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 Worship Posture
Does posture make a difference in the way you worship? In the way you sing to God? In the way you pray? Does it affect your mood or level of involvement for good or for bad? Does God have a favorite worship posture? Short answer: yes, He does. It's when the heart of the worshipper is prostrate, beating "in spirit and in truth". (John 4)
In
traditional circles, the old adage on worship posture was, "stand for
praise, kneel for prayer, and sit for instruction". That was
about it, unless you count "sleeping in" or "snoozing during the
sermon", which seemed to affect certain men in particular. Going
"prostrate" was much rarer, yet sometimes used in special cases such as
ordination or confirmation (or in deep, private prayers of
supplication) to indicate complete submission to God. In regular
assemblies, however, worshippers kept their eyes forward and didn't
shake hands or "pass the peace" or turn to a neighbor and say, "Good
morning."
I
have a humorous recollection of the first time I saw a church full of
people trying to break out of their invisible but very real, tight
boxes of glass space around them. It seemed like glass was
shattering all over the place to watch people turning to someone in the
pew next to them and solemnly intone: "The peace of the Lord." It
was a major undertaking to get people to move, speak, or shake hands.
My mind still carries a funny snapshot of the look of horror and
embarrassment on some of their faces!
Today,
the range of movement has increased depending on the worship style to
include expressions such as clapping, raising of hands, even dancing. What
would have raised eyebrows and stimulated fodder for gossip at the
grocery store 20 years ago is often now embraced or is at least
tolerated, depending on the denomination, the church, and the style of
worship.
Like many of you, I grew up in a "no-clap, no-hands-raised" environment...
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Resources
Resources
 The Internet contains a vast amount of information on everything, including worship resources. Rather than bury you in the bonanza, I'll highlight just a few excellent ones for you to check out each month.
Can't get out much? See/hear/learn how other churches worship (Better "caught" than "taught")
� The People's Church
- Franklin, TN with Pastor Rick White and others has both audio and
video of full services, even the service "cue sheets" with music and
timings are downloadable
� Mars Hill Church
- Seattle, WA with Pastor Mark Driscoll and others uses an "emerging
worship" style you can watch on video or download an mp3 audio. Mostly sermon material but lots of other engaging, enlightening stuff like subscription podcasts and conference material.
Want to share a song you wrote or listen to what others have written?
� WorshipLand - Listen and Share - Listen to songs and see the lyrics and chords at the same time and then download a free mp3! Attractive site and easy to navigate. The "featured songs" are usually great.
Hear or watch some great worship music while you surf the internet - or work on something else
� Soul Survivor Radio! Click on "Cool Stuff from Soul Survivor" to hear on demand radio.
� Hillsong Television This
is a half-hour Christian television program featuring teaching with
Brian Houston, and worship led by Darlene Zschech and the Hillsong
worship team.
Worship Events and Conferences
� Willow Creek - The Willow Creek Church Arts Conference, June 2008, Chicago
� National WorshipLeader Conference July 21-24, 2008, Austin, Texas
Worship Consultations for Churches, Personal Worship Coaching, Seminars, Worship Leader/Pastor Personnel Searches
� National Missional Worship Consultant, Mike Zehnder (yours truly) at the Center for United States Missions located on the campus of Concordia University in Irvine, CA can provide worship issue consultation or assist your ministry as a catalyst for growth and change . For more information, click the site above and click on "Worship."
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SOS -Songs of Substance
Songs of Substance regularly lists outstanding Praise & Worship music that is both tuneful and noteworthy for its theological depth and/or its Christocentricity.
This column features songs that come with our highest recommendation
for use in corporate worship. To see the full text of each song,
head on over to ccli.com.
- In Christ Alone - Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend (Thankyou Music)
- How Deep the Father's Love for Us - Stuart Townsend (Thankyou Music)
- Grace Like Rain - Chris Collins, Edwin O. Excell, John Newton, Todd Agnew (Ardent/Loala Music - see wordmusic.com)
- Happy Day - Ben Cantelon, Him Hughes (Thankyou Music) - Good for Easter!
- Above All - Lenny LeBlanc and Paul Baloche (Integrity's Hosanna! Music\LenSongs Publishing) - Good for Holy Week!
- At the Cross - Darlene Zschech and Reuben Morgan (Hillsong Publishing) - Good for Good Friday!
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Song Spotlight
Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
by Chris Tomlin / Edwin Othello Excell / John Newton / John P. Rees / Louie Giglio
Partial quote of the text:
Amazing grace how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found Was blind but now I see, etc.
Chorus:
My chains are gone I've been set free My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns Unending love amazing grace, etc.
CCLI
Song No. 4768151 � 2006 worshiptogether.com songs\sixsteps Music
(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)All rights Reserved.
From the song title, "Amazing Grace," all kinds of biblical assurances come to mind: "His grace is sufficient - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ - My grace I give unto you - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth - And from his fullness have we all received grace upon grace - For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ - But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace
of the Lord Jesus - But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if
many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you - I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus."
Grace... is often mentioned in conjunction with truth.
Jesus is the Way the TRUTH and the life. Jesus often said, "I tell you
the truth" not just because of His authority, but also because He was -
in the flesh - truth! The truth of God's love for sinners like you and
me goes beyond human understanding which is why Paul prayed that we
would "know - the depth of His love." His sacrifice, his caring, his
forgiveness, translate into grace beyond comprehension, which is why it
is "Amazing Grace."
When
the mind grasps this "love beyond knowledge" by the enlightenment of
the Holy Spirit the heart cries out its "amazed" response:  "My chains are gone! I've been set free! My God, my Savior, has ransomed me!"
This
amazing love is so generous, so unselfish, so immeasurable, it is
staggering. We are no longer prisoners of sin; we are freed by His
grace. Our faith increases through God's freely given grace. We will
never deserve it. We accept it humbly, knowing that God's grace and
love have already set us free - forever. Truly Amazing Grace!
B. Brockway
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