Cornerstone Curriculum, Official Certification Edition

LESSON 1 | THEOLOGY OF THE CHURCH: THE CHURCH AT WORSHIP / 287

Getting Down for the Lord A new jazz-funk-rock praise band has emerged from the church who call themselves Selah . They are determined to bring praise and worship to a whole new level of intensity and power in the congregation, but are doing it with an “in your face” kind of volume and showmanship that has many members of the church, even some of the staff, concerned about them. Selah is experiencing real popularity in their Saturday evening concerts, and have been used of the Lord greatly in some of the evangelistic outreaches around town. Yet, when you hear them, they sound exactly like secular bands. As a matter of fact, many of their songs use the melody of popular pop music songs set to Christian lyrics. Some people have admitted they come to their concerts to dance! How would you advise Selah as it attempts to give full expression to their love for God in worship, while continuing to, as the drummer says, “get down for the Lord?” There is nothing we can do to desire or obtain salvation that is not given to us as a free gift by the grace of God. This experience of God’s grace causes the Church to become community whose duty and delight is to worship God. We glorify God in our worship because of his perfect character – his solitary holiness, his infinite beauty, his incomparable glory and his matchless works. Through the grace of God in Jesus Christ, we have been set free to worship the true God, the Triune God in the power of the Holy Spirit. In addition, the Church worships God through its praise and thanksgiving, through liturgy, which emphasizes the Word and the sacraments, and through its obedience and lifestyle as a covenant community. If you are interested in pursuing some of the ideas associated with the themes brought up in this lesson, The Church at Worship , you might want to give these books a try: Boschman, Lamar. The Rebirth of Music . Shippensburg: Destiny Image, 2000. Bridges, Jerry. Transforming Grace: Living Confidently in God’s Unfailing Love . Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1993. Engle, Paul E. Baker’s Worship Handbook . Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998. Hill, Andrew E. Enter His Courts With Praise! Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993.

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Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis

C hr i s t i an M i n i s t ry

Resources and Bibliographies