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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