Worship

"Worship has been defined as “reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God.” It usually is extended to include the rites or ceremonies by which our devotion and allegiance are expressed. Our English word worship is basically the same word as worth. Worship is really “worthship” and denotes that God is worthy of receiving the praise and honor we bring to Him. From the Old and the New Testaments we glean that corporate worship is mandatory for God’s people (Heb. 10:25). It is to be marked by a sense of the presence of the Lord (Matt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 5:4). Its main elements are prayer and praise (Psa. 105:1-4; Eph. 5:19; Acts 2:42), the reading of the Word of God (Luke 4:16-17), the preaching of the Word (Luke 4:18-20; Acts 13:5; 2 Tim. 4:1-2), and the administration of the sacraments (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-24). This worship is to be spiritual and sincere (John 4:24). It is not to degenerate into a mere mechanical, ritualistic, or liturgical form (Matt. 15:8)" (Separated Unto the Gospel: The Mission and Work of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, 7-8).

The Millenial Shape of the Modern Church

Thom Rainer recently ran this article on his blog.

Ten Ways Millenials Are Shaping Local Congregations Today 

They are the largest generation in history. In the United States alone, they number more than 78 million, even larger than the seemingly ubiquitous Boomers. They are the Millennials. They are changing our nation, our world, and our churches. 

For the purpose of today’s post, I want to focus on changes they are already bringing to our local churches. I have the benefit of a large research project on the Millennials, plus the ongoing conversations I have with members of this generation. And I have spoken with countless leaders in churches about their experiences with Millennials. 

Keep in mind that the birth years of the Millennials: 1980 to 2000. So the oldest member of this generation is 34, while the youngest is only 14. But their impact is already noticeable, and it will be for years to come. Here are ten ways they are shaping local congregations today:

• More of them are attracted to smaller venues. They are thus one of the reasons for the incredible growth in the multi-venue model of churches and the growth of new churches. Leaders of smaller churches should be encouraged by this trend as well.

• They see culture as something to influence, rather than an enemy to denounce. Many Millennials truly have a missionary mindset. They are turned off by those who constantly rail against people.

• They like to cooperate with others. They do not view other churches and Christian organizations as competitors. They are attracted to congregations that are working with other congregations.

• They abhor worship wars. I have a previous post on this topic called “What Worship Style Attracts the Millennials?”

• They love churches that love their communities. One of the first questions a Millennial will ask a church leader is, “What is the church doing to influence, impact, and minister to the community?”

• They are attracted to churches that emphasize groups. The Millennials want to be a part of a congregation that has healthy small groups, Sunday school classes, home groups, or other groups.

• They want to be trained on their schedule. The Millennials truly desire training. But they are accustomed to having that training available when they are able to hear it or view it. Such is the reason that many churches are going to video training while having “live” worship services and small groups.

• They will question almost everything. This generation will want to know why a church does what it does. The most unacceptable answer is, “We have always done it this way.”

• They are slow to join, and slow to leave. Church leaders are often frustrated that a Millennial takes so long to commit to a local congregation. But they are intentional and thorough. Once they commit to a church, they are less likely to leave, especially over petty issues.

• They want to be involved. If a church does not have an intentional plan to get Millennials involved in ministry quickly, they will not reach Millennials.

I love this generation. I love their enthusiasm, their commitment, and even their questions. They are one of the reasons I remain an obnoxious optimist about the revitalization of local congregations.
I would love to hear from some of you Millennials. And I would love to hear from some of the older folks like me who are interacting with this generation. Your comments are always more valuable than my posts.

U.S.A.

Wise words from R.C. Sproul, Jr. regarding America and Independence Day.

There are a host of shameful episodes in the history of these United States — people were bought and sold like cattle. Others were locked into government camps simply because of their racial background. Eugenics was embraced and practised. And today perverts parade in the streets. All of these, as dark as they are, however, pale in comparison to our great national ignominy — the wholesale slaughter of the unborn. For forty-one years now we have been a nation whose highest government protects over a million murders each year, and worse, whose citizens will commit over a three thousand murders of the unborn just today. Whether we consider our government, or our people, we are wicked. How then can we wave our flag, sing odes to our national patrimony, pledge our allegiance? . . . Independence Day should be for the Christian a day of mourning and repentance, a day of confessing our dependence on the finished work of Christ. It should be a day to remember that we, like our true founding father, seek a city whose builder and maker is God. It should be that day when we fly the white flag of surrender, and pray that the King of Glory would come in. A day when the blood of the babies on our hands drives us into the bloodstained hands of the Innocent One.

Mental Map of World History: Maps, Globes, Literature, Art, Music, Architecture, Etc.

"A child needs to form an increasingly focused mental map of history and of the world in order to comprehend his place in space and time; physical maps aid this tremendously. In all his studies, use timelines of history, use maps and globes of the world, and use pictures (of art objects and architecture, etc.) from other places and times" (Wes Callihan, Preparing Younger Children for a Great Books Education, 13).

Education: History

"An absolutely critical role of classical education is teaching a student the relevance of the past. Knowing God depends on knowing history—what God has done for His people as recorded in the Scriptures, and what He has done for them in the last two millenia. And knowing oneself also depends on knowing history--where we came from and why we are who we are. The twentieth century has decided that the past is irrelevant, and in an excess of mind-boggling arrogance it considers our age to be the definition of reality, truth, and value. Education must oppose this in the strongest possible manner" (Wes Callihan, Preparing Children for a Great Books Education, 12).

Imagination

"Follow this principle as your children grow: feed their imaginations as well as their rational minds, for the imagination is the fertile ground in which all other studies can grow best" (Wes Callihan, Preparing Younger Children for a Great Books Education, 8).

I Will Prepare for Worship by Thom S. Rainer

 "I Will Prepare for Worship" from Thom S. Rainer's blog.

This weekend I will attend my church’s worship service.
I will prepare for that corporate worship event;
I will not take the moments lightly.
I will see it as a precious time to gather with brothers and sisters in Christ. 

I will prepare for worship.
I will ask God to prepare my own heart.
I will ask Him to help me hear God’s Word clearly.
I will ask Him to speak to me that I might be changed. 

I will prepare for worship.
I pray that I will not be distracted by my own preferences:
By the style of music; the length of the sermon; the place where I sit;
Or anything that would cause me to focus on me instead of God. 

I will prepare for worship.
I will pray for my pastor that the sermon will be anointed.
I will pray for strength for my pastor,
And for encouragement in a world that often offers little. 

I will prepare for worship.
I will pray for other leaders in the church,
Leaders often unnoticed and unappreciated,
And specifically for those who sacrificially care for our children in the services. 

I will prepare for worship.
I will pray that I will hear God’s voice in the music, in the prayers,
And in every moment we gather as a body of believers,
United in heart, focus, and purpose. 

I will prepare for worship.
I will pray with my family before we leave to go the church service.
I will also pray alone for the services before we leave,
Even if it’s only for a few minutes. 

I will prepare for worship,
As I see fellow believers enter to worship together,
I will pray for them and their families,
And I will pray for their own hearts of worship. 

I will prepare for worship.
I understand I am blessed to be able to gather,
Because I know that many Christians around the world
Are being persecuted and banned from such times. 

I will prepare for worship.
I pray I will understand that it is a foretaste of heaven,
And that I will never take such times for granted,
I pray I will truly rejoice in the house of the Lord. 

I will prepare for worship.
Thank you, God, for your grace.
Thank you, God, for you goodness.
And for allowing me these precious moments to gather to worship You. 

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."
—Psalm 122:1

American Church

From the Pew Forum. I take statistics with a grain of salt, but these benchmarks ought to be alarming.

Key Findings and Statistics on Religion in America

More than one-quarter of American adults (28%) have left the faith in which they were raised in favor of another religion - or no religion at all. If change in affiliation from one type of Protestantism to another is included, 44% of adults have either switched religious affiliation, moved from being unaffiliated with any religion to being affiliated with a particular faith, or dropped any connection to a specific religious tradition altogether.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Landscape Survey confirms that the United States is on the verge of becoming a minority Protestant country; the number of Americans who report that they are members of Protestant denominations now stands at barely 51%. Moreover, the Protestant population is characterized by significant internal diversity and fragmentation, encompassing hundreds of different denominations loosely grouped around three fairly distinct religious traditions - evangelical Protestant churches (26.3% of the overall adult population), mainline Protestant churches (18.1%) and historically black Protestant churches (6.9%).

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Although there are about half as many Catholics in the U.S. as Protestants, the number of Catholics nearly rivals the number of members of evangelical Protestant churches and far exceeds the number of members of both mainline Protestant churches and historically black Protestant churches. The U.S. also includes a significant number of members of the third major branch of global Christianity - Orthodoxy - whose adherents now account for 0.6% of the U.S. adult population. American Christianity also includes sizeable numbers of Mormons (1.7% of the adult population), Jehovah's Witnesses (0.7%) and other Christian groups (0.3%).

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Education: "Sitting at the feet of . . . [who]?!?!"

"Should a family set their children at the feet of the wrong teachers, they will destroy the faith within a generation or two" (Kevin Swanson, Apostate: The Men Who Destroyed the Christian West, 6).

It sounds alarmist and hyperbolic, but it is true.

Victory in Jesus: I Heard An Old, Old Story

I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory

/Chorus/
Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me 'ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing
How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see
And then I cried, "Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit"
I then obeyed His blest command and gained the victory

/Chorus/

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory
And I heard about the street of gold beyond the crystal sea
About the angels singing and the old redemption story
Oh and some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory

/Chorus/

He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

(The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration, 473)

Scriptural Reference:

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." Acts 20:28

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Eschatology of Hope: Benchmarking Church Growth and Community Impact for a Christian Future

Benchmarks for Community

Loose collection of thought-fragments on the Christian future . . .

• Construction of brick-and-mortar churches that aren't going anywhere for a while, i.e., think of Notre Dame de Paris, or Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London, but think of them as actually functioning as vibrant churches, instead of being mere landmark or tourist attractions--these brick-and-mortar churches would point to the acts of God in the past as well as the Christian future.
• Construction of mercy-ministries (predominantly overseen and ran by local churches) with military-like organization and influence/efficacy, e.g., soup-kitchens and rescue missions that provide a segue from homelessness, hunger and poverty, financial and social instability, as well as functioning as a training-ground for developing a professional skillset that in the future might provide a protective-hedge for individuals (and families) from falling back into those vulnerable circumstances.
• Construction of Christian-mediation groups to assist with legal disputes (outside of courtrooms) between Christians (this work would be only a segue until Christian Law was the law of civic courts). 
• City-based trans-denominational elders meetings focusing on collaborative/strategic prayer, evangelism, mercy ministry, etc., for shared cultural space. 
• Closing of abortion-mills, Planned Parenthood facilities, and the like.
• Closing of Casinos, State Lotteries, etc.
• Closing of strip-clubs.
• Closing of wannabe strip-clubs, e.g., restaurants like Hooters, The Tilted-Kilt, etc.
• Closing of oodles and oodles of Federal, State, and County "Department of whatever-wealth-redistribution-program-comes-to-mind"

What should be added to the list?

Fire on the Mountain

We say that we would like to be more like God. So be more thrilled with moonlight. And babies. And what makes them. And holding on to one lover until you've both been aged to wine, ready to pour. Holiness is nothing like a building code. Holiness is 80-year-old hands crafting an apple pie for others, again. It is aspen trees in a backlit breeze. It is fire on the mountain.   -- N.D. Wilson (from "God the Merrymaker" from CT, April 2014)

Good Friday

Christians never look to the Cross with fear but rather with hopeful remembrance: Christians believe that the hungry lion-of-death that consumed our Lord is no longer worthy of being feared because God through Jesus Christ has transformed death into a salvation-making carcass so that now out of the eater came forth meat / out of the strong came forth sweetness (Judges 14:14), i.e., out of the cruel-strength that is death comes sweetness. Salvation that came out of the Death of Christ is as sweet to you as is honey. Death is victory-less. Death is sting-less. Christians believe in the death of death in the death of Christ. Christian living is paradoxical, believing death is the consummation of Eternal Life.

Athens and Jerusalem - Academy and Church

"Above all things, preserve the Kirk [Church] from the bondage of the Universities. Persuade them to rule themselves peaceably, and order thair [sic] schools in Christ; but subject never the pulpit to their Judgment, neither yet exempt them from your Jurisdiction" (John Knox, Works of John Knox, Vol. 6, 619).

Western Church: Salt has Lost Its Savor

"It is fuel for the fire to point out that western culture is in radical decline. I do not deny it. I recognize that things are getting ugly in the world--precisely because they are already ugly in the church. When another teenage gunman treating his school like a video game is greeted with a yawn, when sodomites become a protected class, when a million and a half babies are killed every year, we can safely conclude that the salt has lost its savor" (R. C. Sproul, Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 59).

Hope Schooled by Patience

"We have just prayed, 'your kingdom come,' a petition full of hope. Now we are taught to say, 'your will be done,' a petition for patience. That the virtues of hope and patience should be so joined is not surprising for a people on a journey called kingdom. Indeed our hopes as Christians can make us dangerous if they are not schooled by patience" (William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Lord, Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and the Christian Life, 65).

The Christian Future: Leaning Forward! Leaning Forward!

"The Christian faith is eschatological, always leaning into the future, standing on tiptoes, eager to see what God is bringing to birth among us. We are created for no better purpose than the praise of God. This is our true destiny. Yet any fool can see that the world is not like that, at least not yet. So Christians, in the Lord's Prayer, are busy leaning forward toward that day when all creation shall be fulfilled in one mighty prayer of praise" (William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Lord, Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and the Christian Life, 57).

I've often talked about "leaning together into the Christian future." Now I remember where I picked up that thought-and-phrase.

Also, note their optimism: "Yet any fool can see that the world is not like that, at least not yet. At least not yet, indeed.

Reading Notes: Disciplines of a Gody Man, Chapters 6-9, by R. Kent Hughes

Reading Notes for Introduction and Chapters 1-5.

 

Chapter 6 - Discipline of Mind

• Christians are called to the renewal of their minds, e.g., "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16 & Rom. 12:2).
• God uses "means" to accomplish this. We should not despise the "means" that God uses. Specifically, Phil. 4:8--Whatsoever is true/noble/right/pure/lovely/admirable/excellent/praise-worthy . . . think about such things.
• The author suggest focusing your mind on such things by leveraging 1) Scripture and 2) Christian Literature.
• The thing to beware of when applying Phil 4:8 is Legalism. Don't be a prude and don't stick your head in the sand like an ostrich. Phil. 4:8 is applied to your life by doing more than merely controlling what you focus on. You discipline yourself regarding what you focus on and how you focus.
• Christians need to know how to Discern and Decide. This is wisdom. Know how to interrogate and analyze current events, your local community, a movie, a novel, the facts of your own life, etc.
• What you focus on, and How you focus, exercising Discernment and Decision-making, etc., all of this requires Disciplining our Minds.

I am aware of the wise warnings against using words like "all," "every," and "always" in what I say. Absolutizing one's pronouncements is dangerous. But I'm going to do it anyway. Here it is: It is impossible for any Christian who spends the bulk of his evenings, month after month, week upon week, day in and day out watching the major TV networks or contemporary videos to have a Christian mind. This is always true of all Christians in every situation. A Biblical mental program cannot coexists with worldly programming. . . . Not watching TV will liberate so much time, it will become virtually impossible not to become a deeper person and a better Christian. . . . I am not suggesting a new legalism which forbids TV and the cinema. . . . But I am calling for believers to take control of their minds--what comes in and what goes out (p. 75).

 

You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be profoundly influenced by that which you do not know (p. 77). 

 

Chapter 7 - Discipline of Devotion

• Devotion begins with listening. Devotion is meditation that listens to God's Word.
• Regarding Scripture: Like the righteous man that Psalm 1 describes -- "Murmor it. Memorize it. Pray it. Say it. Share it" (p. 86).
• Where the rubber meets the road: "How much time do you generally spend in conversation with God?" (p. 93)

Chapter 8 - Discipline of Prayer

• Praying "in the Spirit" occurs through the indwelling Holy Ghost, see Rom. 8:26-27.
• Convicting questions -- Have you learned the discipline of continual/persistent prayer? Do you have tenacity and persistence in praying for your family? For your church? Do you have a written prayer list for use during disciplined prayer?
• The following quote is a modest but excellent goal -- the author recommends:

Better to commit yourself to a total of fifteen minutes and maintain it--with perhaps five minutes of Bible reading, five minutes of meditation, and five minutes of disciplined prayer. A regular time of devotion and prayer will become a habit, and the habit of prayer will give wings to your spiritual life (p. 105).

Chapter 9 - Discipline of Worship

• The author highlights the meaning and importance of worship.
• See page 111 for a survey of worship in the Bible.
• Worship is to be God-centered.
• Worship is the priority of man's life, e.g., What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
• The author says that worship takes discipline. "Many Christians have never though through the meaning and importance of worship" (p. 100).
• The author provides practical direction for prayer/preparation on Saturday evening, as well as on Sunday morning, for Lord's Day Worship (see pages 118-119). God uses these spiritual disciplines to prepare us to worship God "in spirit and in truth."

There is no getting around it: worship requires discipline. We are to worship God "in spirit and in truth," and this is impossible without discipline. We must discipline ourselves to know God's truth so we can worship Him in truth. We must discipline our human spirit, so that authentic affections pour in spirit from our hearts to God. We must discipline ourselves in preparation for corporate worship, and that does not begin with the thirty seconds after we have breathlessly sat down (p. 118).

Christian Concern

"There may be some faiths that detach the individual believer from concern about earthly matters, who strive to rise above outward, visible concerns like swords and shields, wine and bread, politics and power. Christianity is not one of those religions. We want you, body and soul. Indeed, we believe that your body is your soul. So we've got opinions about the way you spend your money, invest your time, cast your ballot" (William H. Willimon & Stanley Hauerwas, Lord, Teach Us: The Lord's Prayer and the Christian Life, 52-53).

Divine Means: Christian Practices

"But the practices of Christianity are not to be despised because they are not saviors. Gold is not food, you cannot eat it, but you would not say it is useless and throw it away. Your soul's eternal well-being most certainly does not depend on the practices of Christianity, but it is certain that without them, as a general rule, your soul will not do well. . . . No one but a fool would think of building a house without ladders and scaffolding, and just so, no wise man will despise means" (J. C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 75-76).