Evangelistic Worship

Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City has an article entitled “Evangelistic Worship” that is worth reading. As the sharpest of you readers might pick up from the title, Keller is arguing that worship should be evangelistic in nature.

His article begins with an overview of contemporary worship (plugging in) and historic worship (pulling out). This overview concludes with a few observations.

We forge worship best when we consult 1) the Bible, b) the cultural context of our community, and c) the historic tradition of our church. [Italics and underlining his throughout].

This more complex approach is extremely important to follow. The Bible simply does not giev us enough details to shape an entire worship service. ... So to give any concrete form to our worship, we must "fill in the blanks" that the Bible leaves open. When we do so, we will have to draw on a) tradition, b) the needs, capacities and cultural sensibilities of our people, and c) our own personal preference. Though we cannot avoid drawing on our own preferences, this should never be the driving force (cf. Romans 15:1-3). Thus, if we fail to do the hard work of consulting both tradition and culture, we will—wittingly or unwittingly—just tailor music to please ourselves.

Keller follows this overview with a short discussion of the seeker-sensitive worship movement with four points of critique from young pastors, most of whom are from some branch of the emerging or Emergent church movement. (Off topic note: I do think there is merit to a distinction betweeen the emerging church as a philosophy and the Emergent Church as a movement. I have become convinced that it is a valid distinction, contrary to my previously held view.)

Keller then presents his solution of evangelistic worship. He says,

Churches would do best to make their "main course" an evangelistic worship service, supplemented by both a) numerous, variegated, creative, even daily (but not weekly) seeker-focused events, and b) intense meetings for Bible study and corporate prayer for revival and renewal.

Keller's uses passages such as Isaiah 2:2-4; 56:6-8; Psalm 102:18; Psalm 105; and Psalm 47:1 as a theological basis for evangelistic worship. He say "believers are told to sing and praise God before the unbelieving nations."

He references 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 and Acts 2 as New Testament examples of evangelistic worship. He says,

1) Non-believers are expected to be present in Christian worship.
2) Non-believers must find the praise of Christians to be comprehensible.
3) Non-believers can fall under conviction and be converted through comprehensible worship.

He says, "We are not simply to communicate the gospel to them, but celebrate the gospel before them."

Keller concludes his article with "three practical tasks," numbered purposely out of order.

2. Getting unbelievers into worship.

1. Making worship comprehensible to unbelievers.

a) Worship and preaching in the "vernacular."
b) Explain the service as you go along.
c) Directly address and welcome them.
d) Quality aesthetics.
e) Celebrate deeds of mercy and justice.
f) Present the sacraments so as to make the gospel clear.
g) Preach grace.

3) Leading to commitment

a) During the service.
b) After the service.

Overall, Keller's article has some thoughts that are well worth the time it takes to read and process this article. I have concluded over the past several years that evangelistic worship is on the right track, though I have not figured it all out by any means. Keller's article provided some additional ammunition, as well as some caution. (He probably didn't intend the caution.)

I have concluded that we fundamentalists are bad celebraters and bad meditators in our worship. We have the greatest news in all creation and we act like our neighbor's dog just died. We are kind of glad, but don't want to celebrate too much. We are half-hearted in our singing, going through the motions with little actual response. We entertain ourselves during the singing by seeing if we can sing four different parts on successive verses.

It's no wonder that no one wants to be a part of us. Perhaps if we were restored to celebrating a God of majesty and eternal relevance (yes I said that), people would begin to say, "God really does exist and he is right here."

As always, I invite comments (from both of my readers). I only ask that if you comment on Keller's article, that you take the time to read it so you can understand what he is saying, rather than what I am saying about it. In other words, critique his article , not my summation of his article. Later, I will post some direct observations.