Triumphant Worship remembers what God has done and lifts up a mighty voice with the angels in heaven (with instruments of your choice, with or without a hymnal). Triumphant Worship imitates in spirit the worship the Virgin Mary who said, “Great and mighty things the Lord has done for me and holy is His Name.”

The worship wars of the modern age typically are viewed as a battle between traditional and contemporary worship. I have an alternative to both of these.

It is called Triumphant Worship. Triumphant Worship views the work of God on earth as coming from the throne of God in heaven as is obvious in the Book of Revelation. The worship texts in the Book of Revelation are full of music and praise because of what the angels and the elders see God doing on the earth. It is not simply meditation on the attributes of God; it is praise that results from viewing the activity of God. God is working out His will to conquer all His and our enemies.

Much of traditional worship reverberates between an existential mysticism and a morbid introspection. Existential mysticism could be described as God and me staring at each other for all eternity with smiles on our faces. Morbid introspection is constantly being reminded of how wretched we are, of which most of us already know. Much of traditional worship reminds me of a funeral service where everyone is on anti-depressants. On the other hand, much of contemporary worship reminds me of the latest rock concert at the local civic center. Some of the more extreme contemporaries even project a more circus atmosphere.

Triumphant Worship remembers what God has done and lifts up a mighty voice with the angels in heaven (with instruments of your choice, with or without a hymnal). Triumphant Worship imitates in spirit the worship the Virgin Mary who said, “Great and mighty things the Lord has done for me and holy is His Name” (Luke 1:49).

Triumphant Worship sings the Song of Moses when he penned his song after the Israelites escaped across the Red Sea and he saw the Egyptian soldiers floating on top of the water (Exodus 15: Rev. 15:3).

Triumphant Worship sings with joy about the fact that “The Kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15 and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus). Triumphant Worship sings about how “All the nations will come and worship before Thee, for Your righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev. 15:4). Once the Church has “made disciples of all the nations” (Mt. 28:19), then Christ will return for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Christ defeated Satan at the cross and the Church is “marching as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before.” The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Even in our trials and tribulations, we are winners and not losers. Through the preaching of the gospel to all the nations, and through the capturing for Christ our covenant children, and their children to a thousand generations, we see shall Christ’s Kingdom expand over all the earth.

When I preach like this from my pulpit, the singing of the congregation ascends to the heavens with such power that the building shakes and the nails holding the roof in place loosen. There is nothing like it either in traditional or contemporary worship. Triumphant Worship – Hallelujah, an alternative to both traditional and contemporary worship.

Larry Ball is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and serves as pastor of Bridwell Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Kingsport, Tennessee. He writes occasionally for The Aquila Report