TRIANGLE: In Harmony with Relationships of Life

PWC Suggested Books:

1. “The Life You Always Wanted” by John Ortberg – Zondervan – 2008   

2. “Life Shapes: The Triangle” 

      – Overview: Balancing The Relationships Of Life. Three areas of life that Jesus modeled to maintain a balanced lifestyle: Up — developing intimacy with Him; In — building the Church community; Out — reaching the unchurched Download this book for more on each Lifeshape for just $4.95.

3. ”The Living Insights Study Bible” by Charles R. Swindoll

4. “Hope for Each Day” by Billy Graham, daily devotional

5. “Choosing to Cheat, Who Wins When Family and Work Collide?” By Andy Stanley 

6. “The Worshiping Artist” by Rory Noland

 

PWC Suggested Links:

1. All Worship.com - Christian music programing

2. One Place.com - Christian music and podcast programing

3. Christian Research Institute - Research and journal resources for encouraged faith

 

Philosophy Of Worship 

Table Of Contents 

1. Purpose/Priority 

2. Three-fold Worship 

a.   UP 

b.   IN 

c.   OUT

3. We believe that Worship is

a. A response

b. More than a style, song, liturgy, or building

c. Encountering the FULL CHARACTER of God

d. More than a “feel good” experience

e. Unifying

f. Transcending time

g. Traditional vs. contemporary

h. Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

4. Private Worshipers

5. Applications at Peace With Christ

 

Purpose and Priority
Our priority at Peace With Christ Lutheran Church is building relationships for eternity. Our purpose is to accomplish this through helping Christ-followers live in a balanced relationship with God (UP), one another (IN), and the world at large (OUT). Our worship on the weekends mirrors our purpose and priority.

Three-fold Worship – UP
In an effort to reflect our purpose and priority in everything we do, our worship at Peace With Christ functions to fulfill the relational directions of UP, IN, and OUT. The primary direction in which our worship functions is in the UPWARD relationship with the God of the Bible. Through corporate worship God relates to us in His grace, offering us forgiveness and new life in His Son, Jesus Christ. He accomplishes this through the proclamation of His Word and the administering of the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

Three-fold Worship – IN
We experience the INWARD direction of worship by meeting together on a regular basis to worship our Creator. We believe that God has created humanity to be in community with one another and that our corporate worship provides opportunities to collectively confess, pray and experience the richness of God’s grace. At Peace With Christ we believe that our worship is accentuated and amplified when we worship together as the Body of Christ, singing to and edifying each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God.

Three-fold Worship – OUT
Our worship becomes OUTWARDLY focused as we learn about our purpose and function in the world in which we live. Although we believe worship can be evangelistic in nature, we also believe that this is not its main focus. As we are refreshed, renewed and redeemed through UPWARD worship and INWARD edification we are empowered to be the disciples Jesus has called and created us to be. Although Jesus calls us to worship together as the church in our building, He also calls and empowers us to be the church when we are away from the building.

Our priority of cultivating eternal relationships is acted out as we grow in our relationship with the Lord (UP), as we corporately believe, teach, and confess (IN), and as we are moved and empowered to be lights to a darkened world (OUT).

What We Believe About Worship A Response
At Peace With Christ Lutheran Church we believe that worship is first and foremost a response. We respond to all that God is with all that we are. This perception is absolutely crucial in order to understand the true rhythm of worship as God intended. If worship is to be a response on our part, then the initiation of this response must come from outside of our selves. Worship always begins with God. The Lord acts, we respond. In Genesis God creates and we give thanks and praise to Him as His creation. In Exodus God frees His people through many remarkable acts culminating in the crossing of the Red Sea. Upon their crossing, the people erupt in a song led by Moses and his sister Miriam (Exodus 15). God saw that His creation was in need of redemption and sent His only son to be scorned, rejected and crucified on our behalf. We respond.

More Than A Style, Song, Liturgy, or Building 
Our belief that worship is ultimately a response implies that we believe that worship is more than any style, song, liturgy or building. It can and should include these things but it is not limited to them. The Bible itself does not command or prescribe any one way to worship. In Genesis 47:31 we see a promise fulfilled and Israel’s response: “’Swear to me,’ he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.” A promise is fulfilled and Israel responds. There is no sacrifice, song or liturgy, but merely a response. As observed in the previous paragraph God acts mightily in the lives of the Israelites by providing a path to freedom through the Red Sea. Upon their crossing the people erupt in a song led by Moses and his sister Miriam (Exodus 15). Acts 2:42 states that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” These examples show pure response, song, and liturgy. None are prescribed, but all are beneficial for worship.

 

 Encountering the FULL CHARACTER of God
We believe that worship is a direct encounter with the full character of God and that His limitless attributes are revealed to us through the proclamation of His Word and the participation in the sacraments. This necessitates that worship at Peace With Christ is a participatory act. We believe that worship is not something that is done to us by a worship team, pastor, or any other leader. It is not created  or inspired by these people either. Instead, worship is facilitated by our leaders and volunteers as we collectively adore and praise our God. This necessitates an active participation in every element of our worship. We believe that we cannot simply expect the words and sacraments to change us by going through the motions of listening or receiving. Instead, we must be actively attentive, searching out the names and attributes of the Lord throughout the entire service. We believe that this can be accomplished by searching song lyrics, prayers, confessions, creeds, and every other element of worship for what they reveal about the Lord. In confession we are reminded of our depravity when presented before our Holy God. In the element of forgiveness we are reminded that He is merciful and abounding in steadfast love. When we profess the Creed we are reminded of the Lord’s eternal nature. This list could go on forever, as the depth of God’s nature is limitless. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart.” We therefore strive to invest consciously in active worship.

 

More Than A “Feel Good” Experience
Stemming from the belief that worship is a participatory act of the will implies that we also believe that worship is more than a mere feeling. We do not disagree with “feeling” in church, but we do not expect a feeling to determine whether or not we have worshiped. Conversely, we believe that the act of worshiping the Creator of the universe is often the source of the many feelings we get during our worship services. We therefore do not rely merely on a pastor, worship team, or leader to provide a “feel good experience” of worship, but we consciously invest in every aspect of the service knowing that we will surely encounter God as we seek Him with our complete heart.

 

Unifying
We believe that our worship at Peace With Christ is meant to be a unifying experience. In his book The Worshiping Artist, author Rory Noland states:

Modern churchgoers have a bad habit of fixating on non-essentials—the style of music, the pastor’s wardrobe, the worship leader’s hairstyle—and we miss the essence of worship, which is the character of God. Furthermore, when we allow worship, the most beautiful expression of Christian unity, to become a source of contention, we grieve the heart of God. (Noland, p. …)

Our Lord Jesus Christ also prayed for the unity of all believers on the night He was betrayed (John 17:11). At Peace With Christ we strive to live out our Lord’s priestly prayer by making our worship a source of unity for the church, not one of contention and strife. This is accomplished through education, prayer and open hearts, and with the understanding that there is no one prescribed way to worship our Heavenly Father.

Transcending Time
We at Peace With Christ also believe that not only our worship, but all  Christian worship, transcends the limits of time. As God is eternal, so therefore is worship. The Bible itself shows us that worship exists in the past, present and future. In Genesis we observe brothers Cain and Abel offering sacrifices of worship to the Lord (Genesis 4). In his letter to the Romans, Paul charges Christians living in the present to worship the Lord by offering their bodies as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). In the Book of Revelation we are shown John’s vision of heaven, the future, and eternal worship of the Lamb. Worship is the common denominator of all generations past, present and future; therefore, our worship contains a combination of “traditional” and â€œcontemporary” elements.

 

Traditional
Our worship can be considered “traditional” not because of liturgy or style of the music, but because many elements we use today have been passed through history to our time. The creeds, confession/forgiveness, and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper serve as excellent examples. Through elements such as these we are made aware of a bigger picture that involves more people and places and times than the present alone. Through these elements we worship with the entire Body of Christ: past, present and future. 

 Contemporary
Similarly, all of our worship can be described as “contemporary”. The dictionary defines this word as “belonging to or occurring in the present”. Timothy H. Maschke, author of the book Gathered Guests, defines contemporary worship: “Although debates rage about this word, [our] worship certainly is for the present. It should never be a mere relic of the past or a symbol of some bygone era, nor should it be some cute innovative fad that speaks for a moment in time before being dismissed as passé. What [we] say and do on Sunday has relevance for the rest of the week. Worship affects the daily living of the Gospel. It is a “now” event for God’s gathered guests.”

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs
Since we believe that our worship is both “traditional” and “contemporary”, we also believe that our congregation’s repertoire of music is not limited to either the “traditional” or “contemporary” genres. Scripture implores us to sing a variety of music in worship. Ephesians 5:19 tells us to address one another “in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 similarly tells us to “Let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to God.” We aim for a blend of music in our services because our God is a God of variety and has also commanded us to have the same variety in our worship.

Through the combination of “traditional” and “contemporary” elements our worship aims to serve the multi-generational needs of our diverse congregation.

 

Private Worshipers
Lastly, we at Peace With Christ believe that our worship lives are not limited to the weekends. Instead, we believe we are called to lives of worship, living out our days in response to all that God has done for us, His redeemed children. Therefore we at Peace With Christ encourage the practice of private worship as well as regular attendance at our corporate worship services. We believe that weekly corporate worship functions are crucial to the life of the church but are not meant to exist as the be and end all of our worship life. We believe that, rather than being the beginning, weekly corporate worship is the culmination, and the overflowing of what one already does privately and regularly. We primarily encourage private worship lives through the promoting of personal reading of God’s inspired Word as well as personal prayer lives while away from the church building. We secondarily promote the private worship lives of the congregation by encouraging the setting aside of time for regular private worship, giving of time and talents, actively saying “No” to sin, and making a conscious and concerted effort to avoid dissension in the church by abstaining from worship wars.

 

APPLICATIONS AT PEACE WITH CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH

 

With these guiding principles from God’s Word, we now ask, “So what does this mean for the corporate worship life of Peace With Christ Lutheran Church?” The following principles are given to serve as our guide:

1. We believe that when we discuss the worship life of Peace With Christ we are seeking to help people become true worshippers of God who will worship Him “in spirit and in truth”. This implies that our worship will engage our inner beings, our insights, our feelings, our minds, our wills (our “spirits”), as well as be consistent with God’s Word (which is “truth”). Furthermore, this requires that our worship is determined by God’s essence (“spirit”), is shaped by His revelation in Jesus (“truth”), and is empowered by the Holy Spirit (“the spirit of truth”).

2. We believe that our goal in worship is to clearly proclaim the Word of God (both Law and Gospel) and properly administer the sacraments (Baptism and Communion) so that participants will come into a living relationship with Jesus Christ and His church and/or grow in their relationship with Him.

3. We believe that we are free to choose a style or styles of corporate worship as long as they do not contain elements contrary to the Word of God or in any way diminish the proclamation of the Gospel or appropriate use of the sacraments. Thus, there will be a strong focus on the Word of God and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion in our worship. Because the Apostles and Nicene Creeds were developed in support of these two sacraments, their regular use is encouraged.

4. We believe that since we are “a Christian community of diverse individuals” our corporate worship life will reflect our diversity. At the same time, the services (including their styles) need to be regularly evaluated to determine how this diversity is expressed in support of our mission.

5. We believe that as a Lutheran Church we will respect our Lutheran heritage but not be bound by it. We will respect the worship forms of other Lutheran Churches and ask that they do the same for us.

6. We believe that changes in our worship life need to be thoughtfully and sensitively handled. A team approach, including staff and laity, is required.

7. We believe that our worship reflects our faith as a Christian community. It is a witness to all who attend. Therefore, it must be culturally relevant so that people who gather with us for worship can experience what we mean when we speak of “dynamic worship of God”.

 

 

Connect With God

The UP relationship with God can be carried out in various ways. We have been commanded by God not to forget the day of worship and rest. We experience great spiritual benefit when we gather with other Christ-followers to worship and praise our great God. In worship God comes to us in Word and Sacrament and offers and conveys to us the forgiveness of our sin. We are strengthened in our faith and equipped to live for Christ in the world as we worship together. A disciple will make every effort to worship regularly and thereby enhance their relationship with God.

Our relationship with God is also enhanced when we study God’s Word individually and with other Christ-followers. The Holy Spirit speaks to us in His Word and helps us to follow Christ more closely.

Spending time with God in prayer is a vital part of our UP relationship. The Lord loves to have His children come to Him with their prayers of praise, their prayers of need, their prayers of repentance and faith.