Worship is something that God’s image-bearers do with the entirety of their lives. Worship is manifested through the choices we make, the words we say, how and where we spend our time and money, etc. We also acknowledge that all humans worship something, however implicitly or explicitly. With this in mind, Christians strive to devote their worship to the Triune God. While the term “worship” is more than the act of corporate singing in a church setting, it certainly isn’t less than that wonderful act.
Listed below are the characteristics of musical worship at Emmaus Road Church of Bozeman.
Directed Toward God
We are committed to worshipping the one and only God—our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend. Consequently, nearly everything we do is focused on acknowledging and celebrating His greatness—especially His gracious display of love to us in the gospel. He alone is the Audience for whom we perform.
Gospel-Centered
We are committed to lifting the name of Jesus above every other name. It is because of His perfect life, His substitutionary death and His miraculous resurrection that we can say, “we are redeemed.” There is none other worthy of our praise, and there is no other name by which people can be saved. We commit to singing songs that bring us again and again to the cross of Jesus.
Corporate in Form
We are committed to corporate worship as the body of Christ. We embrace this corporate identity comprised of redeemed individuals. There is theological significance to the act of many people raising a single voice to worship their Creator and Redeemer. We are committed to fostering an environment that encourages participation, not observation.
Passionate in Expression
We are committed to singing passionately. We believe that “emotionless singing” is not possible in a Christian, corporate setting. In response to the God who has shown us so much grace through His Son, Jesus, there is no option but to express thanks with voice, body and mind.
Musical Style
We are committed to not “locking in” to any particular genre or style of music in the corporate setting. Rather, we observe that God has given the gift of music throughout many generations, and timeless, truthful songs about our God have been written from very early in church history right up to today. In any given corporate service, we may sing songs separated in authorship by hundreds of years. Our emphasis in song selection is content over age. “Singability” is also a consideration of ours. We are committed to selecting songs that are not especially challenging for the congregation’s participation.
Biblical in Boundary
We are committed to the submission to God’s Word, the Bible. Our prayer, reading, singing and preaching must align with God’s teaching found in this precious book.