We Are Unapologetically Christocentric

After a recent worship seminar, several questions arose concerning the Christocentric nature of Christian worship. Below are the questions and my attempts to answer them.

First question: Do you see any substantive difference between these two statements?

1. The content of our worship is Jesus.
2. The object of our worship is Jesus.

Answer: Content and object are quite different.

Object, as it relates to worship, would be the one to whom worship is directed. We often say that God is the audience in worship. Worship should be directed toward Him. This is certainly true, but we must be careful here. Viewing God as the object of worship without a fuller understanding can communicate an almost passive God who sits far off observing our acts of fealty. In truth, worship involves interaction with the Lord. Yes, He is the object of our worship, but He is an active audience in a divine dialogue with us. God initiates and we respond. The great Hymn “God Himself is With Us” reflects this understanding well.

The content of Christian worship is the story of Salvation history – that is, God’s initiating a relationship with fallen humanity. Dr. Robert Webber claims, “In worship we remember the stories of Abraham, the patriarchs, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the covenant at Mt. Sinai, the establishment of Israel under the monarchy, and the call of the prophets to return to the covenant. Christian worship supplements these stories with the accounts of the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, the founding of the church, and the return of Jesus Christ to destroy evil and establish the new heavens and the new earth.” He goes on to say, “For worship to be Biblical and Christian, the story of God’s redemption and salvation must be its content. Otherwise it ceases to be Christian worship. For it is the content of worship – the Gospel – that makes worship uniquely distinctly Christian.” In worship the Gospel is vital. We proclaim it, enact it, celebrate it, and respond to it. This is Christian worship.

Question: How is it we say our worship is Christological when it
is God we worship?

Answer: First, let me say that I may not have communicated this point very well. In no way do I mean that we worship Jesus only, or that we exclude God from our worship. The Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – ought to be the recipient of our worship. When I say that our worship should be Christocentric, I simply mean that our worship (much like Hebrew worship and the Exodus) is rooted in an event – The Christ event (death, burial and resurrection). This is summed up in the liturgical response spoken for centuries by Christians – “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again”. In worship we offer praise to our great and powerful God, we remember and give thanks for the atoning work of the Son, and we invite and welcome the Presence of the enlightening and ministering Holy Spirit. Our worship is of the Triune God – but our worship is rooted in the Christ event. This is what makes us distinct from other religions.

WE ARE DISTINCT FROM OTHERS WHO WORSHIP GOD

Muslims and Hebrews claim to worship the God of Abraham. Their worship is not valid in my opinion. Why is this? It is because they do not worship God through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “No man comes to the Father, but by me.” This is God’s design from the beginning. God’s plan of salvation is revealed through Old Testament typologies – (Abraham and Isaac, The Flood, The Passover and Exodus, etc.), all of which point to Jesus. The fulfillment of the Old Covenant comes in the New Covenant with the atoning sacrifice of Jesus – (for instance, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us…”). Note the O.T. concept fulfilled in Jesus. Webber says, “The epicenter for worship with Israel was the central saving event of the Exodus, and with us, the Church, it is the life, death, and resurrection of Christ – the Lamb of God. In worship we have a divine recapitulation of this saving work with the Lamb as the focus.” We are Christocentric, not to the exclusion of God the Father or the Holy Spirit, but because it is His plan for reconciling us to Himself.

WE MUST FAITHFULLY PASS ON THE FAITH

Commending our faith from one generation to the next is very important in worship. Paul said, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you…” This type of passing on the faith motivated the Hebrews to celebrate the Passover – they identified with the God of their salvation because their remembrance of the Exodus helped them experience coming out of Egypt – as if they were there (Exodus 12:26-27). It shaped the younger generations and passed on their heritage of faith. We, too, should pass on what we have received from the Lord. We too should “keep the feast” (1 Corinthians 5:7). But our Passover is none other than Christ. Our worship communicates the gospel discursively to those coming behind us. This kind of remembrance (Anamnesis) is more than just a fuzzy thought of a past event (an enlightenment concept). The past is actually relived or experienced again (taught by the early Church). Perhaps this is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:16 that the bread we break and the cup for which we give thanks are our participation in the Body and Blood of Christ. Jesus said we should proclaim His death until He comes. This means being Christocentric. What we have received we should pass on. Should this be done in worship? I will answer with a question. Is the Lord’s Supper an act of worship?

WE REFLECT HEAVENLY WORSHIP IN OUR EARTHLY WORSHIP

Just as the O.T. prefigures Christ, our earthly worship prefigures heavenly worship. We place the saving acts of Jesus at the center of our worship so as to reflect our understanding of heavenly worship – this is what God shows us in His word. Revelation chapters 4-5 reveal heavenly worship to us. In these scenes we see angels, archangels, apostles, martyrs, and the entire communion of saints offering endless praise to God. In chapter four we hear the same worship text as Isaiah 6 – “Holy, Holy, Holy”. This song is clearly directed to God. But look on to chapter 5. This image of heavenly worship has a central focus – the “Lamb – looking as if it had been slain” who stands at the “center of the throne”. All gather around Him in worship and song (Rev. 5:6-9). "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" Notice that the description of Christ is not of a King, but a Lamb. This is clearly referring to the cross of Calvary. It seems that even heavenly worship remembers and gives attention to the atoning work of the Son on behalf of His bride. He is our advocate with the Father, and without Him we could not relate to the Father at all.

WE FOCUS ON JESUS SAVING WORK IN BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

These two rites of worship clearly enact the Gospel within the worshiping community. Baptists call these the ordinances of Jesus because they were instituted by Him. The Gospel is enacted and proclaimed in both. They are most assuredly Christocentric. The Anaphora (related to the berakah Hebrew table prayers), or historical prayer of thanks before Communion follows a Trinitarian form. God is praised for creation, Jesus is thanked for His atonement, and the Spirit is invited to bless the elements for the Spiritual benefit of the participants. Christocentric does not mean exclusive of God the Father or the Spirit as evidenced here.

SABBATH SATURDAY TO EASTER SUNDAY

The fact that we worship on Sunday also indicates the centrality of the Christ-event. The Old Testament is quite clear that Saturday is the day of worship and rest. For Christians, Easter Sunday is celebrated each week as we gather to worship. Note that during the season of Lent (a season of sorrow and fasting), that Sundays are not included. They remain feast days rather than fast days due to their association with Easter Sunday. (Acts 20:7, Rev. 1:10)

WHEN WE HONOR JESUS WE HONOR GOD

John 5:23 sates, “..that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” I believe that God the Father is delighted that we honor His Son by enacting, proclaiming and celebrating the Gospel narrative. Again, this is not to say that we should exclude God or the Spirit. But Jesus is the One whose name we carry, in whose name we pray, and is the one we are commended to “lift up.” He is at the center of God’s plan, the center of history, the center of the Scriptures, the center of heavenly worship, the center of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, the center of Sunday as a consecrated day, and should be at the center of our worship…all to the glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Sacred Space Speaks - A Study in Architecture for Christian Worship

• Jesus’ death on the cross marked an epic shift in accessibility to God. As the temple veil was “rent (torn) from top to bottom,” (Matthew 27:51, Mark 15:38) so too was the sacerdotal system that for centuries had limited proximity to the Father. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy place of God’s dwelling before this momentous alteration. With the ushering in of the New Covenant, Jesus assumes the role of the High Priest, and in Him, we have direct access to the Father. As followers of Christ, we are now a kingdom of priests. John records, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen (Revelation 1:6)." We have an invitation to come directly into God’s throne room. The writer of Hebrews states it rather succinctly. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God...” (Hebrews 10:19-21).
  
  I do not believe it is a mistake that we have access to the Holy Place by the blood of Jesus through the curtain which is His body. It is no stretch at all to view body and blood as Eucharistic in nature. Paul states unambiguously in 1 Corinthians 10:16 that we “participate” in the body and blood of Jesus in the bread we break and the cup for which we give thanks. It is no wonder the early Church believed that at the Table they were experiencing a convergence of heaven and earth. In the Eucharist they, “lift(ed) up (their) hearts to the Lord (Sursum corda).” They also sang the heavenly song, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” with the angels, archangels and the saints of all the ages. At the Table they believed they were transported into the very Presence of the Lord where they gathered around His throne. So it should be with us. We no longer fear to enter the prescribed copy of the Holy Place found in the Temple. Now we are able to experience the original throne room through the body and blood of Jesus. There is incredible consistency here if one is open to perceive it.
  
  Temple worship was clearly God’s desired medium before the fulfilled mission of the Messiah. After the New Covenant was established, paradigm shifts were plenteous. God was no longer located in a particular place (the Holy Place of the Temple). Now, God was placed within His people. Paul said, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God (1 Corinthians 6:19)?” Corresponding to the sacred assembly of the Old Testament, the followers of Christ were instructed to meet together. Paul declares, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…(Hebrews 10:25)” With the emergence of the Church of Jesus, all of the worshipers contributed as a “kingdom of priests.” Paul went on to describe the intricate and connected relationship of the church as a body with many members. Romans 12:5 states, “So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Further, the gathering of Jesus disciples also comes with a promise. Matthew records in chapter 18, verse 20, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." At the institution of the New Covenant four shifts may be noted, among others:
  
  1. God’s Proximity – from a particular place to His “peculiar” people
  2. God’s People – from plebian participants to purposeful priests
  3. God’s Purpose – from the chosen nation to a connected body
  4. God’s Presence – from a prescribed room to a promised relationship
  
  The dramatic changes outlined above necessitate corresponding changes in requirements for worship space. James Empereur suggests, “Good theology and good worship go hand in hand. You can’t ever have one without the other.” Does this also apply to the place we worship? I believe that architectural design and order for the sacred space of Christian worship should reflect our theology. Educator and author Robert Webber asserts that, “Space speaks. Because space speaks, it is important to know what kind of Biblical assumptions regarding the church and its worship should inform the Christian approach to worship space.” Historian, educator and author Marchita Mauck claims, “There is no more legitimate source for the shape of the worship place than the shape of what happens there. (Sacred) actions should shape the worship place so that it, in turn can shape and support and enhance those actions.” Webber goes a step further in saying that, “The architectural space in which worship takes place is a matter of primary importance. The space of worship ultimately shapes the beliefs, sensibilities and understandings of those who worship in its confines.” Winston Churchill understood the power of architecture to speak. He said, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” In summary:
  
  1. Christian Worship and space for worship should be shaped by our theology.
  2. Christian Worship space should be designed to facilitate and enhance the sacred actions of
  the service.
  3. Christian Worship space is formative - space speaks, teaches and reveals our values.
  
  If we follow the formula below to determine the general elements of Christian worship, we may also begin to see the basic needs to be addressed in ordering worship space. Consider the following:
  
  First consideration – The Elements of Christian Worship
  1. Content of Worship = Gospel of Jesus Christ
  2. Structure of Worship = Scriptural four-fold pattern
  - Gathering
  - Word
  -Table
  -Sending Forth
  3. Style of Worship = Contextual
  
  Webber offers the conclusion that, “(Space for worship) needs to reflect the work of salvation, which we celebrate. Therefore, adequate space for gathering, for the hearing of the Word, for the celebration of the Eucharist and for music and the arts that accompany these acts is a priority.”
  
  Second consideration – Placement and prominence reveal our values. Enter the homes of most people and you will see almost immediately what they value most. In many dwellings, generations of family members are pictorially displayed. Antiques, still in use, communicate a legacy of love and an embraced heritage. What the resident holds most dear is revealed to any inquiring guest. Sacred space speaks in a similar way. What then do we value as Christians that might be displayed, and in so doing serve the liturgy, enhance our environment for worship, and communicate what we hold most dear? Consider these possibilities:
  
  1. The Word of God = prominently placed pulpit (a twin peak with the Table)
  2. The Table of the Lord = prominently placed Table (perhaps centrally located for easy access by everyone – should be free of non-symbolic trifles like flowers and miscellaneous gobbledygook – how we treat the Table speaks of our theology of the Table – it is not a coffee table)
  3. The Baptismal Pool = prominently placed – preferably at the entrance of the nave so as to agree with the symbolism that baptism is the initiation into the Body of Christ. (The baptismal pool should never be hidden with a curtain. Allow the waters to speak even when not directly utilized)
  4. The Pews or Chairs = set at a comfortable distance to allow for movement = encouraging participation and a sense of unity (or does it create a sense of attending the theatre as a spectator?)
  5. Acoustics = good ambient sound encourages singing and participation (poor acoustics discourage both)
  6. Other symbols = the cross, the Bible, candles – all speak silently to our values and our theology
  7. Other Arts – as is deemed appropriate by the congregation (stained glass, paintings, banners, etc.) = these may also speak truths we hold dear and wish to communicate
  
  In conclusion, worship can happen at a camp site, or a cathedral. Wherever we worship, space is being utilized. Whether we are in a house church, hut, or a basilica, we worship the Lord in space and time. What should our questions be as we consider creating sacred (set apart) space in our context? Our concerns should include, “Does our use of space agree with our theology, aid in carrying out the service, take into consideration the formative influence of architecture and intentionally appointed worship space, and finally, does it help or hinder our worship?” These questions are worthy of attention so that our sacred space may loudly speak.