We have a lot of catching up to do.

I wrote my last post nearly six months ago. Most of a summer passed since then, as well as an entire semester of school. I learned a LOT this semester. I really did. In addition to reading many interesting journal articles and several excellent books, I wrote quite a bit. It is true that most of a graduate student's life is occupied by reading and writing. There is much I want to share with my friends, family, and anyone else who wanders into my webspace. Perhaps I will write several blog posts over the winter break. (Please not that I said, "Perhaps..." That means you cannot hold me to it.)

Where to begin?

One of my favorite assignments this semester was my final for Christian Worship class. I was assigned to design a three-hour seminar entitled "Understanding Christian Worship" to be shared in a hypothetical local church. I went wild with this assignment. Don't tell my professor because maybe he didn't notice, but I actually made it an hour a week for four weeks. (I'm so tricky!) Anyhow, let me share a few thoughts from lecture #1:


What is Worship?
Worship is many things, and there are many things it is not. It is understood mostly through experience, partly through intuition, and marginally through definition. A definition of worship necessarily includes what is and what is not, but focuses on what should be.

I'd like to focus on five truths about worship:
1. Worship occurs in the creator-creation relationship.
2. Worship happens in identity with God.
3. Worship takes place in the presence of God.
4. Worship is response to God's being and his work.5. Worship occurs most practically as an event.

1. Worship occurs in the creator-creation relationship.

In the most fundamental sense, worship exists in the relationship between creation and creator. It stems from the very essence or being of each. Although the essence of the creator is not given to or shared by the creation, the nature of the creator is central to that of the creation. In other words, while the creation is not the creator, it is of the creator and its nature centers on that of its creator. This centering is worship.

All created things declare the glory of the Great Creator simply by their being (Psalm 19:1-4). Adam, too, is a creation of God, and therefore the human being is a creature intended for divine worship. However, because humankind replaced the centrality of God’s nature with its own created nature, worship of the Creator is no longer an inherent characteristic. It cannot occur unless a person’s nature is restored to the nature of God. That restoration is made possible in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

2. Worship happens in identity with God. 

The being or idea with which a person identifies him or herself is the object of that person’s worship. This is observed in the Old Testament covenant between God and the people of Israel. God offered his identity to them, explicitly stated in Leviticus 26:11-12. The Israelites identified with God through religious rites, societal structure, moral code, and through their relationship with the cultures around them. God was to be the central consideration in each of these areas (Exodus 20:3).

The Israelites, of course, failed to keep him central in each aspect of life. After God made many attempts to restore the people to himself, they came to realize the need for God to compensate for their imperfection, to provide a messiah that would deliver them from their sin. Though they imagined their messiah to be a human prophet, priest, or king, the Messiah provided was God himself, in Jesus.

3. Worship takes place in the presence of God. 

In Exodus 26 and 27, God gave the Israelites specific instructions regarding the tabernacle, which housed his presence and enabled their worship by sacrifice. The Israelites also received directions regarding the rituals of worship and atonement they were to perform in God’s presence. Hebrews 9:2 explains, “Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary.” However, these carnal regulations were insufficient to unite the Divine with his followers.

The perfect tabernacle, the flawless housing of God that enabled complete communion, was the meeting of God and flesh in Christ. Verse 11 of Hebrews 9 calls Christ “the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made.” God’s presence in creation through Jesus allows the people of the new covenant – us – to worship without specific location or rituals. Moreover, our worship reminds us of his continual presence in our lives.

4. Worship is response to God's being and his work.

The celebrations of God’s people observed in the Old Testament are responses to his acts, usually redeeming them or delivering them from enemies. Take, for example, the song of Moses and the Israelites in Exodus 15. They sing this song right after God miraculously delivers them through the sea and destroys their Egyptian enemies.

The Psalms focus on God’s faithfulness to his people, demonstrated through his work on their behalf. Even Psalms of lament recall the deeds of the Lord as reminders of his steadfast love. Take Psalm 6 for example.

In today’s church, testimony of God’s work in the life of a believer or community is a significant worship practice. Although we have many personal testimonies about God’s action in our lives, Christian worship focuses primarily on the work of God through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

5. Worship occurs most practically as an event. 

Worship begins with God’s self-revelation. By understanding who he is and how he works, we better comprehend his nature. We glorify God according to the understanding he provides, and we center ourselves on his nature. Although this process should be ongoing in the lives of believers, the redemption of our fallen world is not yet complete, and believers often center themselves on the law of sin. Paul writes of this struggle in Romans chapter 7.

In his book Gathering: A Theology and Spirituality of Worship in Free Church Tradition, British Baptist Christopher Ellis explains:

This is where worship as a particular event, at an agreed time and in an agreed place, becomes so important. This is the second, and most common, use of the word ‘worship’ – an occasion when what should be true all the time becomes true for a short time.

Finally, allow me to present my definition of worship:
Worship is centering our minds’ attention, our hearts’ affection, and our spirits’ will on God, glorifying him in response to his revelation of himself and his action among us.

A few questions for you, faithful readers of a long blog post:

-Do you agree that worship is the centering of creation upon its Creator? -Does our worship reflect our belief, or does our belief reflect our worship?
-Is worship the calling of the individual Christian, or an activity of the Church? Maybe both?
-How does the corporate worship event express what we are to do in our daily lives?

Sound and Silence

Music is pleasing not only because of the sound but because of the silence that is in it: without the alternation of sound and silence, there would be no rhythm. If we strive to be happy by filling all the silences of life with sound, productive by turning all life's leisure into work, and real by turning all our being into doing, we will only succeed in producing a hell on earth.

If we have no silence, God is not heard in our music. If we have no rest, God does not bless our work. If we twist our lives out of shape in order to fill every corner of them with action and experience, God will silently withdraw from our hearts and leave us empty.

-Thomas Merton

Resurfacing

Well the spring school term ended a few weeks ago. After sloshing around in the kiddie pool of my first graduate semester, I immediately abandoned my floaties and plunged myself into the deep churning waters of a May-term class. I have since emerged refreshed but gasping for a breath of summer air.

I really enjoyed my time last week at the Baptist Church Music Conference. Shaking hands and chatting with the big names (and humble spirits) in church music is always a thrilling experience.

My free time this weekend has been graced by the presence of Sister-in-law Sarah, and her visit has been fun for me and the wife.

You may say, "Stephen, I know you can't sit idly for long. What's on the docket for the rest of your summer?" Well, says I, I will tell you!

July 18-22 will be a busy and exciting week: During these days I will be engaged in both Baylor's Alleluia Church Music Conference and FBC Mart's VBS. Before and after this much-anticipated week, I plan to plan (that's no typo) and do a good deal of reading. I have come to realize that long-range planning is key to an effective music ministry, so this is a major goal for my summer. The other is to make headway into my reading list. Let me share some of my list with you:

-H.G. Wells: War of the Worlds

-H.G. Wells: The Time Machine

(I've already finished these two and loved them.)

-Mary Glazener: The Cup of Wrath - A novel based on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Resistance to Hitler

-James Hansen: First Man - The Life of Neil Armstrong

-Terry York: Voice of Our Congregation

-Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth

-Alexander Schmemann: Liturgical Theology

-Bob Kauflin: Worship Matters

Of course I welcome suggestions from you for additions to my reading list, particularly in the fiction department. I have always preferred nonfiction, but am coming to realize the importance of good fiction works.

Happy summer!

Is Lifeway Hung Up on Madonna?

I think Jeff Slaughter, the man who writes the music for Lifeway VBS, is a fan of Madonna. Here is a song from this year's VBS called "Live It Out."

Now listen to Madonna's "Hung Up." Start around 1:03, and you'll hear the comparison.

Interesting, no? Now, I'm not a big fan of Lifeway's VBS material (music included), but I'm really not sure I want to teach the kiddos Madonna. Although maybe I can borrow some of her legendary dance moves...

When the Church of Jesus
Shuts its outer door
Lest the roar of traffic
Drown the voice of prayer:
May our prayers, Lord, make us
Ten times more aware
That the world we banish
Is our Christian care.

-Fred Pratt Green

Ed Bacsi

Many of my friends and family are Christians. Among them are several really faithful believers, folks who I can pinpoint as excellent examples for me to follow. One of them, Ed Courtney, passed away on Tuesday. I met Ed and his wife Syble during my second summer in Hungary, where they were the pastors of an international church. As I write this post, I am watching a Celebration Service in Ed's honor via a live internet stream. I'd like to share, mostly as a reminder to myself, some of Ed's attributes that reflect our Lord.

His sense of humor could light up a room. Most of the photos I have of Ed show a twinkle in his eye and laughter on his lips.

His wife, Syble, was truly the love of his life. They were always together, ministering alongside one another, and welcoming people into their home with profound hospitality. A person could tell by looking at Ed and Syble that they were waaaay in love with each other, and their love grew day by day.

He had a gentle spirit that made everyone around him feel so comfortable. In fact, everyone in Hungary called him Ed Bacsi, a term of affection similar to "Uncle."

Ed took a personal interest in everyone he met- old or young; Hungarian, American, Nigerian, or Cuban; church members or visitors; Baptist or Pentecostal; believer or nonbeliever. I believe this is what made him an great pastor.

He didn't work to spiritualize everything, nor did he hand wisdom out like gospel tracks. Yet everything about Ed was spiritual, and each time I spent a few minutes with him I came away wiser.

After living in Hungary for about seven years, Ed and Syble moved back to Jackson, Mississippi. I know from reading obituaries and comments from his friends that he served wholeheartedly as associate pastor at a church there. I also know from his friends' comments that Ed was exactly the same in Mississippi as he was in Hungary. His identity went beyond location or situation.

Ed's greatest desire was not anything magnificent or impossible; it was simply that all his family and friends would know Jesus Christ.

I thank the Lord that I knew Ed, and I ask Him to ease Syble's grief and the grief of her family and friends. I hope that in the years to come, God will transform my character to reflect His, like He did for my friend Ed.

Cowden's Confessions: Crafty Crafts

Heather and I visited a couple of craft stores today. We didn't intend to buy anything, just scope out some candles for the church. We left Hobby Lobby okay because we went in knowing that we were just looking. But then we went to Michael's.

Turns out craft stores know how to get money from people like us.

See, there was this wonderful mixture of Fall and Christmas decor all over the place. It even smelled like Fall-Christmas in there. After the initial Fall-mas feeling wore off, Heather discovered the first round of dollar items. They were small games and crafts for kids. She provides childcare for a family at our church now; she watches their three elementary-aged girls after school. They are pretty rowdy when they come home, so the craft store's cheap entertainment section caught her eye. We walked away from there with four items.

Right across the isle from that were the photo frames. We have most of our pictures on our computers, but we've discussed getting a collage frame to display our close friends and family. Guess what? These frames were 50% off! Who can resist, right? So we got one of those. Looks nice.

As any good store supervisor knows, you should arrange all the cheap clearance merchandise in an unavoidable area at the front of the store. It was there that we encountered 50% off Fall decor. At this point, I asked Heather to go get us a shopping cart. This should have been a warning sign. Heather got excited at the idea of making an autumnal centerpiece for our kitchen table (complete with plastic food and leaves). I found a clearance shelf of baskets a few feet away. Now we have our centerpiece.

Just in case a customer could avoid the clearance Fall stuff, some employee had put a bunch of $1 Christmas nicknacks right by the registers. I bought some Christmas notecards to give to folks at church.

Then we began to feel guilty for our impulsiveness, so we wandered slowly backward through the store. Did you know that these scheming merchandisers even put cheap stuff on the opposite sides of the shelves??? We bought a wonderful-smelling fall candle for $4.

After placing the candle in our shopping cart, Wife and I turned to each other and said simultaneously, "Let's get out of here!" So we ran the cart up to the register bobsled style, and as the cashier rang up our purchases, we mumbled things like, "Sales... clearance... good deal... we're suckers..."

Does anyone else have these experiences at craft stores?