Modern Worship

“Thus says the Lord: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls.” (rf. Jer. 6:16 MEV)

 

            In the past few decades, the way that Christians worship God has been changed dramatically. What used to be a very reverent time of coming before the Lord with prayers, praise, honor and adoration has in many cases morphed into a time to engage in an emotional display of upbeat music and visible expression, akin to what one would see in a modern rock concert. Where one expected to “have one’s feet stepped on” by the clear preaching and teaching of God’s Word has been replaced by inspirational messages designed to make one feel good about one’s life and to receive affirmation from God. Though this change does not speak of all of Christianity; however, it is an accurate reflection of how much the faith and our worship of God has adapted to fit the present culture. Overall, our adaptations have not been positive contributions.

            Indeed, what we have done in the recent past will eventually come to haunt us as we move into the future. As Hosea states in 8:7, “they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind.” Truly, in time to come, American Christians will find that they have lost a great deal by following the ways of the world and the culture. They will have lost their appreciation for biblically based authority because they found the source of authority within themselves, making decisions on what they want or like, instead of what God desires. They will have lost decorum and protocol, choosing personal comfort and “dressing down”, rather than being at one’s best in attitude and appearance, coming in worship before the King of kings. They will have lost their hearing, believing that loud music in worship gets God’s attention while physical feeling of the music is prerequisite to their joy and ability to worship, rather than understanding that God is not deaf to His people nor does His Holy Spirit speak to His people in loudness but in “a still small voice” (rf. I Kings 19:12) which can only be heard when His people are quiet. God wants His people to worship Him on His terms and not their own. True worship is not about us being emotionally or physicallly charged up; it’s totally about us being in humility and quietness before Him.

            The “old paths” referenced above speak of the previously confirmed ways that God would have His people live and worship, ways in which the Lord has already shown His pleasure. Nothing about our relationship and adoration of God is left for us to decide. From the beginning to the end of time, God alone calls the shots on how He operates and how He desires for His people to live and worship. Hopefully, modern Christianity will appropriate this truth sooner than later and make the changes necessary that align our actions with His desires. If so, His blessings will soon follow when He sees His people obedient to His will and directions.

 

The Important Concept of Honor and Dishonor

 They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the Lord God.” But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the altar of incense. (rf. II Chron. 26:18–19 NASB) 

 

            As Westerners (i.e. those who are a part of Western civilization), our frame of reference is exceedingly individualistic. We typically think of actions and motivations in terms of oneself. How is this going to affect me? Will I personally benefit from this decision? We literally take everything in life personally.

            This is not the way the rest of the world perceives reality. Those cultures not in the Western orbit are profoundly motivated by how actions or decisions affect the community with little regard to the individual. This is the perspective that the writers of the Bible had when penning the Word of God in written language. Honor/dishonor were basic and foundational concepts that were in place and, thus, must be grasped if the Scriptures are to be understood correctly. 

            For instance, in the passage above, King Uzziah overstepped his bounds as king when assumed the role of a priest in the Temple. His flagrant violation was an ultimate display of dishonoring the Lord who established these bounds of office. Therefore, in honor of God’s holiness and in payment for his sins, Uzziah was struck with leprosy and could no longer rule his nation publicly. He would be an outcast and have his son rule in his stead as regent until Uzziah’s death. In other words, sinning against God’s Word and commandments is equal to dishonoring the Lord and His holiness. Ultimate dishonor is living a life of sin in defiance of God and His honor, making it a worthy and ultimate punishment in hell. 

            As Christians, we need to move away from this Western, individualistic mindset and more toward the honor/dishonor framework of the Scriptures. As we do this, our actions and decisions will be based on what is best for Christ and His Church, rather than what we personally desire. When our thoughts are on our believing community (i.e. the local church), we will find ourselves honoring the Lord by what we do and say, all the while avoiding anything that might be dishonoring to Him. This is true, not only in our worship of God, but also in the way we live daily. Our focus should always be on how best I can serve and honor the God who by His grace has saved and sanctified us as His own children. Nothing less will suffice.

The Sovereignty of God

 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. 

(rf. Ps. 135:6 MEV)

 

            One of the key foundations of the Reformed faith on which our church was founded is the sovereignty of God. When most Christians think of the term, “sovereignty of God”, they believe that it is just the testimony of God being “King of kings”, of exercising His authority and rule. All of this is true, no doubt, but more is attached to the truth of His Kingship.

            Virtually, all Christians would agree that God is the sovereign ruler of the universe, affirming what the psalmist says above that He is ruler over all “heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps”. However, many followers of Christ fail to uphold or believe that His authority and sovereignty extends over all people as well, including themselves.

            We somehow have bought into a theology that places boundaries around ourselves, our minds, hearts and wills, wherein God cannot rule over us unless we sovereignly allow Him to do so. We have created this theological view to preserve what we wrongly believe is our own “freedom of the will”, that we are the “captains of our souls”. This is truly a false and foolish narrative, not to mention an unbiblical one. 

            The only way that God is truly God is if He is God over all of His creation, including all of humankind. He is in control of all things or He is in control of nothing. An Almighty and all sovereign Lord who is limited in His ability to rule is no god that any of us want to serve. Such a god is powerless to deliver on the promises He has made because He does not have the wherewithal to make those promises a reality.

            Rather, we love, serve and believe in the God of the psalmist and the Scriptures who does “whatever He pleases…in heaven and in earth” because He is in total control over all things, including us and our wills. Only by being such a God can we know that the salvation that He has promised us is real, that He has the power to answer our prayers rightly according to His will, and that He is truly worthy of our loyalty, devotion and faith. 

            So, if we have not yet recognized His authority over our lives and futures, today is the day to do so. Only with a heart and life fully surrendered to His Lordship can we ever hope to experience the “abundant” life that He promises to those under His dominion and trust.

A New Logo (May 2024)

A New Logo

 

“He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; 

many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.” (rf. Ps. 40:3 NASB)

 

            As our church came out of the pandemic and into this year, it became apparent that we needed an overall refreshing and renewal. Part of this effort included researching and acquiring new church management software for our office and a new, updated website to better reflect our church to the world. We also looked at the need to revise our current logo and come up with a clearer way to share our ministry. As David said so long ago in the above passage, a “new song” was required for us to better minister to our community so that “many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.”.

            Several months ago, I contacted an outside source of mine who had designed logos for me in the past. He did some researching of our church and put together a new logo for us that communicates visually what St. John’s is all about. Here is the fruit of his labors: 

 

The logo designer explained it this way: 

 

“For what it’s worth, not only do the colors work well together. They have the following significance:

·       Yellow – God the Father (light/glory)

·       Red – God the Son (blood/sacrifice)

·       Blue – God the Holy Spirit (water/baptism)

 

Overall, the logo is clean, simple and modern but the pattern itself calls to mind historical roots…and stained glass…The four circles within a larger circle represent the five core beliefs of the church from your website.

1.     The Trinity

2.     Authority of Scripture 

3.     Salvation by Grace

4.     Evangelism

5.     All of these then wrapped under the larger “circle” of God’s Sovereignty. 

So more than just a logo, it becomes a visual of St. John’s core beliefs. I like that it also gives the impression of a sphere, which could represent God’s love for the world and the church’s mission to carry the gospel into the world.” 

 

            With this “new song” as sung through our new logo, approved by our Church Council in February of this year, it is our hope that when folks begin to see it prominently displayed, it will immediately connect them with St. John’s and, ultimately, to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so that they, like us, will experience His goodness, love and mercy firsthand.

 

 

Collective, Not Individualistic

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a basket, but on a candlestick. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” 

(rf. Mt. 5:13–16 MEV)

 

            At present I am being challenged by one of the books I am reading at night before going to sleep. The title is Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien. The theme of the work is to show the reader how much of Western culture has colored the glasses through which we read and understand God’s Word. This is something that we do not realize readily, but how we were raised and educated in the Western world makes a great impact on our understanding of the Bible.

            For instance, we, especially as Americans, have been immersed in an individualistic culture where our personal choice is of utmost importance. Indeed, one could say that the American spirit is fired by and shown through how we idolize our own power to make choices for ourselves. However, as the authors clearly point out, this individualistic approach regarding the Scriptures is a relatively new phenomenon. Before the Great Awakening of the 1740s, Christians were attached to their local churches through baptism that took place shortly after birth. They continued to grow in the faith through the ministry of their local church, revealing this lifelong connection in the weddings and funerals that took place there (pp. 106-107).  After the Awakening, being a part of a local church was totally based on one’s choice. Since then, this individualistic perspective has so overrun the American church that we now have a multiplicity of denominational and non-denominational churches along with the subsequent local church variety from which to choose. This myriad of choices has only served to weaken the influence of the Church in our time. Furthermore, we can choose to stay or go and be devoted to or not to participate at will. Yet as the authors rightly point out, “This is not biblical Christianity” (p. 107).

            When Jesus spoke of His Church and the Apostle Paul wrote of God’s people, they did so, viewing the Church as a collective of people, “Jews and Greeks, male and female, slave and free” (rf. I Cor. 12:13). Jesus did not look at the Church as a group of individuals whose individuality held sway over the whole. The Good Shepherd goes after the lost sheep—why?—to bring him back to the fold (rf. Lk. 15:44). Even in Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount as quoted above, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth…the light of the world”, meaning all His followers collectively (the verb, “umeis”, is a plural “You” or in the South, “Ya’ll”), not referring to the individual.

            If as American Christians we would stop looking at ourselves as individuals, exalting our power of choice, and start viewing ourselves as part of God’s whole, we would see that it is the whole He is working on, the Church, not just ourselves individually. And as we work more together as Christ’s Body, the more we’ll see His work in our midst, bringing His grace to a world that so desperately needs it.

 

Conflict of Wrong and Biblical Views on Important Matters (March 2024)

            It is hard to believe that we have entered another election cycle in our country. Before long our televisions will be inundated with political ads. As Christians we have a special duty to be good citizens of the United States, to vote intelligently and spiritually, using Biblical truth and conviction as our filters to choose those who are fit, worthy and God’s choice to serve in public office. 

I am gravely concerned about the state of the Evangelical movement in America and how we are jeopardizing the efforts to rightly and accurately share the Gospel for years to come. This concern stems from our being a significant part of the polarization problem in our country. When we fall to the following wrong views or beliefs, it makes it very difficult for others to see Jesus clearly because they “muddy the waters”. These are the wrong views that Evangelicals often fall prey:

 

1.     “The end justifies the means” (quote from Prince Machiavelli) as the ultimate standard of action and belief.

2.     Hate, anger, disrespect and negativism are all worthy weapons of use in any cultural war.

3.     Division along political lines validates division and separation within the Church.

4.     Policies and promises alone by politicians (i.e. what he/she will do for us) are adequate rationalizations for supporting a person for leadership regardless of personal character and actions.

5.     “God helps those who help themselves” so only those socially and economically advantaged are special and benefitted by God; therefore, the poor, the hurting, the destitute, and the afflicted should not be objects of our care and compassion.

 

To provide a clearer, more accurate Christian approach, we should return to the truths that the Scriptures, our self-declared foundation of belief, clearly teach.

 

1.     God wants His children to glorify Him always in how and why we do things (including voting) (“Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”—rf. I Cor. 10:31). The how and why are directly connected with how we show others His reality and love.

2.     Displaying the love of Christ shows that we belong to Him as His children (“By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”—rf. Jn. 13:35). Indeed, we should never advocate, support or uphold any effort that does not have His love at its center.

3.     Unity of God’s people is paramount (“If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, then fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being in unity with one mind”—rf. Php. 2:1-2). Disunity is a sin, quite frankly, stemming from pride and self-centeredness, qualities opposed to Christ Himself, His truth and His love.

4.     God holds all leaders everywhere to His standard of righteousness, removing them at will if unjust (“It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.”—Prov. 16:12; “It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings”—Dan. 2:21).

5.     The poor, the destitute, the widow and the orphan are under God’s protection (“When a foreigner sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The foreigner who dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”—rf. Lev. 19:33-34). Jesus said His disciples always have opportunity to minister and support those most needy (“You always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish, you may do good to them.”—rf. Mk. 14:7). Indeed, we are called by God to such ministry.

 

Imagine what a difference Evangelicals would make in a world like ours, lost in its divisiveness and negativity, if we were to display God’s love in our hearts, words and actions, including how and for whom we vote. But wait, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing as followers of Christ anyway (Note: To be “salt” and “light”? rf. Matt. 5:13-16). Our repentance and change are required if we are to reclaim the mantle of difference and distinction as given in our salvation and calling. Only by thinking and acting in a compassionate Christian manner can we affect the real change that our nation needs right now.

Jesus Meets Us Where We Are

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord. You know that I love (philo) You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love (agapas) Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord. You know that I love (philo) You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love (phileis) Me?’ Peter was grieved because He asked him the third time, ‘Do you love (phileis) Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Lord, You know everything. You know that I love (philo) You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’” (rf. John 21:15-17 MEV)

I may have touched on this in previous years of writing February articles, but it is well worth a revisit. In the New Testament particularly, the authors, including the Apostle John above, use different Greek words for our English concept of the word, “Love”. We tend to use the same word to apply to different objects. We would say, “I love my parents and siblings” or “I love my spouse” or “I love my pet” or even “I love the New Orleans Saints football team (which I don’t by the way—I am a die-hard, die-long Atlanta Falcons fan), using “love” in each, but meaning a different type of love for each.

In the Greek language of John’s time, there were different words for different types of love. Agapeo is the highest form of love possible because it is unconditional. It is freely given and never earned. Phileo is brotherly love, usually found between those committed to a lifelong friendship. It is hard to break. Stergo is familial love between family members. Eros is passionate love, usually with sexual connotations as between a husband and wife.

In the above passage, there is a dynamic interchange between Jesus and Peter concerning Peter’s love for Jesus. Yes, Jesus is recommissioning Peter after Peter’s three-fold denial of Him before Jesus’ crucifixion. Notice, however, that Jesus is asking Peter if Peter loves Him with the highest or unconditional love (derivatives of Agapeo). Peter responds with a pledge of brotherly love each of the three times (derivatives of Phileo). Only on the third question does Jesus ask Peter if Peter loves Him with brotherly love to which Peter replies “You know I do”. Jesus purposefully steps down His expectations of Agapeo to meet Peter on the level of Phileo. In essence, Jesus shows Peter how much He loves him by meeting Peter at the place where Peter is. Peter will later experience and exhibit Agapeo when he formally begins to “feed (Jesus’) sheep”.

Be encouraged to know that Jesus loves us so much that He will willingly meet us at our point of need and understanding. By His Spirit He will then over time move us, as He did Peter, to meet the expectations of showing the same love to those around us.