Spiritual Transformation and Its Implications for Christian Worship

132 Pages·2015·1.19 MB·English

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

A MASTER'S THESIS

SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

BY

THOMAS WAYNE DOSS

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF ARTS IN MUSIC AND WORSHIP

APRIL 20, 2015
ii

SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION
AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

By

Thomas Wayne Doss

A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Masters of Arts in Music and Worship

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
April 20, 2015

APPROVED BY:
Rodney D. Whaley, D. Min. Committee Chair
W. Douglas Crawley, DMA, Committee Member
Vernon M. Whaley, PhD. Dean of the School of Music
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Copyright 2014
Thomas Wayne Doss
All Rights Reserved
iv

ABSTRACT

The life change that Christ Jesus wants to produce in His children is nothing short of miraculous.
His offer of salvation immediately transforms the accepting person, bringing him into a divine
relationship with the Heavenly Father, but Christ desires to further transform the new believer
into a person who more accurately bears the image of God and declares His greatness and glory
to all. This is a progressive and life-long process that calls the Christian to a life that includes
sacrificial worship, avoidance of worldly living, and renewing the mind with godly pursuits.
Because this is the will of God for the believer, this thesis presents a biblical foundation for
transformation and scriptural examples of lives that were transformed by the power of God.
Study is dedicated to the development of spiritual disciplines that produce life change in private
worship. Attention is also given to corporate or public worship through the analysis of case
studies to present identifying qualities of churches that are considered to be transformational.
Field research indicating the communicative and emotive power of the arts in sparking
transformation during worship is considered. Through comparative analysis of the various forms
of data, concepts and principles of spiritual transformation are extrapolated and applied to the
practices of private and public worship. Applicable implications are also drawn that are useful
for persons responsible for planning and leading congregations in worship.
Keywords: Transformational worship, life changing practices of private worship,
worship that transforms congregations
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DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my precious wife Joyce who has stood beside me for over 25
years. Her love and commitment is without equal here on earth. She has been an encouragement
to me in my own journey of transformation. Sweetheart, I love you dearly. Thank you for your
patience, prayers, and countless proof readings. You may indeed know this material better than I.
To my sons, Jonathan and Phillip, I thank you for constantly challenging me to relate to
you in the same way our Heavenly Father relates to His children. I miss the mark so many times,
but I strive to get it right. I love you guys.
To Dr. Vernon Whaley and the faculty of Liberty University’s School of Music, thank
you for pursuing the mission of not only developing musicians, but also passionate worshipers
for the kingdom of God. It has been a blessing to study under you and your staff.
A final thanks is offered to Dr. Rodney Whaley, who often refers to himself as “the other
Dr. Whaley.” Your insights and encouragement have given me confidence that has brought me to
this juncture in my education. You are greatly appreciated.
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CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... iv
DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ v
LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
Statement of the Problem .................................................................................................... 2
Statement of the Purpose .................................................................................................... 5
Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 5
Research Questions ............................................................................................................. 6
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 2: LITERARY REVIEW ............................................................................................. 9
Biblical Foundations and Examples of Transformation in the Context of Worship......... 10
The Disciplines of Private Worship and Their Transformational Influence..................... 12
The Practices of Public Worship that Demonstrate Transformation ................................ 15
The Convergence of Worship and Transformation .......................................................... 17
Leading Congregational Worship Designed to Encourage Transformation ..................... 21
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS .................................... 27
Research Methodology ..................................................................................................... 27
Assumptions ...................................................................................................................... 29
CHAPTER 4: A SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION FOR TRANSFORMATION ......................... 30
A New Creation: The Case for Immediate Transformation.............................................. 30
Shaped by the Creator: Progressive Transformation ........................................................ 31
Future Hope: Completed Transformation ......................................................................... 37
CHAPTER 5: EXPERIENCING TRANSFORMATION IN PRIVATE WORSHIP .................. 39
Portraits of Personal Transformation ................................................................................ 39
The Preparation for Personal Transformation ................................................................... 43
The Process for Personal Transformation ......................................................................... 46
The Proof of Personal Transformation ............................................................................. 52
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CHAPTER 6: EXPERIENCING TRANSFORMATION IN PUBLIC WORSHIP ..................... 54
The Church of Antioch: A Model for the Transformational Church ................................ 54
The Contemporary Church and Transformation ............................................................... 63
CHAPTER 7: THE CONVERGENCE OF TRANSFORMATION AND WORSHIP ................ 75
Transformational Worship and Theology ......................................................................... 75
The Value of the Arts in Transformational Worship ........................................................ 77
Liturgy and Transformational Worship ............................................................................ 84
Leading and Designing Worship that Encourages Transformation .................................. 88
CHAPTER 8: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ................................................................... 97
Summary of Study ............................................................................................................ 97
Summary of Procedure ..................................................................................................... 98
Summary of Findings ........................................................................................................ 98
Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 103
Recommendations for Future Study ............................................................................... 104
Implications for Practice: A Model for Transformational Worship .............................. 105
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 114
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 116
APPENDIX I .............................................................................................................................. 121
APPENDIX II ............................................................................................................................. 124
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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 6.1: Stetzer and Rainier's (2008) Transformational Loop ................................................. 64
Figure 6.2: Five Deliverables of Small Communities .................................................................. 72
Figure 7.1: Witvliet's (2008) Three Forms of Communication Powered by the Holy Spirit ....... 80
Figure 7.2: Aspects of the Agogic Moment .................................................................................. 81
Figure 7.3: Abernethy's (2008) Pathway of a Song ...................................................................... 83
Figure 7.4: Stanley and Jones' (2008) Five Rules of Engagement ............................................... 95
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, [KJV]). It is no coincidence that God
directed these inspired words to be penned by the Apostle Paul, for it best summarizes the
author’s life-changing encounter with God.
Once known as Saul, he was adversarial to the message of the gospel of Jesus and to
those who declared the truth of Christ’s resurrection. His aggressive attempts to imprison or
execute anyone who spoke the name of Christ caused great concern among the early believers.
The scripture’s first mention of Saul was at the stoning of Stephen, a follower of Christ and
among the first to be martyred for his faith. Saul’s contemptuous gaze was fixed on Stephen as
stones were mercilessly hurled at his body. Though stones could break Stephen’s bones, they
could not crush his faith in God nor could they keep his gaze from the radiant glory of the
resurrected Christ (Acts 7). Unbeknownst to Saul, he too would soon encounter the glory of God.
Following the orders of the Chief Priest, Saul was on his way to Damascus to seize and
incarcerate the Christians who were there spreading the gospel. His malevolence grew with every
step toward his destination. As he neared the desert oasis, the bright sun bowed to a greater
radiance. The glory of the Almighty God was made manifest before Saul in blinding brilliance.
In the presence of the Lord, Saul fell to his knees. In that moment his life was changed forever.
The transformational conversion experience was only the beginning of Saul’s journey.
Not only was his life changed, his name was changed from Saul to Paul, there was a momentous
change of his life’s purpose, and as a passionate worshiper of Christ he was “unashamed” in his
declaration of the message of the gospel (Romans 1:16). With boldness His life brought praise
and glory to God. As a result of Paul’s ministry, Christianity spread among the Jews and
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Gentiles, churches were formed, and worship became a way of life for those who had been
redeemed. The worship that Paul both lived and taught involved much more than a one-time
encounter in the presence of God. It involved an ongoing vital relationship between the Savior
and those He had saved.
When Paul writes in Romans 12 that our fundamental response to God should be to offer
our entire lives, including our bodies as living sacrifices, the apostle calls us to a
comprehensive view of worship in our everyday lives, not merely a block of time on
Sunday morning...Living all of one's days in the shadow of the Cross and in gratitude to
God is precisely how the transforming power of worship is unleashed in our lives
(Walters 2006, 195).

In short the Christian has been transformed from a child of darkness into a child of light.
Yet there is also an ongoing aspect of transformation that calls the believer to a deeper place of
communion with God whereby he is made more like the heavenly Father. As God is revealed to
man, he reflects, realigns, and responds in such a way that reflects God’s glory in the present
world. Where there is true worship, there is transformation.
Statement of the Problem
With any study related to worship there are difficulties that present themselves. In present
culture, the term “worship” is often misunderstood. A prevalent misconception regarding
worship in the church today is that it is narrowly defined as a weekly occurrence when the
church body gathers together for services. The gathering of God’s people in assembly is a vital
part of worship that calls believers to a time and location to offer praise to Him. From the early
accounts of Old Testament corporate worship, there was a time and place set aside for God’s
children to celebrate His goodness, seek His cleansing, and encounter His presence, but God’s
worship was also to be practiced daily in the lives of those who followed Him. If worship is only
seen as “something we do on Sundays” and not a part of the totality of life, there is little hope for
transformation.