Lately, I have been thinking about a pattern I see in music written for assembled worship. To borrow a phrase, I call the pattern Revelation and Response. It works like this: A truth about God’s character or activity is revealed in part of the song and there is a second part that gives the opportunity to respond the truth shared. Here’s a good example from Tim Hughes’ Here I am to Worship:
Revelation
Light of the world, you came down into darkness, opened my eyes, let me see…Response
…You’re altogether lovely, all together worthy, all together wonderful to me…
When I looked across the number of songs we sing at Grace, I see the same elements but in different patterns. At times it can be quite deliberate like in Wonderful Maker or interwoven in each stanza like Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.
I think what completes this pattern is Reflection (another R word to alliterate by). This could be in instrumental parts of music, by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, or a time of sharing praises in the church. Really it could be anything, given that the essence of our activity is worship. The forms of worship are secondary. But that’s another blog…
Wow! I love patterns – when you can sort of hang your approach to something on an orderly pattern, it only improves on things.
A while back, a few of us on the worship team were discussing a couple of articles about “Songs of Procrastination” (here and here; I think our consensus was the author made some good point but perhaps too strongly) — songs that merely express the intention to praise without actually doing it. Considering the pattern Kevin describes here, maybe it’s just that those songs skip revelation and go straight to response…
Can anybody think of other examples — good and bad — of the way “worship” songs are put together?
I think that this pattern should be in more than just the individual worship songs themselves. The pattern should be brought into the entire worship service.
For example, the revelation could be a Scripture reading and the response could be a praise song. The revelation could be the sermon and the response could be a time of silent contemplation. And like you mentioned, a praise song may not only be response but could be revelation itself.
The key is that the worship service should be repeating this pattern over and over and that we should be looking for ways to get the congregation to respond.
This pattern is usually shown by looking at Isa 6:1-8. Verses 1-4 show who God is. Verse 5 shows Isaiah’s response – I am unworthy and results in a confession of sins. Verse 6-8a shows how he is forgiven. And then verse 8b shows Isaiah’s response – I am available and willing, send me.
I agree with Matt as far as the pattern should be evident throughout an assembly of believers. As far as doing that on purpose, it’s up to leadership.
As far the “songs of procastination”, I think is where we run into a limitation of the English language. When I say, “I will worship You”, I mean I am currently worshipping you and intend to do so indefinitely. This verb tense exists in the Greek but not English (Matt please straighten me out here if needed).
And yes, this statement, “I will worship You”, is the response to the revelation of who God is or what He’s done. To your point Hugh, I agree that for some songs, the response is all there is. These songs I call songs of devotion. For example, “You’re Worthy of my Praise” and “Give Us Clean Hands”. And there is a place for them. But I am still figuring that out. 😉