Objectives:

  • Examine the “how” of worship: Read, Preach, Pray, Sing, and See the Bible
  • Explain why the “How” of worship matters, which includes the elements, historical evidences, cultural accommodations, biblical characteristics, and challenges of worship in our modern culture, particularly in regards to what we sing in church

I. Evidence from Scripture

  1. Psalm 98
  2. Revelation 5
  3. Matthew 26
  4. Acts 16
  5. Ephesians 5

“Our songs should be rich with biblical and theological content.” – Terry Johnson

II. What should a good song used in public worship look like?

  1. Diet of our hymns
    1. Our singing ought to be biblical
    2. Our singing ought to be rich with theology
    3. #318, “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending” by Charles Wesley and John Cennick
  2. Sing the Psalms
  3. Psalms represent the diet of the Christian life

III. What does a Christian song sound like?

  1. Fitting of the words
  2. Sophisticated enough for the words
  3. Appropriate to the mood of the psalm or song

IV. Resources for hymn selections

  1. Hymnary.org
  2. Hymntime.com
  3. Psalmsingers.com

 

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III

Ligon Duncan (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Edinburgh) is the Chancellor & CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary, the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, and the President of RTS Jackson. He has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to numerous books. You can follow him on Twitter.