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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 9

Publication Date: September 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.109.15479.

Odiase, R. Y. (2023). Theological and Biblical Foundations for Performance Ethics in Congregational Worship. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 10(9). 73-80.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Theological and Biblical Foundations for Performance Ethics in

Congregational Worship

Rev. Yeside Odiase

Department of Preformance Studies, and Nigerian

Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Changes in global trends are throwing up discordant views in Christian worship

which requires a biblical-theological approach to maintain a balance. This paper

advocates for the necessity of standard ethics that is guided by theological and

biblical principles for congregational worship. These guiding principles entrenched

in the Old and New Testaments are fundamental to meaningful worship. The article

examines the meaning of performance ethics, the concept of congregational

worship, biblical and theological concepts of performance ethics in worship and the

concept of congregational music in worship. The paper concludes with the

recommendation that congregational worship which includes church music should

be guided by biblical principles underpinning actions, liturgy and disposition with

robust performance ethics to enrich worship and glorify God.

Keywords: Theological, biblical, performance ethics, congregational worship

INTRODUCTION

Worship is a vital spiritual experience in the life of the Christian and church life. The word

worship originates from “weorthscipe” which is an old English word (Wardle, 1992, 24). It

consists of our words and actions, the outward expression of our homage and adoration when

we are assembled in the presence of God (Maxwell, 2007). Therefore, an understanding of its

nature and practice is key in the savvy of worship. ‘Worship’ means ascribing worth to a person

or thing of value. Since creation, God's plan for humanity is worship. Therefore, how we

worship matters, and there are standard guidelines in the Old and New Testaments on how it

should be conducted. Webber (2009) noted that currently, the worship of many local

congregation stands at an uncertain crossroad. One of the major reasons for this uncertainty is

the breakdown of distinct denominational worship styles; the interdenominational character

of many denominations, and the freedom of worship leaders to draw from the many styles of

worship is changing the worship of many churches. For this reason, there seems to be a great

deal of anxiety among pastors and other worship leaders.

Worship can be personal or congregational, which are not contradictory, but complementary

(Stanfield, 1965, p.18) and engaging in both types. Raughley (1962) opines that most of our

worship is "fundamentally dull, inglorious, irrelevant, and lacking in adequate abrasives" due

to the wants in performance ethics. Personal worship has its challenges, but this paper will

focus on congregational worship relating to its performance ethics. The experience of

congregational Worship rests upon three things (Segler, 1967, p. 196), namely, the worshippers

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 9, September-2023

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

themselves, the Holy Spirit’s Power, and the human leadership provided in the order and

conduct of worship. It is therefore, expedient for worship leaders to be cautious of the process

of serving and ministering (Liesch, 2001, p.126 and Segler, 1967, pp. 198-199). It is against this

backdrop that the paper highlights performance ethics in congregational worship, its meaning,

and its theological and biblical foundational underpinnings. This forms a basic necessity for

worthwhile congregational worship, and also as a weightier responsibility for careful planning

of worship service and its orderliness and effective conduct which also includes congregational

music.

MEANING OF PERFORMANCE ETHICS

Ethics is an inquiry into the "oughtness" of the state of issues. On the other hand, Performance

ethics in congregational worship is an inquiry into the "how" or "the ways" of carrying out

congregational worship. It could also mean a liturgical sequence of worship as found in

Leviticus 8–9 and 2 Chronicles 5–7. cf. 1 Chronicles 15–16 (Farley, 2008, p. 605). “Performing”

and “performance” are potentially contentious words within the context of contemporary

Christian worship. However, performative elements are explicit in congregational worship

(Thorton, 2023, p.1).

Some literatures have emerged in recent years, says Thorton; such as Ingalls et al. (2013);

Kelman (2018); Steuernagel (2021); Rein and Springer (1986) and a host of others who have

attempted to connect worship to performance ethics, however, these have been tilted towards

contemporary Christian Singing (Thorton, 2023, p.2). Studies have found that group singing

increases a sense of group connectedness, trust and cooperation (Kirschner & Tomasello, 2010;

Wiltermuth & Heath, 2009). Brown et al (2022) reported that a study with church

congregations has found that participation in church worship increases feelings of connection,

as measured by communicative items and the Involvement of Others in Self (IOS) (Aron et al.,

1992), with one’s congregation (Charles et al., 2020, 2021). These findings point to the blessings

of good performance ethics in congregational worship experiences. To perform, as Liesch

(2001) expresses it: "is to do something complicated or difficult with skill in public to serve and

minister" (Liesch 2001, p.126). This takes into cognizance the environment, style, structure,

and style of worship (Webber, 2008, p.163)

Performance ethics which is also called attitudinal stance (Khalia and Mark, 2021) has evoked

some critical issues as argued by different shades of the church, such as the Roman Catholic,

evangelicals, puritans, Charismatics and others, giving reference to liturgical practices in

different church age (Farley, 2008, p. 591). This according to Morris Ford (cited by Farley,

2008), could suggest two meanings. The first is the position of the body, as suggesting some

thought, feeling, or action, while the other is the state of mind, behaviour, or conduct regarding

some matter, as indicating opinion or purpose. Performance ethics is guided by many

orientations, which include: Praxis, theological, historical, and biblical-typological models.

Many disputes about worship practices occur in part because there is no shared hermeneutical

and theological framework for developing a biblical theology of worship (Farley, 2008, p. 591).

An enquiry into the ethos of Performance of biblical worship, suggests it is a concept about the

process of worship, which expresses theological explanation and justification of Christian

practices in corporate worship that draws upon the whole Bible (Farley, 2008, p. 591).

Additionally, Farley opines that since the church’s liturgy happens in symbolic forms that are