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Library Articles & Resources (100)
Planning Traditional Worship
Long-range and short-range planning are essential to worship services characterized by strength, order, and beauty. Pastors and church musicians are responsible for planning, but participation in music during worship should include adult and children's choirs …
Evangelistic Preaching
Evangelistic preaching aims at producing a response. Specifically, by preaching of the gospel and emphasizing sinful condition of each person, the hearer recognizes the need for repentance and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Defining Evangelis…
What Does the Service of the Word Do?
The service of the word rehearses the story of God's redeeming actions and calls us to see God at work in our own histories. In the Service of the Word the mood shifts from the joyful and doxological note of the Entrance to an instructive mood. By its very n…
Historical And Theological Perspectives On Musical Instruments In Worship
The use of instruments in worship has engendered great controversy throughout the history of the church. The following article describes the most important issues at stake in these controversies, highlighting important principles that can guide our use of inst…
The Theological Significance Of The Psalms In Worship
The biblical Psalter is the most important prayer book in both Jewish and Christian worship. The Psalms have shaped both the language used in Christian worship and the very idea of what worship is. This article describes the conception of worship implied in th…
Biblical Songs
Biblical songs for corporate singing are to be found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The earliest recorded song is the Song of Moses (Exod. 15:1-18), and the last song is found in the book of Revelation (Rev. 19:18). This article lists the most imp…
Music In The Worship Of The Old Testament
Music was an important element of both temple and synagogue worship. Undoubtedly this music and its forms influenced the form and use of music in the early Christian church. Both Jews and Christians revere a transcendent God and both give honor to Scripture. F…
Christological Psalms (Biblical)
Early Christian hymnody was influenced by the tradition of psalm singing in the temple. The hymns of the New Testament church served both a doxological and an apologetic function. Introduction In a useful series of essays titled "Modern Issues in Biblical …
Music Making In the New Testament
Although the New Testament says little about music making, it is clear that the worship life of the early church was characterized by the use of psalms and other forms of song. Superficially the New Testament appears almost to disregard music. Outside of the…
The Importance of the Psalms (Biblical)
The book of Psalms is one of the most important sections of the Bible and is frequently quoted in the New Testament. The Psalms were used in the worship of the Israelite sanctuary, and church and synagogue have continued this usage. The book of Psalms provides…
The Sense of Awe In Worship
When the Lord God is encountered in glory and majesty-high, holy, and lifted up-the worshiper is filled with a sense of awe and experiences an abandonment of self in the divine presence. The biblical words for worship mean, literally, to bow, bend the knee, …
An Introduction To Daily Prayer
Ancient sources reveal that a tradition of daily prayer at stated hours developed quite early in the history of the church. The practice of assembling for these times of daily prayer was derived in part from Jewish custom and is mentioned in the New Testament.…
The Sermon In Synagogue Worship
The sermon in synagogue worship was always in the context of prayers, benedictions, psalms, hymns, and the reading of Scripture. When Hebrew was no longer the spoken language for many Jews, the Scripture was first read in Hebrew, then translated into the spoke…
The Shape Of The Service Of The Word
Broadly speaking, the form of the Service of the Word is similar in both traditional and contemporary churches: Scripture reading, sermon, and response to the Word. Scripture. Two or three Scriptures are usually read, often from the lectionary texts. When le…
How Christians Have Appropriated The Arts
Christians have responded to various art forms in many ways over the centuries. Four typical responses are described in this article. These approaches to art in general necessarily influence how the Christian community approaches the visual arts in worship. …
Ways Of Singing The Psalms In Worship
The Psalms have been traditionally sung two ways in worship, to metrical paraphrases of the Psalms paired with hymn tunes and to the literal prosaic translations of the Psalms paired with plainchant melodies or psalm-tones. The following article explains these…
The Functions Of Music In Worship
Music in worship serves many purposes and manifests itself in a variety of expressions. It is used both to praise God and to proclaim the Word; it both expresses prayer and relates the Gospel story. This article examines the various functions of music in worsh…
Liturgy On The Occasion Of The Birth, Baptism, Or Dedication Of A Child Part I
The following liturgies may be used in small or large family celebrations or in gatherings of the larger worshiping community. Adapt to local needs and customs. On the Occasion of a Birth Gathering Leader:We gather today in the spirit of rejoicing to cele…
Call to Worship (Biblical)
Worship that begins with a call to celebration, such as that in many of the psalms, follows a well-established biblical procedure for summoning the assembly into the presence of the Lord and encouraging its praise of the great King. In ancient cultures, most…
Authorship and Origin of the Psalms (Biblical)
Although they bear the stamp of gifted poets such as David, the Psalms are conventional worship texts, adapted to the needs of the community as a whole. The prophetic voice that often speaks in the Psalms reflects their development through the work of the Levi…
Guidelines To Enlivening The Service Of The Word
As this article indicates, the liveliness of the Service of the Word depends on the full and conscious participation of every person in the dialogue of worship. Because the nature of the Service of the Word is instructive, it, more than any other part of wor…
An Explanation Of The Veneration Of The Cross Service
The comments below explain the modern practice of the Veneration of the Cross service. This ancient service was recovered and mandated for use in Roman Catholic parishes in 1956 and has provided the basis for many reforms in Protestant worship on Good Friday s…
A Psalm/tenebrae Service
The Tenebrae service that features the extinguishing of lights to represent the fading life of Jesus may take many forms. The Tenebrae service that follows is reading or singing of the Psalms. Order of Worship (People enter in silence) Procession Psalm 69…
Planning Psalms For Singing In Worship
Building on centuries of tradition, churches in almost every worshiping tradition are rediscovering the value of singing the Psalms in worship. The following article describes several possibilities for the inclusion of the Psalms in worship. The article is esp…
Contemporary Developments In Responsorial Psalmody
Recent years have witnessed increased commitment to singing psalms at each worship service. As a result, composers of church music have produced a wealth of psalm settings for congregational use. These range in style and manner, but all intend to restore psalm…
The Significance of Hymns to Christ (Biblical)
New Testament hymns to Christ celebrate what he did before Creation, his mission of incarnation and reconciliation, and his present exalted position as Lord of the universe. In so doing, they counter heretical ideas that were influencing some segments of the e…
Structure of the Book of Psalms (Biblical)
The Psalms are organized in five books. The general organization of the book of Psalms reflects the growth of the collection in several stages. The superscriptions of many psalms contain information relevant to their collection, as well as their performance. …
Music as a Worship Art
Music plays an integral part in biblical worship. As one of the arts most accessible to the ordinary worshiper, it became important in the expression of the faith of the corporate community. The Importance of Music in Worship Although the Mosaic directives…
Images Associated with the Manifestation of the Holy
The awesome experience of God cannot be reduced to scientific or even to conceptual language; it can only be suggested by word pictures. In Scripture the imagery of light, fire, earthquake, and storm are often associated with the manifestation of the holy. The…
Communion Song In Worship
Singing during Communion is an ancient practice that has been restored in renewal worship. This article presents common guidelines for the restoration of Communion song. There is evidence that Christians sang hymns and song refrains during Communion from the…
How To Introduce Responsorial Psalm Singing
The following article elaborates on a form of responsorial psalmody described in the preceding articles, describing how the Psalms can be sung responsorialy and how this practice can be introduced to a congregation not familiar with this practice. The Psalms…
Psalmody
Whereas Martin Luther would admit any suitable text to be sung in worship unless it was unbiblical, John Calvin would allow only those texts which came from Scripture. Calvin commissioned poets to write metrical settings of the Psalms for the congregations in …
The Place Of Praise In Worship
Worship in the praise-and-worship tradition is based on the assumption that praise is not identical to worship. Praise is the prelude to worship, our entrance into God's presence, which is the locus of true worship. This article describes this distinction. T…
Invocation (Biblical)
Although the presence of the Lord is always with the people of God, worshipers may especially focus on the divine presence through a prayer of invocation. The invocation is based on scriptural models for "calling upon the Lord" and celebrating the dwelling of …
Poetic and Musical Features of the Psalms (Biblical)
The Psalms are first of all poetic song. As such, they incorporate many of the features of poetry and music, including picturesque language, a principle of the correspondence of lines, metrical patterns, and instructions for performance. Metaphorical Languag…
Stringed Instruments (Biblical)
Several sorts of stringed instruments are mentioned in the Bible. The harp and the lyre, especially, were prominent in the music of the sanctuary. Ancient stringed instruments were plucked, not bowed like the instruments of the violin family that are the mai…
Old Testament Vocabulary Of Worship
The Hebrew Scriptures, especially the Psalms, employ a rich vocabulary of words denoting acts and features of worship. These words may apply to expressions of speech or music, to movements and gestures, to offering and sacrifice, to the general attitude of wor…
Singing In Worship
No act is more integral to worship than singing. The Psalms frequently challenge us to sing to the Lord. The Bible also records numerous songs that the Lord's people sang. At every juncture of the church's history, God's people have sung in worship. At times, …
Psalms In Biblical Worship
The Psalms contain in miniature the whole of God's covenantal dealings with his people in a form that speaks directly from heart to heart. Because they are poems of worship, they have been called "the prayer book of the Bible. " Within the framework of doxolog…
The Byzantine Liturgy (ninth Century) Part Ii
The Byzantine Liturgy is the product of a complex evolution that began before the time of Christ. Like its Western counterpart, the eucharistic service of the Eastern Orthodox churches consists of two parts. The first, the Liturgy of the Word, developed from t…
Liturgical Essays & Blog (31)
Praise: The Prelude to Worship
The phrase “praise and worship” is frequently used by Christians, and yet these two words are rarely mentioned together in the Bible. Is there a distinction bet…
Read EssayThe Use of Biblical Songs
Biblical songs for corporate singing are to be found throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The earliest recorded song is the Song of Moses Exodus 15:1–18 …
Read EssayThe Functions of Music in the Early Church
The New Testament emphasizes both the human and the divine sources of song. Music flows from human experience, and it no doubt also affects that experience. Jam…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for October 30, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Ezra 6:1-22 Psalm Psalm 45 New Testament Revelation 11:14-19 Gospel Luke 11:27-36 Reflection Psalm 45 i…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for October 28, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Haggai 1:1-2:9 Psalm Psalm 63 New Testament 1 Corinthians 10:15-24 Gospel Matthew 18:15-20 Reflection T…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for October 15, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Micah 7:1-7 Psalm Psalm 1 New Testament Acts 26:1-23 Gospel Luke 8:26-39 Reflection The Psalms, like ou…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for October 5, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Hosea 10:1-15 Psalm Psalm 102 New Testament Acts 21:37-22:16 Gospel Luke 6:12-26 Reflection The title o…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 28, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Esther 8:1-8 Esther 8:15-17 Psalm Psalm 88 New Testament Acts 19:21-41 Gospel Luke 4:14-30 Reflection …
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 18, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 40:1 Job 41:1-11 Psalm Psalm 62 New Testament Acts 16:6-15 Gospel John 12:9-19 Reflection The th…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 13, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 29:1 Job 31:1-23 Psalm Psalm 50 New Testament Acts 15:1-11 Gospel John 11:17-29 Reflection Psalm…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 12, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 29:1 Job 30:1-2 Job 30:16-31 Psalm Psalm 119:49-72 New Testament Acts 14:19-28 Gospel John 11:1-16…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 11, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 29:1-20 Psalm Psalm 45 New Testament Acts 14:1-18 Gospel John 10:31-42 Reflection Psalm 45 is a hea…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 8, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 22:1-4 Job 22:21 Job 23:1-7 Psalm Psalm 43 New Testament Acts 13:26-43 Gospel John 10:1-18 Refl…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 7, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 22:1-4 Job 22:21 Job 23:1-7 Psalm Psalm 43 New Testament Acts 13:26-43 Gospel John 10:1-18 Refl…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 6, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 16:16-22 Job 17:1 Job 17:13-16 Psalm Psalm 37 New Testament Acts 13:1-12 Gospel John 9:1-17 Ref…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 5, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 12:1 Job 14:1-22 Psalm Psalm 38 New Testament Acts 12:18-25 Gospel John 8:47-59 Reflection In Ps…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 4, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 12:1 Job 13:3-17 Job 13:21-27 Psalm Psalm 39 New Testament Acts 12:1-17 Gospel John 8:33-47 Ref…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for September 2, 2012
Scripture Readings Old Testament Job 11:1-9 Job 11:13-20 Psalm Psalm 115 New Testament Revelation 5:1-14 Gospel Matthew 5:1-12 Reflecti…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for August 26, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 113 Job 4:1-21 Revelation 4:1-11 Mark 6:1-6a Reading (Psalm 113) Psalm 113 Reflection This psalm is one of praise to the unique God…
Read EssayThe Daily Office for August 24, 2012
Scriptures Psalm 143 Job 2:1-13 Acts 9:1-9 John 6:27-40 Reading (Psalm 130) Psalm 130 Reflection Psalm 143 is both a complaint and a prayer to God. …
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