LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
The Story of Worship Capstone Paper
Submitted to Dr. Rodney Whaley, in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the completion of the course
WRSP 502
History and Philosophy of Worship
by
Rachel Morway
May 8, 2020
Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................1
Worship in the Old Testament .....................................................................................................1
Worship in the New Testament ....................................................................................................2
Worship in the First – Fifth Centuries ........................................................................................4
Worship in the Middle Ages .........................................................................................................6
Worship in the Medieval Period and Reformation.....................................................................8
Worship in the Awakenings of Europe and America .................................................................9
Worship in the Camp Meeting Awakenings .............................................................................12
Worship in the Nineteenth Century...........................................................................................15
Worship in the Twentieth Century.............................................................................................17
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................19
Bibliography 21
ii
1
Introduction
As we have discovered throughout the entirety of this course, worship is so much more
than a song. Also, worship means different things to different people because every individual
has their own personal history and relationship with God. Because of this, the story of worship
from Genesis 1 to the modern age has many twists and turns, but at the center of it all, God
continues to pursue His creation and we continue to respond.
“Worship is not something tangential to the Christian story but a matter that lies at the
very heart of the Christ Scriptures from the beginning to the end.”1 No matter the narrative or
passage that is studied within Scripture, worship is always at the center. Worship is at the heart of
the Christian story, and the story of God and His people is the story of worship. In this paper, I
will attempt to identify and describe the various visuals and events of worship recorded in
history from the Old Testament through the twenty first century.
Worship in the Old Testament
Life as we know it began in Genesis 1 – God created the earth and humanity to worship
Him and have relationship with Him. “The fundamental nature of biblical worship, the epicenter
from which all the facts of worship proceed, is an event,” and the first event is found in the
garden.2 The event orientation of biblical worship ensures that God always saves us, and that is
why we worship Him. Next, the covenantal nature of biblical worship “was laid down in the
establishment of the covenant itself.”3 This is where God makes a binding covenant with the
people Israel – the beginning of a long journey in which Israel would fall into sin and God would
continue to renew His promise to them. This covenantal importance to worship is shown in the
obedience to the book of the covenant and the sacrificial nature of biblical worship. “Whenever
1 Robert E. Webber, Worship Old & New. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. 1994), 19.
2 Ibid., 20.
3 Ibid., 23.
2
the Israelites lapse into sin and apostasy, they forgot their covenant and their worship was lost,
ritualized or corrupted by pagan influences.”4 The law was set in motion to keep the Israelites
from wandering, but time and time again, they continued to stray.
Biblical worship during this time was centered on sacred space, sacred rituals, and sacred
ministry. God developed His relationship with Israel through worship in the sacred spaces of the
tabernacle and the temple. Worship in the Old Testament looked vastly different than our modern
forms of worship, including festivals and sacrifices reveling the “remembrance, anticipation,
celebration, and service lay for Israel’s response to God.”5
During the time of Moses, God commanded the Israelites to build a tabernacle so He
could dwell amongst His people. The tabernacle’s purpose was at the center of the camp and was
to show the Lord’s kingly presence over the Israelites. During the time of David, he had plans to
construct a temple, but it was not finished until he had passed on and Solomon became king.
During this time, there were three festivals recognized in the worship of the early church: the
Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle festivals.
Later in the Old Testament, the synagogue was built due to the destruction of the temple
and provided a place to worship while the Israelites were exiled. Synagogue worship was quite
different because there were no sacred rituals or sacred ministry. Instead, it focused on “reading
and understanding the Word of God.”6
Worship in the New Testament
During the New Testament, biblical worship was centered on Jesus Christ and the New
Covenant that was established after His death and resurrection. Jesus Himself is the primary
4 Webber, Worship Old & New, 23.
5 Ibid., 38.
6 Ibid., 37.
3
object and center of our worship. He fulfilled the Old Testament covenant by paying the ultimate
price on the cross for the sins of humanity. After many years, a new covenant was made between
God and His people through His Son. “Jesus Christ is the new propitiation. He stands between
God and the covenant people. His sacrifice is for them. He is their covering, their atonement.”7
Because of this newly forged covenant through God’s Son, Jesus’s sacrifice made it possible for
Christians to worship at any time and any place, but many Christ followers gather at the Church
to bring their worship collectively to Him. “He is Spirit, and spirit is not contained or limited to
space, time, or location. Those who are true worshipers – the ones God looks for – never limit or
segment their worship of God to a time, place, location, format, etc.”8 Because of this new
covenant, New Testament worshipers could worship God in their own way, and incredible
innovation to the history of worship.
The response of people when they worship includes how they remember, anticipate and
celebrate the Lord. “… remembering God’s saving deeds, which was fundamental to Old
Testament worship, is equally fundamental to New Testament worship.”9 This is found through
the act of preaching and taking the Lord’s supper. On the other hand, “worship is not only
grounded in past redemptive events but in an anticipation of what is to come.”10 God is
continually at work within His world, and we must not only remember Him but also come to
expect greater things from Him.
“God was not at all interested in people ‘going through the motions’ of worship. He was
looking for worship from men and women who were genuine in their love for Him.”11 Peter,
Paul, John and James were great examples of genuine followers of Christ that desired to please
7 Robert E. Webber, Worship Old & New (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), 25.
8 Gareth J. Goossen, Worship Walk: Where Worship and Life Intersect. (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press,
2012), 12.
9 Ibid., 28.
10 Ibid.
4
Him with their worship and not “go through the motions.” They sacrificed all they had, many of
them to the point of death, to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” as John 4:23 says.12
New Testament worship is more difficult to research because there is not detailed
statement on worship during this time period. Instead, there are “brief descriptions provided by
hymns, confessions, benedictions, doxologies and subtle hints in words descriptive of worship.”13
However, some great data came forth from the fragmented documents to provide our current
knowledge on New Testament worship as a whole.
Worship in the First – Fifth Centuries
During the time of the early church (AD 100-500), worship was considered “simple and
sincere.”14 The organization of the local churches varied between each place, but by the second
century, “three distinct positions of leadership emerged: bishop, presbyter and deacon.”15
Because the Roman rule was so strict and Christianity was not tolerated, people learned about
Jesus through Christian’s lifestyle of worship rather than being converted in the church itself.
Even though there are limited specifics concerning second century worship, Webber
states that it was vital to the early church. “Worship was of such vital importance to the early
Christians that they consciously withheld information lest they cast their pearls before the
swine.”16 The New Testament origins of the two-part structure of Christian worship included the
reading of the Word and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism was also a part of second century worship,
11 Elmer L. Towns and Vernon M. Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group,
2012), 12.
12 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995).
13 Webber, Worship Old & New, 41.
14 Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 72.
15 Ibid.
16 Webber, Worship Old & New, 51.
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claiming that “a person identifies with the death and resurrection of Jesus and enters into the
worship life of the church” through this sign-act.17
Worship in the third century was known as being intimate and simple in nature. Like the
second century church, “Christians continued to worship in homes and continued the practice of
hearing the Word and celebrating the table” (95).18 After much debate and quarrel over worship
in the church, congregational singing was forever changed by the Council of Laodicea in the
mid-360’s, issuing the decree that “no others shall sing in the Church, save only the canonical
singers, who go up in the ambo and sing from a book.”19 Many people during this time
questioned the doctrine of these hymns, calling them heretical, so the church leaders’ solution
was to assign the clergy to perform all public forms of singing.20 Because of this change in
worship style, congregants now had to learn to listen to the worship and not participate in singing
along to the beautiful melodies and lyrics. Even though worship was technically still taking
place, it was done so in a spectator and performer type of role rather than everyone worshiping in
unity all together. Sadly, “congregational singing withered and wasted away for ten sad and silent
centuries.”21
The fourth and fifth century ensued dramatic changes after the Constantine conversion,
sanctioning the next era we now know as “classic Christianity” (96). Because of this,
ecclesiastical centers were established in certain cities, creating different styles of worship over
time. Eastern liturgy was considered “highly ceremonial, gloriously beautiful, and deeply
17 Webber, Worship Old & New, 61.
18 Ibid., 95.
19 Robert J. Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of
Our Faith (Nashville, TN: W Publishing, 2011), 23-24.
20 Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 78.
21 Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, 24.
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mystical.”22 In Western liturgy, the Roman rite was the standard approach to worship, creating a
tendency toward simplicity in both order and symbols.23
Worship in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, congregational singing was not practiced due to the regulations put
forth by the Council of Laodecia. However, there were a few bright spots during this somewhat
dark and silent period in the Church – musically, at least. Jason Mason Neale contributed to
many hymns we still sing today. “Some of the hymns found in our hymnbooks today hail from
medieval days… we owe Neale an enormous debt of gratitude.”24 Without his tireless work to
compose and translate hymns of this time, our hymnals today would be much less dense
musically and scripturally. Bernard of Cluny, one of the two famous medieval “Bernard’s,” wrote
a great, three-thousand-line poem that later turned into many different hymns. “Bernard’s poem
is full or warnings about the judgement of God, but he also bursts into glorious language when
describing the hope of heaven.”25 Bernard of Clairvaux established a famous French monastery
that contributed to the progress of the Christian faith and ministry training during the dark
medieval period. It is said that “probably no man during his lifetime ever exercised a personal
influence in Christendom equal to his,” and if we did not have his contribution to the medieval
period, we would not be who we are as a modern Church.26 Lastly, during this time St. Francis of
Assisi penned the great lyrics to the infamous hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King,”
which is still widely sung today throughout many Christian denominations. Francis of Assisi was
one of the only leaders of his time to “emphasize congregational singing and wrote hymns and
22 Webber, Worship Old & New, 99.
23 Ibid., 101.
24 Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, 25.
25
Ibid., 27.
26 Ibid., 29.
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songs in the language of the people set to popular melodies.”27 All four of these men paved the
way for the modern generation of worship music by composing timeless music for the Church
and creating avenues for Christ followers to engage in worship.
Several more innovations to worship practices took place during the Middle Ages. First,
the use of the chant was created by Pope Gregory, where we get the name “Gregorian Chant”
that is still used today.28 Second, there were two types of music that were generally sung during
this time – modes and hymns. The eight different modes were developed by the monks since
there was no concept of key signatures at this time. The hymn was used for communicating
theology and was based off of scriptural text or thought.29 The final innovation to worship during
the Middle Ages was the development of written notation for music.30 Before this time, Christian
music was memorized and passed down orally from generation to generation. Musical notation
allowed for different styles of music to be created and provided an avenue for music to be saved
and transported to different people groups. These practices set the stage for the Reformation
Revival in the sixteenth century by adding more constructive organization to musical reform in
the future.
Worship in the Medieval Period and Reformation
In the sixteenth century, major innovations to worship took place that changed the course
of Christianity for the rest of history. Leaders like Luther and Calvin desired to “strip the church
of unnecessary traditions and return it to the purity of the early church, both in doctrine and in
worship.”31 Over time, Christianity became all about religion and tradition and less about the
27 Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 89.
28 Ibid., 89.
29 Ibid., 91.
30 Ibid., 92.
31 Webber, Worship Old & New, 109.
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meaning behind it, so something had to be done. Reformers rejected the Mass, Roman prayers,
and the doctrine of transubstantiation, and desired the restoration of the Word and that worship
should be in the vernacular, keeping the validity of the reading of the Word and communion.
This portion of history also brought on the advent of the long-treasured hymnal, in which
many congregations still use a version to this day. “All this set the stage for a revolution in
congregational worship – the rediscovery of congregational singing and church hymns.”32
Congregants also learned to coincide their theology with the singing of these hymns, resulting in
the people listening to God through His Word and responding back to Him in their songs.33
Because of this, German Protestant hymnody was a reflection of the “new theology” associated
with the Reformation.
Even though the Reformation brought on major difficulty and loss, there are quite a few
innovations and “bright spots” in the darkness that we can thank the Germans for, especially
Luther. “Enflamed by the fires of the Reformation, congregations began singing again, and
during the first one hundred years of the Reformation, scholars reckon that twenty-five thousand
hymns were written in Germany alone.34 Despite the difficulty that the Reformation ensued on
these believers, they used this struggle to create songs to the Lord that ended up being sung for
generations. “At the heart of Luther’s worship philosophy was a desire for God’s people to
respond to him in their own personal song.”35 Even though German hymns were different in
content than English, meaning not straight from Scripture, they taught church goers the meaning
32 Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, 31.
33 Ibid., 33.
34 Ibid., 35.
35 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 108.
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of crafting one own’s “heart song” to the Lord as beautiful act of worship. The innovation of the
chorale and psalter through Luther and Calvin allowed the reintroduction of congregational
singing into the Church. “The Reformation brought with it many exciting changes in the way
people expressed their worship to God,” and this was made possible by the art of singing as a
unified body of Christ becoming commonplace once more.36
“Unabashed and authentic worship brings God near. Just ask David… and when we come
together to worship, it’s not about us. It’s about Him.”37 To this day, the power and anointing of
the Holy Spirit is present when the people of God lift their voices to Him. It is an undeniable
force that is a formidable opponent to the powers of darkness. “When people are in the presence
of God, the supernatural strikes a chord within the heart of every man and woman because we
were created to worship Him and to respond to His presence.”38 Worship is where life-change
truly happens, and it should be the desire of every worship leader to encourage the church to not
be silent and worship in Spirit and truth.
Worship in the Awakenings of Europe and America
After the Reformation, worship and church gatherings never looked the same. “The Great
Awakening in Europe and America changed the character of the churches.”39 These new
traditions consisted of American experiment, tolerance, individualism, and pluralism, bringing
vast change to the once traditional forms of worship.40 This type of worship also considered “the
understanding of how salvation is received.”41 Previously, salvation had always been connected
36 Ibid., 111.
37 Vernon M. Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call (Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2009), 122-123.
38 David M. Edward, Worship 365: The Power of a Worshiping Life, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group,
2006), 184.
39 Ibid., 114.
40 Webber, Worship Old & New, 109.
41 Ibid., 114.
10
to baptism. In the Free Church movement, baptism became a public declaration of faith to fellow
believers rather than “God’s action,” changing the view of salvation into “faith in Jesus Christ
and the worship of God were to happen in the mind or in the heart.”42
The new convictions of worship included the anti-liturgical movement was just that –
anti-liturgy. “It argues that all ceremonies and formed have been abolished by the new covenant,”
simplifying worship into a more spiritual form, not dependent on sacraments or symbols.”43
Pedagogical worship “stressed the need for understanding the Word of God,” including full
chapters and Psalms as responsive readings as an act of worship in gatherings. Finally,
evangelistic worship “emphasized personal experience.”44 It centered on the experience of the
believer with God rather than corporate action of the church with the main concern being
evangelism. “For the first time, music was used as a tool for evangelism, as people began singing
in public songs of personal experience.”45 This was the greatest innovation to worship during this
time, allowing the beautiful music of this time period to go past the four walls of the church and
into the hearts of the surrounding community, thus transforming lives and adding to the kingdom.
The various innovations to our modern worship during this time included many front
runners that changed the scope of worship forever. Preachers and teachers who led the Great
Awakening in England and America were John and Charles Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and
George Whitefield.
The Wesley brothers, John and Charles Wesley, wrote over 6,500 hymns. These beautiful
hymns written by the brothers “stressed God’s ability to identify with humans as a loving
42 Ibid.
43 Webber, Worship Old & New, 115.
44 Ibid., 117.
45 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 126.
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heavenly Father.”46 Another innovative composer, Isaac Watts, is known as “the father of English
hymnody.”47 Isaac Watts was a preacher as well and believed that music “should express the
gospel of the New Testament regardless of the musical or literary form.”48 His compositions
revealed the messages behind his sermons and were quite expressive.
Watts and the Wesley’s brought a sense of freshness to worship during the Great
Awakening. It was “not until the arrival of the Methodists and Evangelicals in the mid-eighteenth
century did compassion seem once more to return to Christianity… with them returned the
corporate expression of faith in God which lies at the heart of Christian worship.”49 During the
Great Awakening, the composition of hymns also included educating the church the art of
congregational singing. These “singing schools” became popular and had a major impact on the
local church and its congregations. Not only did these hymns teach congregants about music,
they were also used “as a means for communication theology and doctrine.”50
Worship in the Camp Meeting Awakenings
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a new wave of worship reform and
tradition was forged by the Camp Meeting Awakenings. The camp meetings of this time “were
known for intensely emotional and personal encounters with God.”51 These times of unified
worship were genuine, heart-felt and authentic compared to the rigidity and structured forms of
worship in previous generations. “Corporate worship becomes genuine only as our expression of
46 Ibid., 123.
47 Ibid., 120.
48 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 120.
49 Ibid., 125.
50 Ibid., 126.
51 Ibid., 147.
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love for God is nurtured in the individual heart…”52 This era truly discovered that worship is a
matter of the heart, not the act.
Strategic personalities during this time were Dr. Timothy Dwight, Nathaniel Taylor,
Bishop Francis Asbury, Peter Cartwright, Bishop Richard Allen, James McGready, and Barton
Stone. Dr. Dwight was president of Yale College and was credited for “rescuing Yale from the
heretical teachings of deism, popular at the height of the Age of Reason and Enlightenment.”53
The school was blessed with several seasons of revival led by Dwight, developing a new era for
the influential university to encourage for days to come. Nathaniel Taylor was mentored by
Dwight, going on to pastor the First Church of New Haven and served as the first professor of
theology at Yale Divinity School.54 Bishop Francis Asbury established the Methodist Episcopal
Church and also traveled from Maine to Georgia, preaching thousands of sermons and ordaining
many ministers. He is known as the “Johnny Appleseed of the Gospel.”55 Peter Cartwright was
also a circuit-riding preacher who fiercely opposed and preached against slavery. He planted
churches, baptized ten thousand converts and preached thousands of sermons in his lifetime.56
Bishop Richard Allen was a freed slave who preached on the Methodist circuit, aiding in
establishing the African American Episcopal Church (AME). He also “organized, assembled, and
printed a hymnal documenting the hymns, songs and spirituals sung by African Americans
during the dark years of slavery.57 James McGready is known for constructing the Cane Ridge
Awakening, a powerful wave of revival at the cusp of the nineteenth century. He is also known as
52 Vernon M. Whaley, The Dynamics of Corporate Worship, Virginia Beach: Academix Publishing
Services, 2009, 32.
53 Ibid., 148.
54 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 148.
55 Ibid.
56 Ibid., 149.
57 Ibid.
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the “founding father of the Cumberland Presbyterian Movement.”58 Finally, Barton Stone was
also an innovator during the Cane Ridge Awakening and was mentored by McGready. Preaching
that faith was “the only prerequisite for salvation,” he caused quite a stir with the Presbyterian
synod and was expelled from the denomination because of his Arminian beliefs.59
Innovations during this time were incredibly ground-breaking. First, public displays of
emotion and affection were becoming more acceptable. These revivals “provided opportunity to
freely express worship, repentance and sorrow for sin – even publicly.”60 Second, Christians
began to show their love and adoration to God through “bodily movement and vocal expression”
thanks to African American influences that attended camp meetings and services. This included
shouting, clapping and dancing, expressions of worship that were unheard of and not permitted
in previous traditions and denominations.61 Third, meetings were mostly held outdoors, teaching
Christians of this time that you can encounter the love of Jesus and worship Him outside the four
walls of a church building. This rocked the Christian worldview at the time, providing a new
theology of worship that has carried through to our present generation.
The innovations introduced by the Watts and Wesley brothers during the Great
Awakening impacted the innovations brought on by the Camp Meeting Awakening in a few
ways. First, congregants’ newfound expressiveness in worship during this time period would not
have been appropriate without the headway that these men provided through their musical and
theological advances. Second, the theological emphasis that their hymns signified made it
possible for worship services to be much more personal during the Camp Meeting Awakening.
“The shift in theological emphasis opened doors for people to seek forgiveness of sin and
58 Ibid.
59 Ibid., 150.
60 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 150.
61 Ibid.
14
publicly invite Jesus to reside in their hearts.”62 Just as Christians need to be disciples of Christ,
they must also be good theologians – people who think and say things about God that line up
with what Scripture says and affirms.63 This newfound theology made a profound impact on our
modern worship as well – many evangelical churches include “altar calls” in their services
weekly because of this innovation, and this is how many individuals come to know Christ.
The Camp Meeting Awakening impacted modern worship is by providing opportunities
for people of different ethnicities to gather and worship together. “Sometimes white men and
women would join the black congregants in singing. Many took these newly learned songs back
to their white churches in the city.”64 Because these men and women were not afraid to gather
together, we can now worship today with people from every nation, tribe and tongue – a true
picture of “heavenly” worship.
Worship in the Nineteenth Century
In the new era of the 1800’s, worship took on a new form in the Americas. First, the
Sunday School movement brought upon “new, easy-to-sing songs that were introduced for use in
private devotions” and “song lyrics that were set in everyday English.”65 Because of this, Charles
Finney had a hand in many people coming to know the Lord, aiding them in developing a
“soundtrack” for their prayer closets through simple, Jesus-focused songs created in this area.
Singing schools also became more and more widespread throughout the nation. “Going into
churches and schools, ministers and musicians used these manuals to teach Americans the
62 Ibid., 151.
63 Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway
Books, 2008), 28.
64 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 152.
65 Ibid., 174.
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rudiments of music and to introduce them to sacred melodies.”66 This allowed worship of this
time to reach new heights of excellence and provided new opportunities for growth and music
education.
Second, the concept of “worship evangelism” during the Laymen’s Prayer Revival of the
late nineteenth century made worship music and winning souls synonymous. Dwight L. Moody
and Ira Sankey “moved worship services outside traditional church sanctuaries,” making the
gatherings more “accessible to the unchurched.”67 This unorthodox location switch was brilliant,
bringing hosts of people to “the church” and allowing them to hear the gospel through song.
With revivals sweeping across the land, many new converts to Christianity were inspired by
songs of worship that “they could learn the first time they heart it, and which they could whistle
and sing wherever they may be.”68 Many of these hymns and gospel songs were laced with
personal testimonies attached to them and were becoming more popular and appreciated amongst
churchgoers. “… the singing was simple, enthusiastic, emotional, personal, and heart-lifting, in
the popular style of the era.”69 Singing Scripture was also important, but the closer songwriter
drew to the Lord, the more they had to say about their personal walks with Him in their songs.
Strategic personalities during this time were Charles Finney, Lowell Mason, Dwight L.
Moody, and Ira Sanky, among many others. Charles Finney’s story resembled Paul from the New
Testament, including a radical, immediate conversion from stark atheism. After his conversion,
he abandoned his law practice to preach across America. He often used his “skills as a lawyer to
persuade congregations to make decisions for Christ,” becoming known for his altar calls and
66 Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, 47.
67 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 194.
68 Morgan, Then Sings My Soul, 51.
69 Ibid., 49.
16
slew of converts.70 Lowell Mason made major contributions to the Sunday school songs of the
Sunday school and Finney Revivals. Mason cofounded the Boston Academy of Music as well as
the Reformed Notation Movement, advocating the use of “scientific music” in the Americas. He
is also known as the father of American church music.71 Dwight L. Moody was an “energetic and
innovative communicator of the gospel with a deep love for children,” thus his amazing success
in the Sunday school movement and for years after.72 Moody’s collaboration with Ira Sanky was
one of worship’s most profound partnerships. They truly were the first “evangelistic preacher-
singer team,” winning many souls for Christ through their beautiful music and heart-gripping
sermons.
In all of this, the message of the gospel in the nineteenth century relates to our worship
today because these heart-felt songs paved the way for the more contemporary songs written of
the modern age. We would not have songs like “Shout to the Lord” if it were not for songs like
“How Great Thou Art.” This tells an all-encompassing story of the magnificence of God and
requires all of who we are to express it. “Worship involves the total human being: spirit, mind,
emotions, and body.”73 All in all, worship from previous generations and worship of today all
have the same motive at heart: to bring glory, honor and praise to the Lord who deserves it, no
matter what style or form it comes in.
Worship in the Twentieth Century
The twentieth century survived misery, famine, and wars, which made it “one of the most
turbulent centuries in modern history.”74 However, despite its difficulties, worship boomed into a
70 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 165.
71 Ibid., 173.
72 Ibid., 183.
73 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 359.
74 Webber, Worship Old & New, 121.
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new era, epitomizing the supernatural in regard to worship. This new period of worship brought
upon the holiness-Pentecostal movement. These worshipers were overwhelmed by the move of
the Holy Spirit and became even more encouraged with the gift of speaking in tongues. Worship
was expressed with freedom, joy, and spontaneity, along with praying and singing in the Spirit.
One of the greatest innovations to worship during the twentieth century came through the
Azusa Street Revival. During this time, women found a newfound role in worship. “They
preached, taught, exhorted entire congregations, prayed, gave prophetic utterances, spoke in
tongues, and interpreted.”75 Through the help of William J. Seymour and Clara Lum, a new way
was paved for previously shunned women to offer their gifts of song and ministry, making a way
for women to minister hundreds of years later.
At this same time, reform in the liturgical Roman Catholic church was also taking place.
Webber describes their worship as worship that “proclaims, enacts and celebrates the life, death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His victory over sin, death and the powers of evil.”76On the
other hand, in the mainline Protestant churches, reform looked like producing new worship
materials and a worship manifesto that explained much needed reforms that needed to happen
since barely no change had transpired since the Reformation.
Billy Graham’s crusades and songbooks allowed the local church to have materials and
resources for their music ministries within reach and inspired ministers to raise the bar of
excellence in their churches. “Crusade music was always well rehearsed and professional in
presentation. This provided worship leaders and choir members opportunities to experiences
firsthand the work of highly trained, professional musicians.”77 Because the Bible encourages us
75 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 230.
76 Webber, Worship Old & New, 125.
77 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 287.
18
to “play skillfully” and with excellence to the Lord, these innovations to worship allowed this
type of musical equality to happen inside the local church, not just inside the revival arenas.78
Lastly, the advent of the Jesus Movement made it possible for church staffs to see the
need for full-time assistance in regard to their music ministries. “Church choirs grew at a
startling rate,” and “the growing need for music leadership in local churches created a demand
for skilled musicians with a heart for worship.”79 The churches of the Jesus Movement saw the
incredible need for music ministry to have top-notch people leading on the platform, and this was
an incredible innovation of this time that has made its way into modern-day churches.
The Charismatic and Jesus Movements of the mid-twentieth century still have made
worship what it is today. The convergence of worship traditions, including liturgical, evangelical
and charismatic, have its benefits and concerns, but all in all, no matter what traditions are kept
and thrown out between the denominations, the continuation of “personal salvation, biblical
teaching and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit” are vital.80
Conclusion
“Today, particularly in the North American church, we have focused so much energy on
the power of music within our weekly services that we have, inadvertently, begun equating music
with worship.”81 Unfortunately, what we have forgotten is the reason we were created by God
was to worship Him in everything that we do, not just at certain times when it is convenient or
when we are surrounded by other Christ followers. How we worship is at the very core of who
we are, and the Lord desires us to worship in all aspects of life.
78 Psalms 33:3.
79 Towns & Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, 326.
80 Webber, Worship Old & New, 133.
81 Goossen, Worship Walk, 3.
19
The story of worship is a journey that has heavily impacted the worship style of the
modern church of today. Worship began in Genesis 1 in the Garden of Eden, and the worship of
our Lord continues today in very different forms and structures. Every event, person, innovation
and minute detail has made a difference in each generation to follow and makes an impact
toward the world knowing the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Worship should always be our
response to the greatness of God. He initiates and we respond. The church’s anthem for worship
should be the same the man after God’s own heart: “I will extol the LORD at all times; His praise
will always be on my lips.”82 After all, “worship is not just something we do on Sundays at
church. And it’s certainly more than singing or attending a service, although those are included.
Worship is a lifestyle. It involves everything we do and think and are. It means loving God with
every breath we take and every move we make.”83
82 Psalm 34:1.
83 Dwayne Moore, Pure Praise: A Heart-Focused Bible Study on Worship. (Grand Rapids, MI: Group
Publishing Inc., 2018), 13.
20
Bibliography
Edwards, David M. Worship 365: The Power of a Worshiping Life. Nashville, TN: Broadman
and Holman Publishing Company, 2006.
Foster, Richard J. The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. New York, NY:
HarperCollins: 1978.
Goossen, Gareth J. Worship Walk: Where Worship and Life Intersect. Bloomington, IN:
WestBow Press, 2012.
Kauflin, Bob. Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. Wheaton,
IL: Crossway Books, 2008.
Moore, Dwayne. Pure Praise: A Heart-Focused Bible Study on Worship. Grand Rapids, MI:
Group Publishing Inc., 2018.
Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul, The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the
Great Hymns of Our Faith. Nashville, TN: W Publishing, 2011.
Towns, Elmer L. & Vernon M. Whaley, Worship Through the Ages. Nashville: B&H Publishing
Group, 2012.
Webber, Robert E., Worship Old & New. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. 1994.
Whaley, Vernon. Called to Worship: From the Dawn of Creation to the Final Amen. Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
Whaley, Vernon. The Dynamics of Corporate Worship. Virginia Beach, VA: Academx Publishing
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