What Does the Bible Say About Worship Services?

Examining the Myth of the Organic Church

Oct 31, 2009

What does the Bible say about the worship service? Should there be an order of worship or should churches have open participation with no script? What does the Bible say?

There's a growing and popular movement in Christian circles alternately called the "organic church" and "house church" movement. Advocates for the "organic church" or "house church" argue that the early church was characterized by "Spirit-led" open participation, whereas the modern church is too scripted, too hierarchical, and completely outside of what the New Testament teaches.

Most Christian churches today, however, feature scripted and rehearsed worship services. Most people sit through their Sunday morning sermons, complete with singing, an offering, and a sermon, with an assumption that this is more or less how things happened in the early church. Is it possible this assumption is wrong?

Does the Bible Call for an "Organic" Church Experience?

Frank Viola, a leading voice for the organic church movement, describes the organic church as a congregation characterized by "Spirit-led, open-participatory meetings and nonhierarchical leadership." (Viola, Frank and Barna, George. Pagan Christianity? Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices. Tyndale, 2008).

The organic church movement pins much (if not most) of its understanding of early church practice on I Corinthians 14:26, which reads: "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church" (I Cor 14:26, NIV).

Citing I Corinthians 14:26, they argue that coequal participation was the hallmark of the early church, but seem to overlook the fact that the Corinthian church had already incorporated many pagan practices into its congregation. Paul spends a great deal of time criticizing these practices in his letters to Corinth.

The likely understanding of I Corinthians 14 is not that Paul was commending the early church for its "open participation," but that the chaotic, free-flowing nature of the Corinthian worship service is precisely the kind of (yes) pagan practice Paul did NOT want in the church!

Is an Order of Worship or Scripted Service Biblically Appropriate?

The entire gist of I Corinthians 14 is that Paul was arguing for order in worship services. In fact, the apostle writes that "everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way" (I Corinthians 14:40, NIV). That injunction follows his description of the status quo (I Corinthians 14:26), indicating disapproval -- not approval -- with the free-flowing and (yes) disorganized nature of "organic" church services.

Thoughout the Bible, God uses leadership and planning to advance His work. From the building of the Ark to the occupation of the Promised Land and from Solomon building the Temple to Nehemiah rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, planning and organization are part of God's work. Why would it be any different with church worship services or with church in general?

While the organic church movement has correctly noted that some modern traditions, particularly in the more liturgical denominations, are unscriptural, they go too far in arguing that worship services should be sermon-free and completely open, with no leadership or agenda.

The organic church movement is plainly at odds with the Apostle Paul's exhortation in I Corinthians 14, in which he calls explicitly for order. But don't scripted services limit God? Given how God worked through order and planning throughout the Bible, any argument that the Holy Spirit would be limited due to a congregation obeying Paul's exhortation for order is frankly an argument that leaves much to be desired.