WorshipGod08 Recap

I along with 6 musicians from our church just returned from the WorshipGod08 Conference. I wanted to blog last week on it, but didn’t carry a laptop and discovered I am from the wrong generation to type on a virtual qwerty iPod Touch keyboard past a few sentences. I will however do a recap and some observations for those who missed it and encourage all to try and attend in 2010.

This was my second conference. I attended the WorshipGod06 and was equally blessed, but the theme this year of worshiping God through the Psalms was particularly encouraging. I think the official title was Rediscover Unsearchable Greatness Psalm 145:3. Bob Kauflin, who embodies humility and service, did a tremendous job of arranging speakers for this particular subject.

Craig Cabaniss from Grace Church in Frisco, Texas tackled the subject of Knowing God with the Psalmist. He encouraged us to read the Psalms to gain a better understanding of who God is, which allows us to worship Him more biblically. The Psalmist answer the question who is God? We were reminded that the Psalmist show us a God who is beyond comprehension. If we are to worship God for who he is then the Psalms reveal a God who is Creator of all, Ruler of all, See’s all, Provide’s all, Deliver’s all.

Craig made one particular point when dealing with corporate worship that is worth noting and really thinking through. He brought up the subject of worship and reverence and challenged us to define what is reverent by scriptures definition. While this is not an exact quote it is close. “Reverent worship is what scripture dictates/God prescribes as appropriate for worshipping God. Anything else is irreverent.” This sounds a little bit like the regulative principal. However, while this may seem simple enough to agree with on the surface, when viewed through the Psalms reverent and appropriate may not fit some of our current modes of corporate worship. The Psalms speak often of clapping, shouting, weeping, dancing, lifting hands all in praise to God. If this is how the Psalmist worshiped then should we be worshiping the same way? So I have been left with a lot to think about.

Thabiti Anyabwile (which I can now pronounce) spoke on Thursday morning. I have listened to Thabiti on MP3, but this was the first time I had heard him in person. He introduced himself by making fun of himself a little. He asked the audience “I am sure most of you are wondering what the uptight, suit wearing, Baptist is doing at a Sovereign Grace Conference?” Then he went on to preach on of the best sermons I have heard in a long time. His subject was Expressing Emotion with the Psalmist. When I read the title earlier in the week I was very interested to see how he would address this subject. I was totally caught off guard in a good way at his sermon. The practicality of his sermon for someone who leads corporate worship was timely and perfect for this conference.

Using Psalm 73 Thabiti showed us how man centered emotions lead to despair and leave us short sighted, but emotions that are driven by the truth of God’s word point toward God and turn our emotions into God centered emotions. We were also reminded that God’s word doesn’t always make us happy and the most people don’t live in the happy, happy, joy, joy world that most worship leaders attempt to convey every Sunday. He challenged us to allow for lament in our services which will give us opportunity to point those in despair to Christ.

God centered emotions lead to a love of Christ and Joy. So we should
A. avoid false ways of dictating an emotional response
1. don’t deny Christians lives are rough
2. don’t leave them in emotion/don’t make emotion the end
B. Address the full range of emotion just as the Psalmist do.
Allow for weeping and praise.
C. Teach our people about suffering
D. direct people to the truth of God’s word that carries them into God centered emotions.
E. (got distracted and missed it)
F. Understand that Christians and non-Christians bring all sorts of emotions into our services so address their emotional state.
G. Pay close attention to our emotions.

Tomorrow I will recap a few more sermons. All of the sermons and seminars will be available for free download at www.worshipgod08.com. Not sure exactly how soon they will be up.