Worship: Duane W. H. Arnold, PhD
WORSHIP
Worship, for Christians, is perhaps the greatest mystery. We worship alone, we worship in the company of others. We worship in silence, we worship with our voices. We worship in stillness, we worship with gestures. We worship in a small room, we worship in a soaring cathedral. We worship in times of triumph, we worship in times of tragedy. Worship is complimentary, yet worship is a paradox.
Our worship is of God our Father, in his Son, through the Holy Spirit who has been poured out upon us. In worship, each word, each gesture is a thread that is plaited with the thread of others, seen and unseen, bringing us ever more securely into the threefold unity of God. In spite of the distance between humanity and divinity, God’s initiative reaches out to us in multiple inextricable ways to which Christ opens the way of response. That response is worship. Who would wish to cut those threads that bind us – to each other, to God?
The truth is that we become like what we worship.
So, we direct our worship to God. The words and images that flow through our minds channel the current of our thoughts and find their culmination in the last words of our prayers as we say, “Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.” The end of the prayer becomes the beginning. The words of doxology become a theme which constantly sounds in each note of music, each uttered prayer. It sounds a refrain for psalms of our own making. In each sung and spoken word, in each silence and each gesture, unknown to ourselves in the course of our lifetime we are being changed – “changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another” (II Cor. 3:18).
The spirit of worship springs from reverent awe.
There is an acute awareness of the transcendence of God that fills worship with awe, that rare quality that should truly be kept for divinity alone, for the one who is beyond compare or comparison. In two of the churches in which I have served, there were families from the Indian subcontinent. In each case, when they move forward to receive communion, they remove their shoes, for they realize better than others that they are walking on holy ground, like Moses before a flaming bush, glimpsing an opening into eternity.
“Let us now lay aside all the cares of this life” the Orthodox Church has continued to sing, as the most solemn moment of the liturgy approaches.
“Let us now lay aside all the cares of this life” in severe persecution.
“Let us now lay aside all the cares of this life” in the midst of unemployment, sickness and death.
“Let us now lay aside all the cares of this life” as we grow old, losing our clarity of mind.
We lay the cares aside, real, painful and incomprehensible as they are, by setting them down in the perspective of the things of eternity, the values which cannot be shaken. In worship we are made aware that God IS. No cosmic catastrophe, no power of evil, no violence of men, no politics of hatred can destroy the living and eternal God. There is in God a point of arrival, a place of rest for the turbulence of time, beyond the category of time itself. Therefore we fall silent with all the company of heaven and worship him.
At the heart of the Trinity is a self-emptying love which is itself the current of life between the Three Persons, which transforms the center point of apparent death into the place from which all life springs. To pour himself out, to give himself away, and yet to be love through the very giving is part of God’s eternal nature. Yet, God is not only transcendent, he is also immanent, involved in the realities of his creation, in the realities of lives lived, of your life and mine. Yet, even in this, he is true to his nature. In the Incarnation, God pours out himself to the world in the person of Christ. The outpouring leads to suffering and death, but is fulfilled in the resurrection. So the heart of our worship is in the Lord’s Supper, partaking of his passion and resurrection until he returns. It is in this communion that all our joys and suffering, in all their reality in time, find their true place and meaning.
At heart, our worship is not abstract. Its roots reach deep into the realities of birth and growth. Our worship takes into account failure and death. For these realities, experienced by Christ, are the fertile ground of the Incarnation, the field from which the miracle of resurrection would spring. Yet, it is also the fertile ground from which true worship arises.
Beautifully stated. Thank you for posting this.
Thanks Scooter!
Hi Duane,
Your article is not only lovely, but also encouraging. Thank you.
Your reference to “being changed – ‘changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another'” is one of our hopes in the Gospel.
But a lot depends on what Paul said just prior:
“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Can you confirm that the new covenant is for Gentiles and the Church? There are some here who think the new covenant is reserved for the Jewish people only.
Thanks.
#3 Jean
Many thanks. My take is wholly divorced from a division. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile”, our common hope is in Christ…
Scooter jones, still praying for your son, hope he is doing well.
Duane, I appreciate your view that there is neither Jew nor Gentile. However among some their is a ‘division’ between Israel and the Church and I think that is what Jean was looking at… but perhaps not.
Jean – it is the dispensationalists who do not believe that Jeremiah’s new covenant is for the Church – but is for a future Israel from whom the Church will gain some benefit.
Duane, your article seems to presume worship – but what is the purpose of this worship if we do not also mention sin and forgiveness.
It’s a damning shame you guys don’t care to represent your brothers in Christ truthfully, care to educate or simply listen, and thus continue to repeat the old canards no matter how often in the past you have been corrected.
But hey, we’re back to accusing half the nation of wanting Americans to suffer painfully then die, so what is theological misrepresentation in comparison.
One thing for sure, you Lutherans sure look for any excuse to hate on Jews. Even Christian ones (like my wife and several in our church). Even in a nice worship post like Duane’s here.
Talk about lies and misrepresentations – who said anything about hating Jews? You show me where and I will eat my words.
Who said half the nations wants Americans to suffer? I think perhaps you were reading Milo’s blog and transposed your comments here.
Wow steve!
Steve,
Did the apostle Paul hate on Jews?
“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.”
Ephesians 2:14-16 ESV
It seems more likely that folks in your camp still harbor some discomfort with Jesus’ and Paul’s Gospel of one humanity in Christ in His Body the Church. Jesus calls it one sheep fold. I have no problem with that. Do you?
I don’t know where the political accusation came from. I don’t recall writing on the healthcare issue today. Did you MLD?
Hold on my friends…
This is about worship, pure and simple. Rightly dividing the Word does not mean finding every opportunity to go after others. Have we really fallen so far that we take a simple post about worshipping the triune God and turn it into something partisan. It says more about those who comment than about the post. Let’s exercise charity and Christian humility. I think some need to remove their shoes and think about walking on holy ground.
hmmm… once again, if we’d toss our labels and boxes and just live the life that was bought at such a price…
it is difficult to keep things boxed… IMHO and we can easily be misunderstood
is it possible that there is a time period ahead when, with Jerusalem as its center, the world will see a remnant of Jews carrying the Gospel message after the Bride (Church) has been called out for the wedding feast? i think it is, with plenty of hints in Scripture… as is the thousand years of Christ (and the Church) running the show here on earth before it is destroyed by God, Himself, and a new heavens and a new earth are created… this would be in keeping with what i see of the character of God – sifting and sifting and sifting until grace has completely run its course…
will i fight to make everyone see that this is the true truth and future of the universe? nope i think it’s a good idea to just enjoy Christ and wait and see what happens
as i’ve said before, my late husband said that prophesy is written for the benefit of those who’ll experience it… when it occurs, those folks will know, the ones who are looking, at least
by the grace of God, i belong to no denomination that requires me to toe the line on prophesies…
BTW – the Church has no ethnicity
” I think some need to remove their shoes and think about walking on holy ground.” amen
perhaps, not ‘some,’ but all of us
this troubled world makes such thinking hard… but what a privilege
A lovely article, Duane, thank you
Revelation 15:3-4
3And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
4Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Let me say something plainly.
I have respect and regard for all who post here.
Michael is a brother, although we were born of different mothers.
Steve Wright is a pastor who, I believes cares for and loves his people. This is off the first place in my thinking. We may disagree with regard to secular politics, but it is on no matter with regard to his ministry. I would stand behind him and for him on any given day.
My Lutheran friends, Jean and MLD. We get it… you’re devoted to the Book of Concord. For myself, I admire it greatly, but I took another course. If anyone wishes to debate me at any time concerning the Lutheran Confessions, I’m here… any time… any day. I love your devotion, but I regret the insistence that everybody must walk in lock step with you.
Others like Josh, Paige, Xenia and all the rest, enrich us all.
This is the Church. I love you all, simply because you love Christ. What unites us is so much greater than that which divides us. Our divisions break my heart. Yes, let’s disagree, but let’s do it with grace and, most especially, with love.
“In worship, each word, each gesture is a thread that is plaited with the thread of others, seen and unseen, bringing us ever more securely into the threefold unity of God.”
That statement is rich. Each word, each gesture is a thread plaited with others reaching back into the beginning of history and flowing as a pure river into eternity.
Duane,
Well said!
This sort of article isn’t for debate,but for edification.
So far, I’ve gotten a very nice response from folks whom it has done just that for.
Open Blogging is there for debate.
Now, I must return to studying the Anglican position on the commemoration of saints…
Duane,
We have never insisted anyone walk with us. We only state our position.
You will note that in this very instance it was us who we attacked. Both Jean and myself asked clarifying questions about your article.
We can all try to be kumbya but we cannot be compared to the 10 guys feeling the elephant parts and concluding that we all have equally confused views of the Christian faith.
#21 MLD
I left Kumbya behind a long time ago… I’m more into caritas.
I am more into carnitas
#19 Michael
Place yourself among them…. provisionally!
Beautifully written, Duane. So thankful to read this as I begin my weekend.
#24 MK
Many thanks…
I post this out of all due respect and sincerity for Dr. Duane – the guy in this video makes me think of Duane before the long hair and wearing suits. The guy in the video is an Episcopal priest, which is darn close to an Anglican – he also hangs with some Lutheran friends. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16qA2XRuNws
I am posting on Open Blogging an important message from his brother about the older brother in the prodigal son
#26 MLD
Really fun… not exactly my style (I’m too much a child of the 60s and 70s) but really fun.
The guys over at the Jagged Word have posed a question very much complementary to what Duane has been studying. Check out the link which sets up the question.
“What sort of teachings and practices have crept into our modern churches which get in the way of or undermine the word of promise?”
https://thejaggedword.com/2017/05/06/a-jagged-contention-the-word-of-promise/
#28 Jean
If people answer the question, I hope their server can handle the list of teachings and practices that get in the way!!
I hear you Duane.
I ran the biggest dance club on the West Coast for ten years….my liver has rings around it like a tree.
I’m not sure I’ll bring any of that into my Anglican vocation…
“I ran the biggest dance club on the West Coast for ten years…”
After all these years of communing with you, I have to admit that this one takes me by surprise.
Did Jerry Lee have a prominent place in the dance rotation?
Duane, beautifully penned!
#33
Thanks, Kevin…
Worship…. does it matter whether it is a noun or a verb? how often is worship a planned event? does it matter? not a rhetorical as i really wonder…
my theology may not line up with Jack Hayford’s, but i can worship with him and sing what he wrote any day – so simple, yet can any Christian sing or read these words without it bringing your heart to worship HIM?
“Majesty
Worship His majesty
Unto Jesus, be all glory, honor and praise
Majesty
Kingdom authority
Flows from His throne, unto His own, His anthem raise
Chorus
So exalt, lift up on high the Name of Jesus
Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King
Majesty, worship His majesty
Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings
Ending
Jesus who died, now glorified
Jesus who died, now glorified
King of all kings”
Em, “Majesty” has long been my favorite worship song! And no, I don’t think it matters. Worship is both a noun and a verb, and can be planned or spontaneous.
CK,
We played rap before anyone knew what rap was…played the first Prince stuff outside of Minneapolis and Billy Idol when he was still a demo artist.
People came from a multi state area to little Medford…we integrated this town.
I always played Jerry Lee last song to close the place…it was effective in getting the building emptied. 🙂
“I always played Jerry Lee last song to close the place…it was effective in getting the building emptied. ?”
I always wondered what the real effectiveness of “Great Balls of Fire” was 😉
#37 Michael
Good taste… a prerequisite for Anglicanism….
I never knew death could be so sweet
I never knew surrender could feel so free
I never seen such meekness in majesty
That the blood of Jesus was bled for me
And now I sing freedom for all my days
It’s only by the power of the cross I’m raised
The King of Glory rescued me
How beautiful the blood flow
How merciful the love shown
The King of glory poured out
Victorious are we now
Never knew through these nails would love unfold
And never knew these wounds would heal my soul
I’ve never seen such beauty and sorrow meet
The blood of Jesus was bled for me
And now I sing freedom for all my days
It’s only by the power of the cross I’m raised
The King of Glory rescued me
– Steve Fee