A congregation should promote the use of a single translation. Given all the factors that must be balanced in Bible translation, the ESV or NIV would be my translations of choice..... Both are readable and dignified. I prefer the ESV for accuracy and the NIV for readability, but can work with either equally well in a public worship setting. Since, as we will see later, the public reading of scripture is an essential for public worship, this is the major component of the toolbox.2. The Hymnal....
The hymnal is a crucially important evangelical worship resource. While it can be supplemented, it should never be replaced. The education of a congregation to use and appreciate the resources in a hymnal will be the single most ecumenically broad, historically deep and theologically enriching experience most church members will have. There is more diversity, tradition, theology, church history and content in a good hymnal than almost any single book that you can put in the hands of a congregation. The hymnal represents and captures the journey of the church throughout history, and joins the worshiping congregation to the church around the world and throughout all time.
We are nothing short of idiots for getting rid of them, and I choose that word carefully. Who in the world decided that we would throw out two thousand years of worship because it didn't fit in with our current plan to sound like the secular music of the last 40 years?.... Handing the entire musical and lyrical heritage of two millenia of Christianity over to a "worship leader" to be eradicated in favor of contemporary music only is insane.
.... Use new music. Have the band from time to time. Project away. But the church of the past 2000 years is in that hymnal. In fact, we need more historically and culturally diverse hymnals, not more music for evangelical white people.
.... For many evangelicals, the hymnal is the closest thing to a book of common prayer and worship resources they will have. Hymnals should be chosen carefully so they can be used to include calls to worship, litanies, creeds, etc. Keep making great hymnals out there, somebody! We need them.
Look at Bob Kauflin. Look at Indelible Grace. Look at good, blended worship at Piper's church and conferences. Get a grip evangelicals!3. The Creeds and Confessions.....
4. Worship books and directories......
5. Congregationally developed resources.....
6. The Church Covenant.....
7. The Christian Year.
A full explanation of the Christian year should be readily available.....
Avoiding the Christian year has made evangelicals shallow. There is nothing to restrict pastors from doing whatever they want when they want, right down to preaching on whatever the series topic happens to be on Easter Sunday. The Christian year keeps the theological themes of the Gospel as the driving force of preaching, and leaves half the year to do something else. It's so wise I can't understand any objections to it.....8. The Lectionary..... [and more]The Evangelical Liturgy 2: The Toolbox internetmonk.com
