PFCC XXXII – Negros Oriental & Siquijor

HANDOUTS FOR THE MUSIC MINISTRY INPUT

THEORIES ABOUT WORSHIP, PRAYER AND MUSIC MINISTRY IN PRAYER MEETINGS

I. Background and History of Worship

a. Heavenly Angels
 We cannot talk about Praise & Worship without discussing the
“Heavenly Angels” of the Lord.
 They are the proto-worshipers of YAHWEH EL SHADDAI.
 Let us examine Genesis 1:1-19.
 St. Augustine’s reflection:
 This is the Scriptural support for the creation of the
Heavenly Angels.
 The separation of “day” and “night” refers to the
separation of the obedient and loyal angels from the
rebellious and prideful angels led by Lucifer.
 For us to worship the Lord effectively, it is helpful that we take a
look on how they worship the YAHWEH.
b. On Prayer & Worship
 Prayer and worship go hand in hand and cannot be separated.
 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is an example.
 Prayer was always accompanied by thanksgiving, praise and
worship.
 We must acknowledge that an effective prayer life is enhanced by
praise and worship.
 What is Worship?
 Worship is our entry into the throne room of God and
allows the Holy Spirit to guide us in prayer for ourselves
and for others.
 “Relationship with God cannot exist without praise.”
 Praise must always be vocal.
 It occurs when we tell others about God’s goodness.
 Worship is the way we pour out our innermost thoughts.
 It allows us to move into God’s presence which is compared to the
three areas of the Tabernacle of Moses:
 Outer court – represents thanksgiving.
 Holy Place – represents praise.
  Holy of Holies – represents worship.
c. What is “Praise & Worship”?
 Most Catholic Renewal Communities have always done praise &
worship while calling it by that name.
 The Sacred Scriptures in the Old Testament, New Testament &
Psalms are excellent expressions of praise & worship and can be divided
into two groups:
 Declarative Praise – places the emphasis on what GOD has
done, they speak about His glory and majesty and they are
full of thanksgiving (E.g., Psalm 24:7, 9-10 & 1 Chronicles
29:11-13).
 Descriptive Praise – focuses on the person, attributes and
essences of GOD and who HE is (E.g., Psalms 50, 145 and
Exodus 3:14).
 A lifestyle of praise & worship should glorify God with vocal
expressions such as the sharing of a testimony, the sharing of the events
of the day when you felt God move and act on your behalf.
 The whole exercise consists of:
 Thanksgiving – the whisper of prayer to God in thanks.
 Praise – the telling about God’s experience.
 Worship – to bow down and revere, an attitude of the
body, mind and spirit.
 The Hebrew have seven (7) words to distinguish the act of praise
& worship:
 HALEL – becomes “hallelujah” (but often spelled as
“Allelluia”). It is defined as being boastful and excited,
lifting of the hands and shouts of joy and bliss.
 BARAK – which means, “to bless”. It brings to mind all that
God has done for us through Jesus Christ, His Son (Psalms
103:1-2).
 ZAMAR – deals with music. It demonstrates music in
praise to God and advocates that praise & music can
interchangeable.
 SHABACH – which means to speak highly of, to address in
a loud tone, to command triumph and glory (e.g., Psalms
117:1 & Psalm 63:4).
 YADAH – means to publicly acknowledge God. Again, with
HALEL, the hands are raised in worship (Psalm 138:1).
 TOWDAH – means “thanksgiving” and involves the raising
of hands in adoration. However, it suggests an attitude of
sacrificial praise. In other words, we give thanks and praise
 before we receive from the Lord or are delivered out of a
situation. We rejoice and thank God for His faithful
promises (e.g., Psalms 50, 2 Chronicles 7:1-6, Psalm
107:22).
 TEHILLAH – relates to singing; actually it means singing our
HALELs. It is portrayed in Psalms 22:3 which tells us that
God dwells in the praises of His people. It is also depicted
in 2 Chronicles 20:22, but refers to a special kind of singing
that is unrehearsed, unprepared and which today as
“being led by the Spirit”. This exhibition of praises brings
unity into the community and allows God to move in
miraculous ways. It can be found in Psalms 34:1, 40:3 and
66:2.
d. Benefits of Praise & Worship
 It increases faith.
 It brings about healing of the body, mind and spirit.
 It brings understanding and clarity to things of the Holy Spirit.
 It brings God closer to us.
 It enhances our active participation in the Eucharistic Celebration.
e. Scripture Passages on Praise & Worship
 For Individual Reflections:
 Genesis 14:20  Luke 1:46-55
 Exodus 15:1-9  Acts 16:25
 Leviticus 19:24  Romans 15:11
 Deuteronomy 10:21  1 Corinthians 14:15
 Joshua 6:20  Ephesians 1:12
 Judges 5:2-3  Philippians 4:20
 Ruth 4:14  1 Thessalonians 5:16
 1 Samuel 2:1-2  2 Thessalonians 1:3
 2 Samuel 22:4  Philemon 1:4
 1 Kings 8:15  James 5:13
 2 Kings 3:15-16  Jude 1:24-25
 Matthew 26:30  Revelation 19:5
 Mark 11:8-10

 For Group Reflections:

 Psalm 22:22, 25
 Psalm 111:1
  Psalm 149:1
 1 Chronicles 29:20
 2 Chronicles 29:28
 1 Peter 2:9
 NOTE: Those involved in Music Ministry should take time to
reflect and meditate on the Sacred Scriptures before practice sessions.
f. Music Guidelines
 We must recognize that music in a renewal community is a
ministry and it should be natural as breathing.
 As Worship Ministers, you should develop a “praise attitude”
which soaks the environment of which you are part.
 Preparations:
 The prayer life of the member must be constant. One must
be determined to pray regularly. Consistent bible study is
vital and should be a part of the members’ spiritual growth
as it relates to worship.
 Thanksgiving should be offered up from the moment you
awake in the morning.
 They should learn to renew their vocation as a music
minister everyday. As they do this habitually, it will help
them reflect and understand what it is we are doing, why
we are doing it and to who the glory belongs.
 They should always have an attitude of gratitude. Vital to
our praise is thanksgiving; for out of gratitude to God for
His blessings comes the praise.
 The community should be directed in praise & worship in a
manner described below:
 Begin with songs of thanksgiving and praise
such as:
 This is the day…
 God is so good…
 Praise the Lord…, etc.
 There is no reason that traditional
hymns and songs cannot be used.
They should be used together with
the more modern and contemporary
songs.
 Continue with a high praises with such
songs as:
 Praise to the Lord the Almighty…
 Blessed be the Name of the Lord…
  All hail the power of Jesus name…
 I love to praise His name… etc.
 We are now ready to worship the Lord with
songs of adoration and reverence such as:
 Holy, Holy, Holy…
 O Worship the King, etc.
g. Existing Guidelines in PFCC XXXII (Note: Based from the guidelines approved
since the time of Bro. Deolito Rosanto in 2010)
1) Choir members should wear proper attire especially in coming to
the office. No tight jeans and body-hugging T-shirts/blouse/mini-skirts.
2) They should observe proper office decorum.
3) They must show respect and courtesy to superiors and fellow
workers.
4) Rumor-mongering, backfighting, murmuring and making false
accusations must be avoided.
5) Choir-on-Duty should attend to his/her duties and responsibilities.
6) Unauthorized absences during inputs, seminars, prayer meeting
assignments and practice sessions are grounds for suspension &
termination (for full-time choir members and band only), three (3)
consecutive absences subject to disciplinary action.
7) Courtship among members is strictly discouraged.
8) No one is allowed to teach the choir in Prayer Groups unless
permitted by the Main Office (Dumaguete).
9) During prayer meetings, the choir is expected to be in the venue
30 minutes before the start.
10) Each should bring a Bible and a pen and be on stage listening
while the preacher is delivering the message.
11) Dispute among the choir/instrumentalists must be settled
immediately before going to prayer meetings.
12) They should refrain from borrowing money and material things
from Prayer Partners.
13) They should never be involved in illicit relationships.
14) No practice/Not in complete uniform, No sing policy.
h. What Praise & Worship Is Not
 ENTERTAINMENT.
 It is not to be used to fill a gap, kill time or simply enjoy.
 SING-ALONG.
 It is not simply singing for fun. The definition of sing means
several things and none of them refer to praise & worship;
to sing is to: a) intone, b) carol, c) chant and d) croon, etc.
 It is not to be used to draw attention to one’s self.
  It is not a performance. Showmanship has no place in the ministry
of music in the Church or community and especially not praise & worship.
 REMINDERS:
 The Music Ministry is vital to the well-being of the
community as an effective instrument to minister to God
and His people.
 Those who are music ministers and those who aspire to be
should on a consistent basis, study God’s Word and where
possible, attend seminar workshops that deal with the
music ministry of the Church.
 Primary to study is the actual calling to this Ministry.

II. Chemistry between the Preacher and the Choir

a. Practical tips (Note: Not exhaustive, based from the experiences of the
Facilitator in his 10-month stay in PFCC XXXII; subject for further contribution)
1) Being the choir, initiate to ask the preacher assigned on what
songs he will requested to be sang and not vice versa.
2) The Choir must be sensitive with the situation in a Gawain. If they
discern a need to shorten the “praise & worship” due to lack of time for
the Healing Message, the Lead Choir must do so to give way for the
healing message.
3) The Choir must avoid unnecessary movements while on stage
when the Healing Message is going on. Those include chit-chatting,
texting, etc. as those will be a source of distraction on the part of the
Prayer Partners.
4) The Choir and Instrumentalists must be constantly on the stage
while the Healing Message is being delivered so that whenever the
Preacher wants a song to be sang, the Choir and Band would always
ready for it.
5) There are times that, being led by the Holy Spirit, the Preacher,
though already asked by the Choir what songs will be sang, wants to sing
something. The choir must be sensitive to that and follow the promptings
of the Spirit led by the Preacher.
6) The choir is advised not to close their eyes all the time. Again,
sensitivity is the key for chemistry. It is not so much about insincerity but
because of awareness of the environment.
7) The Choir and Instrumentalists should be alert and anticipate the
signals by the Preacher while the Healing Song/s are being sang.
8) The Music Ministry must also be sensitive for a “call to
exaltation”.
9) Instrumentalists must never leave the Preacher hanging by
constantly playing instrumentals or humming from the Choir. Unless the
Preacher requested for a moment of silence, that is only the time for not
playing the instruments.
10) The Music Ministry must also constantly listen and be sensitive to
every word the Preacher speaks because it may be a cue for a song.
11) The Choir and Band should also be aware what part of the Gawain
is going on.
12) The Choir and the Band should also follow the Preacher whatever
happens so that he will not be humiliated. Sometimes, even the Preacher
is wrong with the choice of songs, follow him for the sake of courtesy.
13) When the Gawain will be concluded through “Glory Be”, make it
thrice.
14) If there are announcements to be done, make it before or after
the “Magbigay tayo sa Panginoon” series. Doing otherwise will result to
momentum loss.