This is the second installment in a series of posts on family worship. It is addressed directly to families, and it is my hope that it will be useful for helping Christian families understand how to practice biblically-informed worship in their homes. This post is a brief, (hopefully) accessible overview of Christian worship.
The first post in the series, Introduction to the Christian Family, can be found here.
At the very outset, I have to give credit to the authors who have most shaped how I think about worship. My own theology of worship, and thus the content that I write on the subject, is heavily influenced by Bryan Chapell and his book, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, as well as John MacArthur and his book, Worship: The Ultimate Priority. Much of the content below is a result of reading and contemplating their work, and the bibliographical material for these works, as well as the links above, are provided at the end of this post. These books are must-read material for thoughtful Christians.
With such preliminaries out of the way, here is Part 2 of the series:
A Theology of Worship
One of the most helpful ways to organize your thoughts about worship is to think of it in two components. First, there are the elements of worship. These are the various processes that you are working through as you worship God. Second, there are the means of worship. These are the specific methods that you use to carry out the elements of worship.
What follows is not a complete explanation of what worship is. It does not include all of the elements that may be present in worship, and there are certain means of worship (like the Lord’s Supper or baptism) that are not appropriate for family worship. Hopefully, seeing some of the elements and means of worship laid out in an organized way will be helpful.
The Elements of Worship
- Adoration of God
True worship begins when a person acknowledges the goodness and grace of God. God is not only the object of worship, He is the catalyst of worship. God’s people do not worship Him out of fear, but because He is worthy of worship. He is the creator of everything that exists, a powerful and wise ruler who loves and even interacts with His creation, including you and your family.
- Confession of Sin
When confronted with God’s glory and His goodness, the result is that His people acknowledge their own unworthiness to know and be known by Him because of their sin. Confession of sin is a difficult process because it requires you to be honest with yourself, with God, and with others. It is consistent, however, with the biblical portrait of worship and is required of God’s people throughout Scripture.
- Assurance of Pardon
If worship ended with the confession of your sin, it would leave you and your family in despair. The hope of the Gospel is that God has promised to forgive the sins of those who confess them and trust Christ for the promise of everlasting life. The pages of Scripture are covered with such promises, and the wonderful truth is that God does not forgive because He has to, He forgives His people because He loves them and is pleased to forgive them.
- Thanksgiving
When you ask someone “What is worship?” they often respond, “praise” or “thanksgiving”. That is because this is the element of worship that is most obvious- giving thanks to God and praising Him for His goodness. Thanksgiving becomes much more meaningful when adoration of God, confession of sin, and assurance of pardon are present. When your family dwells on how good God is, how much you are in need of His forgiveness, and how freely and completely He has forgiven you, the result is thanksgiving that comes from an overflowing heart.
- Petition and Intercession
These two terms are closely related and usually expressed through prayer. In the context of family worship, petition refers to prayer that is primarily seeking God’s help for whatever needs your family has. Intercession is prayer that is made to God on behalf of others. Throughout the Scriptures, God’s people are called to seek His help in prayer and to pray for one another.
- Instruction
Most of what God’s people do in worship is directed toward Him from His people. Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, petition, and intercession are all directed toward God. An important element of worship is hearing from God as well. This means hearing from God through His Word and taking care to learn about Him, His will, and His purposes as He works in your family and in the world.
- Obedience
Worship is pleasing to God. The Scriptures confirm that God is both worthy of and pleased by the worship of His people. What pleases God more than any ceremony or any structured worship service, among the church or family, is obedience to His Word. After receiving instruction from His Word, your family is able to please Him by submitting yourselves in obedience to His will.
The Means of Worship
- Prayer
The importance of prayer in the life of a family cannot be overstated. Worship is impossible apart from prayer, as it is through prayer that you confess your sin, express thanksgiving, and make intercession and petition. Prayer should be done privately and should be practiced as a family as well.
- Bible Reading
The reading of Scripture is commended throughout the Bible as a means of worship. God has revealed Himself through His Word, and it is through the reading of His Word that His people come to know who He is, and what He desires from their lives. The reading of the Bible is the source of truth, and it is in connection with the reading of Scripture that the Holy Spirit most often works to draw people to God.
- Singing
Among the means of worship that God has ordained in the Bible, worship through song is as prominent as prayer or the reading of the Word. The Psalms are a collection of Jewish songs of worship. Paul even instructs the church to worship through the singing of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:14). Worship through song has a remarkable ability to communicate the various elements of worship. Some songs express adoration of God, some express the confession of God’s people, and many express an assurance of God’s pardon and thanksgiving.
- Teaching
Worship should include an element of instruction, as noted above. An important quality of leadership in the home is instruction from the Bible. The husband should lead the home in instruction from God’s Word. Parents should instruct their children in biblical truth. This means studying and teaching from God’s Word, and even utilizing other materials that will be helpful, such as a catechism.
This is only a brief introduction to the elements and means of worship. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list or a complete exposition of what Scripture says about the topic, but it is beneficial to understand something of the structure of worship as you prepare for worship with your family.
Also, as mentioned above, the references for Bryan Chapell and John MacArthur’s books:
Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice. S.l.: Baker Book House, 2017.
MacArthur, John. Worship: The Ultimate Priority. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2012.
Preston Kelso 
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