LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
Philosophy of Worship 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
Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................1
What It Means to “Worship” .......................................................................................................1
What Scripture Says .....................................................................................................................3
Worship Theology .........................................................................................................................4
Congregational Worship ...............................................................................................................5
Public vs. Private ...........................................................................................................................7
Traditional vs. Contemporary .....................................................................................................8
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................9
Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................
ii
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Introduction
The development of a Scripturally-based philosophy of worship is imperative for any
worship leader to possess. In order for a worship leader to understand the assorted amount of
functions, roles, and responsibilities he or she will acquire, they must first know what they think
about worship and why it is important to them personally and professionally. Developing a
philosophy of worship will aid in these efforts toward becoming a worship leader that looks like,
sounds like and is more like Jesus Himself.
In this paper, I will share my personal philosophy of worship, specifically detailing what
it means to worship, what Scripture says about it, worship theology, the importance of
congregational worship, private versus public worship, and traditional versus contemporary
worship. My hope is that this will stir your heart as well to find what is also important to you and
makes you passionate to worship our Creator and know more about Him.
What It Means to “Worship”
The concept of worship is at the very center of who we are as individuals. We will always
worship someone or something throughout the course of our lives, and it is our choice whether it
is the Lord or something/someone else. To put it plainly, “there is never a time that your focus is
not on something or someone.”1 Luckily, Jesus stated what it means to truly worship in John
4:23: “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”2 What the Lord
seeks from us is true, authentic, and Spirit-led worship. If we are truly living the life that God
1 Joe Pace, From Performance to Praise: Moving Music Ministry to the Next Level. (Serenity Publishing &
Communications, Inc., 2004), 17.
2 Unless otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995).
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desires us to live, we will make sure that everything we do is offered as an act of worship. This is
what it means to truly live a lifestyle of worship.
Too often, Christians have the wrong idea about the real meaning behind worship. Many
see it as a song or set of songs on a Sunday morning worship experience or something that the
church has asked of them. “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.”3 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, not just on the
stage or in the church office.
A healthy worship leader will continuously be a student of what it means to truly
worship, never thinking that he or she has “arrived,” but will have a heart like David and ask the
Lord to “search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me.”4 In regard to worship and our relationship with the Lord,
nothing is off-limits. If our worship is a lifestyle, we cannot separate certain aspects of our lives
from God and claim that we worship Him with our whole hearts. “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.”5
Yes, worshiping God through music is important, but we must learn to worship Him in all things
– in what we do, in how we act, in how we react, in how we treat others, and in how we think.
3 Gareth J. Goossen, Worship Walk: Where Worship and Life Intersect. (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press,
2012), 3.
4 Psalm 134:23-24.
5 Goossen, Worship Walk, 12.
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What Scripture Says
Because worship is more than just music, the Bible has a lot to say about how we should
worship God. For example, Paul explains worship as offering our bodies to Him as an act of
worship: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”6 In
Isaiah, the Lord states that “these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules
they have been taught.”7 God clearly desires His people to worship Him from within, not just in
their outward displays. I Samuel also says that our obedience to God is much more important
than our mere acts of worship: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much
as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of
rams.”8 As previously stated, what truly matters in worship is our hearts and motives – that is
what the Lord desires from us, not just an outward performance or show that means nothing.
On the other hand, the Bible has a lot to say about worshiping the Lord through the
avenue of music. Paul encourages the church to worship Him in this way, saying, “let the
message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all
wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your
hearts.”9 The Psalms even give specific instruction to certain instruments that should be used in
praising the Lord: “Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and
lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with
the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise
6 Romans 12:1.
7 Isaiah 29:13.
8 I Samuel 15:22.
9 Colossians 3:16.
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the Lord.”10 In the Old Testament, the Levites were “set aside and consecrated for service in the
ministry,” and many times, the musicians were put on the front line of battle during wartime.11
These are just a few of many examples, but it is clear that the use of music is a powerful tool in
worshiping the Lord and inviting His presence on the earth. “When God anoints the arts, there is
an awesome power that He unleashes to penetrate hearts, minds and souls.”12 Scripture
transparently expresses the importance of not only worshiping through music but also with our
hearts.
Worship Theology
When a person hears the word “theology,” it can sometimes provoke the assumption that
it means something overly intelligent in the area of Scripture or something to do with a
distinguished Bible degree. On the contrary, the word theology simply means “the study of
God.”13 Because each of us possesses a theology of worship, it will directly correlate with how
we view God and study Him daily.
If we as worship leaders desire to have a firm foundation in our theology of worship, we
will first desire to be His disciple. This means we will be committed to a relationship with the
Lord and unceasingly growing closer to His heart. With this comes observing spiritual
disciplines, making them a part of our every day and who we are. “The purpose of the disciplines
is liberation from the stifling slavery to self-interest and fear… the primary requirement is a
10 Psalm 150:3-6.
11 Pace, From Performance to Praise, 17.
12 Rory Noland, The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide for You and Your Ministry Team. (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 24.
13 Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway
Books, 2008), 28.
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longing after God.”14 Being Jesus’ disciple requires the art of discipline, but it is also a matter of
what is within. “The spiritual disciplines are an inward and spiritual reality, and the inner attitude
of the heart is far more crucial than the mechanics for coming into the reality of the spiritual
life.”15
As a worship leader, it is incredibly essential to have a deep sense of theology, especially
in the songs that are chosen for the church to sing. I confidently believe in the idea that “a
worship leader who barely knows the Bible can’t be a faithful worship leader… so that means we
need to be reading. We need to be studying.”16 Just as a worship leader needs to be a disciple of
Christ, they must also be a good theologian – someone who thinks and says things about God
that line up with what Scripture says and affirms.17
Congregational Worship
As we have learned in this class, worship has looked vastly different throughout the
course of history. Even though Scripture encourages Christ followers to sing and make music to
the Lord, there were quite a few years that congregational singing was put to a stop. After the
Council of Laodicea in the mid-360’s, the only individuals permitted to sing in the church were
the clergy and professional singers, therefore creating a “performer – spectator” function in
worship services. Because of this, “congregational singing withered and wasted away for ten sad
and silent centuries,” producing an atmosphere that looked very different than the first-century
church.18
14 Richard J. Foster, The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. (New York, NY:
HarperCollins, 1978), 2.
15 Ibid., 3.
16 Kauflin, Worship Matters, 28.
17 Ibid.
18 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), 24.
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However, after a thousand years, all of this was about to change. Thanks to front runners
like Martin Luther and John Calvin, congregational worship began to thrive again, advocating
“full involvement in the church’s music ministries – everyone should sing.”19 The emphasis for
these men was “the priesthood of all believers required that all be permitted to praise the Lord
with singing.”20 They knew that there was something incredibly powerful in the unified yet
unique voices of the body of Christ coming together in praise to Him.
“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.”21 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.”22 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.
Public vs. Private
As a person who has led worship for many years, I can say with confidence that one of
the hardest things to balance in the life of a worship leader is the balance between our private and
public worship. It can become very easy to allow the pressures of ministry, the to-do lists and
tasks that need to be completed, and the needs of people to become the forefront of our priority
lists. However, this creates an unbalanced worship leader that eventually becomes burnt out and
19 Ibid., 33.
20 Elmer L. Towns & Vernon M. Whaley, Worship Through the Ages, (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group,
2012), 108.
21 Vernon M. Whaley, Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call (Nashville,
Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2009), 122-123.
22 David M. Edward, Worship 365: The Power of a Worshiping Life, (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group,
2006), 184.
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unable to lead worship in the way that pleases God. What must always come first is a genuine
passion for worshiping God behind closed doors.
“Corporate worship becomes genuine only as our expression of love for God is nurtured
in the individual heart…”23 Again, worship is a matter of the heart, not the act. “The moment we
lose our focus or fail to understand why we are singing in the choir, selecting songs, attending
rehearsals, tuning our instruments or adjusting the sound marks the beginning of our end.”24
What keeps us grounded in our relationships with God and our gifts being applauded on the stage
is our private worship with Him and Him alone. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is
when we can get real with God and show Him our raw, authentic selves and pour out our
worries, frustrations, thanks, love, and praise to Him.
Not only does our private worship affect us, but it affects everyone that we minister to.
“Our private expression of worship invites personal renewal when we begin to see God
interacting with us in our lives, work and relationships.”25 Our private worship paves the way for
corporate worship in a way that is genuine and inviting, encouraging the congregation to also
enter into that same vein of worship. Many times, worship leaders do not give their congregants
enough credit, but many Christ followers can tell when the person leading worship has a strong
relationship with God behind closed doors. Our worship ministries deserve a worship leader that
is dedicated to spending time with Him, putting Him first and, thus, showing the fruit of a
disciplined spiritual life. These characteristics make a worship leader that can be trusted to lead
the masses in worship. Private worship is conducive to public worship – we are kidding
ourselves if we think we can lead without the worship of the prayer closet.
23 Vernon M. Whaley, The Dynamics of Corporate Worship, Virginia Beach: Academix Publishing
Services, 2009, 32.
24 Pace, From Performance to Praise, 16.
25 Goossen, Worship Walk, 5.
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Traditional vs. Contemporary
One of the biggest issues that churches of today face is the ever-popular “worship wars”
regarding the style of worship. “Well-meaning, God-honoring men and women engage in bitter
battles with their brothers and sisters in the Lord over the ‘best’ style of expressing worship in
song. Believers being switching churches based on music styles because they have developed a
desire to worship in a particular musical fashion.”26 This is what happens when people equate the
style or form of worship as worship itself, which is incredibly false and unbiblical. “Our
corporate expression of worship invites renewal when we focus on God – not on style, on format,
or on ritual.”27 There is nothing wrong with tradition or liturgy. The problem lies in the “why”
behind it. If we are partaking in these practices just for the sake of tradition, that is not genuine
worship. On the other hand, if we are desiring to worship the Lord because a new song just came
out that we love and not worshiping to an older hymn earlier in the service, we have it all wrong.
What needs to be understood here is that worship is not bound by song selection, style,
structure, or form. It is much bigger than that. Sure, everyone has a preference in regard to
music, but if we are truly children of God, we should be praising God on earth just like we would
in Heaven – with genuine hearts and spirits, moved by His love for us, in unity with other
believers. “Each congregation must create its own style of worship, a style that is not only
comfortable for the worshipers, but also expresses the character and personality of the
worshiping community.”28
Conclusion
26 Goossen, Worship Walk, 3.
27 Ibid., 5.
28 Robert E. Webber, Worship Old & New. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. 1994), 151.
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My personal philosophy of worship encompasses the belief that worship is a lifestyle and
should permeate every area of our lives, from how we approach the lady in the checkout counter
in the grocery store, our children, our bosses, our volunteers. It should also encompass what
Scripture has to say about it, making sure to study God and develop a personal theology of
worship as well. The philosophy involves the importance of congregational singing, private
worship, and also a firm foundation on how style affects corporate worship.
All in all, worship should never begin in how we lead others – it should first and foremost
begin in the heart. “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.”29
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.
29 Dwayne Moore, Pure Praise: A Heart-Focused Bible Study on Worship. (Grand Rapids, MI: Group
Publishing Inc., 2018), 13.
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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.
New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
Noland, Rory. The Heart of the Artist: A Character-Building Guide for You and Your Ministry
Team. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999.
Pace, Joe. From Performance to Praise: Moving Music Ministry to the Next Level. Serenity
Publishing & Communications, Inc., 2004.
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. The Dynamics of Corporate Worship. Virginia Beach, VA: Academx Publishing
Services, 2009.
