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What role does the Bible play in weekly, corporate worship? What role should it play?
When discussing worship, it’s easy to get stuck in controversy. Some of those conversations may be worthy, but today I offer a simple proposal: We should feature the Bible during our corporate worship services.
Why Feature the Bible?
By “feature” the Bible, I mean use it everywhere possible. I suggest this for two reasons.
First, worship elements recorded in the Bible use the Scriptures. From reading and explaining the law (Neh 8:1–8) to sermons (Acts 2:14–36, Acts 3:11–26, Acts 7:2–53, etc.) to testimony (Acts 26:4–29) to sacrament (1 Cor 11:23–26) to singing (Eph 5:18, Col 3:16), we see God’s word all over the place.
Second, consider the alternative. If the Bible is not the dominant voice during worship, we default to the voices of men. Even casual readers of the Bible should hesitate to prefer man’s words to God’s. The Scriptures are a corrective, a true north. Though we fill our minds with nonsense and lies, the Bible teaches and reminds us what is true. In particular, the Scriptures tell us what God is like and why we should worship him.
How Does This Promote Bible Study?
This post falls in a series on Bible-study culture within the church. We help ordinary people learn how to study the Bible when the gatherings and relationships of our churches are chock-full of Bible study.
As a church features the Bible in corporate worship, the congregation becomes familiar with it. They hear it, say it, and sing it. The Bible becomes more accessible. People taste the truth and hunger for more. The same Scriptures that abound on Sunday morning then spill over into personal and small group Bible study.
How to Feature the Bible During Worship
There are at least five occasions within the worship service where the Bible can take center stage.
1. Read and Hear the Bible
Your pastor probably reads a passage from the Bible before preaching his sermon. But we should read and hear the Bible frequently as we worship.
Because we forget so often, we need to be reminded who God is, what he requires, and what he has done for his people through Jesus Christ. The words of Scripture teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness. They equip us for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16–17)
God’s people need to say and hear God’s word. Worship leaders should include solo readings, unison readings, and responsive readings throughout the service.
2. Preach the Bible
The Bible should be the starting point for every sermon ever preached. We ignore the Bible and rely on the wisdom, storytelling, or cleverness of man to our own peril.
I’ve written previously on preaching and listening to sermons. Check out these three posts for a deeper dive.
3. Pray the Bible
Let the Bible fuel corporate prayer. This doesn’t have to be perfunctory or predictable, but it does require preparation.
When I lead prayer, I use the familar ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) structure, and I choose portions of the Bible appropriate for each section. I do not read these Bible verses to the congregation, but I pray them to God. Each unit of prayer has this form: “God, you said this, so we praise you/confess/thank you/ask you for this in response.” (For a guide to praying this way in personal devotions, I recommend The Heart of God, by Kenneth Boa.)
4. Sing the Bible
Our singing during corporate worship should be based on the Bible.
If what we sing should be true, we must rely on the Bible. The lyrics of our songs should be taken from or inspired by Scripture. The pastors or elders of the church should oversee all musical choices so the congregation is singing what is true and good and beautiful, and not just the latest Jesus-is-my-boyfriend number from the radio.
5. See the Bible
The Protestant church has traditionally recognized two sacraments: baptism and the Lord’s supper. These are signs and seals of the covenant that God makes and keeps with his people.
However frequently these sacraments are celebrated, the Bible should be present. The sacraments are not dusty liturgical elements to be endured; they are ways God engages our senses to remind us what is true. As we see and feel and taste the sacraments, we should hear the words from the Bible reminding us of their meaning.
Conclusion
It might seem that I’m recommending a worship service full of Scripture. That you might not hear or sing or say much of anything besides the Bible. That you’ll get so full of the Bible it will be oozing from your pores when you leave the building.
Now you’ve got it.
This article on the 9 Marks website was very helpful in preparing this post.
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