Free Essay

The Beauty in Worship

In: Religion Topics

Submitted By samson73
Words 644
Pages 3
The Creative Choral Reading! 10/08/2014
Every time I get ready for Wednesday chapel, I am excited in my Spirit for what the Lord has in store for me. Every time I walk into the Sweeney Chapel entrance, pick up the hymn book and the order of worship and walk towards the inside, I can feel the newness in the air. The song “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning…” starts ringing in my ears. And so it did happen again today, I could feel the refreshing spirit of the Lord once again with something new for me. I was ready and excited!
As the clock struck 11.30 and the chimes rang, we were greeted with a beautiful piece of Celtic music. It was the White River Celtica, a fiddle and piano duet played by Wyatt Watkins and T.H. Gillespe, alumni of Christian theological Seminary. I looked around the chapel and saw bright smiling happy faces of our alumni. It was CTS alumni gathering today, and they have come to meet, greet, bless and fellowship with us. This aesthetic music took everyone into world of the Celts, and sounded as if Jesus was right there calling us to an intimate relationship with him and other fellow beings (the Celtic Theology of ‘Immanence’ and ‘incarnational theology’). This experience was followed by a surprise choral reading, which was a new and creative element introduced in the service. This was introduced to draw out of the strong traditional way of reading the text and give a new perspective. I would like to tell you a little bit about this very innovative and effective element that CTS chapel service committee introduced today ‘The Choral Reading’.
Choral reading by its definition is just a simple act of reading together usually practiced especially elementary schools. But it was not the same here. It was new, innovative and very creatively performed. This choral reading was performed by four readers. The surprise happened when these readers emerged from the pews one after the other repeating phrases of Psalm 106 as they made their way to the front of the sanctuary. Each of the four readers followed a script and read assigned portions of the text, sometimes alone, sometimes joining with one other voice, and sometimes blending with all voices at once. It was just beautiful! There is no particular theological significance to it and no any cultural aspect as well. But it reminded me about the universality and perpetuity of the gospel. Anyone of any race, people group, gender orientation, color or creed, in fact without any discrimination of any kind, and of time period is welcome to the singing of the Word and its experience. In fact it was so beautifully performed that the entire congregation was enthralled and just joined in at the end singing the Psalm along with them “Praise the Lord, O give thanks to the Lord” (Ps. 106). There was no invitation or compulsion, but it was just the power of the Word so beautifully read out that stirred every soul to join in and worship.
I am sure that when I go back to my church in India, this would be one of the creative elements that I would like to incorporate and practice once in a while in our church, to bring a different beauty to the reading of the Word in our worship. You can too. It just takes a little effort in gathering a few people who love to read the Word and are ready to practice. This also gives an opportunity for people to be involved in worship leadership in the church. If done well, this awesome creative element – though not flashy – will bring a sense of wonder and newness to your church service. Blessings!

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Art and Literature

...[pic] Discover the Eternal Principles The Bible doesn’t have a theology of beauty or an aesthetic (a theory about the beautiful) of beauty. However, many things in the Bible are described as beautiful. And there is much about beauty that can be inferred from the Bible. Some of the teaching points below will deal with Scripture texts in which the Bible directly talks about beauty, but most will deal with texts that provide a theological foundation for how we, as Christians, should think of beauty. Teaching point one: God’s creation is beautiful and meant for our enjoyment. Read Ecclesiastes 3:11–14. The book of Ecclesiastes is best known for its ode to time: “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die…” (NRSV). Alongside this theme, there is the well-known theme about life being vain, “a vanity of vanities,” a mere chasing after the wind. Missed, sometimes, in the midst of this gloomy, almost despairing perspective is another motif: that life is a gift from God and that the good things of life—food, drink, work, play, and love—are to be enjoyed. Beauty is part of them. [Q] What does this text teach us about beauty? ➢ How should we live in relation to the beauty of God’s creation? In the article, Stackhouse says that evangelicals generally don’t see the need for aesthetically pleasing church buildings because, they argue, the money could be better spent on evangelism...

Words: 1650 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Honor, Praise and Worship to God

...General Purpose: Inform Specific Purpose: To inform audience about Honor, Praise and Worship to GOD Thesis Statement: I give Honor, Praise and Worship to my GOD for He is the master and creator of everything, and (John 3:16) for GOD so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Introduction I give Honor, Praise and Worship to my God for He is the master and creator of everything. God loved you and me so much He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life according to (John 3:16). And (1John 4:10) states, “Love is not only what God is, but it is also what he does and what he gives. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” God alone is worthy of my devotion, Honor, Praise and Worship. (Psalm 96:9) states, “Worship the Lord your God in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psalm 29:2) states, “Give unto the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” The best way that I can praise and worship God is with my every thought and action. (Romans 12:1-2) states, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Words: 923 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Beauty with the Romantics

...Love & Beauty John Keats: Keats is called the poet of beauty or some critics address him as ‘the worshiper of beauty’. Keats’s notion of beauty and truth is highly inclusive. That is, it blends all life’s experiences or apprehensions, negative or positive, into a holistic vision. Art and nature, therefore, are seen as therapeutic in function. Keats was considerably influenced by Spenser and was, like the latter, a passionate lover of beauty in all its forms and manifestation. This passion for beauty constitutes his aestheticism. Beauty, indeed, was his pole-star, beauty in Nature, in woman, and in art. He writes and defines beauty: “A think of beauty is joy for ever” In John Keats, we have a remarkable contrast both with Byron and Shelley. He knows nothing of Byron’s stormy spirit of antagonism to the existing order of things and he had no sympathy with Shelley’s humanitarian real and passion for reforming the world. But Keats likes and worships beauty. In his Ode on a Grecian Urn, he expresses some powerful lines about his thoughts of beauty. This ode contains the most discussed two lines in all of Keats's poetry: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” The exact meaning of those lines is disputed by everyone; no less a critic than TS Eliot considered them a blight upon an otherwise beautiful poem. Scholars have been unable to agree to whom the last thirteen lines of the poem are addressed. Arguments can be made...

Words: 2503 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Business

...Quiz 4 Ministerial Training 2014 1. What is the most important ministry of the Church? Worship 2. Fill in the blank: “True Worship is to quicken the ___________ by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the ____________ by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” conscience; imagination 3. What are 3 out of 5 stages of a Worship encounter? We recognize God’s awesome Glory, Holiness and power. We recognize our own sinful condition. We declare to God we will do his will. 4. What are some approaches in churches today of the role of a Worship Leader, name 3 out of 5? choir directors, accompanists, rock bands, soloists 5. Name 6 out of 8 Roles of a Worship leader. Priest, teacher, storyteller, evangelist, pastor, prophet 6. List 5 things a worship leader should remember in order to help the flow of a worship service attitude, dead air, the problem, talk, the people 7. In preparation for the sermon, what is preaching? Preaching is the proclamation of the word of God to men by men under the assignment from God. 8. Name 4 out of 6 qualities of a sermon that must be developed. Strive for unity clarity in contents-words- outline and approach Strive for balance and proportion Must have progression Must work a brevity-every word should count and each idea expressed should be pertinent. 9. Name 6 out of 12 things to pray for concerning your...

Words: 350 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Functions of Temples and Mosques

...Introduction Art is created in many forms. Artists express their ideas and feelings through painting, sculpture, architecture, etc. Most artists stick to the area which they are most comfortable with, but some art is created for a grand purpose. In such cases, the art dictates the medium of expression rather than the artist. Architecture illustrates this point most accurately. The ancient architects created monumental masterpieces that people still enjoy. The greatest display of architectural genius can be seen in the temples and mosques. The temples of Ramses II and Angkor Wat along with the mosque Hagia Sophia possess these common functions: tell a story of the past, have a significant religious purpose, and were created to show artistic beauty. The Temple of Ramses II The temple of Ramses II is located at Abu Simbel in Nubia. It was built in the period of the New Kingdom (Kleiner 79). King Ramses II completed the building of the temple around 1253 B.C. (Nardo 120). Next to it he built a temple in remembrance of one of his many wives, Queen Nefertari (Nardo 120). His own temple was much larger in size compared to that of Nefertari. The difference in size was probably done on purpose. Larger statues and buildings often are a sign of more importance. Ramses II’s temple faced some adversity throughout the years. Around the time of Ramses’ thirtieth year as king, the region of Abu Simbel suffered an earthquake (Nardo 120). There was a great deal of damage done to...

Words: 2140 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Art History

...this process of questioning is because he wants people to being, “truly understanding art”, not based off of the interpretation of a select few but from their own personal prospective. In other words, Berger does not want us to be told what to see within a work of art, but he wants us to discover ourselves within that masterpiece. In a way, Berger gives us the definition of beauty in art. Not by standard definition but by exposing us to the fact that beauty is not defined by what we are told but it is defined by what we perceive. As Berger continued, I deduced that he believes, the ruling class deliberately exploits art as a repressive tactic and tool, in order to create a culture of isolation. He also introduces statistical data proving that many people identify museums with the church. So here we have a house of worship and a secular institution dedicated to art. A house of worship is a specifically designed edifice or consecrated space where groups of people congregate in order to engage in the sacraments of devotion, veneration and/or religious tutelage. I have also observed that many houses of worship within western culture resemble apostolic or rather orthodox churches. For example, The Myogyoji Temple in Silver Springs that my group had the pleasure of visiting. At this temple the faithful assemble daily to pray or what they call,...

Words: 871 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Music

...MUSIC IN THE BEGINNING WHICH MUSIC IS OF GOD? Intro: We were created for praise and worship. The greatest desire of our life should be to praise and worship God. The reason we live is to worship Him. Worship is our first responsibility to God. God did not need to create you, but He chose to create you for His enjoyment. You exist for His benefit, His glory, His purpose and His delight. “Because of His love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children-this was His pleasure and purpose.” (Ephesians 1:5) When we worship, our goal is to bring pleasure to God, not ourselves. Worship is not a part of your life; it is your life. Worship not just for church services. We are told to “worship Him continually” and to “praise Him from sunrise to sunset.” Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and the last activity when you close them at night. David said, “I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise Him.” God is seeking for worshippers: John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. * The spirit part of an unsaved man is dead. * However, the spirit part of those who have received Jesus in their lives is alive. * There can be no true worship unless our spirit is alive. This happens when we receive Jesus as our personal Savior. I. Music in the...

Words: 2357 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Worship

...1 “Worship” Mary Willis PAST_6013C Robby Pearson 2 As I read Whitney’s chapter pertaining to worship, I began to reflect on the past couple of weeks and my time of worship with God. There are different reasons to worship; however, there are the two main reasons are we are called to worship by God. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus is obedient to the Old Testament command “Worship the Lord your God” (80). The second most important reason to worship is to appreciate at the one who saves us from our sins. It is a privilege to worship our Lord. We were called, and we must obey. Psalm 95:6 represents how worshiping is a privileged duty, “Come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (80). In definition, it is highly difficult to define the word worship because there are so many different meanings related to the word; however, according to Whitney the word worship means “God is to ascribe the proper worth to God, to magnify His worthiness of praise, or better, to approach and address God as He is worthy (81).” This definition encompasses the true meaning of worship. I believe in today’s society, speaking from experience, we are too caught up in the cycle of life to appreciate God’s blessings in life. I have fallen short of this many of times. Often my excuse is I am too busy to stop to look at the beauty in His creation or stop and reflect on His work in my life. The more we invest into our creator, the more we see how worthy He is to us. There are different...

Words: 867 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Salon and Spa

...They are usually after its profitability and its ability to satisfy the needs and wants of the customers. Business is defined as an activity which involves exchange of goods or services for the benefit of both the owner and the customer. In our own perspective, we think of a business that will establish a new trend of Beauty Salon. A Beauty Salon combined with a massage spa open for 24 hours. The beauty salon is where a woman goes to have their hair and nails done. Through this study, we want to change every woman’s concept about beauty salon. Our beauty salon is not merely about transformation, we can also offer new relaxing services. Beauty and make up are like the wheels of a cart or the two sides of a coin. Women are naturally beautiful in themselves, but a little make-up does help a lot in removing the stress mark. Speaking of stress mark, we decided to improve the ways on how we remove our customers’ strains through offering different massage services. Every woman and man wants to be presentable regardless of their age, so the beauty salon is the place to go. Beauty salon and spa is also like a temple; however, the difference is that we go to worship in the temple while in the salon or spa; we go to be served and worshipped by therapists and...

Words: 301 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Ralph Waldo

...Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803­1882)    Beauty  Was never form and never face  So sweet to SEYD as only grace  Which did not slumber like a stone,  But hovered gleaming and was gone.  Beauty chased he everywhere,  In flame, in storm, in clouds of air.  He smote the lake to feed his eye  With the beryl beam of the broken wave;  He flung in pebbles well to hear  The moment's music which they gave.  Oft pealed for him a lofty tone  From nodding pole and belting zone.  He heard a voice none else could hear  From centred and from errant sphere.  The quaking earth did quake in rhyme,  Seas ebbed and flowed in epic chime.  In dens of passion, and pits of woe,  He saw strong Eros struggling through,  To sun the dark and solve the curse,  And beam to the bounds of the universe.  While thus to love he gave his days  In loyal worship, scorning praise,  How spread their lures for him in vain  Thieving Ambition and paltering Gain!  He thought it happier to be dead,  To die for Beauty, than live for bread              This section introduces the idea that beauty is a part of nature that  serves our needs. Emerson finds that the landscape has perfect order; this  order creates a unity composed of the eye beholding a scene and the natural  light highlighting the scene's inherent beauty. The third point Emerson  makes concerning beauty is that it is pleasing to the intellect. Continuing his  theme of nature's perfect order through the time era of romanticism...

Words: 259 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality

...The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality Alexandra Batchelor Keiser University Abstract Whenever there is a tragic event, a needless death, we become bombarded by various religious officials preaching to us. Telling us how we need God in our lives so we have a better respect for our fellow man, woman or child. And while there are environmental activists screaming at their top of their lungs at people; their voices do not invoke change. What they do cause is for people to changes the channel or walk past them at a faster pace. However, if nature was revered for its gifts like God through scripture and praise the reaction of people would be different. There could be a unified voice telling others of nature’s beauty. How people should have a better respect for the land, oceans and animals within it. Perhaps that is what people need, to have a spiritual connection to teach them to appreciate the beauty around them and without this connection to a greater power people don’t see the beauty surrounding them. The Beauty and Majesty of the Natural World and Spirituality Through praise people are supposed to gain understanding. This is how other religions promote God and the messages he has sent down through the ages. It is the claim of spiritual leaders that through their guidance we will have a better understanding of faith. All a person has to do is spend some time in the local church of any denomination sit down listen to the reverend, preacher, minister...

Words: 1400 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Bella Città Of Savannah Research Paper

...Savannah’s squares are places that leave its visitors breathless; they are so beautiful and so peaceful that they seem to be oases in the middle of this historical city. This magical city holds twenty-four 18th and 19th century legendary public squares which were intentionally designed to be, and still are, an integral part of downtown, which every year are enjoyed by the millions who grace their beauty, as well as, the axis which has drive the entire urban space planning of the entire city. “For nearly three centuries [,] this historic colonial settlement has delighted [it’s] visitors with it’s natural coastal beauty, relaxed atmosphere, southern charm and it’s divergent...

Words: 475 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Geography

...represents the gifts of intellect and understanding and is the symbol of the universal human aspiration for wisdom. The Parthenon has served as a Greek temple, a treasury, a fortress, a church and a mosque [ (Rhodes) ]. It also functioned to protect the statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory. The physical features of the monument allowed it to become a place of worship for many. The Acropolis is part of a limestone ridge that cuts through the Attica plateau in the northeast to the southwest and includes the hills of Likavitos, Philopappos, Nymphs and the Pnyx [ (Sakoulas) ]. It is located 156 meters above the valley of Ilissos and is essentially a flat-topped rock that measures 300 meters long by 150 meters wide. The construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BC and was only completed in 432 BC. Due to the numerous landfills that have been created to accommodate construction of the temples since the Mycenaean era, the top of the rock is flat [ (Sakoulas) ]. The Acropolis consists of many shallow caves, bubbling water springs and steep slopes. The physical features of the monument allowed it to become a place of worship for many. Its structure was made of limestone and Pentelic marble was used to form the columns, which were made in a zigzag to make the foundations appear straight. The simplicity of the monument is what makes it so unique. Since the Mycenaean era,...

Words: 491 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Aphrodite: The Greek Mythology

...Mythology is a collection or study of myths.While greek mythology is the body of myths and the teaching of the greek gods, their history, and significance. Although Aphrodite is known as the goddess of love and beauty, she is also known for her act of destruction and a myth in influence on modern world. Aphrodite's general background can consist of her birth, family, where she came from, her love life and the type of goddess she is. Aphrodite's birth has two stories to it. The first story was Uranus's son Cronus, a titan, had chopped off Uranus's sex organs and threw them into the sea. Shortly after Aphrodite had emerged.(Wickersham) "Her name comes from Aphros, the Greek word for foam."(Wickersham) The other story is that she had simply came...

Words: 811 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hindu Religious Traditions

...Hindu Religious Traditions Hindu Religious Traditions People around the world worship something, depending on their beliefs. Christians worship God believed to be the creator of the entire universe. Muslims worship Mohammed believed to be a prophet from God, Buddhist believe in the founder Siddhartha Guatama known as Buddha and Hindus believe in Brahma who is known to dwell in all part of reality, and existence throughout the whole universe. I will be writing on Hinduism religious traditions and beliefs. Hinduism is considered one of the largest religions in the world and dates back to 8000 BCE (Fisher, 2002 p. 83), recognized as one the complex and different religions because of the many gods they worship. Hinduism has no founder but has enlarged slowly over the period of years and widely practiced in Nepal and India. Settlers who lived by the Indus River obtained the name Hinduism. “It is derived from a name applied by foreigners to the people living in the region of the Indus River, and introduced in the nineteenth century under colonial British rule as a category for census-taking” (Fisher, 2002, p. 79). Today the preferred name for Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, which means eternal religion. According to the Indian tradition, there are as many as 333 million deities (Fisher, 2002, p .79). However, the three major deities of Hinduism are Shiva, believed to be the creator and destroyer of every living thing, Brahma, known as the creator, and Vishnu considered...

Words: 1229 - Pages: 5