The Word in worship

Worship is holy conversation to which God constantly invites us. In worship we speak to Him, and we speak to one another, but the conversation is not complete until we hear Him speak to us.

We are often prevented from hearing God speak because of the noise and distractions we carry within us. His invitation to worship creates a place in which these distractions are laid aside. Then, when our souls are quieted, we can hear Him speak in many ways in silence, in meditation, in music, in fellowship, in prayer, and, most concretely, through His Word.

Many want to see God's Word as central to their worship. They have tended to equate this centrality of the Word with preaching. It is the preacher's task, through the Holy Spirit, to mediate God's Word to the gathered people. Some would insist, further, that the preacher speaks "God's Words."

We who preach, constantly experience the weight of this tradition. Every time we sit before the blank page or the empty screen of the word processor, we pray that the Holy Spirit will help us speak God's Word truly and prophetically. It is surely a noble goal, but who among us is so arrogant as to claim to have achieved it? Could we possibly be requiring ourselves to bear too much of this burden? Perhaps there should be more place in worship for letting the Word speak for itself.

Letting the Word speak

Consider what the Bible says about this. Moses commanded that the law be read publicly every seven years (Deut. 31:10-13). Joshua, Josiah, and Ezra all participated in lengthy public readings of the law, which were occasions for revival in Israel. In Ezra's case, the law was explained "so that the people could understand what was being read" (Neh. 8:8).*

Jesus, when He went to Nazareth, read from the Scriptures and then expounded on them (Luke 4:16-21). Acts 13:15 shows that readings from both the Law and the Prophets were a standard part of synagogue worship. Paul asked that his letters be read publicly (Col. 4:16), and he admonished Timothy on the duties of apostleship: "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching" (1 Tim. 4:13). The public reading of Scripture has been a prominent part of worship for thou sands of years. ¹

How, then, do Seventh-day Adventists justify our own common practice a "Scripture reading" consisting of two or three verses that take up perhaps thirty seconds, and then preaching for up to sixty minutes? How can we be "people of the Book" while treating Scripture reading as incidental, one of the "preliminaries" to worship? How is it that we who claim the Bible as "our only rule of faith and practice" so often use it in worship only in bits and pieces?

The Scriptures were intended for reading aloud. They contain dramatic stories, impassioned polemics, and poetry that plumbs the depths of despair and ascends the heights of ecstasy. None of these can be fully appreciated in a silent reading. Even the most perceptive and faithful conversation about Scriptures is not a substitute for hearing them read aloud, expressively, speaking for themselves.

Why read Scriptures in worship?

The Scriptures ought to be read often in our worship, in generous portions, for the following reasons:

1. When we read, sing, chant, or pray the Scriptures, we make the heavenly language our own, and it becomes part of us.

2. Their reading lends weight, substance, and seriousness to worship and prepares worshipers to receive the Holy Spirit and be receptive to the preaching that follows.

3. Reading several related passages encourages thoughtful, contextual preaching that bases the sermon broadly on the Scriptures, rather than narrowly on one verse or phrase.

4. Reading Scripture provides opportunity for participation in worship. Many who cannot be persuaded to preach or offer a prayer can handle a reading assignment with excellence. Age is no barrier to this participation: the cadences of a well-loved passage may assume special richness in a reading by an elderly person, and there is special beauty and charm in the voice of a young child raising an ancient praise.

5. The one who reads the Scriptures in public performs a priestly function, that of speaking on God's behalf to His gathered people. In this way, the Reformation teaching of the "priesthood of all believers" is given new reality.

6. The reading of a variety of Scriptures expands the possibilities for laypersons to preach. Simply explaining and commenting on the various passages can become an effective sermon.

How to incorporate Scripture in worship

There are several good ways to incorporate the reading of Scripture into our public worship.

Reading related passages. A traditional practice---one that my own congregation has been following for over a year---is to read three related passages from different parts of the Bible before the sermon. An appropriate psalm may be read responsively, chanted, or sung according to the abilities and tastes of the congregation. In my own congregation, nearly all members participate as readers from time to time.

Scripture services. Occasionally, an en tire service maybe constructed from Scripture readings. Scripts can be prepared for readers to read one of the epic stories of the Old Testament or a whole book of the Bible, in one service or in two consecutive ones. This type of presentation---which may or may not include a sermon---might be called "Readers' Theater" or some other apt name, for purposes of publicity.

Reading and meditation. A variant of this is particularly appropriate for the Passion season: the story may be read by various readers, from one or more of the gospels, with appropriate music or silences between the readings. It is especially fitting to follow the climax of the reading, which tells of the death of our Lord, with meditative silence.

The practice of Scripture reading in worship is simple to implement and is avail able equally to large and small churches, regardless of style of worship. The biggest challenge is the actual selection, week by week, of the readings.

Using a lectionary

A few years ago, Dr. Steven Vitrano, now retired from the Andrews Theological Seminary, compiled a one-year, topically-organized lectionary, and I am indebted to him for the inspiration to carry out my own compilation, which I have dubbed "The Greenwood Lectionary."²

The Greenwood Lectionary is a collection of nearly 200 Scripture readings, each consisting of three related passages from different parts of the Bible, together with a psalm. Most of the readings maybe read in five to eight minutes.

When the lectionary is used as a preaching schedule, it will provide a well-balanced "diet" of practical, doctrinal, and devotional topics over a three-year period. The teachings of Jesus are used as occasions for preaching on all the Christian and specifically Adventist doctrines, including the Sabbath and the Second Coming.

The lectionary has extensive indexes that make it useful as a sourcebook of worship readings, even where it is not followed as a schedule. Alternative texts are supplied with many of the readings to accommodate differing interpretations of the gospel text. While the lectionary is compiled especially for Seventh-day Adventist use, it is easily adaptable to the needs of other evangelical churches.

Regardless of our theological persuasion or style of worship, the mystical power of the Scriptures is available to all of us through the Holy Spirit. Giving the words of Scripture audible expression is an important way in which worship may draw us together, in wholeness, about the Living Word, our Lord Jesus.