The Simplicity of Gospel Worship

In recent Lord's Day afternoons, I've spent some of my time listening and watching live worship services on the Internet. I watch one particular church, which is a progressive-like African American Baptist church in a large metropolitan area. I am struck by the lack of simplicity in the worship services. There is a plethora of things that take place in the two hour worship services. There are long announcements and recognitions of people, singing by a choir, singing by a Praise Team, Invitation to Discipleship besides prayer and preaching. Sometimes there is a handbell choir, and Praise dancers. Such a church has left the simple order of New Testament worship to something different.

Now, I've written blogs about the elements of worship so I will refrain from re-stating what I've already stated. This area is an area where African American Baptists primarily have neglected the simplicity of Spirit-revealed and apostolic sanctioned worship.

Why do African American Baptists do what they do in worship? I don't know. Why don't they turn to the Holy Scriptures to regulate their corporate worship? Blindness, ignorance, and neglect. In general, the average Evangelical has no thought that the Scriptures should regulate our worship. If African American Baptists used the Scriptures to regulate worship, things would be simple and terribly different. Yet it would be to God's glory! What are the elements of simple NT worship: prayers, praise (psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs rendered by the congregation), reading of the Word of God, preaching, and the sacraments. Simple, yet transcendant.