Elevating Worship Through Scripture

Dear Pastors and ministry leaders—a new year of God’s faithfulness is upon us. I am praying for a year of growth for me, my family and for our church. I hope this blog has been and continues to be a source of encouragement to you in your service to Christ and His kingdom.

We’ve all been in a service where the worship leader repeatedly enjoins, “Louder!” In some instances we hear the emphatic “Sing!” or “Come on church!” While these exhortations may be a mystery to the congregant, those on the platform understand the desire to see the people engage more fully in their expression of praise.

Careful thought and planning, however, can add elements that amplify worship more naturally. Certain service elements elicit emphatic praise from joyful hearts without the need for repeated, though biblical (Psalm 98:4), exhortations for volume. We have used video testimony, spontaneous Scripture reading, more careful song selection, specific featuring of an instrument, baptism in the middle of the worship set, and many other elements to increase the intensity and focus of the adoration.

Recently, a particularly emphatic Scripture reading from the platform truly punctuated the people’s praise to Jesus. Even the most passionate and doctrinally-sound worship lyrics are elevated by the Spirit of God through the Word of God—exalting Jesus Christ. Consider something like this for the first Sunday of the new year or in the weeks ahead. Happy New Year!

Watch the impact of Colossians 1:15-20 in our service and the crescendo of praise for our Savior that followed.

(Please open the article to see the flash file or player.)

For additional insight, see Steps into Worship from Vertical Church.