Costly Denominational Theology

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Dean Roberts Posted in Church Theology, Theology | 1 Comment

Thanks to Cartoon Church for the imageI’ve been thinking a lot recently about theology and Christian denominations. Because I’m a theology student, and because I work for a church, and because I’m going to be a vicar one day, theology and denominations crops up a lot in conversation. Almost to the point that I’m sick of it and want to jack it all in. Yet at the same time, I just love talking about and debating over theology. And I’m not the only one. If we’re honest, most Read more

Does the Church need the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Dean Roberts Posted in Church, Church Theology, Gifts of the Spirit, Holy Spirit, Theology, Trinity, Worship | Leave a comment

Introduction

For many decades, the Christian Church had neglected the interest and study of the Holy Spirit and its role within the life of the church. Recently, however, that interest and study has been revived and so, many scholars and theologians are starting to ask questions such as, “Does the Church need the gift of the Holy Spirit?”. This essay will attempt to answer the question by looking at three areas: The Holy Spirit and the Believer in relation to the Church; The Holy Spirit and its role in the Trinity; and The Holy Spirit and its role in Liturgy and Worship in the assembly and community of Believers.

The Holy Spirit and the Believer in relation to the Church

In Acts 2.1-4, we read of the Pentecost, the event where the Holy Spirit comes to the church as a gift from Christ himself. But how do we know that this Holy Spirit is needed in the church? Jesus, in his farewell discourses, tells his followers exactly why they need theDove - Symbol of the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit. This can be read in John 14 to 16. In John 14:26 Jesus says, ‘”But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”’

Immediately, we know that God the Father had the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ to teach and remind followers about the truth. Earlier, in John 4:24, Jesus says that true worshippers will worship ‘…in Spirit and in Truth’. The scholar, David Peterson picks up on this in his book, Engaging With God,

New-covenant worship is essentially the engagement with God that he has made possible through the revelation of himself in Jesus Christ and the life he has made available through the Holy Spirit. [1992:100]

Peterson helpfully demonstrates the whole role of the Trinity in worship here which emphasises in particular the role of the Holy Spirit; that is, life and communication to God is made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, the role of the Holy Spirit in worship is the dialogue between man and God through Jesus Christ with the aid of the Holy Spirit teaching and prompting us. This leads us into our next section on the Holy Spirit’s role in the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit and its role in the Trinity

It is important to realise that the Holy Spirit would have no use in the Church at all if it didn’t have a purpose in the Trinity. James Torrance reminds us of the words of Irenaeus, ‘Irenaeus used the metaphor of “the two hands of God’ [1996:66]. Irenaeus says that without the Spirit, the work of the other two persons of the Trinity is ineffective, as the spirit breathes life into the word. Thus the Church cannot function without any one persons of the Godhead.

Torrance explains to us the ‘ministry’ of the Holy Spirit in the Church which is unique to the other roles that the other persons of the Trinity have,

It is by these two hands that God gives himself to us in love to bring us to intimate communion… In Christ, the Word made flesh, and in the Holy Spirit – his two hands – God our Father in grace gives himself to us as God. But in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, and in the Spirit we are led to the Father by the intercessions of Christ and the intercessions of the Spirit. [1996:66-67]

In other words, Torrance explains that Christ and the Spirit work hand in hand. They may have different roles, but if either one was absent, the other’s ministry would be in vain.  Bob Kauflin also emphasises the unity between Word and Spirit, ‘The Word and the Spirit were never meant to be separated. In fact, God’s Spirit is the one who inspired God’s Word.’ [2008:89-90]

The Holy Spirit and its role in Liturgy and Worship in the assembly and community of Believers

Moving on to focus upon Christian Worship and Music in relation to the Holy Spirit, we can observe a few things. From these observations, we can draw conclusions that help us to answer the question as to whether the church needs the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is crucial to note that as worship leaders and musicians, the Holy Spirit is the one who leads, inspires, teaches, rebukes, trains and encourages us in our ministry to the assembly. At the other end of the spectrum, it is the same Holy Spirit who works in and through believers who are taking part in the service in order that they may be filled with the Holy Spirit to be sent out into the world to witness for Christ.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit works in the community of believers to bring them together as one body. In Pauline writings, we see this very clearly. Paul is determined to show believers that we are one in purpose and mission. Romans 8:9-11 says

You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, so long as the Spirit of God dwells in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this one does not belong to him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Furthermore, Paul says ‘We were all baptised into one Spirit to become one body whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were given one Spirit to drink.’ 1 Corinthians 12:13. A few points are made in these verses; that we are not in the flesh, the Holy Spirit dwells in believers, the Spirit is alive in us because of Christ’s righteousness, and that there is one body and no distinction between believers – we are united in Christ by the Holy Spirit. It therefore assumes that the Holy Spirit is the one who is needed in order to make this uniting effective. He is the one who binds us together in love and community. Gordon W. Lathrop says that, ‘…the Holy Spirit is religious power turned to the purposes of God… enlivening this meeting by drawing us… into the identity of Christ.’ [1998:136]

This is the same for musicians in worship. Just as Christians need to be united in Christ by the Holy Spirit, so a choir or music group need to be reading from the same page in order to be effective in their ministry! This is a practical way in which we, as church musicians and worship leaders, show the unifying force of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. How then, is the gift of the Holy Spirit needed specifically for worship ministry?

Firstly, the gift of the Spirit is needed as we are expected as believers to fully depend and rely on Him to guide us. We are taught to pray in and by the Spirit, and to ask for the Spirit to work (Ephesians 6:18, Jude 20, Romans 8:26). Secondly, we are expected to be expectant of the Holy Spirit! Kauflin encourages us to be expectant of the Spirit’s promise, ‘So expect him to keep his promise to empower our activities as we gather in his name… he is eager to give each of us manifestations of his Spirit for the good of his church (1 Cor. 12:11)’ [2008:85]. Lastly, we are told to be humbly responsive to the Spirit. This comes as a product of the first two points. When we are dependant and expectant, we will be humbled in response to what God does in the gathered assembly in a service (2 Cor. 5:18).

The Holy Spirit is needed in the first instance in order that these things are achieved. Just as a musicians speech is affected by breath when singing, so is the word affected by the Holy Spirit. This is explained in DA Carson’s book, Worship by the Book [2008:158] In response to effective worship ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit, Frame suggests that the Holy Spirit initiates edification and the use of the body of believers through us, ‘ …all believers are priests, [and] as servant leaders, [we are to]…help the congregation exercise their gifts to build up the body of Christ’ [1996:65]

Conclusion

In conclusion, the role of the Spirit in the Church is vital to our ministry and teaching as Christian believers. Not only this, but the Spirit is needed in order to train and teach us as we worship. It is the soul of the church, giving the church rhythm and life to go out into the world and evangelise. It can thus be said that the church does need the gift of the Holy Spirit.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CARSON, D.A, Worship by the Book (2002, Zondervan)

FRAME, John M. Worship in Spirit and Truth (1996, P&R Publishing)

KAUFLIN, Bob. Worship Matters (2008, Crossway Books)

LATHROP, Gordon W. Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology (1998, Augsburg Fortress)

PETERSON, David. Engaging With God (1992, APOLLOS).

TORRANCE, James B. Worship, Community & The Triune God of Grace (1996, IVP)

How can music enable a worshipping assembly to fulfil the commission that Jesus Christ gave to the church- to proclaim, teach, build community, serve and pray?

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Dean Roberts Posted in Church, Church Theology, Prayer, Serving, Theology, Worship | 1 Comment

Music in worship has been used since the times of the Early Church. For centuries, Christians have found music to be a tool that one can use to glorify God and to worship him. Not only this, but music in worship can enable a worshipping assembly to fulfil the The Great Commissioncommission that Jesus gave the church which was to proclaim, teach, build community, serve and pray. In his book Worship in Spirit and Truth, John M. Frame states that, “Scripture plainly teaches that God’s people are not only to speak, but also to sing, the truth of God…” [1996:111] One can see from reading scripture that we are told to sing for joy to the Lord, and to make music in his name. There is, then, biblical backing as to why we use music in worship. Adding to this, Frame goes on to explain that, “Music is closely related to the spoken word. Human speech has a kind of natural music about it: rhythm, timbre, and pitch play important roles in verbal communication… in one sense, then, all language is musical.” [1996:111]. Music enables a worshipping community to fulfil the commission that Jesus gave the church in many ways. Even from the Bible itself, we are told how music serves this commission: in praise (Pss. 8; 147-150) in thanksgiving (Pss.50:14; 100:4), in supplication (Ps5:1-3), in confession of sin (Ps.51), in confession of faith (1 Tim. 3:16), in lament (Pss 6; 10; 137), in pronouncement of blessing (Pss. 4:6; 80:3, 7, 19; 86:16) and teaching (Ps.1; Col. 3:16). So, in order to see fully how music enables the worshipping community to fulfil the commission that Jesus gave, it is important to break the commission down into sections and see how music helps these different areas.

Firstly, one part of the commission that Jesus gave was to proclaim. We have already seen from scripture that the Bible says that music can be used to proclaim the Gospel to people. Music enables us as a worshipping community to practically apply this concept to our lives and the lives of others. Music can proclaim the word of God through many ways. The “Call to worship” is one example of how music is used to proclaim. This may be done through an organ voluntary, or the choir singing an anthem. Often with the music, some liturgy is shared or read out, which encourages a readiness to listen to God’s word as it is being proclaimed. Even the liturgy or the words of the anthem, or the musical piece which the musician is playing can directly and indirectly proclaim God’s word to the assembly. The singing of hymns also proclaims the Good News. The Bible teaches us that we should sing hymns that proclaim what God has done and is doing.  Talking about the feelings in the Psalms, Vaughan Roberts tells us that, “The objective reasons for those feelings are always given, namely the greatness of God.” [2002:75]. Indeed, Psalm 150 tells us to make music to God with a plethora of instruments. This surely approves the statement that music is able to proclaim God’s word to people. Proclamation is also evident through the music of speech and singing. This falls under the category of witness. One scholar, Harold Best suggests that, “worship and witness are seamlessly knit…” [2003:80]. If this is so, our music through singing should reflect a witness of a combined assembly singing and making music for the Glory of God as one joint act. This is primarily demonstrated through corporate singing, an ensemble praying and a choir singing an anthem together.

Music can also enable a fulfilment of the commission through teaching. From Colossians 3:16, we see that through our singing and making music, we can “teach and admonish” people. R. Kent Hughes observes that, “In our setting, we understand music to be the servant of preaching… Likewise, instrumental music is often based on apt hymn tunes and their association with well-known texts…” [2002:167] Music, whether it be through an instrument or through singing and speech has the ability to teach us. Practically, music is put to both scriptural song (Songs which are lifted from scripture) and non scriptural songs (songs/hymns which are in line with scripture, though not directly the words of scripture).  Built upon this, the actual music that is written in relation to the words can vary dramatically. Music should always reflect the words of the text to which it is being written on. Through this, the gathered assembly are able to understand more of God’s word.  R. Kent Hughes says, “The music leader must work with a hymnal in one hand and a Bible in the other. Are the lyrics biblical?” [2002:169]. Hughes asks a very good question here. Music is only able to serve the commission if the lyrics are scriptural and the music reflects this. If they aren’t then the music will do nothing to fulfil the commission that Christ gave the church as far as the teaching part of it goes.

Maybe an obvious thing that music does is to build community. This isn’t unique to Christianity. We can see through life how song and music help build relationships to other, whether it be national anthems, football songs or cultural folk songs. In our Christian worship, music is to build up the church. Frame explains that “Jesus promises a special blessing – indeed, his special presence – upon hip people when they are gathered in his name” [1996:30].  Not only this, but singing encourages us. As Vaughan Roberts writes, “Our singing should be one form of our ministry of God’s word to each other. We all need to be built up in our faith… So, when we sing, we are not simply a collection of individuals praising our God.  We are a community addressing one another.” [2002:78] It is indeed true that we are a community addressing one another when we sing, and this music builds on that community. Psalm 95 talks about the collective worshipping God as opposed to the individual. This can be expressed through different styles of music and how music is sung (in unison, in a round, or harmony).

It is less obvious to see that music also fulfils the church’s commission through the act of serving. We have already discussed that music serves the preaching of the Word. However, there are other means by which the music can serve. One way is by providing music of reflection in times of communion, collection and prayer. It requires thoughtfulness, skilfulness and wisdom to choose suitable music for these occasions in worship. Music can enable worship in these times. Some churches even sing hymns in these times, and it is true that hymns and songs can be prayers set to music.  Activities with the elderly and children may include music which serves them such as children’s songs, or meditative music to bring an elderly person into a state of mind where they can freely worship. Music can also be used to help disadvantaged people and the disabled. We read in the Bible how music can serve by bringing rest bite to those who have a disability. Music also serves an act of worship in a church service by linking different parts together and by drawing lines between different aspects of the service. Many churches do this by linking the hymn choice to the sermon. This is typical of Reformed tradition. Music serves by preparing one’s mind for the sermon, and then after the sermon, helps digest what has been said through the medium of music.

Finally, music also serves and enables through prayer. It is a vital fact to mention that silence can also be music. When we are silent before God, we are fulfilling the commission of the Church to draw close to God. On the other hand, music can put us in a position to prayer whether it by singing along, or by letting music fall as a background noise while we spend time with God. Frame says that music, whether it be silence or audible music can help in all aspects prayer [1996:102]. Music in prayer can link to the section on serving, whereby contemplative music may stimulate the brain, whether it be in the young, elderly or disabled, and can bring stillness to the soul. Lastly, music can often be put to the Kyrie in worship, or any sort of confession, rededication and blessing.

In conclusion, our music in enabling us as a worshipping assembly to fulfil the commission that Jesus Christ gave the church should ultimately bring us to a closer relationship with God. We have seen from this essay that music encroaches on all aspects of the church’s commission, and so, when used in a proper way, and to effect, it helps us as an assembly, not just to fulfil a commission, but to serve God. If we worship God through our music on Sunday and it effects us positively, then it is true to say that the rest of our week will be influenced by it. It is dangerous to undermine the value of music within worship, and equally so within the commission of the church. If we do value music’s use, then we as a worshipping assembly will be in better position to fulfil the commission from Jesus Christ himself gave in order that his kingdom might grow.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BEST, Harold M, Unceasing Worship, Intervarsity Press, Illinois, 2003.

FRAME, John M, Worship in Spirit and Truth, P&R Publishing, New Jersey, 1996.

CARSON, D A (Editor), Worship by the Book, Zondervan Publishing, Michigan, 2002.

ROBERTS, Vaughan, True Worship, Authentic Publishing, Milton Keynes, 2002.

Why do Christians come together to worship?

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Dean Roberts Posted in Church, Church Theology, The Body Of Christ, Theology, Worship | Leave a comment

Before any question as to why Christians come together to worship could be answered, it is firstly appropriate and crucial to establish what is actually meant by “worship” in the Christian sense. Many have given their answers to this question over the years, and all relate to one distinctive focus: God. In simple terms, “worship” in the Christians sense is giving ones whole devotion, effort and love to God. But how exactly is this done? James F. White writes that, “Christian worship is bound directly to the events of salvation history” [pg 17]. In other words, salvation is key to understanding Christian worship. We worship the Father through Christ who saves us and who mediates for us. With the aid of the Holy Spirit who convicts us and sanctifies us, this gives praise, glory, honour and love to the Father which is summed up in the word “worship”.  By quoting Philippians 2:9-11, Geoffrey Wainwright in his book, “Doxology” states that, “…even worship addressed to Christ must in the last resort be destined for God the Father” [pg. 60]. To build on this, Professor Paul W. Hoon maintains that “Christian worship is God’s revelation of himself in Jesus Christ and man’s response” [pg 17]. To conclude, worship is loving God the Father through salvation in Christ (cf. John 4:21,23).

The prime reason we as Christians come to worship God is because we are called to be worshippers if we are in Christ. Indeed, we are commanded to worship God (cf. Exodus 23:25, Psalm 95:6, Romans 12:1) and Christ’s sacrifice enables us to worship, (cf. Rom. 5:1–2, John 14:6, Ephesians 2:13, 1 Pet. 3:18). The Holy Spirit has a part to play also, in that he aids us in worship (John 15:26). As we have already said, God is seeking worshippers (John 4:21-23) as we have been created to worship, and as Wainwright suggests, “The proper relationship between creature and Creator is, in Christian eyes, the relationship of worship” [pg.16]. It is written as the first of the Ten Commandments to “worship” God, and that we are to have “no other gods” apart from Him. To add to this, God himself shows us how to worship. There are many passages in scripture which give clear instruction on how to worship, yet for us as Christians in the twenty first century, we worship through Christ who can be seen to fulfil the laws on worship in the Old Testament.

All this leads to the establishment of the New Testament church, where Jesus proclaims, “wherever there are two or more gathered in my name, there am  I also” (Matthew 18:20). When talking about the origins of corporate Christian worship in a church sense, Gordon S. Wakefield talks about some of the features found in scripture which suggest the presence of the Holy Spirit in church and the formation of the church as a whole, “There was singing – psalms from the Jewish Psalter, so germane to the New Testament understanding of Christ… in such passages as Philippians 2:5-11 and… ‘spiritual songs’” [pg.7]. Here we see that there is evidence of early Christians acting upon the teachings of Christ and joining together to worship God. Wakefield continues saying, “It brought the freedom of the Spirit…and made it possible for the humblest believer to express a real… joy in Christ” [pg.7]. Wakefield also mentions how the New Testament mentions use of liturgy, praying and mission which highlights the need for the Church and the presence of Christ in New Testament worship but also shows how and why Christians came together to worship. It is important to note that in the New Testament, “Preaching, proclamation, a telling of the Christian story, often leading to dialogue, is essential to the Christian mission in the New Testament…” [pg. 8].

The establishment of the Church as the starting point for corporate worship enables us to look at and consider why Christians come together to worship, even today. Therefore it would be reasonable to examine the ‘practicalities of corporate worship’ in as far as how these corporate activities help an individual to worship God in “spirit and truth”. Firstly it is important to establish that the reason why one would come to ‘church’ or any other activity where God’s people are gathered should be the fact that they want to worship and give praise to God. The gathering of Christians to praise this God is a celebration. This can be seen in 1 Chronicles 13:8 where David and Israel celebrated around the ark in praise and worship of God.

One major practise when Christians gather together to worship is singing. Why do we sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs”? Susan J. White makes a valid point in that, “Over the centuries, hymns have been vehicles for our praying, for praising God, for expressing our thanksgiving, our lament, and our holy joy as Christians” [pg.48].  Through singing, Christians are able to come together to worship. Calvin said on the subject of singing that, “We should have songs that are not only upright but holy, that will spur us to pray to God and praise Him, to meditate on His works so as to love Him, to fear Him, to honour Him, and glorify Him.” [Calvin’s preface to the Genevan Psalter].  As a collective group, a body, Christians are able to make truth known. This is why Psalms were put to music. Music aids us in remembering God’s Word.  Another reason why Christians come together to worship through singing is because it unites us in prayer and as a people. This is confirmed in Groundwork of Christian Worship, “The church’s prayers of thanks and praise to God affirm that we are rooted in the memory of God’s saving activity in history and stand in anticipation of the fulfilment of that activity in the present and future” [pg.45]. Through singing, we are directed to focusing on God and affirming our faith which rallies us to act and serve for him. In her book, Susan White states “The ‘Call to Worship’ is a particular form of exhortation… [which] is a statement of God’s presence with us, to which we reply with an affirmation of our readiness to worship God in Christ” [pg.45].

The other means by which Christians come together to worship is through Communion. Scripture says that Christians are “the body of Christ”, meaning that we are all united because of Him. We are, as Christians, practising New Covenant Worship. An act of this worship is through the Eucharist/Communion. Many services involve the use of liturgy to express truth, to affirm faith, and to establish doctrine which leads people into the presence of God as one body of believers. Liturgy is hinted at in the Bible, one reference being 1 Timothy 3:16. After confessions are made and affirmations are said, the breaking of the bread and the distributing of the wine not only reflects Christ’s sacrifice for us, but also reflects the community nature of the Church; a group of Christians coming to worship God through eating a meal together. Indeed, we have only touched on a few main reasons as to why Christians come together to worship. These aforementioned can be regarded as the “right reasons” to come to worship. However, there are other reasons why people come to worship which aren’t too concerned about encountering God.

Many come together to ‘worship’ for many other reasons besides the ones mentioned previously. As a proverb goes, “Some go to church to see and be seen, Some go there to say they have been, Some go there to sleep and nod, But few go there to worship God.” Some people come together to worship for personal benefit. This could mean that they come to feel better or to make friends. Others come to worship because they see the Church as a social club in a sense. Many come together to worship because they feel under obligation to do so, which is quite often the case for teenagers and young children.  Coming together for the music element in worship is also another factor as to why people gather for worship, as is the preaching of God’s word. Lastly, many come for solitude; for quiet and times for reflection. Whilst none of these reasons are necessarily “wrong”, they are not the real reasons why Christians come together to worship. They are merely a part of worship or a by product of it. The Bible declares, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” [Psalm 96:8]. This is to be the main reason we come to worship.

To conclude, worship is pleasing to God, provided we are worshipping in spirit and truth. It is helpful to come together to worship, as those Christians who gather are Gods manifest Church, his kingdom on earth, praising and worshipping him. As we worship in Christ, this act of worship focuses us on God, teaches us, and then sends us out to make disciples.  Christians come together to worship because God commands it, God expects it, and we need it. Worship is all about God, it is not about anything else, and as C.S Lewis once said, “The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of. Our attention would have been on God.”

Bibliography

CALVIN, Jean. Preface to the Genevan Psalter. http://mq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/XXXVII/4/566.pdf

WAINWRIGHT, Geoffrey. Doxology. Oxford University Press, New York 1984.

WAKEFIELD, Gordon S. An Outline of Christian Worship. T&T Clark, Edinburgh 1998.

WHITE, James F. Introduction to Christian Worship. Abingdon, Nashville 1981.

WHITE, Susan J. Groundwork of Christian Worship. Epworth Pres 1997.