If I were an outsider looking at the life of most churches, I would conclude that Sunday morning “worship service” was the most important thing we do. In one sense I live in pragmatic fear of saying anything about this because I know that most hassles in churches arise from disagreeing with someone’s view of what goes on in that time. Churches have split over what to sing and how we sing it during the “worship service” and I’m not even talking about the instrumental music question. We have split about whether we stand up or sit down … about whether there are pews or chairs, one song leader or a group, carpet of wood floors, four part of one part harmony, children’s church or not. And the list goes on.
If there is a more contentious battleground, I have yet to see it. You would think there are whole chapters in the New Testament speaking of worship services, how to leader prayer, singing four part harmony, how to conduct the Communion (beyond the emblems and prayers), how long to preach, offering invitations along with invitation songs and how to make announcements. Despite all of what is said and done in the name of these things, do you know how many times these terms are mentioned in the New Testament. Not once. I may be wrong. You might find one or two verses that allude to them but you will never find a structural description of this time of worship in the New Testament.
In my mind that leads to many questions but I will only focus on one in this section. What was a gathering for worship like in past church 33 to 65 AD? The following is not an exhaustive study of this question but it is meant to give us a reasonably clear picture of a gathering of our brethren in the early church. There is one other note. The word, worship, is never used in the New Testament to describe any gathering of Christians. Is that significant? I don’t think so except to observe that even our language about this subject isn’t even biblical in its origin.
It is past church, first century. Your friend has invited to come with him to hear about Jesus. You don’t know why you go, but you do. When you arrive you start to notice some things.
Unlike other religions you are aware of, you do not go to a temple or holy place. You go to Peter’s place. There appears to be a lot of encouraging going on in the group before anything else happens. After a while they begin to sing. The songs sound like chants. They aren’t the best singers you have heard (musically) but they sure seem to enjoy it. Their hearts seemed to soar as they sing of God and Jesus. They almost seem to be teaching other. This happened to be a Sunday evening after you had got home from work. They began to have a ceremonial meal that they said was in memory of Jesus. You didn’t understand it but they spoke of his body and his blood. You have so many questions. One of the men starts to teach and starts reading a letter from someone they call an apostle. You don’t catch the name exactly. It sounds like Paul.
The teaching is interesting and is answering some of your questions. It seems to always focus on this Jesus who they say was resurrected from the dead. After a while someone starts to pray with his hands raised and everyone listens intently and they all say “amen” at the end. There are many languages spoken but no matter which one is used there always seems to be someone to translate so we all understand what is being said. Someone tells of a famine someone and that the “brethren” need some help. They gather a collection on money and commission someone to the task of delivering it. Then, just when you think everything is coming to an end someone else gets up and starts teaching. It seems to you that it is going to go until midnight. Your mind wanders a little from the teaching and you begin to notice that this is a varied bunch of people. There are slaves, women, wealthy, poor, Gentile, Jew, Greeks and even some Romans. The teacher seems to be preaching now and speaks of God’s love for the whole world. You have never heard of such a thing.
You ask your friend, as the meeting appears to be ending (although no one seems to be leaving), “What is the name of this group?” He tells you they wear only one name, Jesus. He says that they are called many names. Sometimes, Christians. Sometimes the church of God. Sometimes, disciples. Sometimes the way. It all seems a little vague and unorganized to you.
Do you think you would feel at home in the first century church meetings? I don’t know if I would. I like having an order of worship, the songs on the screen in shaped notes, a neat twenty-five minute lesson with a designated time for a “response”, four part harmony in the singing and the formality. That first century church sounds so different to the one I go to. In fact they never speak of going to church. What’s with that? My tongue is a bit in my cheek but I genuinely feel I would feel out of place in their assemblies. I wouldn’t be out of place because I would be with my brothers and sisters in Christ but I would feel out of place because of my unfamiliarity with their culture. Like when I went to an African American church recently. Boy, they sure did things differently to what I was used to. There wasn’t anything wrong with the differences. The eternal things were the same. The cultural things are the different things.
I know we joke about Paul using the King James Version. But for some this thinking is normal. Someone called this “present mindedness”. It is reading our present experiences into accounts of the past and thus coloring our view of the past. When it is a joke it is pretty funny. When it’s not a joke it is sad. We have to guard against reading into the accounts of the first century church our twenty-first century experience. Let the documents from the past speak for themselves. I know it makes us feel uncomfortable but that probably is not a bad thing for you and me.
All this has an extraordinary significance when we consider what church will be like. The significance is simply this. Just as our present church assemblies are different from past church assemblies in cultural ways, future assemblies will be different also. They will not differ in the eternal components but they certainly will differ in the cultural ones.
More on this in my small book, Future Church, which is on my website.
Is There Life After Football Season
For rabid football fans (like me) this time of year is a bitter sweet time. Superbowl is coming but that's not for two weeks and then there is nothing until next Fall. The Chargers lost the Conference championship. That's OK. They did pretty good against a team that will go down as one of NFL history's best. For those of you who aren't football freaks you are wondering about my mental stability but for those of you who are hooked on the pigskin you understand.
All I can say is, "Thank goodness for the NBA!!!". And especially the Los Angeles Lakers. They wall warm my heart in those lonely football free times. The Lakers! What a team. They lose Bynum for a month. They lose Ariza for a month at least and what do they do? The go out and absolutely outplay Denver. And Kobe didn't even get into double figures. Go Lakers. This is the year. I have a feeling.
And for those of you who think I need to get a life, you are right, but I don't care. Go Lakers
All I can say is, "Thank goodness for the NBA!!!". And especially the Los Angeles Lakers. They wall warm my heart in those lonely football free times. The Lakers! What a team. They lose Bynum for a month. They lose Ariza for a month at least and what do they do? The go out and absolutely outplay Denver. And Kobe didn't even get into double figures. Go Lakers. This is the year. I have a feeling.
And for those of you who think I need to get a life, you are right, but I don't care. Go Lakers
Strange Things in Worship
God desires that we worship Him and Him alone (Luke 4:8). He never limits it to a certain place or time (John 4:21-24). However he has told us what He has always desired when we worship Him.
A broken and contrite heart (Psalms 51:17)
Cheerfulness (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Singing from the heart (Ephesians 5:19)
Intense love for God (Matthew 22:37)
Focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
Spirit filled prayers (Ephesians 6:18)
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)
Praise (Ephesians 1:6,12,14)
Yet, many times, it is these things are absent when we worship. Don’t let these things be strange things in worship. Let them be common. As we worship the Father, through the Son and in the Holy Spirit today let us do so in the way that God has asked us. Let our outward actions be a reflection of our hearts as we try to express ourselves in worship of Him who alone is worthy of worship.
Besides all this, God asks (actually commands) that the main thing that we bring to Him as a sacrifice in worship is ourselves. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1. Here is your act of worship. Don’t offer anything less to Him who has given Himself totally to you.
I love the picture of heaven in Revelation 5:12, 13, “In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”” Let it be that way in Christ’s church. Let it be that way in our hearts. Let’s give Him the glory, the honor and the praise!
A broken and contrite heart (Psalms 51:17)
Cheerfulness (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Singing from the heart (Ephesians 5:19)
Intense love for God (Matthew 22:37)
Focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
Spirit filled prayers (Ephesians 6:18)
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)
Praise (Ephesians 1:6,12,14)
Yet, many times, it is these things are absent when we worship. Don’t let these things be strange things in worship. Let them be common. As we worship the Father, through the Son and in the Holy Spirit today let us do so in the way that God has asked us. Let our outward actions be a reflection of our hearts as we try to express ourselves in worship of Him who alone is worthy of worship.
Besides all this, God asks (actually commands) that the main thing that we bring to Him as a sacrifice in worship is ourselves. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1. Here is your act of worship. Don’t offer anything less to Him who has given Himself totally to you.
I love the picture of heaven in Revelation 5:12, 13, “In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”” Let it be that way in Christ’s church. Let it be that way in our hearts. Let’s give Him the glory, the honor and the praise!
Sports
I am a bit of sports freak. In fact if there is a ball involved I will watch it. Two of my favourite sports teams are the San Diego Chargers (NFL football) and the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA basketball). They are both doing great.
Last Sunday the Chargers won their first playoff game in years and will be in the AFC Conference championship game next week. The problem is that they will be playing the perfect season New England Patriots. No team has ever won as many games in one season as they have. Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
The Lakers are having one of the better seasons in years and tonight capped a 7 game winning streak even without their awesome centre, Andre Bynum. Looks like we are playoff bound.
Isn't life good when your team is winning?
Last Sunday the Chargers won their first playoff game in years and will be in the AFC Conference championship game next week. The problem is that they will be playing the perfect season New England Patriots. No team has ever won as many games in one season as they have. Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
The Lakers are having one of the better seasons in years and tonight capped a 7 game winning streak even without their awesome centre, Andre Bynum. Looks like we are playoff bound.
Isn't life good when your team is winning?
GRACE CAFE
The young adults group at the Glendale Church where I work is starting a ministry called Grace Cafe. It will take place occasionally at a special constructed part of the Glendale church building. It is designed to both give young Christians a venue to meet other young Christians as well as give us a place to bring visitors who may not be ready to come to church.
Have any of you out there had any experience in this sort of ministry or know of anyone who has? Can you point me in some direction? It would be very helpful.
The first one is February 9th, 7-11 pm, at 2021 W. Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201. If you are in the area, why not drop in?
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