Build One Another Up In Corporate Worship

by Josh Starkey on January 17, 2013

The following is from a book review I wrote for The Life of God in the Soul of the Church by Thabiti Anyabwile. Hope it's helpful. His chapter, called "Sing To One Another" is great, and talks about how the popular idea of a "personal worship experience" in a church gathering is a very wrong idea about how and why we gather.

"As a corporate worship leader in my church body, I devour chapters on church music in the books I read. Some end up being better than others, but Anyabwile’s treatment of the subject is great, and he puts church singing in just the right place in the life of the church. He rightly emphasizes the benefit to one another that we provide as we sing together, saying, “Too many Christians think the public gathering of the church is basically a couple of hundred people having their personal quiet time in the same place [...] Privatized religion destroys spiritual communion. Privatized views of the faith tear apart the body [..] When we gather with a hymn or song we do so for the benefit of the church, the entire body of Christ, the whole group of people” (169-170). What we do, even as we sing, has to be with a view to build up one another, and thus the whole group."

Again, hope that's helpful. "Preparing For Sunday" post coming soon!

Josh

About the Author

Josh Starkey

Josh Starkey serves as the Worship Director at Grace Church of Simi Valley. He started attending Grace Church in 2000, became a member in 2005, and joined the pastoral staff in 2010. Before joining the church staff full-time, Josh taught English at Grace Brethren High School for ten years. Josh and his wife Jenny have three kids, and love being a part of the life of their local church!

As the director of corporate worship, Josh plans and leads the majority of our Sunday worship gatherings, and works to develop and broaden our worship team. He desires to see the team and our whole church family continue to deepen our Christ-centered theology and philosophy of worship, that results in both a passionate outpouring of worship on Sunday and a life of worship to God in our daily lives.