Prayer and Scripture in Worship - Mays Music Ministries



Prayer and Scripture in Worship

- Renewal of Scripture in Worship

o How much Scripture is read?

o What precedes and follows the reading?

o What function does Scripture appear to fulfill in the service?

▪ Read Scriptures to be used in five different translations

▪ Read in context

▪ Decided which version you’ll use

o The renewal of Scripture and prayer are primary in today’s worship

▪ People aren’t doing it at home or elsewhere (unless they’re desperate)

o How much prayer is voiced?

▪ Are we expressing prayers of confession?

- Prayer & Scripture

o What precedes and follows the prayers?

▪ The type of prayer needs to fit in the service moment properly

▪ Should there be a prayer response? What should it be?

o What function does prayer fulfill? What kinds of prayers do we pray?

▪ Basically, we commonly use two types

• Pastoral prayers

• “Bless the gift & the giver”

o Prayer & Scripture cannot be removed from worship

o People assume that Scripture has no role but to “set up” the sermon

o Worship in the shape of Scripture

▪ The Scripture gives us the words to describe the Word

▪ F. Russell Mitman: Worship in the Shape of Scripture (Pilgrim Press, 2001)—helps define worship in the form of Scripture

o Scripture

▪ Can provide the implied structure of the service

▪ Provides the content for the service

▪ The “words” reveal the Word

▪ The sermon appeals to reason

▪ Scripture interprets Scripture

▪ Becomes the text of a conversation between God and His community

▪ A sermon is only one “act” within a corporate liturgical action

▪ The sermon is only one expression of the “Word” event

o Preaching

▪ Proclaims the “big” picture

▪ Preach the smaller aspects of proclamation

▪ Conversation with God, not “about” God

- Conversation with God

o Introduction

▪ 1 Corinthians 14:24, 25–

24But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

▪ What is the nature of our conversation? We should still be able to find Christ as Savior

o Sequence of Conversation

▪ Luke 1:26-38

• Introduces us with God

• Opens a dialog

• Comforts us

• Message of God

• Scripture poses or provokes questions

▪ Matthew 1:19, 14:13

• Crowds follow

• Disciples spoke first

• Jesus challenges

• Inadequate resources

• “Let them wait”

o In every Scriptural encounter there is a pattern of activity

▪ Gather of the people

▪ Confession of sins

▪ The Word explained

▪ An offering is given

▪ People are sent forth

▪ There is always a common type of encounter…

- Worship Models—a sequenced set of actions that flow smoothly from one even to then next

o Definition: “A unified order of sequenced actions that has a shape made possible by an undergirding structure arising from the very form of the Word-event itself.” (Mitman, 47)

o Scripture identifies the “specifics” within the order

o Listen to what the text is saying when we are planning worship, regardless of whether we are using the model it may describe

o Liturgy growing out of the Word—though there should be some sense of spontaneity, it is biblical to present the service with dignity and in order

▪ Order reflects the Scriptural way God converses with His people

▪ The acts reflect the Scriptural purpose; many of our people get frustrated about our service elements because they don’t understand the purposes behind them

▪ Worship must connect with concrete acts of service, inward and outward

• It is not supposed to just “stand alone,” but to prepare and empower us to go out into the world

• Our people are seeing no connection between Sunday morning worship and Monday morning business

• A service of “edutainment” fails to connect what we are singing about with how we are to live

▪ It is possible in any worship context (try to use as many different ones as possible) to teach the Scripture

▪ Spend time with the text—at least five translations

▪ Begin all study and planning with prayer and discernment

▪ Ask questions of the text to be preached on itself

▪ Narrow the focus, decided upon the primary text; it can get too broad and too difficult to focus

▪ Read the Scriptures aloud, and from various translations; also see how effectively you can read it

▪ Write “orally” when preparing any public presentation, not from the standpoint of academic or professional writing, but keep grammar inline

▪ Discover the pathos of the Scripture—what has captured you in the Scripture that you have to speak about it?

▪ Make sure the words are to God and not just about God

Drama in Worship

- Conditioned by culture

- Began with Judaism

o Retell the story (like “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”

o Expression of worship in tabernacle & temple

o Action of the sacrifice—incense was meant to cover the odor of sacrifice

o Celebrations at home—like Sabbath, or Satyr:

▪ Why do we recline at the table? That is the Arabic symbol of a free man; shows freedom. The response of the child: “Because we are free.”

- Early days of Christianity

o Initiation process—catechism & rituals

o Reading and proclaiming the Word of God (telling the stories of the Bible)

o Celebration of the Lord’s Supper itself became a drama

- Value of Drama

o It seeks to draw the congregation into the story

o Will serve to heighten the communication of the event

o Provides for a variety of expression

o There may be people who cannot participate in any other way but can in this; make sure you’re using people who can do it well, though. Remember, it’s all in the timing

o Really just a religious allegory

- Historical Glimpse of Drama—from the fall of Lucifer to the Second Coming

o Pagan Greek and Roman

o Early Christian

▪ 10th century—Holy Week (Quem Queritas)—“Whom seek ye?”

▪ Later, Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem

▪ Advent, Christmas, Epiphany

o Medieval

▪ Advent, Christmas, Epiphany

▪ Became longer, more formal presentations

▪ Used for missions

▪ Miracle plays—stories of miracles

▪ Mystery plays—stories of redemption

▪ Morality plays—dramatized allegories

o Gradual decline—Reformation suspicious of Drama

o 16th—18th centuries

▪ Lutherans

▪ Jesuits

o Oberammergau Passion Play—1643

o 20th century

▪ Full-scale dramatic presentations

▪ Mini-drama (in the context of worship)

▪ Worship

▪ Dramatic elements to be used in the service

▪ Children’s sermon—children need to be involved in everything

▪ Opportunities outside of worship to include dramas (like musicals, reader’s theater)

▪ Choral staging—a group as the character (à la Greek theater)

▪ Realistic actions—use subtexting

• When I walk into a scene, I was coming from somewhere and had been doing something prior to the scene; also

• While on the scene, ask myself, “What is going on my mind?”

• Don’t forget about typecasting

▪ Presentational performance—that’s all drama is. Don’t think of music or drama as “performance” (except in that it must be prepared and rehearsed)

• “Presentational”—it is a different way of presenting content (not a display of great performance skills)

• Present a situation that leaves questions to be answered by the pastor/preacher from the Bible

- Style—What is it?

o Five Misconceptions about Style

▪ Style is content (either the old hymn is the only praise song is acceptable to God, or the praise chorus is…)

▪ Style is structure—when put together into any kind of traditional form or anti-traditional

▪ Style is linked entirely with music

• It isn’t, it’s link to context—what your makeup is, what the church’s makeup is, etc.

• Most church’s are going to have the same “complexion” as the society they serve

▪ Style is useful to bring people together (“If we do this/sing this, people will come”)

▪ Style impacts church growth—this is not necessarily true

• It isn’t the style that matters, it’s the exciting celebrative spirit of the service

• It’s not the style, it’s the spirit, the people, and the truth

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