Worship that is a Covenantal Dialogue

For readers who are African American Baptist or outside of the Reformed tradition, the title of this blog entry may sound strange, or may seem as though I'm referring to the traditional "call and response" mode of worship in traditional African American Baptist worship. What I am referring to is an ordered way of liturgy. In the annals of this blog, I've written about liturgy so I'll refrain from warming cold soup this time. What is behind this worship principle is the covenant. The Church is a covenant community and worship is covenantal. God greets us, we respond through praise and prayer, and God speaks to us (Scripture read and preached). This is biblical call and response.

I want to focus on the response. We respond in prayer and praise as a covenant community, a community of priests. This is why I believe the Scriptures teach that worship song is congregational, not choir or soloist alone. In African American Baptist churches, the choir has near top-billing. While the choir does its thing, the congregation has an option to sing with the choir (granted if it is a song known), or just to clap and stand and encourage. In this we have a bifurcated priesthood.

Oh, would African American church return (yes, I said return) to congregational singing. That would mean going back to singing psalms and doctrinally correct hymns. Return, my people, return.