While the arts are not fundamental to Christian worship, they are surely crucial. Still, without an understanding of their purpose, Christian worship lacks a critical component. Every ingredient mixed in the Lord’s Day gathering should be examined for its purpose and theological precision. Unlike art that the world creates, however, God’s design for art is that it is created for his glory. Harold Best writes:

Authentic worship is a continuous outpouring of all that we are and can ever hope to become in light of the saving work of Christ. It reaches into every quarter of our living, informing all of our actions and safeguarding them within the arena of Spirit, truth and sacrificial living. Without this understanding, all of our work, however magnificent it might be in its own right, is misdirected.[1]

Therefore, the arts in worship include a critical piece that is seemingly absent from other art created in the world—faith. Without faith, art created for the purpose of worship does not hold a foundation and, further, misses the point for which God created art.

This chapter will define art as it relates to Christian worship, answer the question of skill and its necessity, and respond to a broad question about art in worship and its theological foundations.