Friday, April 16, 2010

AUTHORS CORNER: "WORSHIP THEORY" by Chris MacKinnon

What is “worship"? For a Christian, is it simply singing praises to the Lord? Is it the time or money we give, or the amount of scriptures we read? Is it only what we do on Sunday morning?

When Pastor Chris MacKinnon took his first position as a youth pastor and worship leader in 2001, he began to think about this. It eventually turned into a book, Worship Theory: Laying a Foundation for Corporate and Individual Worship.

MacKinnon says:
“Worship is a vital element to our Christian lives. When Jesus was traveling through Samaria, He answered questions about our worship. The Book of Leviticus is devoted to God's requirements for sacrificial worship. The Psalms are even a sort of hymnal. So why is it that such an important topic goes overlooked?

There are so many questions we don’t ask, so many implications. For example, did you know that [each believer] already has a Philosophy of Worship?

Webster defines philosophy as 'the set of values, opinions, and ideas of a group or individual.' Every person who enters a service must have opinions and ideas of how to worship God. So the problem is whether or not you have a value, opinion or idea about worship that helps guide you in it”(p. 20 of his book).

Worship Theory looks at ten elements of Biblical worship. Some elements affect our corporate worship, while others are based on how worship can be part of our individual lives. It isn’t a book of answers, but of questions. It’s a guide to help us take a journey to understanding worship and making it more personal and God-pleasing in our lives.

How did you get into church leadership?
I began leading worship at the age of 14 in my home church. Music has always been important in my life. So when a youth pastor saw that I could sing, he gave me the nudge. Leading began in small gatherings during high school, and grew during Bible College. There I learned the piano and began to lead in larger groups. So I took that first position [leading youth and worship]. Since then, worship leading always finds its way into my portfolio.

What is your desire with this book, and your blog, www.TouchTheSkye.org?
I have a heart to see the local church fulfill the calling of the Body of Christ. My blog challenges pastors, church leaders and laypeople. I also manage a book review site, www.ChristianBookLounge.com.

A graduate of Zion Bible College, Chris currently lives and serves in New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife and daughters. Find Worship Theory and other resources at his blog site, or at amazon.com.


The author of this blog, 20-20Faith Sight, Sheryl Young, has also written a book, What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People. See information in right column. 

1 comments:

midspoint April 16, 2010 at 11:12 AM  

Wonderful interview...thorough and interesting!! Can't wait to have you on my blog, Sheryl!
Blessings,
Mid

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