Typically, I answer a question on the blog on Fridays. It ain’t happening today. Along with preparing for the conference next week, I’m attending my nephew’s wedding this weekend.
But I have a great resource to recommend. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, has posted three helpful articles on worship. You may think, "What does the president of a Southern Baptist seminary have to say about worship?" Plenty.
Dr. Mohler is a brilliant thinker, a lover of God’s Word, an insightful commentator on our culture, and a man who desires to see Jesus Christ exalted in His Church. I’ve had the opportunity to interact with him when I’ve been at the SBTS campus over the past few years, and have always come away grateful to God for his life and ministry.
Some samples:
On who should care about worship:
"Scripture makes clear that worship is something that we do, not just
something we attend. It is not merely an issue for the pastor and other
ministers. It is not just an issue for the musicians and those who will
plan the service. It is an issue for the entire congregation, for
worship is something we do together. It is our corporate and common
responsibility to worship God as He desires."
On the weightiness of our worship:
"My haunting thought concerning much evangelical worship is that the God
of the Bible would never be known by watching us worship. Instead what
we see in so many churches is "McWorship" of a "McDeity." But what kind
of God is that superficial, that weightless, and that insignificant?"
On different musical styles:
"Will styles change? Yes. But the worship must always be God directed.
Will there be a diversity of styles in worship? Yes, but there must be
one glorious purpose following this clear biblical pattern: to measure
everything by the norm of scripture, in which God has revealed how He
wishes to be worshiped."
Here are the links for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Enjoy.
