WORSHIP NOTES Volume 12, No. 4 (April 2017) For the past two-and-a-half years, our church’s Worship Choir has embraced a theme verse: The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped;My heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.(Psalm 28:7) Our pastor’s wife painted this verse onto a long wooden plaque, which hangs […]
“with my song I give thanks to Him” Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 10 (October 2015) HOW GOD IS REPRESENTED IN THE PSALMS God’s Powerful Protection Kenneth E. Bailey (The Good Shepherd: A Thousand-Year Journey from Psalm 23 to the New Testament, 35-36) has observed that Psalm 18:1-3 piles up a number of attributes and metaphors that are common throughout the Psalms, all of them what he calls “homeland security” images. Hence: I love you, O LORD, my strength.The LORD is
THE PSALMS: Israel’s Hymnbook . . . and Ours (Part 2) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 9 (September 2015) Psalms are the language we use when we need a voice other than our own.(Cornelius Plantinga & Sue A. Rozeboom, Discerning the Spirits:A Guide to Thinking about Christian Worship Today, 160) The Psalms hold a unique place in both Jewish and Christian piety. As has often been pointed out, the full range of human emotions can be found in these 150 songs,
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 7 (July 2015) Participatory worship involves more than singing, of course. The people of God can lift their voices to express their hearts through various types of readings as well. 1. SCRIPTURE Paul’s command to Timothy, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” (1 Timothy 4:13) can and should certainly extend beyond the pastoral role. The power of God’s Word read, perhaps even more so
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 4 (April 2015) “I want to stress what I think that we (or at least I) need more [than instruction they about sacrifice]; the joy and delight in God which meet us in the Psalms. . . . These poets knew far less reason than we for loving God. They did not know that He offered them eternal joy; still less that He would die to
WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THE PSALMS (Part 5: Psalms 121-150) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 2 (February 2015) “Psalms are the language we use when we need a voice other than our own.” (C. Plantinga and S. Roseboom, Discerning the Spirits: A Guide to Thinking about Christian Worship Today, 160). Many facets of worship are seen in the expressions of faith of the Psalmists, which can then in turn guide our thinking and feeling and praising. We continue to survey the diverse perspectives on
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 10, No. 1 (January 2015) The Psalms, Israel’s hymnal, is a special gift to the New Testament people of God as well, as a source of comfort, inspiration, and texts for prayer and singing. It is reported that Athanasius, an outstanding Christian leader of the fourth century, declared that the Psalms have a unique place in the Bible because most of Scripture speaks to us, while the Psalms
WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THE PSALMS (Part 3: Psalms 61-90) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 12 (December 2014) We continue from October our look at facets of worship that are displayed in Israel’s hymnbook, the Psalms. The intent is not to expound exhaustively each Psalm, of course, but simply to highlight one major perspective on worship that can be seen in each. WORSHIP IS . . . (Psalm 31) . . . trustfully waiting on the Lord to deliver and bless.(Psalm 32) . .
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WORSHIP NOTES Volume 9, No. 10 (October 2014) In this new series we will look at facets of worship that are displayed in Israel’s hymnbook, the Psalms. While not exhaustive studies of each Psalm, of course, we will highlight one perspective on worship that can be seen in each. WORSHIP IS . . . (Psalm 1) . . . the blessing of relating rightly to the Lord.(Psalm 2)
WORSHIP ACCORDING TO THE PSALMS (Part 1: Pss. 1–30) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 8, No. 7 (July 2013) 3. WORSHIP SONGS, ATTITUDES AND ACTS IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE a. Christmas Canticles (Luke 1–2) A canticle is defined by the dictionary as “a song or chant, esp. a hymn containing words derived from the Bible.” These four inspired and poetic psalms of praise, uttered by different figures in Luke’s account of the birth of Christ, have been set to music
Important New Testament Worship Passages (Part 3) Read More »
