Philosophy of Worship
Corporate Worship
Worship is first and foremost a meeting of the triune God with His people, through faith in the mediatorial work of Christ and enabled by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. True worship is saturated with reminders of God's covenant lordship. We worship to honor his mighty acts, to hear his authoritative word (Ps 19), and fellowship with him personally as the one who has made us his people.
We are called to worship Him in spirit and in truth. The "truth" is the truth of the gospel, the good news of salvation in Jesus. The "spirit" is the "Spirit of truth" who comes to bear powerful witness to that gospel. Therefore, in all our worship, the good news that Jesus has died for our sins and risen gloriously from the dead should be central.
Worship is the corporate expression of the delight, awe, and thankfulness that come from knowing our infinitely glorious and sovereign God and Savior. Because the distance between God and His creatures is so great, the only acceptable way of approaching God in worship must be revealed to us by God Himself. Therefore, according to Scripture, He may not be worshiped in ways that are "man" centered. This principle protects us from idolatrous worship and focuses our energies on those activities through which God has called us to draw near.
Supporting Fundamental Principles:
The philosophy, planning and leading of all corporate worship at NCPC is guided by certain fundamental principles. These principles, which follow, are important to Christian worship and serve to guide us in all the elements of corporate worship prescribed in scripture.
Worship is God Centered:
Worship is first and foremost for the Glory of God and Him alone. "Public worship is not merely a gathering of God's children with each other, but a meeting of the triune God with His chosen people" (BCO 47-2). It is a wonderful reality of God's goodness to us that, when he is faithfully praised he reminds us that He, the high and exalted God, enthrones himself upon the praise of his people (Psalm 22:3)--and he blesses us with his presence in ways that are in fact deeply moving.
Because our Triune God wants to bless us, the result of proper worship is to experience Him with great joy in our hearts so that He takes delight in our love for Him, and to seek to give Him worthy praise for who he is and what he does in redeeming his people.
Worship is Scriptural:
Since the Holy Scriptures are the only infallible rule of faith and practice, the principles of public worship must be derived from the Bible, and from no other source. When men worship God in any way not appointed or commanded by God, they worship in vain (Mark 7:7). The sin of Israel, when they "built also the high places" and burned their offerings to Baal, was that they did that "which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind," said the Lord (Jer. 19:5). The essential elements of worship then, are to be derived from scripture alone. We at NCPC therefore, are committed to be obedient to His Word by worshiping Him in accordance with the commands of the Bible. The Bible teaches that the following are proper elements of worship: Greetings and benedictions; reading of Holy Scripture; singing of psalms, hymns and songs of praise; the offering of prayer; the preaching of the Word; the presentation of offerings; confessing the faith and observing the Sacraments; and on special occasions taking oaths. (See section on Biblical Elements of worship).
Worship is Covenantal:
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel...declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Heb 8:10).
One of the most important opportunities that we have in covenant worship is demonstrating how we stand in the tradition of our biblical Christian heritage. But it is equally important to grow and expand our heritage to pass along a fuller experience to future worshipers, both our own covenant children as well as new covenant lines that God brings into being through evangelism. Thus demonstrating the life and vitality of the Christian faith as God nourishes and grows His church in this age.
The writer of Hebrews says "let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another". While God is to be first and foremost in our covenant worship, it is clear in Scripture that we are also to love and encourage one another. After all, we are all covenant children adopted into His family.
Worship is Heartfelt and Expectant:
The Lord Jesus Christ has promised that "Where two or three are gathered together in My name there I am in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20)". In corporate worship we expect Him to be present with us, and to "draw near" to us. We claim the promise of James 4:8 where He said "Come near to God and he will come near to you". In worship we give our heartfelt praise to God through the singing of Psalms, hymns and songs of praise, and we expectantly wait upon Him to teach us through the reading of scripture and preaching of the Word. But Jesus warns in MT 15:7-9 that if we honor him with our lips and our hearts are far from Him, that "they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules made by men."
Worship is Historical:
"He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (MT 13:52)
Classic elements of Reformed worship such as creeds, a confession of faith, catechism lessons and the singing of Psalms are old treasures, and an important facet of our worship expression.
We demonstrate how we stand with the saints of the past by honoring the best aspects of our historical traditions. It is equally important that we honor new treasures as we establish new traditions to be passed on to future worshipers.
Music is Worship:
Music at New Covenant is a ministry to believers and an act of worship for both leaders and congregants. Music as presented will Glorify God and exalt our Lord Jesus Christ. It will be presented with quality and spiritual giftedness in a manner that facilitates our worship. Music will be done with dependence on the Lord, a joyful heart and in such a way that it connects with a diverse congregation and involves them emotionally.
Our aim is to make the music used in our worship a combination of historic and contemporary styles. We cherish our heritage and gratefully cling to hymns, music and songs which have been an important part of our past. Likewise, we rejoice in the new songs and music which resonate deeply in the hearts of today's generation.
The Biblical Elements of Worship:
The following elements of worship are adapted from "Worship in Spirit and Truth" by John M. Frame and from G. I. Williamson's "The Westminster Confession of Faith for study classes".
Greetings and Benedictions:
While it is true that there are no specific commands or historic examples of these in scripture, it is clear that greetings and benedictions were part of New Testament church life. Many of Paul's letters included greetings and benedictions, and since his letters were most likely read in church meetings (Col. 4:16; 1 Thes. 5:27; Philem. 1:2) they were a part of public worship.
The reading of Holy Scripture:
The reading of scripture took place both in the Old Testament synagogue and the New Testament church. Old Testament Scripture was crucial to the early church and eventually Paul's letters were also read. Paul's letters became the rule in all the churches and, therefore, had to be made known to the people as God's word to them. Indeed, when God's word is read God is personally present to his readers and hearers.
The preaching and teaching of the Word:
In the apostolic church the ministry of the Word of God had the pre-eminent place. Paul says, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel...for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (I Cor. 1:17,18). Important as are the other elements of true worship, it is to be remembered that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). The Westminster Larger Catechism mentions "especially the word" and "especially the preaching of the word" as the means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation. True worship depends on these beyond all others.
The singing of psalms, hymns and songs of praise:
The music "style" at NCPC can be called "blended", at least in view of the fact that we utilize both traditional hymns as well as contemporary songs. We do not, however, seek to apply a "50/50" rule that blends traditional and contemporary styles in equal amounts in each service. Such an approach operates by default on the assumption that we must make sure that every worshiper has "their kind" of music in each service, thus making congregational satisfaction rather than the glory of God the goal of worship. Instead, we seek to utilize music that, regardless of the tradition from which it arises, best communicates the Scriptural theme and tone of the service that is being planned.
The offering of prayer:
No argument is needed to indicate that corporate prayer is a legitimate part of public worship (see Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 14:16; 1 Tim. 2:1-2). In Scripture, there are many types of prayer, including praise, petition, lament, confession of sin, expressions of repentance, and thanksgiving.
The presentation of offerings:
In the Old Testament, the term "offering" usually refers to sacrifices brought to the tabernacle or the temple. In New Testament worship, we do not bring offerings of that sort to God, since Jesus has given his life as the once-for-all sacrifice. But we do bring ourselves to God as living sacrifices. The WCF says we should receive "offerings for the maintenance of the ministry, these being elements of the ordinary worship of God. Paul tells us that our gifts "are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18).
Confessing the faith:
In confession, we profess our faith before men. All public worship is confession, for as we go to church, we tell the world that we are servants of Jesus. Confession results in salvation (Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8; Rom. 10:9-10), and it distinguishes between the people of God and those of the world (1 John 4:2-3, 15). Scripture often refers to confession in a context of public worship (1 Kings 8:33-35; 2 Chron. 6:24-26; 30:22; Heb. 13:15). Paul speaks of Timothy's "good confession in the presence of many witnesses," reflecting Jesus' own "good confession" before Pilate (1 Tim. 6:12-13). It is therefore entirely appropriate that God's people recite creeds in public worship to confess their faith as a body of believers.
Observing the Sacraments:
The sacraments duly administered and properly received are also a part of scriptural worship. This we know because the sacraments were instituted by Christ. He commanded that such as receive the gospel also be baptized (Matt. 28:19). And of the Lord's Supper, he commanded, "This do in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:24). The sacraments are not a means of converting sinners unto Christ, as is true of the Word of God, but they are--together with the Word--a means of strengthening and confirming faith in the hearts of believers. Because they have been instituted by Christ with the requirement that they be continued in his Church till he comes, there can be no pure worship where the sacraments are either eliminated or altered.
On special occasions taking vows and oaths:
Vows and oaths are similar. An oath concerns man's duty to man and calls upon God to witness and judge. A vow concerns man's duty to God and makes a solemn promise to God. In both cases it is out of reverence for and obligation to God that we make and keep them. And we have scriptural sanction for vows as we do for oaths. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me?" asks the Psalmist. "I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people" (Ps. 116:12-14).
Other Perspectives on Worship
Worship is for Believers
While it is true that both believers and unbelievers are welcome and encouraged to attend worship services, worship itself is for the true believer. The act of worshiping this God who has made a covenant with particular people throughout history is reserved for those who belong to him by that same covenant. Peter tells us that God saves sinners so that he may be worshiped: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). The writer of Hebrews tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Jesus himself establishes as the fundamental criterion for worship that the worshiper do so "in Spirit"--that is, that the worshiper be born of the Spirit (John 4:23, 24; see also Philippians 3:3). Christian worship, therefore, is the awesome privilege of Christians and Christians alone--the opportunity to ascribe to their redeeming God the "honor due his name" (Psalm 96:7, 8).
What about "seeker-sensitive" worship?
Scripture flatly tells us that no one naturally seeks God (Romans 3:11) unless God himself first does the drawing (John 6:44). Biblically speaking, it is God who seeks worshipers, not the other way around (John 4:23, 24). The very premise of "seeker-sensitive" worship is for this reason misdirected. Even further, the focus of the seeker-sensitive movement is to create worship that makes the unbeliever feel welcome and unthreatened. The problem with this is that it makes people--and unbelievers at that--the focus of worship instead of God. Secondly, it assumes that the worship experience for the unbeliever is supposed to be comfortable--something that 1 Corinthians 14:25 says to the contrary. It is precisely the inescapable presence of God that leads the unbeliever to the knowledge of his own sin before God--and into repentance.
Can't worship include evangelism?
Developments over the last two decades have made it necessary to more clearly articulate what was for centuries biblically understood: worship is for believers. It is one thing to say that worship can include evangelism, but it is another to make evangelism the focus of worship. The primary focus of worship is not to bring people to Christ--it is to bring believers in Christ together in praise and devotion. For this reason the goal of worship is not evangelism. If such were the goal, then that goal would be in conflict with our first and primary principle that worship is about God. This does not at all conflict with the fact the church has been called by the Great Commission to take the Gospel into all the world; in fact, as John Piper has capably argued, evangelism and missions exists because worship doesn't: Worship...is the fuel and goal of missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory....But worship is also the fuel of missions. Passion for God in worship precedes the offer of God in preaching. You can't commend what you don't cherish (Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad!, p. 11).
The Apostle Peter speaks similarly when he writes: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). God has chosen for himself so that we may worship him, both now and forever! Worship is the goal of evangelism--but evangelism is not the goal of worship. God's glory is--and because of this Christian worship is for believers.
This doesn't at all mean that unbelievers are unwelcome in worship or that worship ought to be intentionally inaccessible to them. To the contrary, we ought to delight in bringing unbelievers to observe the reality of redeemed sinners worshiping their redeeming God; in so doing we ought to make sure our language is as clear and plain as possible. As a result, it should be our prayer that God will confront unbelievers who are present through the biblical presentation of his character with the reality of their need of a savior (1 Corinthians 14:24, 25).
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