Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!
Psalm 96:1-3
WORSHIP?
Communal Worship is the Public Declaration & Celebration of God’s Covenant Story. As such it always involves a certain tension as we seek a balance between that which God has done in the past and that which He is doing in the present. Therefore, the sacred traditions of our Faith are important, not for the sake of comfortable familiarity, but because our traditions are a part of our shared history. However, as each generation brings to us a “new song” we must embrace these fresh expressions of Worship as well; expanding our shared history to include their contributions to the shared experience of our Common Faith (cf. Psalm 33:3a / Psalm 96:1).
THE ARTS?
Creativity is a gift given by God to help us make sense of Life and give voice to the longings that defy language. Through the various Arts, creativity seizes hold of the hurt & doubt, reshaping them into something good & beautiful. Through this, the Arts sanctify the chaos & let the light of the Love of God shine through the darkness.
We BELIEVE that God has revealed Himself in His Word and in History so that we might Know Him, Love Him, & be fully Alive through Him. Thus, our DESIRE is to be a true Community of the Faith: Disciples, Worshipers, & Stewards of His Kingdom as we FOCUS on cultivating an environment that is conducive to loving God, strengthening Family, and transforming Community.
Within this framework, it is our conviction that Biblical Discipleship, Worship, and Stewardship are the sum total of a life entrusted to God. They are an act of Gratitude, Adoration, & Sacrifice (cf. Romans 12:1-2/ Hebrews 12:28-29/ Matthew 22:33-47). They are the essence of the Divine Mandate (cf. Genesis 1:28/ Genesis 9:7); they are embodied succinctly in the Tabernacle practices of praise, prayer, & abiding in the LORD’s Presence (cf. Hebrews 10:1-25); & they find their culmination in the Gospel of the Kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).
Understood this way, Leading Worship is more than just leading congregational singing. It encompasses music, along with other art forms, so as to cultivate the environment of a shared experience out of a shared history, for the purpose of a shared identity.
The Community Church of Pine Run EMC 