary while still declaring the ever-relevant and life-changing story of God through Scripture.

Since intentionality is a benefit of liturgy, to experience such a benefit, church leaders should seriously consider their responsibility to plan. Intentionality requires a plan; liturgy is the most tried and true method for worship planning that ensures right theology and right doxology. Orderly worship should not be diminished but should be the parameters around which the Holy Spirit works and speaks to his people. Liturgy subsists as a tool and a guide for such Holy Spirit-led functions to occur.

Liturgy Is the Plan Linked to Intentionality

            Since intentionality is telling of one’s (or a local church’s) view on worship and since planning is necessary to achieve the highest standards possible in Christian worship, liturgy is the link between the two. Liturgy, whether a historic liturgy or a localized and customized liturgy for a specific context, offers the local church a way to declare God’s story free of inaccuracies, misinterpretations, and mis-happenings, i.e. mistakes. Therefore, to properly plan and to properly experience the benefit of intentionality, liturgy should be embraced rather than dismissed. On a threefold basis, liturgy is right and useful for declaring the fullness of God. Liturgy contains a biblical basis, a Spirit-led basis, and a tested basis. Local churches would find it advantageous then to utilize some form of liturgy.

            First, liturgy contains a biblical basis. Regarding historic Christian liturgies,[1] one common goal is to take believers on a journey through the entirety of Scripture. The RCL, for example (as mentioned already), takes a local church through the Bible during a three-year course of time. Liturgy should be understood as derived from Scripture. Liturgical churches, therefore, are not unbiblical in their approach to Scripture but rather exercise worship practices that are, in fact, replete with Scripture.[2] Since worship should be biblically-based, God’s people may experience the benefit of intentionality by employing liturgy, which is, by its nature, biblically-based.

            Second, liturgy contains a Spirit-led basis. As already referenced, the leadership of the Holy Spirit is not limited to spontaneity but instead includes all facets of leadership. Moreover, I contend that the Holy Spirit’s leadership most often comes through planning. For centuries, the same Holy Spirit that guides Christians today guided the church and her leaders in crafting worship dialogues that declare the full counsel of God. Thus, liturgy has been led by the Holy Spirit for centuries and continues to be relevant to God’s people today, i.e. the Holy Spirit still uses liturgy and guides local churches in crafting worship dialogues that declare the full counsel of God.

            Lastly, liturgy contains a tested basis. Said another way, the church has utilized liturgy for centuries and has, therefore, been able to sift through any glaring (or even seemingly miniscule) errors so that the result now is a Spirit-led and church-tested product that is free of human errors. The historic parts of liturgy that persist today have been used by the church for centuries and have come from much prayer and scrutiny from God-honoring giants of the faith who desired precision and clarity in worship. Liturgy then is built upon a basis that has been tested.

            Liturgy rests solidly upon a biblical basis, a Spirit-led basis, and a tested basis. The timeless church of God, of which Christians today are a part, has employed liturgy for centuries and in a way that is not irrelevant but rather transcends time and always has a connection to the people of God. While methods have been adapted, the message and timeless truths still resound. Even free traditions would benefit to utilize historic liturgy so that the full counsel of God is declared in a mystic connection with God’s people throughout the ages.

Intentionality: A Benefit and a Mandate for the People of God

            Of the benefits liturgy provides to even free traditions, perhaps, the most significant is that of intentionality. The word, intentionality, has already been mentioned copiously. Right doxology requires intentionality; liturgy is the vehicle for such an intentional approach to occur. Lest God’s people resort to their inevitable imperfection as a feeble excuse to flippantly approach God in worship, liturgy should be understood as a Spirit-led tool with a biblical and historical basis. How a local church plans their worship gatherings is telling of their view of God and his supremacy. Liturgy is useful to free traditions in that it intentionally provides a way for God’s people to accurately declare the full counsel of God. Local free churches, therefore, would benefit from employing some form of liturgy to ensure right doxology in their context.

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[1] Such references liturgies found in the RCL (and those like it) and the BCP.

[2] Various local churches hold disparate approaches to interpretation; yet, those that employ a liturgy often experience a far greater supply of Scripture itself than free traditions that often do not approach Scripture in the same manner.

THE FULL COUNSEL PART 2: DECLARATION OF THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD

 Audio for the following may be found here. You may also listen to podcast episodes here.

DECLARATION OF THE FULL COUNSEL OF GOD

            A vast benefit of liturgy is its inherent declaration of the full counsel of God. God, his story, and the story of his work in the lives of his people is innately presented through liturgy. Whether new, old, modified, or adapted, liturgy is readily available to all contexts for use in worship and to aid God’s people in proclaiming his full counsel. The most evident ways liturgy helps declare the full counsel of God are through Scripture, prayer, church history, and language. Local churches should take seriously their commitment to God’s declaration in worship and should strive for excellence in every facet; liturgy helps in this way.

The Full Counsel Defined

            The Apostle Paul contends that he did not cease to declare the full counsel of God to the Church at Ephesus (Acts 20:27). “…for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God,” he says. Paul uses the Greek word, ἀναγγέλλω (annagello), in reference to declaration. It is derived from a word that involves preparation, i.e. Paul himself understood the importance of preparation in rightly declaring the full counsel of God. Additionally, the word he uses for whole is πᾶς (pas), which includes all forms of declension, i.e. as the adage goes, no stone is left unturned. The full counsel of God, therefore, should be understood as the complete, precise, and accurate knowledge of God, his story, and his ways. Such knowledge should be offered to the local church each week; none of it should be neglected; liturgy ensures that the full counsel (not the partial counsel) of God is declared among God’s people.

The Full Counsel through Scripture

The first way liturgy declares the full counsel of God is through Scripture. Perhaps, the most common lectionary, among Protestants, is the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), although there are certainly other lectionaries and prayer books besides the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).[1] The purposeful use of Scripture in lectionaries affords God’s people the chance to read and hear the Bible in its entirety or at least largely understand the overarching structure of Scripture. Thus, liturgy, using Scripture, naturally declares the full counsel of God.

Standardized by Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556 AD), the BCP represents a collection of liturgized prayers for the church to employ during weekly worship gatherings. Additionally, the RCL is the result of several revisions to the standard lectionary utilized, which was modified in 1994. Although standard lectionaries have been revised multiple times through the centuries, what exists now is the result of the modification made in 1994. Protestant churches that utilize the RCL, which is on a three-year cycle, hear the Bible in its entirety throughout the course of three years. Such an approach is largely uncommon in most free churches. While many free churches might institute an in-depth study by taking the congregation through entire books of the Bible, the largescale premise of Scripture is likely missed, especially since the sermon text is often the only scripture heard during weekly worship. It might even be argued that in-depth study is the responsibility of congregants themselves while a broader approach should be used during corporate worship.

There subsists a seeming disconnect between the authority of Scripture in many free churches and its employment in corporate worship. Certainly, Scripture holds utmost authority; yet, when one passage is all that is often heard, it is right to question a church’s submission to the Bible. Perhaps, in many free churches, the authority of Scripture is seen through the level of depth taught in the church. While I certainly do not advocate for shallow teaching, the question arises of when depth becomes merely the commentary of the teacher rather than the authority of Scripture. There surely is a time and place for everything including lengthy and deep teaching; I submit, however, that corporate worship is not always the proper place for such. A teacher in worship should be skilled and helpful in expositing and understanding the text; yet, the deepest levels of teaching should be reserved for other times in the body of Christ.

Scripture is authoritative itself without the commentary of teachers; the purpose of corporate worship is the glorification of God by declaring his story among the people of God; therefore, contrary to popular opinion in many free churches, the sermon is not the most importance part of worship. In fact, all components of worship work together to form a coherent dialogue. Since Scripture is authoritative, the most sensible option for the people of God is to receive the most Scripture possible during worship. Liturgy allows for such reception and does not convolute the text but rather allows it to speak for itself. The full counsel of God, therefore, is declared through the liturgy.

One of the Five Solas is sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). The Bible is vital to Christian worship because it is a derivative of God himself. Rather than considering Jesus as subject to the Bible, the text of Scripture should be understood as the word of God because it is subject to Jesus, i.e. Jesus is the central theme and purpose of Scripture. For the church to truly know God then, she must know Scripture. Liturgy methodically utilizes Scripture to declare the full counsel of God. The full counsel of God cannot be told with partial Scripture but only the fullness thereof. Thus, a benefit of liturgy, even for free traditions, is the declaration of God’s full counsel.

The Full Counsel through Prayer

            Prayer is yet another vital element of Christian worship. In fact, I contend that as worship is life, prayer is also life, for the Apostle Paul instructs to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). To suggest that prayer is just talking to God is to diminish what occurs during the conversation. The right and privilege God’s people have because of the mediation of Christ is matchless. Prayer, therefore, should never be taken lightly and should be treated with utmost respect and preparation, especially in a corporate context. Liturgy aids in this endeavor by offering right and upright prayers from the people of God.

            A liturgical church would be familiar with reciting prayers from a prayer book that correspond to the rest of the gathering’s dialogue. As already referenced, there exist other prayer books; yet, the BCP is likely the most employed in Christian worship. Even without utilizing the BCP, liturgists should carefully craft prayers to reflect the heart and themes of the dialogue in which they participate. Whether realized or not, public prayers teach the congregation. What is offered from the mouth of the suppliant reflects a theological stance of the congregation. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure precision and accuracy when one prays to God before the people of God.

            Liturgy uses carefully crafted and tested prayers that succinctly petition the Lord on behalf of the congregation centered around a theme and a purpose. Often, free church prayers are impromptu; thus, their content tends to deviate from any form of coherence and sensible language. One would surely not enter a court of law unprepared; yet, God Most High is often treated as less than earthly magistrates in the way his people approach him in prayer. Liturgy eliminates such disrespect by offering God’s people a tried-and-true manner, in which to approach him.

            The themes, and theological ideas presented in liturgical prayers, furthermore, aid in the formation of believers. Whether realized or not, corporate prayers contain the role of teaching. Through the suppliant(s), theological concepts are taught (albeit perhaps subconsciously when it should be intentionally) to congregants. For the full counsel of God to be both declared and understood, corporate prayer must be a vital focus of local churches. Consider what is taught to children when God’s people flippantly approach the Lord Most High and even verbalize that prayer is just speaking to God, as if there is nothing significant about it. The full counsel involves an understanding of not only what prayer is and to whom God’s people speak: namely God Most High.

            The BCP is not an unapologetically necessary tool to declare the full counsel through prayer. It is, nevertheless, helpful. There are certainly other prayer books designed to accomplish the same goal. Moreover, local churches can craft their own prayers around the central themes and theological ideas of worship. The key is intentionality.

            Many free churches likely do not realize the marvelous opportunity to teach God’s people through prayer. Certainly, prayer is a conversation between God and his people; yet, what the suppliant offers should be a reflection of the corporate body rather than his or her own ideas and petitions. Therefore, corporate prayer should be thoughtful and theologically acute. Ironically, many free traditions that pride themselves on praying in an impromptu manner because of its supposed sincerity tend to, without realizing it, offer the same prayers and verbiage week after week, often with little thought and little connection to the rest of the worship dialogue. Planned prayer is not less sincere but can be, in fact, more sincere than extemporaneous prayer, as God’s people together offer petition in a reverent and respectful manner. Local free churches would greatly benefit from considering prayer as an opportunity to declare the full counsel of God.

The Full Counsel through Momentous Occasions in Christian History

            A noble and inherent result of liturgy is its ability to connect the modern church to the global and historical church. Liturgy is not a tool useful for the days of old and useless today but rather a link between the saints of the past and the global saints now. A significant part of the full counsel of God is Christian history. Therefore, the history of God’s people should be understood, proclaimed, and remembered. Such history includes not only the events of the Bible but the momentous occasions throughout church history. Liturgy declares the full counsel of God by remembering and recounting such occasions in Christian history.

            First, liturgy connects the saints today with the saints of the Bible in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Multiple times Scripture instructs God’s people to recount the deeds of the Lord, e.g. Psalm 9:1. Recounting is necessary not only for God to be praised but for God’s people, with such feeble memories and (often) devotion, to live in a state of faithfulness for what the Lord has done. The best example of the story of God is the text of Scripture. Scripture is infallible and worthy to be observed and obeyed. No other text in human history has the infallibility of Scripture; nor, does any human’s opinion or interpretation of the Bible trump what it clearly presents. Scripture tells the story of God’s people from history’s beginning through the time of the Apostles. God’s actions, plan, and sovereign will in the Bible should forever be recounted. Liturgy declares the full counsel of God by exhibiting the entirety and authority of Scripture.

            Liturgy also declares the full counsel of God in its connection to church history. Not only are the saints of the past remembered in many liturgical contexts, because standard liturgies have been implemented for centuries (even since the early church), Christians today participate in the same manner as their brothers and sisters from prior days. Liturgy holds an innate historical influence in that the standards employed have been vetted and tried by the church for centuries. What exists today then is the product of church history. For the full counsel of God to be declared, the story must not cease with the book of Revelation,[2] for God continues to move in his people’s lives today. The Holy Spirit subsists as a helper and comforter for the people of God; thus, his work continues; and the church today is an active part of the story of God.

            Additionally, the full counsel of God is declared through liturgy in that it is relevant for today. Liturgy is not a dated instrument with little to no use for today’s church. Instead, liturgy transcends time, for it is derived from Scripture and church history, both of which stem from the God who is timeless. Although elements such as language must likely be adapted for modern culture, the substance of liturgy remains intact and aids in declaring the full counsel of God among his people; liturgy connects the people of God to the saints of the past and offers them timeless truth for the present and future.

            Free traditions often pride themselves in the authority of Scripture; yet, they neglect to heed church history. Not to suggest that Scripture and church history are of equal value, the church has magnificent truths to learn from church history. The full counsel of God should be declared from every perspective, i.e. since God’s people throughout the centuries are surely a part of his story, momentous occasions in church history should be recounted. The Reformation, martyrs of Christian history, and events throughout the centuries help the church remember both how God has worked and perhaps even shed light on what to do and not to do, i.e. everything the church has done throughout history has not always been the correct choice. Throughout history, nevertheless, God has worked marvelously and brought himself glory. His full counsel, therefore, should be declared as an act of worship.

The Full Counsel through Language

            Christian worship demands excellence in all elements. God must not be treated casually, as if he is merely another acquaintance believers approach each week. Rather, God must be considered the highest of everyone and everything and exponentially so. Thus, the language utilized in worship should reflect his full counsel, i.e. nothing should be excluded from the jargon of corporate worship except that which is not relevant to the glory of God. In free traditions, unfortunately, churches often diminish the importance of language in the name of sincerity, i.e. the common notion is that preparation negates sincerity. Preparation, however, ensures that worship language fully declares the counsel of God. God’s people then should be attentive to what is said and proclaimed during corporate worship.

            The full counsel demands full attention. As declaring the fullness of Scripture requires intentionality, declaring the full counsel, through the lingo utilized in worship, also requires intentionality and focus. Crafted language allows God’s people to approach the King of kings without concern of improper or irreverent words. Perhaps, many from free traditions treat the worship of God casually because his fullness has not been declared through language. One who understands the full counsel of God rightly understands that he or she approaches no ordinary being and, thus, strives for God-honoring and God-exalting language.

            Moreover, when a church employs thoughtless language, the result is often a partial counsel at best. Worship language through prayers, teachings, responses, readings, etc. has a secondary role of teaching the people of God; it is, nonetheless, a vital role in corporate worship. To declare the full counsel of God, accurate theology must be considered. If what the congregants hear, in the language, is improper and inaccurate theology, they passively receive such as teaching. Therefore, the leaders of worship should strive to present thoughtful and precise language to declare the full counsel of God.

            The way liturgy helps declare the full counsel of God is through its carefully crafted language. Whether employing a standard lectionary or even a modified or original liturgy, churches that carefully and prayerfully craft worship language fulfill their God-given role of declaring the full counsel in a more complete manner. Liturgy is not designed to restrict God’s people but to free them from any concern that what they say dishonors, misinterprets, or misunderstands God and who he is. Liturgy then can be useful in the free tradition by creating a map of assurance for worship.

            No single person or church worships in perfection, except through the mediation of Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, such imperfection should not serve as an excuse to worship flippantly and aimlessly. Language is vital to Christian worship but often neglected in free traditions. Many who speak publicly often practice and rehearse their speeches and then seldom deviate from the plan. It is astonishing that Christians would consider God to be less important than the people before whom public speakers present. God is, in fact, worthy of his people’s best. Although God’s people operate in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, their corporate actions speak volumes to congregants who are passively taught through the elements of worship. Liturgy solidifies, clarifies, and declares the full counsel of God among his people.

The Difference between a Partial and a Full Counsel Is Seemingly (Not Truly) Inconsequential Elements

            A common response to the notions presented here often revolves around semantics, as if examining every aspect of corporate worship is not necessary. The full counsel of God, however, demands attention to such detail. To some the difference in suggesting reception of Christ versus acceptance of Christ may appear to be a semantical issue; yet, to thinking people, the difference is substantial.[3] Elements of worship are only seemingly inconsequential at best, for every aspect matters. That with which the church is left when these elements are not considered then is the partial counsel of God rather than the full counsel. God and his story must be declared in its entirety irrespective of the opinions of humankind. Through Scripture, language, prayer, and church history, a complete rendering is vital to God’s full counsel. God is the God who is, not the God humankind desires him to be. What liturgy does is provide a guide and a means to declare the full counsel of God. Rather than leaders of worship blindly conveying inaccurate theology and false information, tested and tried liturgy gives the church a necessary tool to declare the full counsel of God even in a free context

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[1] As a reminder, this book does not advocate for one source or another but supports the benefits of liturgy in the context of a free church.

[2] Such a statement, in no way, suggests the possibility of extra revelation but rather the truth that, although in disparate ways, God continues working through his people today and did not end his work with the Apostles.

[3] One or the other is not advocated here but both used as an example.