Comments on Reform worship.: How Worshiping God Is Possible

Ryan, you beat me to it... I was going to cite Red...

2009-09-28T16:55:39.983-05:00

Ryan, you beat me to it... I was going to cite Redman's lyrics as well as some of those same scriptures. I remember when i grabbed on to some of those scriptures like Romans 11:35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Out of my chewing on such things I wrote a song called “Changed” I discuss many more of these kinds of scriptures and that song in a post at epochworship.com (http://tinyurl.com/y943vhv) I’ve used this song in worship along with the reading of the scriptures in an effort to share these ideas.

But Dan, I also have to confess that I have been guilty in the past of viewing myself as the former thing, as one who IS (rather than WAS) "totally depraved", if you will allow the term. But, It finally hit me one day that I am a completely NEW Creation in Christ, that I have been given a NEW HEART (Ezek 36)

I often thought of myself as one with a stony heart, that was just cracked enough by God to allow salvation to take root. I even thought that God must still view me as such. But I believe the truth is, through Christ has removed that heart, and given me a New one.

I was guilty of turning to my heavenly Father and saying “I am such a crappy son,” and in a way insulting the glorious work that He had done in me. God saw the perfect blood of Jesus over me and I was constantly devaluing it by refusing to live into the work He had done.

So, I agree that we must not "self deprecate" while we are "elevating" the work of Christ. But ,we must realize and have the distinction that we have the right to join in worship only because we are His workmanship in Christ, (the new Adam) and not because we are "Made in his image and likeness".(the first Adam)

Not sure if that makes sense, lets remember I’m the one without the “M” by my name. ;)

Dan, Thanks for the challenge. I admit my tenden...

2009-09-28T14:29:36.689-05:00

Dan,

Thanks for the challenge. I admit my tendency to remain in a state of nothingness even when perhaps in worship God's desire is to lift me up and dance with me in playful glee.

What is absolutely paramount, though, is for worshipers to understand that although we are created in the image of God, that image has been detrimentally marred and distorted by sin, and that apart from the mediation of Christ, we are left to our own worship devices that can never please God, no matter how creative they may be.

Where we have erred, what has nudged the ship off course, is believing that our TRUE humanity, TRUE worship expression, PURE pursuit and PURE self-offering originates in ourselves or anything other than the triune God of grace. As Matt Redman so eloquently puts it, "We have nothing to give that did not first come from Your hand; we have nothing to offer You that You did not provide; every good perfect gift comes from Your kind and gracious heart; and all we do is give back to You what always has been Yours."

God-image-bearers though we may be, sin has ruined everything. But Jesus has finished it off, and we cannot add anything to His final sacrifice, nor can we take anything away from it. Rather, every expression of worship we give, have given, and will give to God has always and already be given in Christ, just as "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

I can see how this might mislead worshipers (like myself) to sulk in impossibilities, discouraging pursuit and self-offering, but what it should do, which I am making my mission, is bring worshipers into a complete understanding of worship originating in Christ, coming down to us (incarnate), and flowing out of us in true expressions of human personality and creativity.

(A book that delves even deeper into the TRUE HUMANITY of Jesus (and hence us) than James B. Torrance's Worship Community and the Triune God of Grace is The Mediation of Christ by Thomas F. Torrance, another Scottish bloke.)

Where this discussion continues between you and I is whether or not God delights in little-creators and/or their art if they do not trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. Taking into account original sin, the wrath of God, Gen. 6:5; Ps. 14:3; Rom. 3:10 (and like verses), can God enjoy the art of evil humanity? Where is the line drawn? How can he be angry with them, but pleased with their work? How do we respond to that? Where is the line drawn? Pluralism? Universalism?

Greatly looking forward to our Advent webinar.

Ryan

Ryan, so good to hear your voice live the other we...

2009-09-28T07:11:25.476-05:00

Ryan, so good to hear your voice live the other week, and I too celebrated this issue.

It's an excellent article, and gives voice to pivotal ideas in our understanding of worship on every level.

Here will be my ongoing challenge to this correct emphasis that can sometimes go unchecked.

God is not offended by human personality, nor our efforts exerted in the cultivation of relationship. To exalt Christ's role is good and right; to diminish ours in the spirit of "we have nothing to give" does violence to the vocation of the human creature, fashioned in the image of God.

I deeply believe that worship is indeed all about God - but He has chosen to also make it about us, joined with him by choices and volition in the circular dance.

To elevate Christ's work of mediation, and that evidenced in our understanding of worship, is paramount.

To in the same breath minimize the role of human personality, expression, pursuit and self-offering would, however, be criminal.

Thanks for the post. I'm going to reference it on my blog. Cheers to growing friendships.

Looking forward to our live call on Advent with WorshipTraining.com.