Is Worship Incarnational?

What would you say is the most important event in all of history? That’s a fairly easy question. Most Christians would say Jesus’ “Incarnation,” or in other words, His becoming flesh. Expressed in Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension, the Incarnation is the most pivotal event of all time. Theologian Scott Hahn states, “God became flesh. That is literally the central event in history.” John 1:14 records, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” In verse one we read that, “the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The importance of the Incarnation of Christ has been summarized in one sentence by Saint Athanasius (297-373 AD). He said, “(Jesus) became what we are in order that we might become as He is.” Few Church Fathers have more credibility on this topic than Athanasius who played a key role in battling the great heretic, Arius (256-336 AD). Arius claimed that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were creatures. Athanasius was used of God during the council of Nicaea to put forth language that has helped solidify our understanding of the Trinity, a concept under serious attack in 325 AD. Athanasius proposed terminology, embraced by the council, stating that Jesus was “con-substantial” with the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created. Indeed, Jesus came to earth as the God-man. The Word became flesh.

As Christians, is our Sacred Assembly “Incarnational?” Does Jesus come to us in worship? Hans Urs von Balthasar suggests that in our worship, “The Word becomes more and more flesh, and the flesh becomes more and more Word.” How can this be? Jesus came to earth two-thousand years ago and ascended to the Father after His passion. He is at the right hand of the Father. How then can our worship be Incarnational?” And, how can we, who are flesh, become more and more Word?

In a previous article we discovered that our Sacred Assembly is for the purpose of Covenant renewal. Covenants create families. Our worship helps us remember the story of God’s redemptive acts on our behalf and how we become sons and daughters of God within the covenant relationship.

In the Old Testament, covenant renewal consisted of hearing again the word and revisiting the sign of the covenant – usually a sacrifice or a meal. Likewise, by hearing the word and sharing the sign, we actualize the sacred actions that have effected our status before God. Physically and spiritually we are swept into and participate sacramentally in the narrative of salvation history. By the re-presentation of the Word inspired – the written record of this narrative, and the Word made flesh – experienced at the Table of the Lord, Christ's incarnation is re-presented and experienced anew. As Jesus offers Himself to us, we are drawn deeper into Him.

Several New Testament passages clearly indicate the Incarnational Presence of Christ as found at His Table. In 1 Corinthians 10:16, Paul teaches us that the bread we break and the cup for which we offer thanks are our "participation in the Body and Blood of Jesus."

1 Corinthians 11:29 strongly pronounces the reality of Christ’s presence with us at the Table. “For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.” According to Paul, because a number of the Corinthians had not rightly discerned Jesus' body and blood at the Table, they were weak, sick and some had died. This seems rather outlandish if Communion is merely symbolic!

Luke 24 further illustrates that we can “know Him in the breaking of the bread.” Jesus Himself said, as recorded in John 6:55, “For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” The word John uses for flesh (sarx) is the same word used to describe the Incarnation in John 1.

When we come the Table of the Lord, Jesus becomes more and more real, more and more personal to us. Indeed, "Word becomes more and more flesh." And, as we feast on the Word made flesh, we recognize, rightly discern and participate in the body and blood of Jesus. John 6 says that when we eat His body and drink His blood, we abide in Him and He abides in us. In that sense, Balthazar was correct. “Flesh becomes more and more Word.”

This kind of thinking is quite foreign to many evangelical worshipers. I wonder what would happen to us if we were to embrace this kind of Incarnational thinking. If we truly believed that we would experience the Lord in our gatherings, we would long to assemble, arrive early, expect incredible things, and never miss. Sadly, on any given Sunday, of the 16.2 million Southern Baptists on the roles, only 6.5 million can be found in services of worship. We need a new way of thinking…no, we need an ancient way of thinking…Incarnational thinking.

Christianity – Can You See The Elephant?

Have you ever attended a meeting in which an issue desperately needed to be discussed? But, for some reason, the cause of greatest consternation and turbulence was taboo. All of the participants sit at the table avoiding the one issue that weighs most heavily on their hearts. This “elephant in the room” is an obvious distraction, but no one will acknowledge its existence.

Does such an issue exist for the Church? There are many challenges for the Church today, but there is one that seems most troublesome to me. The issue is the unity of the Body of Christ. As I have talked to my brothers and sisters about the divisions that exist, they seem quite satisfied that this is the way God intended for things to be. Despite this common view, the Scriptures teach quite clearly that unity is not an option for the family of faith. 1 Corinthians 1:10 states, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” This teaching does not seem ambiguous in the least. Yet, when I ask cherished Christian friends if the various denominations are within God’s plan for His church, they often respond, “Yes. We are separate because we do not agree with others in: Scriptural interpretation, Church polity, the sacraments/ordinances, administration of missions, etc.” There seems to be a certain satisfaction at ecclesial segregation. But the words, let there be “no divisions among you,” come rushing back condemning our smugness at what is an obvious departure from God’s intent.

Ephesians 4:4-6 contains seven statements concerning the unity of the Church. Paul writes that, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Do these non-negotiable statements of fact compel us to seek unity with our brothers and sisters in the faith?

Last week the choirs from Anchor Baptist Church and Tates Creek Presbyterian Church joined forces to sing at the memorial service for a young marine who heroically lost his life defending the country he loved. The singers had thirty minutes to work together in preparation for the service. Given this common purpose around which to agree, those whose understanding of baptism and predestination differ so dramatically were able to overcome divergent views. Their voices blended into a symphony of sound that honored the Lord and showed us all what the Church could look and sound like.

Ephesians 4:1 begins with Paul begging believers to, “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Last Saturday this truth was lived by two choirs who became one. What is the cause that might unite the family of faith now so divided? Jesus shares the transcendent cause for unity in His "High Priestly Prayer." John 17:20 and following record Jesus as saying, "I pray...for those who believe in me...that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in me and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

Is this a real concern? Can you see the elephant?

Trinity - It's All About Family

How important is your family to you? For many, nothing compares to the importance of family. This is not by happenstance. You see, we were created in the image of God. What does this have to do with family? Consider that God is the perfect family. As Father, Son and Holy Spirit co-exist in perfect tri-unity (trinity), so they impart to us the desire for closeness within family. To see this rightly is to recognize that our families are made in the likeness of the perfect divine family - the Trinity.

As God created Adam and Eve, He established a cosmic covenant and a marriage covenant between them. “The two shall become one flesh”. They were instructed to be fruitful and multiply. The family on earth was born in union with the perfect Triune family and lived in dominion over and harmony with creation. They were full of grace. What happened? Adam and Eve failed to obey their heavenly Father, and consequently, they forfeited the fullness of grace and perfection. They died spiritually.

But, all was not lost because God had a plan. God desired to reconcile with fallen humanity - now empty of familial grace. He offered protection and a relationship to Noah in a family covenant. God expanded the covenant relationship, establishing a tribal covenant with Abraham and his family tree. He further augmented the covenant to a nation in Moses. The covenant grew to a kingdom in David. Finally, the covenant reached its full redemptive potential in Jesus. In Christ, the original marriage and cosmic covenants established in the garden are restored. Jesus extends God’s redemption to everyone. Through His atoning death and resurrection, Jesus brings victory over sin, death and hell. As we participate in corporate worship (sacred assembly) each Sunday, let us remember that through Jesus we can again share in the nature of the Trinity. 2 Peter 1:4 says, “He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world…” John 17:20-21 records Jesus praying, "I pray also for those who will believe in me...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us..." It really is all about family - an eternal family that includes all of us who are in Christ.

Trick question - who else in the Scriptures is said to be, "Full of Grace"?

Weekly Communion?

An insightful participant in a recent worship class asked a question pertaining to last months’ blog submission. "If we are to see the Passover as an example of the Sacred Assembly with the covenant renewal components of Word and Sign, and if that remembrance is annual, why then is the Christian Sacred Assembly every week?" This is a marvelous question. Allow me to offer some possibilities and let me know what you think.

First, consider Luke 24. On Resurrection Sunday, Cleopas and the other disciple sat down with Jesus at the table. They were completely unaware of who He was. When He followed the “institution narrative” formula for breaking the bread, (He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave to them) “their eyes were opened,” and later they said that they, “knew Him in the breaking of the bread.” How interesting that at the very moment they recognized Him in the bread, He disappeared from them bodily. Could it be that Jesus was helping them and us to understand that it is at His Table and in the bread that we will now “rightly discern the Body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:29)?

Second, Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 5:7 "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, therefore let us keep the feast..." This feast is the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist. Twenty years before Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, at the birth of the church, Acts 2:42 indicates that the people dedicated themselves to the "apostles teaching" (fellowship, prayer) and "breaking bread." Breaking bread, a euphemism for the Lord's Supper, would have been celebrated in the context of an agape feast. This was their practice each time they met – which according to verse 46 was daily. Perhaps the Lord’s admonition to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” coincides. Moving on, note the two early church documents below that sound very similar to Acts 2 and demonstrate a weekly celebration.

The Didache' (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) was written at the same time as the Scriptures and was widely read in worship in the first century. "Concerning the Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day,” Didache' has this to say in Chapter 14: But every Lord's Day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: 'In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.'" (quoting Malachi 1:11)

Further, Justin Martyr wrote in his First Defense chapter 67, "And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given, and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons."

Acts 20:7 also underscores Sunday as the day to gather. "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread."

These passages reveal that the Christians gathered to celebrate the Christian Passover feast, every Sunday. In Christ, the Hebrew Passover has been translated from a yearly remembrance of the Exodus out of Egypt, to a daily or weekly remembrance (anamnesis) of the New Covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20). Jesus brings deliverance from bondage to sin, death and hell through His resurrection. Given that Sunday was the day of the resurrection, it stands to reason that the Christian Assembly, complete with the Word and Table – the two components of Covenant renewal –would take place on that most blessed day.

A Scriptural Definition of Worship (Sacred Assembly)

How important is the Sunday Assembly of God’s worshipers? Hebrews 10:25 contains this admonition, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Apparently the writer of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, thought the Sunday assembly was very important. Most of us have a strong sense that Sunday worship is vital.

There are others who are not so convinced. Christians have come up with many angles to diminish the significance of gathering on Sundays. Some may ask, "Can’t we worship anywhere? Why, we can worship out in nature, you know, fishing or playing golf, can’t we?" Or, perhaps you have heard, “I don’t need the weekly thing, because for me, worship is an every day thing; it is a way of life.”

Others are faithful in their attendance but do not understand the purpose of Sunday gatherings. Many believe worship should entertain them. Others believe they should be inspired. Still others believe worship should put them in a euphoric spiritual state so that they may truly “experience” the Lord. Others desire a practical lesson on some Biblical topic that concerns them. What do we say to address these lines of thinking? In this article I hope to offer a Scriptural response to these misconceptions.

What makes worshiping corporately so important to us as the family of God? Well, the reason we assemble on Sunday for corporate worship may be quite different than you have heard, or that pop culture’s worship proponents would have you believe. Where do we find the answer? Let’s turn to God’s Word and explore the Scriptural definition of corporate worship? By doing so we may avoid defining our worship by preconceived misconceptions, man made traditions, or by the latest trends. And I pray that we will be more committed to worshiping God with His people as we gather each Sunday morning.

If we are going to get this right, to really define our Sunday gatherings Scripturally, we need to go back to the beginning. Let’s consider God's brilliant plan. Throughout the Scriptures God has instituted covenants with mankind. Covenants unite people in relationships - "I will be your God, and you will be my people." Marriage is a covenant. Like marriage, Scriptural covenants create new family bonds. They differ from contracts in that contracts include a transfer of goods or services for a price. Covenants create family. God’s ever expanding covenants began with Adam and Eve as a marriage covenant, then Noah as a family covenant, Abraham as a tribal covenant, Moses as a national covenant, David as a kingdom covenant, and finally, all of the covenants culminate in the New Covenant initiated by the redemptive work of Jesus. This New Covenant is cosmic in scope and encompasses all of creation as it ushers in the new heavens and the new earth. Even now all of creation groans for this. Further, the New Covenant unites to God those of us who are in Christ regardless of our nationality.

Hebrew Covenants typically had two components. First, the expectations of the covenant were clearly spelled out. If these imperatives were followed there were prescribed blessings. If these requirements were not followed, curses would result.

After the word of the Covenant was agreed to, the second component occurred. A sacred sign was instituted. Usually the two parties would take part in a sacrifice and/or they would share a meal together. Did you get that – They read the word and shared a meal – thus agreeing to and sealing the covenant. As an example, consider the Passover. God spelled out what he expected of the Children of Israel. They were to find a first born lamb without blemish, sacrifice him, eat all of him, and apply his blood to their doorposts. The word came, the people complied with a sacrifice, a meal, and the application of the life saving blood of the covenant. The result was the Exodus of God’s people – deliverance from captivity.

At appointed times, the sacred word would be revisited by both parties in the relationship. Why? In order to remember the covenant, the Word would be brought out and read, then, following the Word, the sign of the covenant – the sacrifice or meal - would be shared again to re-present and re-commit both parties to the covenant. This kind of active remembrance helped generation after generation to experience the Exodus as if they were there – as they celebrated the feast and ate the Lamb – they reconnected with the central event in their history.

Now we arrive at the answer to our quest. As we have noted, in the Old Testament, the official name of the meeting held to renew the covenant was called The Qahal Yahweh, or The Sacred Assembly of God. It is from this term that we derive the word Ecclesia which means Church. Are you ready? Here, then, is the definition we have sought. When we gather as the Sacred Assembly – the Church – we are renewing or recommitting to the New Covenant. Our Sunday worship gathering is for the purpose of covenant renewal. Remember the two covenant components? They are the word of the covenant and the Sign of the covenant. The Word of God, expressed as the Gospel, should be read every time we gather. The Gospel should be the content of our Sunday morning assembly.

After the Word is read and we are re-introduced to God’s provision and prescription for faithfully living as His children, then the sign of the covenant should follow. What is the sign of the New Covenant? Jesus gives us the answer. The New Covenant, Jesus says, is “in my blood”. Jesus shed His blood on the cross "once and for all." How do we participate in this sign? Paul gives us that answer. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 he says that the bread we break and the cup over which we say thanks is our participation in the body and blood of Christ. At the Table we actively remember Calvary’s Cross and the atoning work of Jesus.

Paul also called Jesus “our Passover Lamb…sacrificed for us.” This Old Testament typology should inform our understanding of the Lord’s Table today. Also, consider John 6, which contains unmistakable Eucharistic language informing us about the life giving power of Jesus' body and blood. Verse 53 states, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Jesus states this truth more positively in verse 54. “Whosever eats the flesh of the Son of man and drinks His blood has eternal life and I will raise Him up at the last day.” This admonition sounds amazingly similar to the instructions given those poised for the Exodus out of Egypt. Exodus 12:5,8 and 10 states, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male…eat the flesh that night…and you shall let none of it remain…” All of this adds up to an active remembrance (anamnesis) that helps us participate in the “once and for all” sacrifice of Jesus. Like generations of God’s chosen people related to coming out of Egypt, our covenant renewal reconnects us with the Christian Exodus - out of bondage to sin, death and hell. Our Exodus is bound up in the passion of Christ. And the Lord makes a way for us to participate in this past event each Sunday at His Table. How are we to understand this? Can God give us a way to participate in a past event? "With God all things are possible." This is God's plan for us to share in the sign of the covenant - the cross of Jesus. At His Table, we recommit and reconnect to the covenant relationship we are so blessed to share. Yes, this is a profound mystery - but one for which we should be very grateful.

There it is. Our Sunday gathering is all about covenant renewal – God’s people with their gracious God – actively remembering through Word and Table…this is the sacred assembly of God’s people. And in this gathering we not only hear again, but we participate in the central event in our history and we join in the sweep of salvation history. That's so much better than considering "ten ways to balance your check book", or a slice into the sand trap for a double bogey. See you Sunday!

Learning to "Type": The Ark of the Covenant

As promised, here is article one focused on typologies. This particular one is fascinating to me and I have yet to fully consider its ramifications. So, here we go...

Is it possible that the Ark of the Covenant is a typology that foreshadows Mary, the blessed mother of Jesus? Consider the following Scriptural parallels and let me know what you think.

As recorded in 2 Samuel 6:1, the Ark of the Covenant traveled to the house of Obed-edom in the hill country of Judea. Verse 9 offers David’s reaction to the appearance of the Ark. David says, “Who am I that the ark of the LORD should come to me?" Verses 14 and 15 record that David danced in front of the ark and everyone shouted. According to verse 12, the house of Obed-edom and his family were blessed by the presence of the Ark. Finally, verse 11 indicates that the Ark remained in the house Obed-edom for three months.

Compare the Old Testament scene above to the New Testament scene below.

As recorded in Luke 1:39, Mary traveled to the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah in the hill country of Judea. Verse 43 offers Elizabeth’s reaction to the appearance of Mary. Elizabeth says, “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Verses 41 and 42 record that John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb and that Elizabeth shouted in a loud voice in Mary’s presence. Verses 39-45 have the word “blessed” three times. According to verse 56, Mary remained in the home of Elizabeth and Zechariah for three months.

Are these similarities merely coincidence, or are we to deduct that Mary may be the New Testament Ark of the Covenant?

Consider further what was contained in the original Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:2-4), compared to what Mary carried in her womb. Within the ark were the tablets representing God’s Law, or God’s Word. Within Mary was the “Word made flesh” (John 1:1). Within the ark was manna. Within Mary was the “bread sent down from heaven” (John 6:51). Within the ark was Aaron’s Rod – a priestly rod used to help God’s people escape bondage from Egypt. Within Mary is our high priest who helps us escape the bondage of sin and death. (Hebrews 10:19-23).

Can these things be dismissed as mere chance?

Finally, let’s examine Revelation 11:19, “Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.” This had to be impressive to the average first century congregations reading this for the first time. The Ark had been hidden for hundreds of years. They were, no doubt, waiting with baited breath for the next verse. After some thunder and lightning, the ark is revealed. As an aside, because there were not chapter or verse numbers in the original manuscripts, chapter 11 flows right into chapter 12. And then, it was revealed, “A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant… She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.”

Given the fulfilled typologies above, it is not a stretch to see Revelation 11:19 through the beginning of chapter 12 as displaying the Ark of the Covenant as Mary – the mother of the one who would “rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” This is revealed in chapter 19 to be none other than the rider on the white horse.

Alright, there is the first typology. It is, perhaps, a bit controversial. Let me know what you think of this!

Learning to "Type"

Several years ago a prominent church growth expert from Nashville told me that the Old Testament does not matter anymore to the New Testament Church. What an amazing statement. His low regard for O.T. Scripture is far from an anomaly. It seems that the pragmatic church of relevant application is attracted to the easily apprehended aspects of Scripture more than the demanding "in depth" stuff. Exploring the recesses of shadowy Hebrew texts is untenable compared to the handy "how to" or "do and don't" lists found in the Pauline epistles. If we are looking for "self help" material in the Scriptures, there is good information to be found there. But, the Scriptures contain a depth that few who are content scratching the surface ever find.

I have suggested previously that the commentaries written by the Fathers of the Early Church may serve as a key to correct interpretation of the Scriptures. I further offered that the Tradition of the Church, commended by Paul, is also important in this regard. Allow me to suggest another Early Church method for understanding the sacred texts. St. Augustine claimed that "the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old is fulfilled in the New." In other words, one may best read the Scriptures with both Testaments opened. While on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24), Jesus utilized this very technique in teaching His confused companions. "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." As He shared from the Old Testament, they began to understand the New Testament unfolding all around them...and their hearts "burned within them."

Utilizing this method to unlock the riches of God's plan of salvation history reveals many instances of foreshadowing, prefiguring, or "typology". Theologian and educator Scott Hahn describes a type as, "..a real person, place, thing, or event in the Old Testament that foreshadows something greater in the New Testament."

My next few articles will deal with some of the major typologies found in the the Old Testament that find their fulfillment in the New. What typologies have you found in your studies? Do you find this discipline of Scriptural interpretation valuable in your understanding of God's Word? I am looking forward to your input!