How Is Your Worship Life?

A Responsive Theology

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:56:44 -0700

I recently received a letter from someone who was concerned about the modern style of worship that we practice at our church. One of the concerns dealt with the lack of theological depth and the repetitiveness of the songs that we sing. It gave me the opportunity to put into writing a brief theological response that I thought would be great for discussion. I’d love to get your insights to the response that I gave....

Dear Frank (not real name),

Thank you for your honesty. Please know that I take every suggestion to prayer and I understand the dynamics of music are deeply personal and often like hitting a moving target.

I feel led to help you catch a glimpse of the theology behind our approach to the worship expression at Ocean Hills Church.

We do include hymns and vintage songs of faith as it applies to the weekly message. Our theology of worship is that worship is prayer set to music and our approach is devotional in nature. We derive this from a study of the Psalms as well as the songs that are written in the book of Revelation and many of the songs included in the writings of Paul. It's a fascinating study. We do allow for repetition of phrases that we believe capture the heart of what God is speaking to us or through us as a house of prayer. It's not something that we do because we simply like to do it - it really is an overflow of our love and devotion to Jesus.

I often reflect on the worship songs of heaven where the angels are repeating continuously - Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come. I also reflect on the encounter that Isaiah has with the Lord - where he is left speechless and often in my own personal times of worship I've experienced those times of intense communion where the only words I could mutter were simple words of adoration over and over again. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 writes - "You are God in heaven and here I am on earth so I will let my words be few."

It was William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1940's that wrote... "Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable."

Sometimes this expression of adoration is best captured by a simple prayer set to music sung over and over again. Sometimes one song in itself cannot contain all that I want to say as an expression of adoration. But these are all personal expressions of love uttered from the heart aren't they? And I am aware that we all have different ways of expressing that love.

Having said that, I do appreciate the rich theology of the hymn writers who used the common song of the day as a means of teaching an illiterate population the key doctrines of scripture. We do include them as it is appropriate to what God is speaking to us as a community of faith. Where I part company with some of the hymn writers - not all - is the lack of intimacy or heartfelt adoration expressed through the lyrics. Theologically correct and packed full of orthodoxy (correct belief), but lacking in passion and intimacy. One pastor once preached, there is no greater theology than this - Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Thanks for sharing your heart. I do take everything to the Lord in prayer and will continue to seek God's heart and counsel on the matter. Please pray for us as pastors as we seek to shepherd the flock of God. Worship is a crucial element in that process as it is one of the few things that we will be doing corporately for all eternity.

Blessings!!!

Holland

Created To Praise Blog...

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 15:09:23 -0800

Just a little note... I have a search thingy on my gmail that sends me a notice whenever anyone mentions “Let It Rise.” I often post on blog sites and just say a simple thanks for using the song - just for fun. It’s always amazing to me to see how God can take a simple little song and use it to bless so many people. Who knows, maybe I’ll be posting a note on your blog in the future!!!! Let It Rise!!!

Are You A Believer?

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:28:36 -0800

A few weeks ago I heard a story that I’ve not been able to get out of my mind. It’s a story that Chip Ingram told when he spoke at the School Of Ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. He told of how he would have his messages evaluated by a mentor. He preached a great message and went with his wife to see his mentor for an evaluation. After listening to the message, his mentor made a comment. I don’t know if your lazy or if you simply don’t believe what you’re preaching. He said that he was 80% dead on, but the last 20% of the message didn’t hit home. It fell apart. His wife chimed in and said... I can tell you that he is not lazy. He works hard, but I agree that he doesn’t believe what he is saying. That was a defining moment for Chip.

The punch line of the story applied to worship is this - do you believe in what you are singing? That’s the question that God has stuck in my mind - do you believe in what you are singing?

As a worship leader this is a haunting question. Do you believe in what you are singing? Do you believe that you are actually participating in the activity of heaven every time you lead the congregation in worship? Do you believe that you are actually playing to an audience of one? If you do.... if you really do believe... it will altar the way you lead worship. It will altar the way you prepare to lead worship. It will altar the level of expectation you have on the congregation that you are leading. It changes everything.

As a musician in a band it will altar the way you practice your instrument. It will altar your level of commitment to ministry. After all, you’re not just playing a mere gig. You are playing in the presence of the King of heaven!!! It will altar the way you play. You’ll stop being lazy about hitting the right notes are not. You’ll make sure you are well prepared. You’ll focus on your musical abilities. I’m not talking about your ability to read charts - but your ability to make music. Two entirely different things. There are plenty of folks who can read charts - but you have to get past the charts in order to make music. By the way, I’m always amazed at how hard it is for musicians to remember, recall and perform simply little three chord worship songs. But, if you launch into Purple Haze or Stairway To Heaven - they are flawless. It’s almost as if they are more versed in the language of the world than they are the language of heaven.

As a congregation it will altar your response in worship. It will altar the cavalier way that most “regular” folks approach worship. After all, the musicians are really into worship because they’re musical. The rest of the “normal” folks aren’t really into the music. But if you believe that the worship you bring in the form of corporate singing is truly an offering for the God of all creation, then you’ll approach it with respect and honor. You’ll show up on time and ready to see God. Your expectation to meet with God will be high.

Jesus said... without faith it’s impossible to please God. My question to you is simply this - do you believe? Do you believe in what you’re singing? I pray that this question will haunt you as it has haunted me. I pray that it will drive you into a time of deep soul searching as it has done for me and that at the end of this journey you will discover the heart of God as He seeks to make believers out of us all.

Still Rising!!!

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:31:50 -0800

I just learned today that Let It Rise has cracked through the top 50 CCLI Songs. It’s so amazing to see how God is using this simple little song that began as a spontaneous song that was first introduced at Calvary Chapel Point Loma during their Wednesday night Bible Study in a coffee shop located right on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach.

I want to give a shout out to Jeremy Redmond and Big Daddy Weave for bringing this song into the new millennium. I also want to give a shout out to William Murphy for bringing this song into the gospel community. His version went to # 1 on the gospel charts and helped open an entirely new audience. William Murphy was able to capture the desperation and heart cry of the song. I also want to give a shout out to 21:03 and PAJAM for putting out one of the most original gospel versions of Let It Rise to date. It’s available on Maranatha! Music’s Top 25 Gospel Praise. Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank the worship leader that introduced Let It Rise to the world.... Paul Baloche.

I have so many versions of this song... that I’ve made a little side hobby of collecting everyone’s version of the song. If you have a version of Let It Rise... I’d love to hear it!!! Please email it to hollanddavis@gmail.com.

Revolutionaries Unite!!!

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:35:37 -0800

I am a child of the turbulent sixties. Born 1961, I believe that somehow programmed into my DNA is a natural propensity to rebel against the status quo. So... true to my nature I am calling for a new revolution and asking everyone to join me in rebelling against the new establishment... to kick it to the man... to stand out from the crowd and rebel against the marketing hype of the emergeant church.

I'm calling for people to rebel against the mindless dogma of the new establishment and return to the authentic faith of the ancient church fathers. I'm not talking about the guys that came hundreds of years later and sold us a bill of goods in the name of the organized religion of the day. I'm not talking about the government approved interpreters of the church state who were subsidized by kings and perpetuated the impoverished serf culture (and I’m not talking killer waves dude).

I'm talking about the guys that lived the story. The guys that actually had a first hand experience with Jesus himself. I can guarantee you that they didn't suffer from the liberal disease of doctrinal uncertainty handed down by out of touch seminary professors. They didn't wonder about the truth of open theism when Jesus predicted ahead of time all the bad things that were going to happen to Him... demonstrating that He wasn’t clueless or surprised by the events of the day.

The first century religious hypocrites did the same things that the religious hypocrites of our day are doing. They promote a faith that questions the divinity of Jesus and His Word. They promote a faith that is powerless and promote man's perspective and understanding over God’s absolute truth. They claim authenticity but the only way to be truly authentic is to be born again. Then you are authentically a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The only way to be born again is to surrender body, soul, mind and heart to Jesus... to have a Holy Spirit empowered God encounter and to become a follower of His Word which is absolute truth. This isn't a conversation. It is a supernatural act that is predicated by a choice.

I'm calling for a return to pre-modernism. I'm calling for a return to pre-emergeant theology. I'm calling for a return to zero century Christianity otherwise known as the New Testament. Revolutionaries of the world unite and reject the tide of empty philosophers and their liberal political agendas cloaked as emergeant theology. If the emerging church is becoming the new establishment and the emerging church is becoming the new conservative, if doubting the scriptures is the new norm, then to be counter culture is to believe in the absolute truth of the Bible. To be counter culture is to return to New Testament Christianity. To be liberal is to reject the lunatic ravings of modern philosophers and to believe the ancient writings - not of catholic bishops and “saints” - but of the New Testament writers. Let’s kick it to the man!!!

Revolutionaries of the world - rise up!!!