They same communication is the key to every relationship. The same is true in the relationship between worship leaders and the congregation. I often find many rhythms of our church gatherings are communicated non-verbally, as the congregation grows familiar with the types of patterns that exist in your church. They learn when to stand when to sit when to sing, when to bow their heads, and when to leave. Knowing what to expect is helpful - especially for those new to attending your church, or even those new to faith - but knowing why we are doing something is more helpful. This is the purpose of rubrics.
A detailed description from Brian Chapell’s book ‘Christ-Centered Worship’ is valuable here:
“…rubrics are the little directions that appear in the bulletin or are voiced by the worship leader to lead the congregation through the conduct of worship. The rubrics are not the major elements of the worship service, but rather are the instructive transitions that tell the congregation what to do and why. Rubrics verbally tie together key aspects of the worship service, explaining their purpose and sequence in relation to the theme(s) of the entire service. Skilled use of rubrics helps the worship service to make sense and move along with clarity, purpose, and attitudes appropriate for each element.” pg 203
When you attend a worship service that feels disconnect or disjointed, there are two possibilities: one, those responsible for planning the service did not have a clear understanding or intention behind assembling the pieces for the gathering. Or two, a worship leader, pastor, or service leader has failed to connect the service for those attending through helpful rubrics.
Bryan Chapell again:
Without rubrics, a worship service is just a spill of spiritual vegetables (we know the individual pieces are good for us, but they have no apparent order or purpose). With rubrics, a worship service becomes a gospel feast carefully prepared and sequenced to communicate the grace of God. But this caution is needed: too many rubrics or rubrics that are too long distract from the meal. They should enrich the courses designed for our spiritual dining, not compete with them. pg 204
If we as worship leaders are going to begin to engage helpful rubrics for our congregations, we must first understand the why behind everything that we are doing.
Why do we sing?
Why do we pray?
Why do we gather?
Why is God’s Word preached?
Why are we singing this song?
Why are we including this aspect of our gathering?
Why is our service in this order?
Why are we using this reading or saying this prayer?
Why this and not that?
When we ask why, we begin to expose all of the ways we have been forming - or sometimes malforming - our people. When we learn to answer the why with something more significant than ‘this is the way it’s always been done,’ or ‘this is what we do in church,’ we can begin to articulate rubrics for our people in ways that help them move through the ‘courses designed for our spiritual dining…’