Thoughts on Reforming Worship

The following thoughts come from the Doctrinal Statement of Grace Baptist Church (Dalton, PA) but should provide food for thought beyond that particular context.

I. We believe that the Word of Christ should dwell richly in the corporate worship services of [our church] . The Word should be prayed, sung, read, and preached. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. So we desire that the Word should also dwell in fullness among His people. When God’s Word fills His people, true religious affections filled with grace and truth will rise to the praise of His glorious grace.

• Colossians 3:16
• 1 Timothy 2:11
• 1 Timothy 4:13
• Romans 10:17
• Ephesians 5:19
• John 1:14
• Ephesians 3:19
• Ephesians 1:6

II. We believe that the people of God will learn to love the glory of God as the ministers of God teach them to see and savor the Word of God. God’s self-revelation is found in His Word. The self-love and relativism of our “ungodly” and “unrighteous” culture have negatively affected the church’s corporate worship. A change of audience has occurred. Worship is often shaped more by what people desire than by the nature of God’s self-disclosure found in the Bible. We will be changed only as we discover in the Word what God must be like for our joy in the face of Jesus Christ.

• Exodus 32:7-10
• 2 Timothy 3:1-5
• 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
• 1 Corinthians 14:26-33

III. We believe that the singing of theologically based and historically informed hymns and songs will free us to rejoice in our God. Unison singing unites us with one voice as we sing with “one accord.” Part singing expresses musically the unity of substance and tri-unity of persons within the Godhead. Part singing reflects the unity of purpose and difference of roles within the congregation. All the music used in our worship services will be measured against the standard of sound doctrine.

• James 5:13
• Psalm 149:1
• Titus 2:1

David Harris is the worship pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Dalton, PA and is a  Professor of Music at Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA. He is married to Connie and has three children: Jordan [23] who is married to Angela, Allison [18] and Dylan [16]. Connie and David are also the proud grandparents of a one year old, Calvin David Harris.