an interpretation of worship and guidelines

8/9/2019 An Interpretation of Worship and Guidelines

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An interpretation of theMinistry of Praise and Worship

As a leader of worship and a psalmist, I give presentations on the subject of

praise and worship. It is my view that in the Anglican Church we have alwaysdone praise and worship while not calling it by that name. We have beenblessed with many hymns that inspire us to adore, revere, bless and worship theLord; “When Morning Gilds the Skies, my heart awakening cries, may JesusChrist be praised” is one of many that describe praise in worship and worship inpraise. To this end we begin by examining each word to ascertain what eachmeans and then apply it to practical use:

When you or I “praise” we:AcclaimAdore

Applaud by shoutingAdulateBoastBragCelebrateEsteemHailHonourRevereWorship

When you or I “worship” we:

AdmireBlessCherishHonourLovePraiseRevereVenerate

From the list it is easy to see that one can “praise God in worship; and worshipGod in praise”. It is therefore helpful to have an understanding and share whatour forefathers of the Bible knew about praise and worship; applying the practiceto everyday life, in other words, living a lifestyle of “praise and worship”.

The Scriptures of the Old & New Testament and psalms are excellentexpressions of praise and worship and can be divided into two groups: [a]descriptive and [b] declarative. “Declarative praise” places the emphasis on what



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GOD has done, they speak about His glory and majesty, and they are full ofthanksgiving. Examples of this type of praise are found in Psalm 24: 7, 9-10 and1 Chronicles 29:11-13. “Descriptive praise” focuses on the person, attributes,and essence of a GOD and, who HE is. Examples of this would be Psalm 50[psalm of Asaph], Psalm 145 and Exodus 3:14.

A lifestyle of praise and/or worship should glorify GOD with vocal expressions;such as the sharing of a testimony, the sharing of the events of the day, whenyou felt God move and act on your behalf. The whole exercise is three tiered ora tripod:

[i] Thanksgiving - the whisper of prayer to God in thanks

[ii] Praise - the telling about God’s goodness to others; and

[iii] Worship - to bow down, reverence, an attitude of the body, mind and spirit

The Hebrew has seven words each one depicting a different form of praise andworship. [Some writers on the subject refer to these seven words as levels orstages]. Each one is distinctive and yet complimentary of each other.

Level One or the First Word is HALEL which in transliteration becomes“Hallelujah”, it means in simple terms ‘praise the Lord”. It can be and is oftenspelt “alleluia”. It is defined as being boastful and excited [the way one does at arally or sports event], lifting of the hands and shouts of joy and bliss.

Level two Barak simply means, " to bless". Throughout the Old Testament thisword is continually used. Thoughts on the word 'bless' bring to mind all that Godthrough his son Jesus Christ has done for us; past and present. However, havewe stopped to wonder how we may bless God? David in psalm 103: 1-2 tells ushow, when he says: 'bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is within me, bless hisholy name....”. [some bible translations use the word praise.] David continueson, by recalling and distinguishing all that God has done. Barak praise can beused as a pattern or mode of prayer, as the word suggests kneeling and blessingGod in worship or devotion. The song "Father, we love you, we praise you, weadore you” is an _expression of Barak praise. Other psalms that express Barakpraise are ps.113 and Ps. 104. The Anglican Church leans towards this kind ofpraise and worship. Think about our Eucharist service and evening prayer.

So far, the levels or words for praise are those used mainly in an oratory fashion.The third level or word however, deals with 'music'. In the Hebrew languagethere are several musical verbs, but the one that is predominant throughout thebook of psalms is called Zamar . It demonstrates music in praise to God andadvocates that praise and music can be interchangeable. In the Old Testamentmusic has been the main _expression of praise used by the Hebrews. Thepopular praise & worship chorus: "let everything that has breath praise the Lord"



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is psalm 150 set to music. Other psalms are 92:1-3 and 81:1-2. A combinationof Barak and Zamar praise can be found in psalms 98, 95 134 and 145.

The fourth level or word is Shabach and is illustrated in Psalm 117:1; O praisethe Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.' The word used here, means to

speak highly of, to address in a loud tone, to command triumph, and glory.. Thiscategory of praise is also pictured in Psalm 63:4.

Number five is Yadah and it means to publicly acknowledge God. Psalm 138:1best describes this word. Again as with Halel, the hands are raised in worship,our Mass lends itself to this expression. 2 Chronicles 20:19-21 alsodemonstrates this.

Number six related to Yadah is Towdah and translated also means“thanksgiving” and involves the raising of hands in adoration. However, itsuggests an attitude of sacrificial praise. In other words, we give thanks and

praise before we receive from the Lord, or are delivered out of a situation. Werejoice and thank God for his promises. Read Psalm 50, 2 Chronicles 7:1-6 andPsalm 107:22 are examples.

Finally, Tehillah is the seventh and final level and relates to singing; actually itmeans singing our halals. Tehillah is portrayed in Psalm 22:3, which tells us thatGod, dwells in the praises of his people. It is also depicted in 2 chronicles 20:22,but refers to a special kind of singing that is unrehearsed, unprepared and whichtoday is referred to as "being led by the spirit". This exhibition of praise bringsunity into the congregation and allows God to move in miraculous ways.Tehillah praise can be found in psalms 34:1, 40:3, and 66:2

Thanksgiving, praise and worship are comparable to the three corners of thetabernacle of Moses:-

[i] outer portion represents thanksgiving; Psalm 100:4 “ Enter His gates withThanksgiving....”

[ii] the Holy place represents praise and the Holy of Holies represents worship.In the outer court we unlock the door to the throne room of heaven; at this

juncture we are recounting what God has done for us; it involves, clapping ofhands and a joyful _expression of our thanks and adoration.

[iii] Next we move to the ‘holy place’ and get even closer to the throne roomcontinually praising; ending with worship in the ‘holy of holies’. All of this is anact of the will, it cannot be taught!!!!!. You must have a personal love relationshipwith Christ.



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The benefits of praise and worship are as follows:

a. Increases faith;

b. Brings about healing of the body, mind and spirit;

c. Brings understanding and clarity to things of the Holy Spirit;

d. Brings God to us [Psalm 22:3 “But thou art Holy, O thou that inhabitest thepraise of Israel [KJV]; Yet thou art Holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel; [NewOxford Annotated]; Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise ofIsrael [NIV].

e. Enhances the Eucharist or Evening service.

As Christians our lifestyle should be one of praise and worship at all levels. Thisis the best form of witness and testimony when encouraging others to come toChrist. Following are a few resources, which you can study.

Resources Books: By Terry LawPraise releases Faith The Power of Praise & Worship How to Enter the Presence of God

Let Us Praise by Judson Cornwall

Praise Devotional by Ruth Myers

List of Scriptures on Praise in the Old & New Testaments for individuals:

Gen. 14:20 - the praise of Melchizedek

Exodus 15:1-19 - the song of Moses

Leviticus 19:24 - “the fruit...... shall be holy to praise the Lord .....

Deuteronomy 10:21

Joshua 6:20 - Jericho’s walls

Judges 5:2-3 - the praise of Deborah and Barak

Ruth 4:14



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1 Sam. 2:1-2 - Hannah

11 Sam. 22:4 - David when delivered out of Saul’s hand

I Kings 8:15 - Solomon’s praise at the dedication of the temple

11 Kings 3:15-16 - the minstrel

Matthew 26:30 - at the time of Jesus passion

Mark 11:8-10 - Palm Sunday

Luke 1: 46-55 - Magnificat

Act 16:25 - Paul & Silas

Romans 15:11

1 Corinthians 14:15

Ephesians 1:12

Philippians 4:20

1 Thessalonians 5:16

11 Thessalonians 1:3

Philemon 4

James 5:13

Jude 24:25

Revelation 19:5

List of Scriptures on Praise in the Old & New Testaments for the congregation:

Psalm 22:22; 25 Psalm 111:1

Psalm 149:1



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1 Chronicles 29:20

11 Chronicles 29:28

1 Peter 2:9

WORSHIP

MINISTRY

GUIDELINES



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Many years ago I was asked to do a presentation on the ministry of praise inpreparation for a renewal weekend in my parish. To this end, I put together a guidelinefor worship leaders to use particularly in the liturgical churches.

First you must recognise that praise and worship is a ministry and it should be asnatural as breathing. It begins the moment we thank God for all of his goodness. Psalm34:1-3 gives us an example of praise, note what the psalmist says: - "I will bless theLord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth". My soul shall make herboast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad". The psalmist then invites"magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

It is a deliberate act to give God thanks and praise whatever the circumstances. Thistakes place when in times of despair, you can still say like the psalmist in Psalm 56:3-4:-"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have putmy trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." As a worship leader you shoulddevelop a 'praise attitude’, which saturates the environment of which you are a part.

It should be noted here that the priest, minister, etc. should take an active part in praiseand worship. II Chron. 5:11-14 tells us the role of the priests, musicians and singers

joined inunisonhe congregation.

Following is a guide that I use when I’m going to do presentations on worship and inparticular worship leaders. I share it with you in the hope that it will help you in yourministry.

Preparation

1. The prayer life of the individual must be continual. One must determine to prayregularly. Consistent bible study is vital and should be a part of the individual’s spiritualgrowth as it relates to worship.

2. Thanksgiving should be offered up from the moment you awake in the morning.

3. One should be fasted! This means that your life is fasted and filled with prayer. Donot confuse fasted with fasting! Our life is fasted when we eat more spiritual food ratherthan food that satisfies only the flesh. On occasion you may fast without knowing it, inother words, God himself will impose a fast on you. It has nothing to do with you or anyof your expressed desires; God in his wisdom may wish to use you in a situation andyou will need to be empty so that the Holy Spirit can fill you with a word of knowledge,wisdom, and understanding. This is what Christ meant in St. Matthew's gospel, chap.17:15-21 "this kind comes not out, but by prayer and fasting" (paraphrased). He did notmean that the disciples should fast before they minister to anyone. Common senseindicates that it would be next to impossible to do. What is meant is that you aredisciplined and discerning.



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Leading the Congregation in Worship

We were created to praise and worship God. The Hebrew style of praise and worshiphas been exhibited in the charismatic and Pentecostal churches since the early 1900's.In the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches it started in the late 1960's. It should benoted carefully, what it is we are doing, why we are doing it and to whom the glorybelongs.

"Praise, the password to blessing" by Don Gossett states that we should always havean attitude of gratitude. Paramount to our praise is thanksgiving; for out of our thanks toGod for his blessings comes the praise. Note Psalm 103:2 and Colossians 3:15, eachreminds us to be thankful.

The congregation should be lead in praise and worship in a manner as described below:

1. Begin with songs of thanksgiving and praise such as:

We bring the Sacrifice of PraiseThis is the dayGod is so goodPraise the LordThrough All the Changing Scenes of Life, etc.

It is my position that there is no reason that traditional hymns or hymns from the varioushymnals cannot be used. They should be used together with the more modern andcontemporary songs.

2. Continue with high praise with such songs as:

Praise to the Lord the AlmightyBlessed be the Name of the LordAll Hail the Power of Jesus NameI Love To Praise His Name, etc.

3. We are now ready to worship the Lord with songs of adoration and reverence suchas:

Holy, Holy, Holy,O Worship the King



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O the Glory

MajestyWe Exalt TheeI Love you, LordCommune with me, etc.

Now that the congregation has entered the "holy of holies", the demeanour changes; weare now in the presence of the Almighty, He knows we are there. There should be anatmosphere of "stillness and holy quietness" while we adore Him. [Remember to relyupon the orchestration of the Holy Spirit.]

Once we have entered the holy place, we do not go backwards [in other words, you donot go back to songs of thanksgiving and praise] but you commune with the Father.Note carefully, the three stages: [i] enter the gates with thanksgiving, [ii] enter the courtswith praise; and finally worship, which means to do one of these things: honour, revere,venerate, adore, glorify and pay homage to.

What Praise & Worship is Not

A. Entertainment - It is not to be used to fill a gap, kill time or simply enjoy.

B. Sing-a-long - not simply singing for fun. The definition of sing means several things,and none of them refer to praise or worship; to sing is to: a. intone; b. vocalize; c. carol;d. chant; c. croon, etc.

C. It is not a tool to be used to draw attention to one's self.

D. It is not a performance - showmanship has no place in the ministry of music in thechurch and especially not praise and worship.

E. It is not just for the worship leader or the praise team. Remember, the Praise &Worship team is responsible for leading the congregation only; it is not intended toentertain as in a concert. It is not the time to sing new and unfamiliar songs, which thecongregation cannot relate to or participate in. Worship Leaders [and the praise team]should be sensitive to the congregation and allow them to participate fully by using thesongs and hymns that are known, unless of course, the Holy Spirit says otherwise.

Proper melodies of contemporary songs and traditional hymns will ensure that their isno over use of hymns or songs. Finally, the music or psalmist ministry is vital to the wellbeing of the church as an effective instrument to minister to God and His people. Thosewho are worship leaders and those who aspire to be, should on a consistent basis studyGod’s word and where possible attend seminars and/or workshops. Foremost to study



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is the actual calling to this ministry. One should be sure that they are called to music ministry in the church and, more particular that of worship leader.

If your church does not yet have the ministry of praise and worship and would like tostart, I encourage you to begin as follows: form committee that consists of the following:Clergy [Priest and Assistant]; Musicians [Organist, pianists, etc.]; Singers [Choir Leader,Worship Leader]; Congregation [Represented by People’s warden or Vestry Member].The committee should ensure that all areas of the service are fully expressed.

We are in a new millennium and the time has come to acknowledge that changes andattitudes towards worship in the church must be addressed. Those who are waiting forthis moment be encouraged.

R. Cecilia AskewCopyright@2005 Revised: May 2006

****************************************************************************************************For a little more than three decades the author Mrs. R Cecilia Askew, worked in thefinancial and investment services industry. She received training in OfficeAdministration and remains a member of the Institute of Commercial Management ofthe United Kingdom.

After receiving a call from the Lord, she pursued Pastoral Counselling and religious

training and currently holds a Certificate of Higher Education in Christian Studies fromOxford Brookes University, Oxford. Her studies in Pastoral Counselling and LayChaplaincy continue with the Wayne Oates Institute accredited by the Association ofProfessional Chaplains. Currently she is pursuing a course of study in Teaching andChild Care.

She is a trained Pastoral Counsellor, Caregiver and, Lay Chaplain. She is a member ofthe International Order of St. Luke [Healing Ministry], Associate Member of the Collegeof Health Care Chaplains [UK], a Certificated Pastoral Care member of the Associationof Christian Counsellors [UK] and International Association of Christian Chaplains inUSA.

She serves the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas as the Pastoral Care MinistriesCoordinator, one of the Directors of the Alpha Programme and member of the DiocesanHealth Care Ministry Council. However, first and foremost she is a “child of the KING and servant of the Lord through whom and in whom she has her being.



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an interpretation of worship and guidelines

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