Preparing for Worship
Hearing the Word in the Modern World, Part 2 (Part 1 here)
Gregory E. Reynolds
Attitudes and Practices to Cultivate
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Ps. 119:18)
Elizabeth Elliot[1], in discussing worship song, speaks wisely about our attitude toward the parts of worship, especially that singing is not the whole of worship,
Hymns constitute a crucial part of worship, but not by any means the whole. In churches which use almost exclusively what are called ‘praise songs,’ that part of the service is usually referred to as ‘Worship,’ as though prayer, preaching, offering, and listening were something else.[2]
As I said at the outset, the reading and preaching of Scripture is the supreme act of worship, and should thus be approached with great seriousness. The Westminster Larger Catechism (Question #160) gives hearers of the Word excellent comprehensive instruction in this matter:
What is required of those that hear the word preached? A. It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.
How seriously our forefathers took the responsibilities of the listener. In light of the following suggestions, meditating on the Scripture references provided by the authors of the Larger Catechism will be an important aid to becoming a better hearer: Proverbs 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1-2; Luke 8:18; Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 6:18-19; Acts 17:11; Hebrews 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; James 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Luke 9:44; Hebrews 2:1; Luke 24:14; Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Proverbs 2:1; Ps. 119:11; Luke 8:15; James 1:25. Continue reading ‘Preparing for Worship’