RLGN 4327—CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

Summer Term (May 25-August 8, 2009)

Tuesdays, 6:00-10:00 pm, 11550 I.H. 35 N., Rm. 103

John M. Andrewartha, Ph.D., Instructor

30540 Bulverde Hills Dr., Bulverde, TX 78163 / Phone: (830) 980-2404 / Fax: 830-980-2405

Email Address: jmandrew@gvtc.com / or / john.andrewartha@wayland.wbu.edu

Website: http://satx.wbu.edu/john.andrewartha

Office Hours: By Appointment on Tuesdays 5:30-6:00 and 10:00-10:30 in Room 103

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION: The nature, purpose, and methods of Christian worship.

II. RLGN 1301 and 1302 or consent of the Instructor are prerequisites. Each student must enroll in RLGN 0001 Theological Research and Writing Lab. This is a lab designed to help students write an acceptable research paper. The lab utilizes a Writing Manual produced by the Division of Religion and Philosophy. Students in this course must register and receive credit for the lab during the term. Students who have already received credit for the lab are not required to take the lab in this course, but may do so if they choose.

III. TEXTBOOKS: Segler, Franklin M. Understanding, Preparing for, and Practicing Christian Worship, 2d Ed., Revised by Randall Bradley. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1996; and Basden, Paul A., Editor. Exploring the Worship Spectrum: Six Views. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004, and Morgenthaler, Sally. Worship Evangelism: Inviting Unbelievers into the Presence of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

IV. COURSE OUTLINE: The course outline is indicated in the Assignments Calendar.

V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE CREDIT:

1. Class attendance according to the WBU catalog (see Appendix attached)

Active, informed participation in class worship times and discussions, taking appropriate notes

3. Reading of Understanding, Preparing for, and Practicing Christian Worship

4. Prepare and conduct one “mini-worship” session for opening class participation

5. Plan and present to the class seven Orders of Service for Christian worship as indicated below

6. Written report on one book as indicated below

7. A research project on A Philosophy of Christian Worship as indicated below

8. A Case Study of a church worship service whose worship style is different from the student’s own

9. An oral presentation and explanation of the Case Study

10. Copies of all written assignments must be sent by email to the Instructor and each student in the class, as well as a printed hardcopy for the Instructor, not later than the beginning of class on the dates assigned.

§ CLASS PARTICIPATION: Students will be graded on their attendance and alert, informed, active participation in class activities.

§ ORDERS OF WORSHIP SERVICES: Each student will plan and prepare seven Orders of Service appropriate for Christian worship, to include four regular Sunday morning services (one in each of these styles: Liturgical, Traditional Hymn-Based, Contemporary Music-Driven, and Blended), an Easter Sunday morning service, a service featuring baptism, and a service featuring the Lord’s Supper in the style of your choice. These are to demonstrate what the student has learned about appropriate services of worship and the elements thereof. They will be presented, discussed, and critiqued in open class discussion.

§ BOOK REPORT: Each student will prepare a typed, single-spaced reaction to Exploring the Worship Spectrum in which you rank in order of your evaluation of the effectiveness of the different worship styles in such length as may be needed to convey to a reader the reasons for your choices. Students will be prepared to participate meaningfully in open class discussion of the book. Extra/bonus credit is available for reading and reporting on an additional book from the Instructor’s collection.

§ RESEARCH REPORT: Each student will write a research paper on the subject, “A Philosophy of Christian Worship,” to include a thorough presentation on the definition, meaning, purpose, biblical and historical bases, theology, and value of worship, suggestions for the practice of meaningful worship, and other topics as the student’s research and religious convictions may lead. The paper will be graded for content, depth of research, coherence of reasoning, thoroughness of presentation, style, and form, using the rubric attached to this syllabus. Form, grammar, syntax, punctuation, spelling, and word usage are expected to be flawless. For additional information, see the class handouts, which are additional parts of this syllabus.

V General information about the project: The project must be at least 12 pages (excluding Title page, Contents, and Works Cited), and not more than 20 pages, in length, typed and double-spaced. At least 10 authoritative, scholarly commentaries, books, and/or articles must be used and cited in the notes and Works Cited. No more than 3 Internet articles may be used. The Turabian (University of Chicago) style is the official format adopted by the WBU Department of Religion, is used by most religious publications, and is required for this course. The project will be evaluated on depth of research, coherence of reasoning, and thoroughness of presentation. Grammar, spelling, and style are expected to be flawless. For additional information, see class handouts, which are considered part of this syllabus.

V ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, such as having someone else write your reports, cheating on tests, or plagiarism, will not be tolerated. Plagiarism (the use of the words or ideas of others without giving credit, thus silently pretending they are your own) is intellectual theft, will result in no credit for the report, and is grounds for failure of the course, suspension, or dismissal from the university.

§ CASE STUDY: Each student will attend a main worship service in a church where the worship style is different from that of the church the student regularly attends. The Instructor must approve the church selected for the Case Study in advance. After attending the worship service chosen, the student will write a 6-8 page report that begins by identifying the church chosen and clarifies how it differs from the student’s own. The report will describe the service and include the printed order of worship. If there is no printed order, the student will write his or her own from notes taken during or immediately following the service. The report will evaluate the service biblically, theologically, historically, and congregationally (that is, was the style of worship appropriate for the congregation). Questions to be answered by the report include at least the following:

1. What was the style of worship (contemporary, traditional, blended, liturgical, etc.)?

2. Did the service reflect a clearly discerned purpose or theme?

3. How well was that purpose achieved?

4. Did the service reflect a particular theology of worship, and if so, what was it?

5. Did the service indicate careful planning?

6. Did it reflect an awareness of the history of Christian worship?

7. Was it conducted in an appropriate manner?

8. Were music and/or other art forms used appropriately?

The paper will conclude with a general evaluation of the effectiveness of the worship service, an explanation for that evaluation, and any suggestions the student may have for improvements that could be made.

VI. GRADING: Students will be graded on their book reports and research projects, and on their class attendance and participation in class discussion.

EVALUATION:	Class Participation	10 %	WBU GRADE SYSTEM:	A =	90-100 %
	Orders of Service	15 %		B =	80-89 %
	Book Report	15 %		C =	70-79 %
	Research Report	40 %		D =	60-69 %
	Case Study	20 %		F =	Below 60 %

VII. CLASS OBJECTIVES / OUTCOME COMPETENCIES: As a result of this study, the student will:

1. Demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the biblical and theological bases of Christian worship

2. Gain knowledge and understanding of major historical developments of Hebrew and early Christian worship through the Reformation

3. Gain knowledge and understanding of important characteristics of Christian worship since the Reformation, especially among Evangelicals, with an emphasis on worship renewal beginning in the mid-1970s

4. Define issues and develop strategies for teaching and leading local church worship in the 21^st century

5. Articulate clearly an appropriate philosophy of Christian worship

6. Demonstrate understanding of Christian worship by planning worship services

These outcome competencies will be demonstrated by the completion of the assignments indicated in this syllabus with grades of 60% or more.

VIII. CLASS PROCEDURE: The class will be taught by a combination of lecture and class discussion of the textbooks and supplemental materials, with student presentations of their research reports. The class meets for four hours each Tuesday for eleven weeks and will begin with a brief period of worship each week conducted by the Instructor and by each student. Please be in place, on time, and prepared to participate in this opening worship.

IX. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS: The Instructor will provide photocopied materials and various audio and visual aids as appropriate to the class activities.

X. BIBLIOGRAPHY: In addition to the textbooks and the bibliographies included in the textbooks. Books marked * are available for lending by the Instructor. Others are available from the WBU Mabee Learning Resources Center:

*Allen, Ronald B. and Craig H. Allen. The Wonder of Worship: A New Understanding of the Worship Experience. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

Publishers, 2001.

*Allen, Ronald and Gordon Borror. Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2000.

Black, Kathy. Culturally-Conscious Worship. St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2000.

*Carson, D. A., Editor, with Mark Ashton, R. Kent Hughes, and Timothy J. Keller. Worship by the Book. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.

*Dawn, Marva. Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing

Company, 1998.

*DeYoung, Kevin and Ted Kluck. Why We’re Not Emergent: by two guys who should be. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008.

*Frame, John M. Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1997.

*Gaither, Bill, Host. Amazing Grace. DVD. Alexandria, IL: Spring House Productions, 2007.

*Long, Thomas G. Beyond the Worship Wars: Building Vital and Faithful Worship. Bethesda, MD: The Alban Institute, 2001.

Martin, Ralph P. Worship in the Early Church. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1964.

Morgenthaler, Sally. Worship Evangelism: Inviting Unbelievers into the Presence of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.

Peterson, David. Engaging with God: a Biblical Theology of Worship (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Skoglund, John E. and Nancy E. Hall. A Manual of Worship, New Edition. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1993.

Spruce, James R., ed. A Pastor’s Worship Resource for Advent, Lent, and Other Occasions. Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press, 1987.

*Webber, Robert E. Blended Worship. Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1994.

*Webber, Robert E. Worship Is a Verb: Eight Principles for Transforming Worship, 2d Ed. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1992.

Webber, Robert E. Worship Old and New: a Biblical, Historical, and Practical Introduction, Rev. Ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House,

1994.

White, James F. Introduction to Christian Worship, 3d Ed, revised and expanded. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000.

*Woods, Robert and Brian Walrath, Editors. The Message in the Music: Studying Contemporary Praise and Worship. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press,

2007.

*Wilt, Bill, Host. Leading Worship. DVD. Stafford, TX: Vineyard Music Global, 2003.

*Wilt, Bill, Host. What is Worship. DVD. Stafford, TX: Vineyard Music USA, 2006.

*York, Terry W. America’s Worship Wars. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2003.

XI. CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Students are expected to have read the text material prior to the dates assigned for class discussion and to be prepared to enter into meaningful discussion of the topics covered. Due to the nature of the class with discussion and evaluation of student papers scheduled on due dates, it is absolutely imperative that assignments be turned in when due. Late papers cannot be accepted. Student absence is not an excuse—arrange to have your papers turned in even if you are out! Early is dandy, but late is deadly!

Dates:	Written Assignments:	Readings in Texts:
Wk 1 / May 26	Instructor’s Introduction to the course	Christian Worship (CW) *Exploring Worship Spectrum (ES)*
Wk 2 / June 2		CW: pp. 5-46 (Ch 1-3) *ES: pp. 11-20 (Introduction)*
Wk 3 / June 9		CW: pp. 47-98 (Ch 4-7) *ES: pp. 21-56 (Ch 1)*
Wk 4 / June 16		CW: pp. 99-154 (Ch 8-1 *ES: pp. 57-96 (Ch 2)*
Wk 5 / June 23		CW: pp. 155-214 (Ch 13-17) *ES: pp. 97-136 (Ch 3)*
Wk 6 / June 30		CW: pp. 155-292 (Ch 18-end) *ES: pp. 137-172 (Ch 4)*
Wk 7 / July 7	Orders of Service Due	*ES: pp. 173-214 Ch 5)* Discuss Orders of Service
Wk 8 / July 14	*Reaction to Exploring the Worship Spectrum* Due (Grad Students) Précis of Worship Evangelism Due**	*ES: pp 215-257 (Ch 6 & Conclusion)* Discuss Exploring Worship Spectrum
Wk 9 / July 21	*Philosophy of Worship* Reports Due	Discuss Worship Evangelism
Wk 10 / July 28	Case Studies Due	Defend Philosophy of Worship
Wk 11 / Aug. 4	Present and Defend Case Studies	Supper at Instructor’s home

Use E-mail and the Blackboard for Class Information:

Students must check often at <http://wbu.edu> [note: not a www] / Blackboard to receive the latest posts for the class. Announcements and lecture notes will be posted each week, so the more often you check, the sooner you will get the information. Go there at least every Monday night. Your User Name is your WBU ID #; your default password, until you change it, is the 1st three letters of your first and last names (i.e. for me “johand”). Click on the courses you are taking, Announcements, and Lecture Notes.

In order to receive emails from the Instructor (as well as official information from the University), it is mandatory that students activate and check regularly their free Wayland.WBU email account. That is the only way to receive these communications. It is free and yours to use for life. See the related brochure for instructions to activate your account. Do this before the second class meeting and send the Instructor an email at <john.andrewartha@wayland.wbu.edu> from your WBU account informing him that you have done so.

This syllabus is only a plan, not a contract. Though there is no current expectation to do so, the instructor may modify the plan during the course. The requirements for the course, assignments, their due dates, criteria for measuring student progress and performance, and other aspects of the syllabus may be changed

by the Instructor if, in his professional judgment, it becomes necessary.

Please do not call, write, or email me or the office to ask for your grades. University policy forbids us

from giving out grades from the office in any manner that could violate the Federal Privacy Act.

Grades are posted on IQ Web as soon as possible, not later than August 10^th.

It is university policy that no otherwise qualified disabled person be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university.

Any student who needs special arrangements to meet the course requirements should inform the Instructor

immediately upon entering the course.

Wayland Mission Statement:

Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for professional success, lifelong learning, and service

to God and humankind.

APPENDIX

Class Attendance—External Campuses:

Students enrolled at one of the University’s external campuses should make every effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then determine whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an Unsatisfactory Progress Report with the campus dean. Any student who misses 25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the University’s attendance policy. A student may petition the Academic Counsel for exceptions to the above stated policies by filing a written request for an appeal to the provost/academic vice-president.

Wayland Baptist University Catalog, 2008-2009, pg. 83.

· If the instructor fails to appear or fails to send notification of his arrival within the first ten minutes of a class period, students may leave without incurring an absence. (If I am not in class at 6:00 pm, call my cell phone to see what is up. Please do not call my cell phone at other times for other reasons; use the home phone instead.)

· Please do not call me to tell me you will not be in class unless you will be absent two or more weeks.

ADDENDUM AND COMMENTS:

Please do not assume that you can miss almost 25% of the class meetings with no penalty at all. Very few students can be absent that much and still pass the course. Almost inevitably, students who miss class perform less well than they expect, and their grades are lower.

NOTE THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE FROM ANY CLASS. IF YOU ARE NOT IN CLASS, YOU ARE ABSENT. If you are obviously ill, especially if your illness may be contagious, please stay home until you have recovered. Anyone who is ill 25% of the time probably needs to drop the course and rest to get well. If your situation is special, discuss it with the instructor. He will make every effort to be reasonable and helpful.

The philosophy behind this policy is twofold: we believe that attendance in class indicates that you are serious about getting a quality education and that such attendance greatly increases your chances to succeed. On the other hand, tuition covers only about three-fourths of the cost of delivering a course to you. Since we have to find the other fourth from the gifts and offerings of the Baptist people of Texas and friends of the university, we have a large investment in you. We want to see you succeed!

So there will be no doubt, 3 weeks of a course lasting 11 weeks is more than 25%, and attendance in a class means being present from the time it is called to order until it is dismissed by the instructor. Being tardy means arriving after the class has been called to order. Leaving before class is dismissed counts as a “tardy” also. Three tardies equal one absence. Leaving at break time means being absent for half the class. Two half-absences equal one week of absence. Exactly 2.75 weeks is 25% of the course. Two absences and a tardy are 2.66 weeks—all you can afford to miss!

PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY IN THIS CLASS (AND MOST OTHERS):

This is a University. It will be harder and require more commitment of time and effort from you than high school, technical school, or most community colleges. We are a Christian University. That does not mean we require less; it means we expect more. The average university course expects you to put in two hours of outside work—homework, study, research, writing projects, etc.—for every hour of class time. A class that meets four hours a week thus will require about eight additional hours of preparation time—a total of twelve hours a week! Some students need more time than others to read and comprehend the course materials. If you cannot give this much time, you probably will not do well in university level courses.

We will do everything academically and ethically permissible to help you reach the standards of excellence we set, but the ultimate responsibility is yours. We cannot—must not—lower the standards for anyone’s “special circumstances.” That would reduce the value of a university education for everyone.

Decide upfront that you are here to get an education, not just a diploma, and that you will do whatever it takes to succeed. “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary”—Winston Churchill.

Come to class prepared to learn and participate. Have your assigned readings, papers, etc., done before class begins. Listen, read, and take notes. A short pencil will beat a long memory every time! Focus your thoughts, not just on the facts, but on what the facts mean. Grasp the “Big Picture,” and the facts will be more easily remembered. Learn and understand the concepts, not just memorize the facts. The details will change, or you can look them up.

Class attendance is expected, encouraged, and greatly desired. Students who miss class always have a more difficult time with the material and fare less well than they would otherwise (see Appendix Comments).

Please keep in mind that this is a Christian institution. We endeavor to hold high standards of character, conduct, and appearance. Therefore, please dress appropriately for class and remove hats and caps when entering the room. This will show your respect for the school, the course, the instructor, and the other students in the class as well. To avoid disturbing the class, turn off all cell phones, pagers, and PDA timers. If you absolutely must be on call, place your cell phone on silent ring/vibrator, and if you receive an emergency call, please step outside the classroom before answering.

Academic honesty is expected of all students. All forms of cheating, such as illicit possession of exam materials, forgery, or plagiarism (presenting the work of others as one’s own work) are subject to penalties ranging from written reprimand to dismissal from the university. See your student handbook for details.

At any time you have a question, ASK IT. The only “dumb question” is the one you have but do not ask. We are all ignorant about something. Being ignorant is no shame; staying ignorant is!

Like every other class, this is a course in communicating—orally and in writing. Your arguments need to be logical, make sense, and be clearly understandable. Most of us use language loosely in everyday life. Theology (and other subjects) uses language very precisely. Learn to speak (and thus to think) with precision. Take your English classes first, not last! Make friends with the dictionary and an English handbook. The textbooks for ENGL 1301 and RSWR 3345 have what you need, as does www.dianahacker.com/ref. You can check your writing—it is free, so there is no excuse for faulty grammar and punctuation.

The course content you learn in most courses will probably be obsolete by the time you graduate, if it is not already! The real value of a college education is in the discipline, dedication, and commitment you gain; in learning how to learn and keep on learning; in finding out how to find out what you need to know when you need to know it (we call that “research”); in learning how to read and listen critically and with understanding; and in practicing and perfecting your “people skills,” cooperating and getting along with others. These are some of the skills people expect of a college graduate, and they will help you in whatever career or endeavor you choose to enter!

..Thank you!..