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LAUDEMONT MINISTRIES
A Sensible Approach to Christian Truth

ARTICLES AND STUDIES

Biblical Worship Is Good for You!
A Music Therapist Reflects on the Experience of Biblical Worship
LYNDA A. TRACY

I am a music therapist. Music therapy is an art, a science, and a profession. Many

thingsI have experienced as a music therapist I have recognized as spiritual experiences,
butoften wondered how to express them — the "scientific method" is insufficient
todescribe the happenings in a therapeutic relationship, especially when
musicalexperiences are the foundation of the relationship and music has effects that may
bevery difficult to measure. As I have explored the use of music in biblical worship, I
havefound my understanding of my own profession as a ministry to be increased. This
study,therefore, is personal vocational reflection as well as a study of literature on music
andon biblical worship.
Most Christians would agree that worship involves both a lifestyle of obedient
serviceand specific acts of adoration and submission. However, for the limited purpose
of thisstudy, I will use the word "worship" to refer primarily to the events that take
placeduring a public service of worship. Although I will refer to specific acts, gestures,
andrituals as part of worship, I must emphasize that these in themselves do not
constituteworship nor does performing them cause the worship to be "effective." I
concur withDavid Peterson that "worship is . . . faith expressing itself in obedience and
adoration . . .relevant to every sphere of life."1 In addition to faith, acceptable worship
includesministry to one another with love, forgiveness, and encouragement (1 Thess.
5:11).
Worship Is Healthy
God's plan for humanity includes both physical health and emotional growth. For
aChristian, participation in the symbolic liturgy of worship is directly related
toformation of healthy attitudes and emotional experiences.2 Several
contemporarystudies have shown that practicing any religion is more healthy than
practicing none.3Churchgoers in particular have larger social networks and more
favorable perceptions ofthe quality of their social relationships.4 Psychological
functioning and spiritualmaturity are highly correlated, suggesting parallel
developmental processes, especiallyin the areas of spiritual well-being, worship and
commitment, involvement in organizedreligion, and fellowship.5 Religion based in the
Judeo-Christian religious traditionappears to have a wide range of positive effects on
well-being and psychologicalstability in older adults.6 One study found that "most of
the research linking religion topositive mental health focused on behavioral events that
could be reliably observed andmeasured and were unambiguous in their significance".7
David B. Larson, M.D., states, "Statistically, God is good for you. . . . I was told by
my[medical school] professors that religion is harmful. . . . If you look at the research,
inarea after area, it's 80 percent beneficial."8
A. W. Tozer asserted that "worship is the normal employment of human beings." It
iswhat we were created for: a relationship with God, in which we recognize and
praisehim for who he is, and he is worshiped as he desires to be worshiped. William
Temple,Archbishop of Canterbury, said, "To worship is to quicken the conscience by
theholiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by
thebeauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose
ofGod".9 Engagement in worship meets our needs as human beings for purity,
knowledge,beauty, love, and purpose. Music helps enable all of these to take place in
us.
Beneficial Effects of Music
There is much documented evidence that exposure to or involvement in music also
hasbeneficial effects on both mind and body. For example, various types of music
cancontribute to increases or decreases in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure,
muscletension, muscle activity and motor responses. Music affects peripheral skin
temperature,gastric activity, and biochemical responses in the body.10 Involvement in
learning ofmusic before the age of twelve contributes to increases in spatial intelligence
and mathskills.11 The implication of these facts about music, when connected with
worship, isthat those who are actively involved in the music of worship may be likely to
experiencebeneficial effects that extend outside the spiritual realm to improved physical
andintellectual functioning.
As a music therapist considering the music of worship, perhaps I need to present
adefinition of music therapy: The Canadian Association of Music Therapy has
definedmusic therapy as follows: "Music therapy is the skillful use of music and
musicalelements by a trained music therapist, to promote, maintain, and restore mental,
physical,emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and
emotivequalities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact,
interaction,self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication and personal
development"(CAMT, 1994). In treatment planning, music therapists may use any of
the five possibleways to experience music: by singing, playing, moving, listening to, or
creating it.Music therapists often use music as a nonverbal medium of communication,
and mayincorporate art forms other than music into the music therapy treatment plan,
such asvisual art, story-telling, and drama.
The purpose of the music of biblical worship is to enable the worshiper to encounter
theliving God. The musical experiences of worship are able to communicate both
verbaland nonverbal messages to the worshiper; they "speak directly to the intuitive
capacities. . . bearing a sense of majesty, wonder, mystery, and delight, and bringing a
release ofthe soul even without recourse to words".12
Music is essential in biblical worship. All five of the above listed ways to
experiencemusic — sing, play, move, listen, create — are included in the biblical
examples ofmusic in worship. There are many references to singing and playing
instruments in theinstructions for and descriptions of worship in the Bible. Many are
phrased in theimperative, and the language implies enthusiasm and exuberance:
Come before him with joyful singing (Psa. 100:2, NASB)

Praise him with trumpet sound;

Praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise him with loud cymbals;
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord! (Psa. 150:3-6, NASB)
When preparing songs suitable for group therapy sessions, a music therapist will find
orcompose songs with certain characteristics that cause the songs to lend themselves
toparticipation by the group members:
a simple melody that can be sung in unison with an uncomplicated accompaniment
bythe therapist
often a "verse-refrain" structure that permits clients to memorize and repeat a
simplechorus
words that are easily understood.
The songs of the temple worship in ancient Jerusalem shared similar characteristics.
Themusic was chant-like, of limited range, sung in unison, and sung from memory
sincethere was no system of notation on paper.
We have no way of knowing how the music of the Old Testament really sounded,
butmusicologists have established a relationship between ancient Jewish singing
andGregorian chant. It is probable that the melodies were based on a pentatonic
scale.13While Moses' directions for worship in the tabernacle in the wilderness do not
includemusic, David appointed musicians to accompany the ark of the covenant when it
waseventually brought to Zion (1 Chron. 15:16-24). He also established professional
guildsof hundreds of singers and instrumentalists, specially trained to lead worship both
dayand night at the ark's temporary lodging in a tent in Jerusalem (1 Chron. 16:4-7,
25:1-7).Their music continued when sacrifices were reinstituted with the dedication of
thetemple during Solomon's reign (2 Chron. 5:11-14, Psa. 30). The music had a dual
role: itaccompanied the offerings, and was itself a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving
(Pss. 23;24; 27:6; 50:14, 23; 65:1). (See the study on Music and Worship in the Bible on
thisweb site.)
While there are no specific instructions for the use of music in worship in the
NewTestament, it is evident that there was a familiar music of Christian worship in the
earlychurch. Luke includes early Christian hymns in his account of the birth of Christ
(Luke1—2). Paul and Silas passed the time in jail by singing hymns of praise to God
(Acts16:25). Paul, in his letters to the churches, often seems to be quoting from
contemporaryhymns in his epistles, and frequently quotes from the Psalms. He
encourages the churchat Ephesus to address one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs (Eph. 5:18-20),and the Colossian church (Col. 3:16) to do the same to teach each
other and as a sign ofbeing indwelt by the Holy Spirit.14 John, in the Revelation,
depicts a chorus, eventuallyjoined by people, angels, and every living creature, singing
hymns and doxologies toGod on the throne as they celebrate Christ's victory (Rev. 5:11-
14). Religiousawakenings and revivals through the history of the Church have always
been associatedwith new songs: revivals of faith seem to have gone hand-in-hand with
revivals of themusic of worship.
Generally, vocal and instrumental music in the Scriptures are functional: they have
aparticular use in the life of the Lord's people. Though musical skill was admired,
thepurpose was not to call attention to the composer or the performer, but to lead the
wholecelebrating community.
Gesture and Movement
Often connected with music is a language of gesture and movement in biblical
worship.The way humans move has profound effects on not only their physical health
but ontheir feelings, their affect, and even the choices they make.15 There are many
biblicalreferences to the expressive movements of worship, which include bowing,
kneeling,lifting and clapping the hands, processions, and festive dance. Human beings
arecreatures of rhythm; the many systems of our bodies operate in their own rhythms,
wewalk and breathe and our hearts beat in rhythm. Some of the earliest non-
verbalcommunication of an infant can be clapping the hands or bouncing to music —
and theScriptures also teach about the childlikeness of trusting faith (e.g. Luke 18:16-
17, Rom.8:15). Rhythmic movement and dance, like music, is unique to human beings
and maybe seen as evidence of the image of God in which we were created. Just as
worshipinvolves the whole life, the gestures of worship denote a visible involvement of
thewhole person, and as such "are an important statement about the philosophy
ofworship."16
Gestures and movement are part of the symbols of worship. Symbols have bothaesthetic
and didactic value.17 The use of symbol requires the worshiper to exercisemind and
imagination in his offering of praise. Worship is always symbolic; even inworship
settings where visual symbols such as movement or art are avoided,
linguisticsymbolism will still be used.18 In worship, liturgical gestures are non-
verbalcommunicators, engaging senses of touch and kinesthesia as well as sight,
hearing, mind,and will in order to fully engage the spirit.
An important symbolic gesture of worship is lifting the hands, an ancient
universalsymbol of covenant loyalty. The people of ancient Israel would extend their
handstoward the sanctuary (I Kings 8:28-30, Psa. 28:2); toward the ark of the covenant,
asymbol of God's throne on earth (Lam. 2:9); or toward heaven (Lam. 3:41). In the
NewTestament, the practice of raising the hands in praise or supplication was
maintained.Paul desired that all believers should "lift up holy hands" (1 Tim. 2:8).
In the ancient world such gestures as bowing, kneeling, or falling prostrate were
thesuitable acts of humility before a king, demonstrating respect and fear. Yahweh
wasIsrael's King; therefore Israel bowed before him (Psa. 95:6; Isa. 45:23). Later, the
Magibowed before the infant Jesus, indicating they recognized his identity as King.
There areinstances of Solomon and Daniel kneeling in prayer in the Old Testament, and
Peter,Paul, and Jesus all knelt to pray in the New Testament. Clapping the hands is
oftenmentioned in the Psalms (e.g. Psa. 47:1) and was symbolic of a king's victory over
hisenemies; in Christian worship, it is a declaration of the victory and dominion of
Christ.These gestures continue to be practiced in the church of today.
Drama and mime are also part of the symbolic gestures of worship. The prophets
usedsymbolic gestures to demonstrate their messages; Jeremiah broke a potter's jar (Jer.
18:1-6), and Ezekiel drew a picture of Jerusalem on a brick and besieged it (Ezek. 4:1-
3).Jesus painted vivid word pictures in his parables, to give his hearers an
imagerysymbolic of spiritual truths.
Dance also served as a powerful "symbol of the worshiper's abandon before the holy,
asthe creature forgets self in the presence of the Creator."19 Miriam led the women in
anspontaneously improvised dance, with tambourines and singing, to praise God
forIsrael's escape from Egypt (Exod. 15:20). David "danced before the Lord with all
hismight", leading the celebration when the ark of the Covenant was returned to
Jerusalem(2 Sam. 6:14). The dancing of a group could symbolize the corporate nature
of covenantworship, in which each individual is a member of a larger community;
David's solodance before the ark seems to have been an act of personal worship, though
in a publicplace. Centuries later, the prophet Jeremiah speaks of the cessation of dance
as part ofthe results of breaking the covenant with God (Lam. 5:15-16), and the
restoration ofdance as a sign of God's blessing in the new covenant (Jer. 31:4, 13).
Worship and Celebration
Effective biblical worship builds to a climax or central event. In ancient Israel, this
wasthe appearance of the Lord, the manifestation of his glory in the sanctuary (Exod.
40:34;2 Chron. 7:1-3). In the New Testament, the climactic event is the ritual drama of
theLord's Supper. Movement, often associated with music, as experienced in the
biblicalgestures of worship in processions, dance, and drama, and in the overall rhythm
of thewhole service, contributes to "the sense that something is happening in
worship."20
Creating, that is, composing or improvising, new music was also part of biblical
worship.The Psalms four times repeat the invitation, "Sing unto the Lord a new song"
(Pss. 33:3;96:1; 98:1; 149:1). Improvised music was also associated with prophecy,
specialmessages from God. The Israelite prophets were musicians who composed
andimprovised songs, laments, and poetic compositions (1 Sam. 10:5; 2 Chron. 35:25;
Isa. 5:1-7; 26:1-6).21 There are also examples of spontaneous song in private worship,
suchas Hannah's song of thanksgiving at the birth of Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1-10).
Prophecy could be instrumental as well as vocal. Saul met a group of prophets
whoapparently sang and accompanied themselves on instruments (1 Sam. 10:5, 6).
Davidappointed 228 musicians to "prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals" (1 Chron.
25:1-7),music which also seems to have had an improvisational character. On other
occasions,the instrumental music apparently enabled prophecy: Elisha, when asked for a
messagefrom God by the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom, first said, "Bring me a
minstrel," orharpist. While listening to the music he was given the prophecy (2 Kings
3:15). Theterm selah, which occurs 71 times in the Psalms, could also mean an
opportunity forimprovisation in worship; it is thought to mean an instrumental interlude,
or a vocal andinstrumental reflection on what has just been sung.22
The singing, dancing, and playing of instruments in the worship of the ancient
Hebrewsoften took place in the context of a ritual procession which was not at all
solemn! Whenthe rebuilt wall of Jerusalem was dedicated, the book of Nehemiah
describes two choirs,with cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpets, which led the people of
Jerusalem in a greatdual procession in opposite directions on top of the city wall and
through the city,eventually meeting in the temple (Neh. 12: 31-42). The shouting and
celebrating wereloud enough to be heard outside the city, "from afar" (Neh. 12:43).23
Silence and Listening
The sounds of biblical worship include "the sound of silence." I am reminded of the
oldsaying, "There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it."
Therefore,the silences of worship are just as important to the rhythm of the total
experience as theauditory music and words.24 "In the presence of the mystery of the
being of God,silence is an appropriate act of worship."25 The prophet Habakkuk
announces, "TheLord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him" (Hab.
2:20). One ofDavid's Psalms mentions silence along with praise (Psa. 65:1).
The silences of biblical worship are not for prayer but for response "to the
manifestationof the majesty and mystery of God, and therefore a part of his praise."26
"Silence takesthe worshiper out of time and into God's eternity."27 In musician's
language, there is arhythm to the times of celebration, the times of solemnity, and the
times of silence, andthere is a timelessness in the absence of tempo and rhythm. In the
waiting on God insilence no human being is in control of the experiences of any other,
and the worshiperis free to listen to God.
The one experience of music that has not been mentioned yet is listening, yet all
thesounds of biblical worship imply that there must be hearers. The important aspect of
theimplied listening in the biblical commands and examples of worship is that there is
noprovision for passive listening to the words or songs or music of others. E.
Schweitzerremarks, "It is completely foreign to the New Testament to split the
Christiancommunity into one speaker and a silent body of listeners."28 The "hearing" of
worshipis attentive, involved, and participatory. In his final words to Israel, Moses
makes aconnection between hearing and covenant-keeping: "See, I have set before you
this daylife and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to
love theLord your God . . . that the Lord thy God may bless you in the land. . . . But if
yourheart turns away and you will not obey [Hebrew shama', "hear"], but are drawn
awayand worship other gods . . . you shall surely perish" (Deut. 30:15-28).29
Also related to Israel's failure to keep the covenant with God are the prophet
Amos'swarnings about the music that God would not hear:
Take away from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:23, NASB).

Woe to those who are at ease [i.e., complacent] in Zion. . . .

who improvise to the sound of the harp,
and like David have composed songs for themselves. . . .
yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:1, 5, 6).
In a service of worship, it is God himself who is the great Listener, who will refuse
tohear if the music of the worshiper is not coming from a life that shows justice,
holiness,and compassion. As bearers of God's image (Gen. 1:26), even human beings
aresymbols of God.30 God's image in humanity includes the need for aesthetic
experience— the need for beauty. The beauty of artistry of the tabernacle and later the
temple, thesinging, playing of instruments, the dances and gestures of worship, the
silences, allcontribute to the meeting of this God-given need for beauty in a manner
designed byGod himself for our good.
Worship Brings Blessing and Health
David Peterson cautions, "Mere performance of a rite does not make it effective."31
Ifthere is no faith in the heart of the "worshiper", no worship results from the practice
ofany of the above symbolic acts. The acts and rituals are not magic — there is
nosuperstitious need to "do it right" in order to get God's approval, since "his
covenantlove is great toward us" (Psa. 117:2), and he looks on the heart rather than the
offering(Psa. 51:16-17). In the ancient world, this fact about Israel's worship was
unique. Inother ancient religions, rituals were performed to appease angry or capricious
gods, or topersuade the gods to do what the worshipers wanted.
To the New Testament believer, the meaning of grace is that God already approves
ofthe redemption that Christ purchased through the perfect sacrifice of himself, and
notbecause it is deserved or earned through the practice of rituals. When we worship
Godusing the symbolic acts of biblical worship, it is to express our offering of thanks to
Godfor his provision of our salvation. We worship him because he deserves it, and
weworship him in the biblical manner as an act of obedience, and because his word tells
usit pleases him (Psa. 69:30-31, Heb. 13:15-16). Worship is both generated from
andcompleted in a personal lifestyle of obedient service.
The breaking of the covenant with God involved sanctions: blessings if the covenantwas
kept, and curses if it was violated (Deut. 11:26-28). The predicted effects ofviolation of
the covenant could include the loss of health, in the form of pestilence,illness, plague,
famine, drought, and the end of joyful sounds such as music and dance(Lam. 5:15).32
The restoration of the covenant was to include the opposite, theblessings of the
restoration of health and music (Jer. 31:1-14). Like the other symbolicacts of biblical
worship, music is a gift of God, intended to be used for sacred purposes,but is not magic
to accomplish an individual's own desired results.
Among the health-enabling qualities of biblical worship is the freedom of
emotionalexpression, both verbal and nonverbal, that is available in the singing,
improvisation,and movement. The 1993 study by Berry and Pennebaker suggests that
people who"actively inhibit emotional expression are a greater risk for a variety of
healthproblems"; they speculate that the nonverbal expression of emotion also bears
arelationship to health status.33
The frequent rehearsal of the "words of the covenant" in song could potentially have
hada beneficial effect on the whole society of ancient Israel. In our present century. H.
M.Zullow analyzed the lyrics of the top 40 popular songs of each year from 1955 to
1989,searching for depressive psychological traits, and compared these with the results
ofconsumer surveys.34 He found that pessimistic ruminations in popular music
predicted,with one to two years lead time, increased rumination about bad events in the
media,changes in the media and public's world view, and pessimism about the economy.
Thesein turn predicted changes in consumer spending and GNP. Obviously, God knew
that ifall Israel worshiped him by singing about his goodness and constant provision for
hispeople, the whole nation would prosper.
Worship and Therapy
In reflecting on these characteristics of biblical worship, I have been struck with the
factthat they sound so similar to what I have experienced in some music therapy
sessions.Often, something familiar has been evoked in myself during an effective
session: it isthe same feeling that I experience at an "effective" service of worship.
Severalsignificant aspects of biblical worship are reenacted or simulated within a music
therapysession. The greeting song or "check-in" improvisation of a music therapy
session couldbe analogous to the Act of Entrance of a worship service, and the closing
song can belike a Benediction — a blessing by the therapist as the client goes back into
his dailyworld. In a way, the non-verbal communication that takes place in
instrumentalimprovisation resembles a Service of the Word, in that it is a symbolic
truth-tellingwithout words. The instruments themselves may become both visible and
auditorysymbols, and the silence before beginning to play can feel like "all the earth
keepingsilence before him."
The five experiences of music with which music therapists work — move, sing,
listen,play, create — are all included in the descriptions of biblical worship above.
Theexamples of worship in the Bible are full of singing of "psalms, hymns, and
spiritualsongs"; expressive movements like clapping hands, raising the arms, and
dancing;playing of instruments both professionally and spontaneously; and the creation
of musicboth composed and improvised. All of these are activities music therapists use
topromote health in an individual. Every way in which a human being can
experiencemusic has been included in God's plan for worship.
Music in worship does not just have value from participating in the five experiences
ofmusic outlined above, but in the spiritual experiences and insight that can be the
result.Music, whether composed or improvised, whether sung or played, can evoke
anexperience of the numinous for the worshiper.35 The music therapist's goal in
thetherapeutic relationship with a client is change in the client; the result of
trulyparticipating in worship is transformation and change in the believer's life.36 While
Goddesires and is pleased with our praises directed to him, his goal for us is
ourtransformation through the experiences of worship.
This study reflects on worship, on the experience of music in a service of worship,
andbriefly on the spiritual experiences in the practice of music therapy. It has been
apersonal effort to explore why the practice of music therapy has been in so many
waysan experience of worship for me as the therapist, and to explain for myself why
musictherapy is such a uniquely Christian profession and calling for me. It has also been
aneffort to discover more of all the health that God meant to give us when he gave
usmusic for the purpose of praising him.
[ Return to beginning of study ]
Lynda A. Tracy was formerly coordinator of supervision for the music therapy
programat Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, and maintained a private
practice inmusic therapy. She earned the B.Mus.Th. degree from Wilfrid Laurier
University andholds two Associate degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music,
Toronto, in theteaching of piano and singing. She is a member of Waterloo Pentecostal
Assembly. Thisstudy was originally submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a
master's degreeprogram at Ontario Theological Seminary (now Tyndale Seminary),
Toronto. To contactLynda Tracy about this study, use this link.
Footnotes
1 D. Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (Grand
Rapids:Eerdmans, 1992), p. 283.
2 J. Astley, "The Role of Worship in Christian Learning," Religious Education, Vol.
79,No. 2 (1984), pp. 243-251.
3 E.g., J. S. Levin and H. Y. Vanderpool, "Is Frequent Religious Attendance
ReallyConducive to Better Health?", Social Science and Medicine, Vol. 24, No. 7
(1987), pp.589-600 [Abstract, PsycLIT Database, American Psychological Association,
1988].
4 C. G. Ellison and L. K. George, "Religious Involvement, Social Ties, and
SocialSupport in a Southeastern Community, " Journal for the Scientific Study of
Religion,Vol. 33, No. 1 (1994), pp. 46-61.
5 T. W. Hall and B. F. Brokaw, "The Relationship of Spiritual Maturity to Level
ofObject Relations Development and God Image," Pastoral Psychology, Vol. 43, No.
6(1995), pp. 373-391.
6 H. G. Koenig, "The Relationship Between Judeo-Christian Religion and MentalHealth
Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults," Advances,Vol. 9, No. 4 (1993), pp. 33-39
[Abstract, PsycLIT Database, American Psychological Association, 1994].
7 J. Gartner, D. B. Larson and G. D. Allen, "Religious Commitment and Mental
Health:A Review of the Empirical Literature," Journal of Psychology and Theology,
Vol. 19,No. 1 (1991), pp. 6-25 [Special Issue: Spirituality: Perspectives in Theory and
Research].Interestingly, Gartner et al. also commented that many of the studies which
claimed toshow a negative correlation between religious belief and mental health had
usedsubjective pencil-and-paper questionnaires, which were more apt to be phrased so
as toreflect the bias of the researchers (pp. 6, 15).
8 Cited in L. Dossey, Prayer Is Good Medicine (New York: HarperCollins, 1996), pp.
2-3.
9 Quoted by C. Tuttle, "Foundations of Praise and Worship," in R. Sheldon (ed.),
InSpirit and in Truth: Exploring Directions in Music in Worship Today (London:
Hodder& Stoughton, 1989).
10 Numerous studies are cited by D. L. Bartlett, "Physiological Responses to Music
andSound Stimuli," in D. Hodges (ed.), Handbook of Music Psychology (San Antonio,
IMRPress, 1996), pp. 343-385)
11 Several studies are cited by A. M. Green, "Music Is Instrumental in
BrainDevelopment," Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association: Notes, Spring,
1997,pp. 29-30.
12 R. Leonard, "Biblical Philosophy of the Worship Arts," in. R. E. Webber (ed.),
TheComplete Library of Christian Worship, Vol. 1,The Biblical Foundations of
ChristianWorship (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993), pp. 221-
222.
13 K. E. Osbeck, The Endless Song: Music and Worship in the Church (Grand
Rapids:Kregel, 1987). In the Kodaly system of music education, tones in the pentatonic
scaleare taught to young children first, because this scale, having no semitones, is easier
tosing in tune, and because pentatonic songs are found in the early folk music of
almostevery culture.
14 As such, spiritual songs were set apart from other songs, inspired by the Spirit
andpossibly composed spontaneously: a New Testament example of vocal
improvisation inworship.
15 G. Tom, P. Pettersen, T. Lau, T. Burton et al, "The Role of Overt Head Movement
inthe Formation of Affect," Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3
(1991)pp. 281-289 [Abstract, PsycLIT Database, American Psychological Association,
1992].The researchers found that nodding head movements up and down resulted in
increasedpositive feelings, and side to side movements resulted in increased negative
feelings.Participants in the study who nodded their heads even felt more positively
toward a penthat had been left on the desk in front of them while nodding their heads,
and were morelikely to state that they would like it as a gift. Shaking the head side to
side resulted in adecline in preference for the pen. As a music therapist, I would suspect
that music couldbe used to enhance the effect! These results suggests to me that our
physical movementsduring worship are likely to have an effect on how we perceive the
worship experience.There is something to be said for deciding to offer physically active
praise — andperhaps it is even more a "sacrifice of praise" when we don't initially feel
like moving.
16 R. Leonard, "Acts of Entrance in Traditional Worship," in The Biblical
Foundationsof Christian Worship, pp. 288-291.
17 A. E. Hill, Enter His Courts with Praise! Old Testament Worship for the
NewTestament Church (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993), p. 134.
18 J. E. Leonard and R. Leonard, "Symbolism in Biblical Worship," in The
BiblicalFoundations of Christian Worship, pp. 38-55.
19 R. Leonard, "Biblical Philosophy of the Worship Arts," in The Biblical
Foundationsof Christian Worship, p. 222.
20 Ibid., pp. 221-222.
21 Ezekiel apparently had a complaint about the receptiveness of the people who
heardhis songs of prophecy: that they were paying no more attention to his prophecies
than ifhe had been singing popular love songs. (Ezek. 33:32)
22 R. Leonard, "The Psalms in Biblical Worship," in The Biblical Foundations
ofChristian Worship, p 244; Osbeck, The Endless Song, p. 44.
23 Unfortunately, many instances of dance in worship in the Old Testament areobscured
for English-speaking readers: a number of Hebrew words for dancing, ofwhich some
indicate a corporate round dance and others express an individual's leapingfor joy or
"dancing in the Holy Spirit", have been translated "rejoice" or "tremble", oreven "fear."
For example, a more accurate rendering of Psa. 96:9 would read "O worshipthe Lord in
the beauty of holiness; dance with joy before him, all the earth." In the NewTestament
also, various Greek words describing dancing that occurred on 43 differentoccasions in
the NT are often translated as simply "rejoice" (L. M. Petersen, "Dance andBanners in
Worship," in The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, pp. 263-268).Therefore, it
seems that many Christians in the English-speaking world may not even beaware of
their heritage and the Biblical examples of dance in worship.
24 Hill, Enter His Courts with Praise! p. 106.
25 R. Leonard, "Acts of Entrance in Traditional Worship," in The Biblical
Foundationsof Christian Worship, p. 290.
26 Ibid., p. 291.
27 Hill, Enter His Courts with Praise! p. 106.
28 E. Schweitzer, "Worship in the New Testament", The Reformed and
PresbyterianWorld, Vol. 24, No. 5 (1957), p. 295; quoted in R. P. Martin, Worship in
the EarlyChurch (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964), p. 135.
29 The Hebrew word shama', often translated "hear" in older English versions, means
tohear intelligently, with the implication of attention and obedience.
Contemporarytranslations of this passage have rendered it "obey". The same word is
translated "hear"in many other instances to express how God hears us, and how we ask
God to hear us(e.g. 2 Sam. 22:7 and many psalms).
30 J. E. Leonard and R. Leonard, "Symbolism in Biblical Worship," in The
BiblicalFoundations of Christian Worship, p. 39.
31 Peterson, Engaging with God, p. 41.
32 J. E. Leonard, I Will Be Their God (Chicago: Laudemont Press, 1992), pp. 62, 23.
33 D. S. Berry and J. W. Pennebaker, "Nonverbal and Verbal Emotional Expression
andHealth," Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Vol. 59, No. 1 (1993), pp. 11-19
[Abstract,PsycLIT Database, American Psychological Association, 1993].
34 H. M. Zullow, "Pessimistic Rumination in Popular Songs and
NewsmagazinesPredicts Economic Recession Via Decreased Consumer Optimism and
Spending,"Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 12, No. 3 (1991), pp. 501-526
[Abstract,PsycLIT Database, American Psychological Association, 1992].