Gathering, Testifying, Ascribing Worth

Hanging out with Andy Rozier and James Macdonald at Harvest Bible Chapel this last week I stumbled onto another useful way of putting a setlist together.

As with any discussions on the way we order our songs, it's worth saying that Jesus is the answer to any question we might have on how to enter into God's presence. Period. He is everything we need to meet with the Lord. He is our great High Priest. He is our sacrifice. He is the way, the gate, the door to the presence of God. There is no longer any curtain separating God's people from Him. God has made a way for us and that way is Jesus. But there is no doubt that we can be more or less aware of His presence with us...

As worship leaders tasked with ordering a set of songs when we meet together it's helpful to have some kind of logical impetus to our set, rather than just throwing a random series of songs at people. Think of a worship set like you'd think of a song. Writing the lyrics to a song is like making a point. We've all heard songs that seem to be simply a collection of true but unrelated 'praise phrases'. The Lord is holy. The Lord is humble. The Lord healed my friend Dennis. All these statements are true, but they are not necessarily related. As a child, songs and even sermons like this, would leave me feeling bewildered, puzzled and even uncertain of my faith. Paul's point in 1 Corinthians 14 with regard to speaking in tongues publicly can also be applied to the words we choose to sing when we meet...

19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Similarly, the collection of songs we choose to sing can be a clear call to God revealing more of the beautiful news, or a puzzling assortment of themes and directions that fail to persuade others and gather us in prayer...

So how about these 3 as general passages of worship....

Stage 1. A song/s that gathers people and calls us towards God to worship. Think of Psalms of Ascents and the priests standing at the temple gate inviting others into the temple to draw near to God.

Stage 2. Songs that witness or testify to God's activity in our lives. Songs that speak of what God has done and is doing, and will do in our world. And maybe even songs that lament the absence of God in our lives. The Harvest guys call these testimonial songs. Think of God's people gathering together and talking about how their week has gone and what God has been doing. These are songs that reflect this conversation.

Stage 3. Songs that ascribe worth and honor and adoration to God. 'Ascription songs'. The most 'vertical' of our worship songs. Adoration of God without necessarily reflecting on what God has done - or even not done - for us.

So here are some examples...

Gathering songs:

- songs would be 'Hosanna (praise is rising)', Adoration (we bow our hearts) , and Brian Doerksen's classic 'Come, now is the time to worship'.

Testimonial songs:

- Here I am to worship, Happy Day, Your love is amazing, Your grace is enough, Jesus Messiah, Mighty to save, Our God saves

Ascription songs:

- Revelation Song, Holy, How great is our God, We fall down

This is just one way of ordering a set. There are probably as many ways of ordering your songs as there are ways to have a conversation. But when we're working a busy week and have to prepare setlist when we're tired, these devices can be extremely helpful.

In the end our heart is to honor God in an honest and worthy way, to love Him and enjoy Him forever as the Westminster Catechism so beautifully puts it. And to serve Him and His people. My encouragement today is to try to do this in a clear and persuasive way...