DESIGNING WORSHIP: FORMATIONAL WORSHIP (2A)
In the first two articles on designing worship, we discussed a model called conversational worship that is based on the idea that worship is an ongoing interaction between God and humanity. God reveals himself (revelation) and we respond appropriately.
This approach to worship planning is aimed at giving God glory. As the Westminster Confession says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
Let’s move on to the next approach, which is a complementary way of planning worship that goes side by side with what we’ve already covered.
Formational worship: How we’re changed by worship.
Put simply, we are meant to be changed as we worship! We are meant to become like the God we worship!
Formational worship is about seriously trying to answer this question: How do we make sure that our time together makes us more like Jesus?
Formational worship helps people to:
Remember and retell the story of the king and his kingdom.
Be re-formed into the image of the king and his kingdom.
Be sent out as part of the story of the king and his kingdom.
Why start with telling a story?
Here’s a formula: The story/stories we believe answer how to find meaning, value, purpose, and safety in our lives.
These stories provide answers to questions such as the following. Who am I? Why am I here? Am I valuable? What does the good life look like?
We learn these stories in our families. (You’re just like your dad/mom. You’re valuable if you succeed.)
We learn these stories from our culture. (You’re important or unimportant because of the color of your skin, your social status, there is no creator, life is a cosmic accident and we’re sophisticated animals, there’s no afterlife, there’s no absolute truth.)
There are a lot of other stories out there: pain stories, religious stories, etc.
James Bryan Smith summarizes how stories affect us by saying, “We are shaped by our stories. In fact, our stories, once in place, determine much of our behavior without regard to their accuracy or helpfulness. Once these stories are stored in our minds, they stay there largely unchallenged until we die.” And here is the main point: these narratives are running (and often ruining) our lives. That is why it is crucial to get the right narratives.
If we believe the wrong story, we believe that our lives have no ultimate meaning, value, purpose, and safety
Each week, people come into the church with various stories that are shaping their lives. If we want to see people live differently, we need to teach them and continually remind them that there is one true story that can truly shape their lives for good!
The one true story we tell in worship
When Jesus first began his public ministry, we’re told in Mark 1:15 that, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’ “
Jesus wanted the king and his kingdom to be of primary focus.
Jesus was simply picking up the main storyline of the entire Old Testament. He then began to teach and show how the story that God had started in Genesis was continuing through him (Jesus) and would find its completion in him.
The chapters in the story
Creator: The king creates his kingdom.
Creation: The king creates partners and shares his kingdom.
Choices: The partners rebel and want the kingdom without the king.
Consequences: The partners and the kingdom become broken.
Covenants: The king does not abandon his partners. He begins his plan of restoring them and the kingdom. This includes choosing a people, making promises, and beginning to reestablish his kingdom. His partners continue to reject his rule and his kingdom.
Christ:
Incarnation: The king steps into his creation to show his partners how life in the kingdom should be lived. He invites them to surrender to him as king.
Cross: His partners reject him as king and want their own kingdom. Instead of the king killing them for treason, he chooses to take their punishment upon himself instead.
Resurrection: The king rises from the dead, proving he is the original king, the one who created everything, owns everything, and who renews everything.
Ascension: The king returns to his heavenly kingdom, where he rules and works on the behalf of those who choose him.
Church: The king gives his followers his spirit so they can live like him, and continue to expand his kingdom on earth.
Consummation: The King will come again, and he will finish what he started. He will completely establish his kingdom.
This is the one true story that guides all of reality.
Every other story is only partially true or completely false. Living by any other story leads to pain, brokenness, and destruction. This story undermines every other story that we receive from our families, cultures, religious structures, and painful experiences.
Our spiritual enemies want us to forget this story and not share this story because they want us to forget about the king and his kingdom.
We need a better story that answers the big questions
What is the meaning of the universe?
Am I valuable?
What purpose(s) does my life have?
How should I live?
How should I treat others?
How do I find true and lasting satisfaction?
Why is there such pain and evil in this world?
How do I persevere when things are hard?
Is there hope for the future?
The story we tell in worship is meant to address these questions and change how we live!
Our songs, scripture readings, prayers, and sermons should all point back to the king and his kingdom!
Questions to consider
Do you agree that worship should transform us? Why or why not?
How have you seen worship transform you?
What stories did you pick up from your family, culture, church, or pain experience?
I am…
I am not…
Life is about…
People are…
The world is…
I will never again…
What parts of the story does your church’s worship gathering do a good job of telling?
What part(s) of the story is missing?
In our next article, we will discuss how to take these truths and make sure that they lead to transformation, not just more information.
