If worship entails a commendation extended to God in praise for the glorious kindness he has extended to us in grace then it would seem legitimate to worship God with one word, as I have heard popularized by worship leaders in our day, contingent upon the constitution of that word. I suppose that this could not be true if they meant what they said literally. Think for a moment, “Grace.” Is it possible to make any kind of reference to what you mean or what it's referent is with out other words? Isolating a word, is unhelpful given that it loses any signification and sense without a referent or extension.
It seems that on a very common level cognition has resonating symbols attached to particular significations and therefore a word may have implicit connotative and explicit denotative extensions, as well as anything in between. Commonly then, it would be difficult to restrain yourself to a repetitious activity prohibiting yourself to wonder into the connotative and denotative aspects; because, if the literal restriction is applied, any kind of definition offers new words to which you have resigned yourself. I suppose then these worship leaders mean something a bit more fluid like, “dwell on a word and allow the nuances of that ideal to consecrate worship to God.” This again would imply that other words are employed even in their pleas for simplistic mantras repeated exacting purpose-driven ignorance.
At the risk of sounding to harsh, why do resort to eloquence over substance, the seeming over the real, etc. Its not that these recommended verbal commendations eliminate worship altogether. It is that there are altogether more helpful things to say about what constitutes Biblical worship. Biblical worship has obvious grounding in the Scriptures having much to say about how to entreat the True God in a right way. Whatever the case may be, the trends popularized by worship leaders in our day tend to minimize cognitive functions and elevate sensual experience such that true worship is reduced and neutered.
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The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm
Symbolum Nicaenum A.D. 325
Πιστεύομεν εις ΄ενα Θεον Πατερα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ορατων τε και αοράτων ποιητήν.
Πιστεύομεν εισ ΄ενα κύριον `Ιησουν Χριστον, τον υ΄ιον του θεου, γεννηζέντα εκ του πατρος μονογενη, τουτέστιν εκ της ουσίας του πατρός, θεον εκ θεου αληθινου, γεννηθέντα, ου ποιηθέντα, ΄ομοούσιον τωι πατρί δι οϋ τα πάντα εγένετο, τα τε εν τωι ουρανωι και τα επι της γης τον δι ΄ημας τους ανθρώπους και δα την ΄ημετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα και σαρκωθέντα και ενανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, και αναστάντα τηι τριτηι ΄ημέραι, και ανελθοντα εις τους οθρανούς, και ερχόμενον κριναι ζωντασ και νεκρούς.
Και εις το ΄Αγιον Πνευμα.
Τους δε λέγοντας, ΄οτι ΄ην ποτε ΄ότε οθκ ΄ην, και πριν γεννηθηναι ουκ ΄ην, και ΄οτι εξ ΄ετερας ΄υποστάσεως η ουσιας φάσκοντας ειναι, [η κτιστόν,] τρεπτον η αλλοιωτον τον υ΄ιον του θεου, [τούτους] αναθεματίζει ΄η καθολικη [και αποστολικη] εκκλησία.
Martin Luther - 16th century
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