1. Reflections on Contemporary Worship
In Light of 2000 Years of Christian Worship
For a copy of today’s address
and PowerPoint
go to sites.duke.edu/lruth Public Presentations
Lester Ruth
Research Professor of Christian Worship
Duke Divinity School
Durham, North Carolina, USA

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8. Contemporary Praise and Worship?
Some say “Contemporary Worship” Some say “Modern Worship” Some say “Praise and Worship”

9. River:
Gift
(The Praise
And Worship
River)
God
inhabits
praise

10. River:
Gift
(The Praise
And Worship
River)
1946: Reg Layzell and Psalm 22:3
1950s: global dissemination
Late 1960s: surge in literature
1970s: Praise and Worship thoroughly made musical
1970s: Jesus People
1980s explosion in number and types of churches
1990s Praise and Worship has overwhelmed and overhauled
God
inhabits
praise

11. River:
Gap
(The
Contemporary
Worship
River)
Bridge
the
Gap

12. Late 1940s: Bridging with youth
Late 1960s: experimentation with early “Contemporary Worship”
1970s and 1980s: Church Growth Movement and Megachurches
1990s: anxiety about decreased numbers leads to starting Contemporary services
River:
Gap
(The
Contemporary
Worship
River)
Bridge
the
Gap

13. River:
Gift
(The Praise
And Worship
River)
River:
Gap
(The
Contemporary
Worship
River)
God
inhabits
praise
Bridge
the
Gap
Late 1990s: Confluence

14. If historical Christians came to Contemporary Praise and Worship services, what would they affirm and what would they be surprised by? What would they applaud as a strength they recognize and what would they question as a possible weakness?

15. Strength
Praise is central.

18. Liturgy of St. James
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, the Triune light of the Godhead, which is unity subsisting in Trinity, divided, yet indivisible. The Trinity is the one God Almighty whose glory the heavens declare, the earth his dominion, and the sea his might. Every living creature at all times proclaims his majesty. All glory, honor, and might, greatness and magnificence, are his, now and ever, and to all eternity. Amen.

19. Communion Prayer, Liturgy of St. Basil
Master, Lord God, Father almighty, reverence, it is truly fitting and right and befitting the magnificence of your holiness to praise you, to hymn you, to bless you, to worship you, to give you thanks, to glorify you, the only truly existing God.

20. It says “Act of Praise” but where is the praise?

22. An Ancient Praise Chorus? A Burst of Ecstasy?
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

23. An order of worship as a flow of activity
Strength
An order of worship as a flow of activity

25. Reverencing or adoring the Lord
Rejoicing
Thanking God
Praising the Lord
Model 1
Reverencing or adoring the Lord
Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving And his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
Model 2
Inviting or calling the people
Engaging God
Exalting God
Model 3
Being intimate with God in deep love
Adoring God

26. Justin Martyr, Flow of Actions
On the day called Sunday, there is an assembling of those who live in cities or the countryside, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. Then, when the reader has stopped, the presider in a sermon admonishes and invites us to the imitation of these good things. Then we all stand up together and offer prayers to God.

27. And, as we said before, when we have stopped praying, bread and wine and water are brought, and the presider sends up prayers and thanksgivings in similar fashion, to the best of his ability, and the people give their assent, saying “Amen.” And there is a distribution and a partaking by each person of the food over which thanks have been given. And the food is sent to those who are not present by means of the deacons

28. Gather
Read
Admonish and
Invite
Stand
Offer up
Assent
Distribute

29. Justin Martyr and Contemporary Praise and Worship
Open Ended Time
Extemporaneous Prayer
“…as long as time permits.”
“…the presider sends up prayers and thanksgivings to the best of his ability.”

30. Strong Participation by the People
Strength
Strong Participation by the People

31. Early Vineyard, Strong Congregational Singing
Songs learned in small groups
Simple melodies and lyrics
Simple structures of the songs
Call and response
The songs expressed what
the people loved about God

33. Ancient Constantinople, 6th Century The Beginning of a Service
Soloist: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
People: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Soloist: Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
People: Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Soloist: Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
The opening song continues in this fashion.

34. John Calvin
John Wesley

36. Egeria, pilgrim in Jerusalem, 380s
“The bishop relates what has been done, and interprets it, and, as he does so, the applause is so loud that it can be heard outside the church. Indeed the way he expounds the mysteries (the sacraments) and interprets them cannot fail to move his hearers.”

37. Strengths Priority of Praise
Order of Worship as Flow of Essential Actions
Dynamic Participation of the People

38. Moving God the Father to the Margins
Weakness
Moving God the Father to the Margins

39. Sample:
References to God the Father
Sample:
References to Jesus Christ

40. Naming Tendencies, Songs in the US
God the Father clearly mentioned in less than one in every five songs.
Direct address to God the Father in prayer occurs in less than one in every ten songs.
Jesus Christ is clearly mentioned in about half of the songs.
Direct address to Jesus Christ occurs in about one out of every five songs.

41. Two Classic Trinitarian Practices
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
5th century example: “Guard us from everything evil, and preserve us for continually pleasing, worshiping, and glorifying you, the Father, and your only-begotten Son, and your all-holy Spirit, now and always, and for ever.”
To the Father through the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit
16th century example: “O loving God and Father, full of compassion, have mercy upon us in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. By wiping away our sins and stains, free us and make the gifts of your Holy Spirit grow in us daily.”

42. Loss of intercessions Loss of a breadth and range of prayer
Weakness
Loss of intercessions Loss of a breadth and range of prayer

43. Intercessions for others
Lament and
Confession of sin

44. Weakness
The Content of Worship: Not a Good and Full Enough Recounting of God’s Work in Christ

45. The Gaps in “Felt Needs” and Relevance
Confession of sin
Unjust structures of society
Redemption of the whole created order
Nature of our future resurrected body
The Last Judgment

46. Questions about Content in Contemporary Praise and Worship
How much of the Bible could someone not know and yet not be lost in our services?
Would our worshipers be lost if they do not know anything about God’s work prior to Christ, except for creation?
How much about the life and ministry of Jesus could someone not know and yet not be lost in our services?
Would our worshipers be lost if they only know that Jesus died and rose again?

47. The Bigness of God’s Work in Christ
John Chrysostom, 4th century: “Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free. He has destroyed it by enduring it. He destroyed Hell when he descended into it. Hell took a body, and discovered God. It took earth, and encountered Heaven.”
Charles Wesley, 18th century:
Jesus, the holy child, / Does by his birth declare, / That God and man are reconciled, / And one in him we are. / Salvation through his name / To all people is given, / And loud his infant cries proclaim / A peace between earth and heaven.
Gaze on that helpless object / Of endless adoration! / Those infant hands / Shall burst our bands / And work out our salvation: / Strangle the crooked serpent, / Destroy his works for ever.

48. Weakness
Music as a New “Sacrament,” the normal means to experience the presence of God

49. “Come to God through Jesus, not to Jesus Christ through the music.”
Past Christians:
“Come to God through Jesus, not to Jesus Christ through the music.”

51. Thank You!