I'm reading John Frame's book on Worship. Alan was asking me about the Regulative Principle. This would be a good book to read, Alan (I borrowed it from Stine, perhaps you can be next in line?).
Frame has a threefold definition of covenant lordship: authority, control and presence. He expects worship to recognise all three.
I have inherited a Knox-Robinson view of church - that church is gathering around the word of God, first of all around Christ in heaven, secondly around the preached word, on earth.
I have also inherited a view of worship that emphasises the all-of-life dimension and observes that 'vertical worship' is rarely emphasised in the NT descriptions of church.
In my circles, I think the 'authority' dimension of lordship is emphasised. We gather to hear and respond to the authoritative word of the Lord. At best our 'corporate worship' is a powerful experience when the Word is proclaimed with great authority.
I don't think we are so good at thinking about the 'presence' dimension of lordship. We don't comfortably acknowledge and marvel at the living presence of God within us. I think thoughtful, awed contemplation of the fact that God chooses to dwell with us would add another valuable element to our 'corporate worship'.
Worship, authority and presence
