"Worship wars" — the Bible is full of them. The first one involved Cain and Abel, leading to the first murder in the history of the world. Aaron presided over one that involved a golden calf that the people insisted on worshipping in a similar fashion to the pagans around them. The question asked by the Samaritan woman of Jesus (John 4), to judge between the competing Jewish and Samaritan worship claims, represents still another worship war. Today, after skirmishes of varying durations, many churches have traded in a simple, reverent and Bible-centered liturgy — preaching , congregational singing, prayer and offerings of thanksgiving — for a worship format conforming as closely as possible to contem­porary culture — talk-show format, preaching to felt needs, drama, entertainment provided in a soft-rock format to passive audiences.

Does the Way We Worship Really Matter?⤒🔗

Some argue that worship styles are a matter of taste and preference. The result, in many churches, is a smorgasbord of services.

In "The Necessity of Reforming the Church,'' Calvin begs to differ. He writes that the two most important doctrines in all of Christianity are:

1. Knowledge of the mode in which God is to be worshipped;
2. The source from which salvation is to be obtained.

Calvin takes the position that worship and the way we worship are not only important, but are also essential. Scripture bears this out. Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered strange fire to the Lord (Lev. 10). While the worship they offered wasn't forbidden, it was not commanded, and God struck them down. Numerous other examples in Scripture underline the truth that God cares how we worship Him. Those of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4) as well as the golden calf (Ex. 32) have already been cited. There is also King Saul's innovation in worship that was rejected when he is told by Samuel, "to obey is better than sacri­fice." Saul is told that as a consequence of his disobedient worship, he will lose his kingship. Jesus rejects the wor­ship of the Pharisees, accusing them that "in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt. 15:9). He also rejects Samaritan worship when he informs the Samaritan woman that worship is of the Jews.

Deuteronomy 12:30, as well as other passages, warn God's people not to conform to the worship patterns of the culture around us. Man was created to worship and so everyone worships. Few, however, worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4). The Israelites were tempted to mimic the worship of the pagan nations around them and when they did, the results were disastrous. We too, face these temptations. Shouldn't we therefore "double our guard"?

In a very helpful and recommended booklet, Reformed Worship —  Worship that is According to Scripture, Terry Johnson asks the question, "how will conservative ... denominations keep from fragmenting into a thousand different factions if today's liturgical multi-culturalism is not restrained? ... The young (apparently) must have their worship and the old theirs ... Behind this thinking is the insistence that all music, language, and format are created equal, an aesthetic relativism, if you please." He goes on to say, "We are convinced that a consensus and unity can only be accomplished through abandoning the current novel theory of cultural and generational accom­modation, and aiming instead at worship that transcends narrow cultural interest and appeals broadly on the basis of Biblical stands and universal aesthetic qualities." Gene Edward Veith seems to echo Johnson when he writes, "The church is the place where generational differences are to be transcended, not reinforced. Only a church which resists being merely of one generation can be relevant to them all" (Gene Edward Veith, "Through Generations" in For the Life of the World, March 1998, Vol.2, No.1, 9).

How Then Ought We To Worship God?←⤒🔗

It is to be feared that many churches have forgotten or chosen to ignore this fundamental question. Other questions are being asked instead, such as, How can we attract the most people to our church? What do people like to hear? How do we avoid offending them so they keep coming? What are their felt needs?

It will come as no surprise that in most cases the answers to these questions are very different than the answer to the question, "How ought we to worship God?"

The Reformed Churches have historically defined what is known as the "Regulative Principle of Worship" (RPW). The principle states in essence that God's people may only worship in accordance with what is taught either explicitly or implicitly by Scripture and not in any other way.

The Heidelberg Catechism teaches this doctrine in Question and Answer 96. based on the second commandment:

What does God require in the second Commandment? That we in no wise make any image of God, nor worship Him in any other way than He has commanded us in His Word.

The Belgic Confession, Article 7, says in part,

For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, it is unlawful for anyone, though an apostle, to teach otherwise than we are now taught in the Holy Scriptures...

Chapter XXI of the Westminster Confession of Faith emphasizes that worship is to be according to revelation and not imagination:

...But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped accord­ing to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed by Scripture.

By way of contrast, the Lutheran tradition. as well as many evangelical churches today believe that worship modes and styles are permitted as long as they are not forbidden by Scripture. It is to be expected then that those churches that hold to the RPW will differ in their approach to wor­ship than those who do not.

Lord's Day 38 of the Heidelberg Catechism, in answer to what God requires of us in the fourth commandment, provides further direction on how we are to worship God.

…That I diligently frequent the church of God, to hear his word, to use the sacraments, publicly to call upon them Lord, and contribute to the relief of the poor, as becomes a Christian.

God has instituted two sacraments as visible signs for the Church, those of baptism and the Lord's Supper. To introduce further visible signs, such as drama and the like, could be contrary to God's Word. Question 98 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks, again dealing with the second commandment, "But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books to the laity?" and answers, "No, for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have His people taught, not by dumb images, but by the lively preaching of His Word."

Additional "aids" are not permitted. Drama was very popular in the form of Greek plays during the time of Christ and the Apostles. Nowhere in Scripture is the use of drama even suggested, however, for "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). We have no biblical warrant for believing any otherwise today.

The members of our society are used to being entertained. "They have learned to be enthusiastic for that which is highly entertaining and that which gives them an emotional thrill" (Come Let Us Worship, Robert G. Rayburn, p.127). Not surprisingly, this expectation and attitude exists in many churches as well. Hebrews 12:28, however, redirects us away from pleasing man to pleas­ing God, we are to "serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

While visitors should be made to feel welcome, they are not the focus of the worship service; God is. Our worship needs to pass the test of acceptability and reverence as defined by Scripture and not by some other standard.

What Is Public Worship?←⤒🔗

It is important to make a distinction between private and corporate worship. What may be appropriate for family worship — dress code, interactive discussions, body postures, music — are not necessarily appropriate for public worship. The Corinthians were told by Paul to fill their bellies in their homes rather than doing so during the celebration of the Lord's Supper when it was inappropriate to do so (1 Cor. 11:22). Furthermore, just because something can and should be done in a God-glorifying way, is not necessarily appropriate for inclusion in public worship.

In a beautiful and moving way that is perhaps not always understood or appreciated, the worship services used in our churches are a dialogue between God and His peo­ple. God speaks in the salutation ("grace be unto you, and peace..."), the Ten Commandments, the Word read and preached as well as the benediction. The gathered worshippers speak in the Votum ("Our help is in the name of the Lord"), in the singing, in the prayers (through the min­ister) and in the offering of gifts. The congregants respond with the "Amen's" of their hearts as they listen to the Word read and preached. This was the approximate order of worship of the early church.

"During the Middle Ages ... the Roman Church so distorted the dialogue that those who gathered in the churches lost any sense of personal response to a loving and forgiving God. Only on the rarest of occasions did the priest address a sermon to them. The worshipers became mere spectators to (the priest), the sole worshiper, as he stood before the altar with his back to the congregation."

Come Let Us Worship, Rayburn, p.125

The Reformation restored the dialogue, but today contemporary worship has once again relegated the worshipper to the role of a passive spectator.

While innovations in worship are often made with the best of intentions, church history has shown again and again that there are serious consequences to placing man's ideas above God's Word.

I'd like to end with some helpful advice from the Puritans on worship. Do we view our pastors as empty vessels that need to be prayed full? We need to be busy praying for them during the week as they write their sermons! Do we prepare our hearts for worship on Saturday night? The Puritan, George Swinnock, wrote: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Christian! Betake thyself to thy chamber on the Saturday night, confess ... thine unfaithfulness under the ordinances of God ... spend some time in consideration of the infinite majesty, holiness, jealousy, and goodness of that God ... The oven of thine heart thus baked in, as it were, overnight, would be easily heated the next morning" (Works, I: 234).

Interacting With Anticipated Questions←⤒🔗

Readers will have a variety of questions and challenges on topics such as this one. Let me try to anticipate and interact with some of them.

1. How can you say that a group of sincere people is worshipping God in the wrong way?

Alas, one can be sincere and still sincerely wrong. Can we doubt the sincerity of the Baal prophets as they cried out to Baal in the showdown with Elijah at Mount Horeb?

2. Shouldn't you be doing an objective assessment of your own worship method rather than self-righteously sniping at others?

Yes, we certainly do need to continually re-evaluate our worship in line with Scripture and our confessions, which are based on Scripture. Adhering to a simple and well-defined liturgy avoids many pitfalls. Are we justified in critiquing movements within churches around us? Based on church history, the answer is an emphatic, yes! The writings of the early church fathers such as Athanasius and Augustine, as well as those of Calvin and the Puritans did not mince words when it came to individuals and teaching that led many into error. At the same time, we need to take care that our critique is biblically warranted.

3. What about reaching out to people in our community? Shouldn't we change our worship services to accommodate them? Can't we be accused of "sour grapes" when comparing ourselves to large "successful" churches (in terms of numbers at least) like Willow Creek?

I believe the answer is yes and no. We need to make visitors feel as welcome as possible while not compromising our answers to the question, "How ought we to worship God?" Ushers, greeters and church members should reach out to visitors both before and after the services. I suspect our churches have often been weak in this area. Visitors should be invited to our homes and opportunities should be taken to explain why we worship the way we do.

It is of great concern to me that in general our churches have not attracted many people from our communities. There are exceptions, but they are relatively few. Are we doing something wrong? I have made a point of asking visitors for their objective feedback. One was offended by all the candy wrapper noises going on during the service and I think we need to ask, do we really need to maintain this "tradition"? Another gentleman with a charismatic background, who attended for six months or so, was welcomed with open arms, regularly visited and catechized. In answer to my questions, he said that he has the highest possible regard for the Free Reformed Church. What ultimately turned him away was that as a divorced man he felt out of place and overwhelmed by the complete families he saw in church (we obviously can't do anything about that, nor should we). He was amazed and repeatedly expressed appreciation for the accountability that was put in place through regular house visitations and the like.

4. Shouldn't we be adapting our worship style so that we don't alienate our youth who have developed music tastes that differ from our own?

Surely, this question has been asked in virtually even era of the Church. Does the Church need to adapt her music to conform to our youth? Or do we need to teach our youth to love and appreciate the music of the Church?