A NEW TESTAMENT GUIDE TO WORSHIP
by Richard Burkard
Was Worldwide Church of God (now Grace Communion International) Pastor-General Joseph Tkach trying to step on some toes, when he introduced the issue of Biblical worship?
To a casual observer of a video sermon sent to all churches in 1996, it might have seemed that way. In only one message, Mr. Tkach:
* Dismissed a Bible translation used by Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as some aspects of Mormonism. (So much for not speaking negatively about other religions.)
* Implied, but did not specifically say, that Dwight Armstrong was a plagiarist. Most of the words in his hymns, members were told, came from an 1892 Protestant songbook. (And some of us thought they came from the Bible, after checking the King James Version!)
* Accused people who used the word "Christ" instead of "Jesus" of having a "masculinity hang-up." (But so far, there's been no move to call members Jesus-ians.)
* Made the now-infamous declaration that "sermonettes are real worship killers" - which later brought an apology in The Worldwide News.
Breaking a Mindset
Even with these juicy distractions, Mr. Tkach's purpose was clear: break the Church out of its old mindset of worship. In the months after that message, ministers under him tried to turn the instructions into reality - sometimes with congregations kicking and screaming along the way.
The story was told of one U.S. congregation where several members went to a Regional Pastor and threatened to quit. Why? Because the R.P. insisted on having everyone sing "Shine Jesus Shine" - every week. He was trying to get people to kick the "Christ" habit, but he relented after hearing the complaint.
I attended a congregation in Atlanta as the WCG changes unfolded. And I still have the "order of worship" card from a Sabbath in1996 when everything suddenly changed. As Worship Leader, I called the Pastor at home Friday evening as a courtesy, to check for any last-minute adjustments. He said he expected none. Next morning, an overhead projector suddenly appeared. The Pastor added worship songs - then instructed me during the service to have the congregation sing them again before the sermon.
My background is in broadcast news, and I've had newscasts with fewer last-minute "on the fly" changes than that service had. When it was over, I went to a Hispanic friend and recited the title of a popular Mexican tune of the time: "Simplemente Loco" - simply crazy.
As it happened, this pastor was a WCG Regional Pastor. And to be fair, he tried to bring many worship changes in slowly. Mr. Tkach informed in May. The R.P. suggested, then nudged, then seemed to push - and by August, he was almost taunting by stating some members were "the frozen chosen." (But then came a back-down in October, with a statement that raising hands during a service was NOT a "must.")
What struck me most about the 1996 message was the "Biblical precedent" Mr. Tkach cited about worship. His lengthy introduction was based on a scene from Nehemiah 8:1-6. He read from Psalms 149 and 150 as well, while discussing matters of musical style, instrumentation and dancing.
Admittedly, all the other scriptures he cited came from the New Testament. But when he quoted Nehemiah and Psalms as evidence for his points, two words sprang to my mind - New Covenant. Talk about a paradigm shift. After teaching the WCG for more than a year than the Old Testament is NOT the standard for obeying God, now you turn to the O.T. for how to worship God?!
Going Point by Point
This explanation seemed inconsistent at best - and at worst just plain double-talk. Since WCG/GCI now considers itself a New Testament church, I decided to study the issue of how to worship God by playing under the Church's rules: that the New Testament is the guidance to follow. Based on this, let's examine point-by-point the worship manners and practices Mr. Tkach mentioned in his message:
1) HAND-LIFTING. The New Testament clearly does mention this. Jesus lifted His hands to bless the apostles, just before His final ascent to heaven (Lk. 24:50).
But there's an interesting nuance in I Timothy 2:8. Paul writes, "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer...." (NIV unless noted). Radio preacher Chuck Swindoll's study guide Excellence in Ministry led me to see the Greek word for "men" here is NOT "mankind," as it is in verse 4. Verse 8 says men, as in males, should lift hands in prayer."
Paul goes on in verses 9-15 to give women their own set of instructions for worship - but note lifting hands is NOT mentioned there.
2) HAND-CLAPPING/APPLAUSE. The WCG went back and forth on this three times, during Joseph Tkach Sr.'s oversight - and that was only concerning Special Music. (United Church of God has a specific statement against applauding during the Feast of Tabernacles.)
But Biblically, clapping hands is mentioned only once. "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy." That's Psalm 47:1 in the Old Testament, not New. Several other passages describe rivers and trees clapping hands. But as we know, they don't have hands. They're obviously poetic, figurative statements - but they raise a discussion question. If things without hands are encouraged to clap, why should a congregation of humans be told not to do so?
There's another issue here, which deals more with theology than worship. WCG/CGI seems to practice a "once is not enough" approach to building doctrines from scripture. If something is mentioned only one time in the Bible (e.g. "three days and three nights" for Jesus's burial), we should not claim it as authoritative. WCG spinoff groups seem to agree with this, based on the principle of the "testimony of two witnesses" - a principle enlarged by Paul in II Corinthians 13:1 to things other than criminal cases.
If we apply that line of reasoning here, it seems wrong for worship leaders to arm-twist congregations into applauding various parts of a service. Besides, I suspect many members follow the Pastor's lead on this: if he applauds, they applaud, and vice versa.
3) SERMONS AND SERMONETTES. Whether or not they're instruments of worship-icide, the words are nowhere to be found in the New International or King James Versions. Yet there's a clear New Testament requirement to preach; Jesus personally told His disciples to "preach the good news," or gospel, around the world. (Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:47)
4) DANCING. Here's a dividing-line Christian issue, if ever there was one! Yes, it occurred after the "prodigal son" returned home in Luke 15:25. Jesus urged the disciples to "leap for joy" when they faced time of trial (6:23). And a long-disabled man outside the temple gate leaped to his feet and jumped around in Acts 3:8.
But other than these cases, the New Testament only mentions one actual dance - and it resulted in the beheading of John the Baptist (Mt. 14:6; Mk. 6:22). Seventh-Day Adventists tend to lean on the Old Testament, to argue godly dances are "same-sex" affairs - women together or men together, not co-mingled couples.
Am I advocating an end to Church of God singles dances? I might have leaned in that direction shortly after my baptism, but not now. And remember, our focus here is on worship. Lutheran pastor and author Donald Matzat has noted Biblical dancing in a worship context only occurred after military victories.
5) "HALLELUJAH!" Mr. Tkach asked during his sermon when was the last time you said that word. Some Church of God members may actually sing it more than they it, as Dwight Armstrong wrote a popular hymn called "Hallelujah, Praise God." Yet other members are uncomfortable about saying it too much. I was in a WCG choir which rehearsed the Randall Thompson song "Alleluia," a song I knew from high school (a public school at that) - but after one rehearsal, a fellow member of the bass section asked, "What's the point?"
Check the NIV New Testament, and you'll find the word occurs only four times. And they're within a six-verse span of one chapter in one book: Revelation 19:1-6. But go back to the Greek, and you'll find the word means "praise ye Jah" - or praise God. That can be found in the N.T. more than a dozen times in various forms. Examples include the healing of Zechariah (Lk. 1:64), and perhaps even Jesus at His crucifixion (compare Heb. 2:12 with Psm. 22:22).
6) "CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL." Mr. Tkach warned members risk blasphemy, if they call other Christians by this term. Yet for all intents and purposes, Jesus did it! "You do the deeds of your father.... you are of your father the devil...." (John 8:41, 44, KJV)
Of course, Jesus was speaking to Jews instead of Christians here. But look at how the apostle John defines terms: "This is how we know who the children of God are and how the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (I John 3:10) This follows his statement that someone "who does what is sinful is of the devil" (Verse 8).
The book of Acts cites one case where an apostle dared to apply this label. Paul slapped it on Elymas the sorcerer (OK, perhaps he's also not a Christian), who tried to prevent a proconsul from hearing the word of God (Acts 13:8-10). Did God take Paul aside to correct him? Nope. "Immediately mist and darkness came over him [Elymas], and he groped about, seeking someone to take him by the hand" (verse 11).
This is the point in Acts where scripture changes the apostle's name from Saul to Paul - and given the outcome of this incident, we're led to conclude God agreed with Paul and acted in support of his words.
But go back to John's definition. Do some members (not necessarily all) of other Christian groups act like children of the devil? Are some members (gulp) of COG's like this? If we're honest with ourselves, we can probably name some people who fit this title based on their clear open fruits. WGC/CGI would warn against judgmentalism - but if John sets the terms and boundaries, why can we not exercise discernment in determining who is inside or outside them? John even urges members to "try the spirits whether they are of God" (I Jhn. 4:1, KJV).
7) ALTAR CALLS. In the 1996 WCG Feast video, Mr. Tkach declared Acts 2:38-41 a massive altar call. In times past, that would have been considered a figure of speech; these days, WCG/GCI takes it much more literally.
The first time the Pastor of my old congregation gave an invitation in 1996, dozens of people filled the platform - including even a deacon or two. Yet their reasons for walking "down the aisle" varied. Not all came forward to accept Jesus as their Savior; some later said they wanted to affirm they were in Christ, while others admitted they were confused about the exact terms of the invitation.
When it comes to the Bible, much depends on what the call involves. Jesus said in Luke 5:32 He came to call sinners - but the KJV notes it's not a call to salvation. "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The Lord elsewhere said salvation requires more than repentance - it means baptism (Mk. 16:16) and enduring to the end (Mt. 10:22). Ultimately we shall "be saved through his life" (Rom 5:10), implying a resurrection from the dead.
But then again.... is WCG/GCI talking about a "call to discipleship?" Jesus certainly did a lot of that. But despite the many claims of Billy Graham, the Lord did not always call people publicly. No witnesses are cited for the calling of Philip (John 1:43) - and simply because John wrote about it does not mean he personally saw it happen. The calling of Levi/Matthew could be disputed; Mark 2:14 indicates a crowd may have followed Jesus at the time, while Matthew 9:9 doesn't mention a crowd.
8) THE NAME OF JESUS. Do you have a masculinity hang-up, if you call Him Christ? If you do, then Paul shares your pain. We counted every time the apostle mentions either name in the KJV (but we did not include Hebrews, as its authorship is open to question). Final score: Christ 428, Jesus 218. Remove all "Jesus Christ" combinations, and the score is 245-35 - exactly a 7:1 ratio for calling the Savior Christ!
Peter also calls the Lord "Christ" more often than Jesus - a score of 29-20, or 10-0 when "Jesus Christ" combinations are removed. James and Jude might be called "fair and balanced" in this matter, using both names in equal amounts. Only John is closer to what Mr. Tkach likes, at 28 Jesuses to 19 Christs. (But consider III John - the only New Testament book which never names Jesus at all.)
During the earthly lifetime of our Lord, as well as in the early church, the issue really was not whether Jesus was Jesus. (And it's not really an issue today; Jewish leaders and Louis Farrakhan all believe Jesus existed.) The real point is summed up in John 20:31: "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God...." - in other words, the Messiah.
This also was one of Saul/Paul's first messages after conversion (Acts 9:22, 17:3, 18:28). It was a truth Jesus actually did not want revealed by His followers until the crucifixion (Mt. 16:20, Lk. 9:20-21).
9) TESTIMONIES. They fill the New Testament, whether COG's are comfortable with them or not. In fact, Peter says the first apostles were following orders. "He [Jesus] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42).
Paul clearly states later, "So do note be ashamed to testify about our Lord...." (II Tim. 1:8) Jesus even offered His own testimony during the autumn festival season about the world: "....I testify that what it does is evil." (John 7:7) As long as the testimonies are gospel-related and God-centered, they are Biblical. Read examples in Acts 18:5 (specifically about Jesus being the Christ) and I John 5:11.
10) TEARS/CRYING. What if people break down and bawl during testimonies, or a service turns "tear-jerky?" I admit to choking up a few times while worshiping in WCG after the changes occurred, and even seeing pastors do it more recently during UCG services. While no New Testament passage specifically mentions crying during a service, it happened during gatherings of believers.
"From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.... They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him." (Acts 10:17, 37) The context shows they cried tears of farewell, after praying together -- after Paul admits, "I served the Lord with great humility and with tears...." (verse 19) And don't forget the humble woman who washed Jesus's feet with tears (Lk. 7:37-38).
To be sure, there are times and places to cry to God: when we need His help (Mk. 9:24, KJV), in times of mourning (Rom. 12:15, comparing KJV with NIV) and even to express love (II Cor. 2:4). Hebrews 5:7 adds even our Lord cried during prayers to the Father.
But the good news is that someday, all crying will end. In a Holy City called the new Jerusalem, "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain...." (Rev. 21:4; see also 7:17) In the meantime, Jesus leaves us with this advice about tears from His final hours as a human: "Do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children" (Lk. 23:28).
11) REVIVALS. Several WCG congregations have held these or assisted with these in recent years, in various forms. Only problem: no New Testament passage mentions any such thing! The only "revival" references involve how Christ "revived" in a resurrection (Rom. 14:9, KJV) and how "sin revived and I died" when we became acquainted with God's law (7:9, KJV).
Some might cite an alternative word, "renewal." Yet the only New Testament verse about "renewal by the Holy Spirit" refers to God's initial act of salvation (Tit 3:5). We'd also note Romans 12:2 about "the renewing of your mind." For an eye-opening side study, check how often the N.T. mentions mind renewal, as opposed to the heart and emotions.
12) PARADES/MARCHES. When the WCG made its changes, an annual "March for Jesus" on Pentecost weekend was becoming popular in some cities. Several WCG congregations joined in them -- but a check for that phrase at www.wcg.org surprisingly indicates that's stopped in recent years.
I admittedly had to do an about-face, in my opinion on this topic. At first glance, it seemed the New Testament didn't mention marches -- even though historical records indicate they were traditional in Jerusalem during the fall festival season. But then I found references outside the KJV to processions.
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ...." (II Cor. 2:14) The KJV says "to triumph in Christ," yet the Greek word for "triumph" literally means, "make an acclamatory procession" (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Greek #2358).
Some Pentecostal churches aren't ashamed to have people stand up and march around the sanctuary during revival meetings. But it seems to me Paul is drawing a word picture here, similar to I Corinthians 4:9: "God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena." We found NO specific instruction, command or example in the New Testament to march.
13) KNEELING. Now this is clearly mentioned. The mother of James and John knelt before Jesus, and He did not object (Mt. 20:20). Revelation 4:10 indicates the 24 elders at God's throne in heaven do it (although WCG/GCI suggests today a lot of Revelation is symbolism).
If I might raise a side issue here: Revelation 3:9 says members of the "synagogue of Satan" eventually will fall down before the Philadelphian Church. Even though this is prophetic, no correction is given here compared with the times when John kneels to worship angels (Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9). Why is this? Could it be that members of this church eventually will BE God, as His children? What did Jesus really mean in His prayer to the Father "that they may be one as we are one"? (John 17:11) Could Herbert Armstrong have been right about this all along?
14) OTHER PASSAGES ABOUT WORSHIP. In all this analysis of how to worship God, have we forgotten Jesus's statement that some would worship God in vain? (Mark 7:7/Mt. 15:9) The context shows He said this concerning rules and traditions of the Pharisees, which go away from God's commands.
Paul warns in Colossians 2:23 such "self-imposed worship" will not hinder people from indulging in fleshly passions. Yet he also said, "I worship the God of our fathers.... I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets...." (Acts 24:14)
This leads to a key point: it appears agreement with the Law is fine in worship, so long as the Law does not become the object of worship. And therein may lie the problem - as some Church of God members over the years may have put the Law above Jesus Christ as their object of worship, perhaps without even realizing it. If the Church is trying to fix it, I can understand and accept it. But to throw away the Law which Jesus said He did NOT come to abolish (Mt. 5:17) risks going to the opposite extreme.
Conclusions
Paul urges believes in Philippians 3:3 to worship "in the spirit" (KJV) and "by the Spirit of God" (NIV/CEV). Based on the New Testament's guidance and example, we can summarize this as meaning....
DO: Raise hands if you're male, preach the Gospel, say "praise the Lord" and "children of the devil," call people to repentance and discipleship, call the Savior both "Jesus" and "Christ," give testimonies, cry at appropriate times and kneel in worship.
DON'T: Applaud or clap hands, dance during services, cry over Jesus, hold revivals or literal parades for Jesus, worship laws or traditions alone.
Uh-oh, you say - am I creating another legalistic laundry list, with these do's and don'ts? While some might look on it that way, my goal really is different -- Biblical accuracy and New Testament consistency. After all, some WCG/GCI ministers might be called legalistic for attempting to force new styles of worship on their members. And those styles may go against New Testament guidelines.
If pastors really are going to be "shepherds and not sheriffs," as WCG leaders liked to say years ago, it seems to me they should not venture into worship manipulation. After all, what does that have to do with preaching the gospel?
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© 1996-2009 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.