Corprate Worship: Vertical or Horizontal?

Worship is a huge topic and you can go many different directions in defining and explaining worship. In this article I want to explore the corporate dynamic of worship over and against personal and private worship or worship as a way of life, or many other of its aspects. There is now doubt that corporate worship has changed dramatically over the last 35 years, yes it’s been 35 years plus since the Jesus Movement sweep the world and began introducing a whole new approach to our corporate worship. Locally here in Southern California it was manifest through the ministry of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa led by Pastor Church Smith. In those early days bands began to form like Love Song, Parable, Children of the Day and simple songs that people could sing along with began to emerge. Songs like Heavenly Father We Appreciate You, I Love You Lord, Seek Ye First and many others. A record company, Maranatha Music, was started specifically to record and in the end document this new sound. If you witnessed this it was a remarkable experience. There was a sweetness, innocence and intimacy that couldn’t be achieved with the traditional hymns. Now I don’t want to open that can off worms right now, but hymns by and large were written literally centuries ago and the music, language and arrangements reflect that. These new songs were coming forth from a new generation of believers and although simple, which some people criticize, they not only drew people in and allowed them to participate at a new level and actually acted as a teaching tool. You may be critical of the simplicity of the music of Seek Ye First, but are you honestly going to argue about its content. Frankly I believe that inculcating people with the message through music is one of the most powerful tools that can be utilized to teach. That is precisely what the Wesley brothers did in the 1700’s, Charles Wesley writing over 2000 songs most with the expressed purpose of imparting biblical and doctrinal knowledge to the Methodist. Things have changed significantly from both the 1700’s and even from the 1970’s. When Love Song used to do their concerts and lead the people at times in ‘worship songs’, it was very simple in every way. But it was engaging and people would appear to be transported into a euphoric state as they opened their hearts to God. Today the music has progressed in a remarkable manner, the ‘garage bands’ have been replaced by highly skilled ‘worship artist’ and ‘praise bands’ that have generated some incredible music, through which we can engage and participate in worship. But the one thing that we need to be sure to remember is, it really isn’t about the band, the atmosphere or even excellence. All of those things are good and fine, as long as we don’t ‘progress’ to the point where we lose the vertical aspect of worship. When it becomes horizontal and we move into either entertaining or being entertained we loose the main component, meeting with and connecting with God. In corporate worship that is the goal, to come together as His body and based on the promise of His presence ‘where two or more are gathered’, we come before him opening up our lives and our hearts anxious to experience more of Him in our lives.