Music, art and worship space

What should we take into consideration when arranging our worship space?

The Directory for Worship says, “When a place is set aside for worship it should facilitate accessibility and ease of gathering, should generate a sense of community, and should open people to reverence before God. It should include a place for the reading of Scripture and the preaching or exposition of the Word. It should provide for the celebration and proper administration of the Sacraments, with a font or pool for baptism and a table suitable for the people’s celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The arrangement of space should visibly express the integral relation between Word and Sacrament and their centrality in Christian worship” (W-1.3024).

What’s the difference between liturgical art and idolatry?

The Directory for Worship says, “The Reformed heritage has called upon people to bring to worship material offerings which in their simplicity of form and function direct attention to what God has done and to the claim that God makes upon human life. The people of God have responded through creative expressions in architecture, furnishings, appointments, vestments, music, drama, language, and movement. When these artistic creations awaken us to God’s presence, they are appropriate for worship. When they call attention to themselves, or are present for their beauty as an end in itself, they are idolatrous. Artistic expressions should evoke, edify, enhance, and expand worshipers’ consciousness of the reality and grace of God” (W-1.3034 [2]).