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.

Are You Positive That Tradition is Negative?

Several months ago I observed the tearing down of an 89 year old church building to make way for a fast food restaurant. For generations, white columns distinctively supported the gabled entrance of the stately red brick edifice. It had withstood World War I, World War II, most of the tumultuous twentieth century, and the emergence of the postmodern era out of the ashes of the modern. What was the reason for her demise? This sacred space appears to have fallen prey to the pursuit of profit. "‘It's a sad thing for me,’ said one longtime member… ‘I was married there and I was baptized there, and my two kids were baptized there and both of them were married there. It's just been a big part of my life.’”[1] Hamburgers and fries will now be dispensed where faith was once formed.

This scenario has become quite normative for us. We live amongst a people who tend to value expediency and efficiency more than transcendence and timelessness. In fact, traditions are held in contempt by many who believe progress depends on jettisoning the past. Even the Church, in many instances, has turned her back on a rich heritage in favor of timely trends and progressive programs designed to reach the masses. Unfortunately, in attempting to super-size the church, some have given in to the same marketing strategies that have rendered almost everything dispensable. Christian symbols have been removed from "worship space" in favor of non-threatening theatre-like environments. Even the Christian message of dying to self and finding life in Christ have given way to the more comfortable message of self-fulfillment. In the mean time, our sense of historical perspective has been compromised. One minister of music was recently asked if her church sang any of the old songs. She said, “Yes, of course. We even sing a couple of songs that are two or three years old.” Despite the shift in values, there are stalwarts who still ascribe to the well worn paths. Churches espousing tradition, however, are often viewed as unbending, ancient, and out of touch.

Should we be so positive that tradition is a negative? In a day when meals in a sack are ordered by number, songs are considered oldies after a few months and most things are designed to be disposable, including church buildings, what traditions could possibly be relevant?

Christian author and clergyman David Bercot claims that, “Scripture speaks of two types of tradition: human tradition and apostolic tradition. On the one hand, Christians are warned not to be deceived by the ‘tradition of men.’ On the other hand, Christians are commanded to ‘keep the traditions as I have delivered them to you’ (1 Cor. 11:2).[2] Acts 2:42 records that the Church dedicated itself to “the Apostles’ teaching.” In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Paul says, “Therefore, brothers, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” Before the New Testament existed, this Tradition or standard of faith was being disseminated throughout the Churches.

What was this God given tradition taught by the Apostles through their spoken word and writings? Professor and author D.H. Williams claims that 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 is, “Paul’s outlined version of the tradition.” It is concise and stunningly simple: “that Christ died, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day.”[3] Where did the tradition come from if not the Scriptures? The tradition stated here was standard fare in the early Church before an authoritative canon of Scripture was established. Out of the life of the Church and her worship came the kerygma (the Word proclaimed). These teachings were based on the eye witness accounts of the Apostles. Christian author and scholar Robert Webber sees the Tradition expressed in the kerygma as containing these basic elements:

1. The prophecies of a coming Messiah were fulfilled in Christ’s incarnation
2. Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead
3. He has ascended into heaven and will return to earth to judge all evil
4. Repent, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit
5. The Church is the new “people of God”[4]

So then, the tradition that has been handed down to us is the Gospel narrative – from prophecy to incarnation, passion, resurrection, ascension, culmination and Kingdom. Christian churches must espouse these truths, or cease to be authentic. This is the tradition we must hold on to without compromise. Cultural characteristics come and go as do buildings. Sadly, the church building that was torn down reveals our ease at dismissing the past. But, if the real Church is to remain faithful to the Lord, we must live out the Gospel narrative (dying to ourselves and being raised in Christ), and then pass to the generations coming behind us the transforming truth about God’s love expressed in Jesus. We must erect our lives and Churches on God’s transcendent tradition, that is, on the solid Rock, the Cornerstone. And then commit ourselves to “being built into a Spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5), that will never be torn down. If we are so inclined, we will truly be “the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The wrecking ball of cultural paradigm shifts, nor the gates of Hell will ever prevail against it!

[1] Lexington Herald Leader, September 7, 2006.
[2] David Bercot, “A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs” (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1998), 646.
[3] D. H. Williams, “Evangelicals and Tradition” (Baker Academic Publishing Co., 2005), 58-59.
[4] Robert Webber, “Renew Your Worship” (Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), 55.

The Scripturally Prescribed Structure of Christian Worship

After a recent meeting in which the Biblically prescribed structure for worship was discussed (four-fold pattern) , one of those participating e-mailed me several insightful questions. The following is one of the questions posed and my response. Robert Webber's classic "Worship Old and New" was consulted in preparing the answers.

Question: If “worship” encompasses all we do on Sunday mornings (We gather, we hear the Word, we share the meal [quarterly…that’s another story], we go forth to live and tell), where or how does the other more fundamental pattern of Biblical worship fit in? The pattern that is found in the worship of Abel (Gen 4.4), Abraham (Gen 22.5), Job (Job 1.20-21), David (Ps 96.7-9), Isaiah (Is 6), Paul’s instructions to the churches (1 Cor 13.25-26), and John’s depiction of the throne room of heaven (Rev 4).


Response: There is a difference between individual worship such as the offerings of Cain and Abel or Abraham and Isaac, and corporate worship – that is the Assembly of God’s people (qahal Yahweh). Robert Webber Claims that the Old Testament image that best reveals this concept is the gathering of Israel at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1-8). Note the elements of the four-fold pattern of worship here. 1. God convened the meeting with the Israelites. The people gathered and fulfilled specific responsibilities – but all of them were participants in the event. 2. God’s Word was proclaimed to them. 3. The people responded to the Word of God by accepting the conditions of the covenant – and this is ratified by a dramatic symbol which served to seal the agreement – the sprinkling of blood. 4. God’s covenant with Israel is established and they become His people. In this and other Old Testament passages we observe God’s requirement that a blood sacrifice be offered – this is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrificial death and our participation in that death at the Lord’s Table and in Baptism (1 Corinthians 10:16, Romans 6:1-5). Nehemiah 8 also contains the pattern – the people gather in the town square, the Law is brought out and read by Ezra, the people have a feast and then go out to live the renewed covenant.

In Christian worship we follow the same pattern. We gather, hear God’s Word, accept God’s terms by responding at the invitation or by taking the cup which ratifies the New Covenant in His blood, and then, ostensibly, we go forth to live as God’s People. This connection is thrilling to me. Worship that is ordered like this is following God’s prescription from the very beginning.

Quick aside: Did you see the Nativity movie that was recently released? There was a key moment in the movie that applies to our discussion. Joseph seeks Mary to be His bride. He, therefore, asks Mary’s father for her hand in marriage. There is a very important gathering of Joseph, Mary and her parents. The terms or words of the covenant are proclaimed to her. The all important moment comes when she is offered the cup. If she drinks it, the covenant is agreed to. If she does not, the arrangement falls apart. She does drink the cup and they go out of the meeting to live within the ratified covenant. What an amazing parallel to Christian worship and the four-fold pattern - and most vividly, Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper. In this act He is proposing to His bride. Note His words, “This is the New Covenant in my blood…” – a covenant is a legally binding relationship. Note also in John 6, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whosoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise Him up at the last day.” The Lord’s Supper may be seen as our participation in the covenant to be the Bride of Christ. INCREDIBLE!! And what does the Lord’s Supper pre-figure? It is nothing other than the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. GOOSEBUMPS!!! I love the depth of these theological consistencies in God’s design.

Other passages worth considering are Acts 2:41-44, and Luke 24:13-35. Also note the evidence of this four-fold pattern in the very early church. About 155 A.D., Justin Martyr wrote in his First Apology, 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.
Note the pattern in these New Testament passages and early Church document:

Gathering: (Acts 2 - Christians gathered), (Luke 24 - Disciples and Jesus gather), (First Apology 67 - Christians gathered)


Word: (Acts 2 - Apostles Teaching), (Luke 24 - He opened the Scriptures), (First Apology 67 - Read memoirs of Apostles)


Table: (Acts 2 - Breaking of Bread), (Luke 24 - Broke the Bread), (First Apology 67 - Bread and wine are brought)


Sending Forth: (Acts 2 - Living in One Accord), (Luke 24 - Ran to tell others), (First Apology 67 - Went out to serve others)


Why is this pattern more significant in the shaping of our worship than Isaiah’s vision in chapter 6:1-8? Because that passage reveals Isaiah’s experience and it is not repeated anywhere else in the Scriptures. By definition a one time experience is not a pattern. It is not the qahal Yahweh - the assembly of God’s People. What we do see there is a glimpse of heavenly worship in which the “Holy, Holy, Holy” is being sung. The early Church sang this heavenly text during Communion every week. They believed that at the Lord’s Supper a convergence of heaven and earth took place. At the Table they were spiritually whisked to heaven where they joined the angels, archangels and saints of all the ages around the throne. The Sursum Corda is used to this day in many churches as a preface to Communion. It can be dated to 215 and Hippolytus writing, The Apostolic Tradition. The responsive reading narrates what the church believed was happening to them as they were transported into heavenly worship.

Presider: The Lord be with you.
People: And with your spirit (or And also with you).
Presider: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the Lord (or We have them with the Lord).

Clearly, heavenly glimpses from Isaiah and Revelation have impacted earthly worship. This contribution notwithstanding, it is the four-fold pattern's unparalleled repetition that supports its use as the blueprint for structuring Christian worship.

This pattern for worship has been evident throughout the Old Testament, the New Testament, Church history and is practiced around the world today. I believe it is God’s prescribed pattern for our worship and any other pattern seems far less obvious in the Scriptures.

Webber summarizes it this way, “One can study the history of worship from the early Church to the present and discover, without exception, that Sunday worship has always been characterized by these four acts.” I disagree with Dr. Webber here only slightly. Some of today’s contemporary churches have jettisoned any semblance of Biblical or historical pattern.

Note the shifts and turns through the years. Webber points out that the early Church had underdeveloped gathering and sending forth liturgies, the medieval period nearly lost the ministry of the Word, the Reformation nearly dismissed the Table (Zwingli), in the age of reason, the enlightenment, worship moved from experiential to cognitive, from pageant to lecture, and sanctuaries became auditoriums so people could sit and listen. The great awakening and revival movements replaced the Table with the invitation, and today, many churches reinvent the wheel every Sunday for the sake of being creative. There is little or no connection to a Scriptural pattern. There is also no appreciation for heritage or history. I believe that we should reclaim the Scriptural integrity of the Biblical four-fold pattern.

Is Supper Ready?

Most children have probably experienced something like the following scenario. Do you remember sitting and fidgeting at the table while mom scurried around the kitchen preparing the evening meal. Every fifteen seconds we would impatiently inquire, “Is supper ready yet?” In gentle tones initially, she would respond, “You’ll just have to wait.” For most of us, waiting is not our favorite thing to do. As the smells grew more and more alluring, our stomachs would begin to growl like an inbred Doberman backed into a corner. The wait would become unbearable. Many of us gave in to temptation and resorted to plan B. We would clandestinely disappear into the food pantry and look for anything edible to assuage our burgeoning hunger pangs. In that moment of famished panic, we would eat things that normally wouldn’t appeal to a stray cat on life nine. Pickles, croutons, Chinese noodles and saltine crackers suddenly looked like Thanksgiving dinner. Raisins became more than medicine as we stuffed handfuls into our puffing cheeks. And then, our dreams were suddenly realized. We stumbled across a gold mine. Behind the cans of spinach and green beans was the treasure. In the shadows, a jumbo sized Hershey’s Chocolate bar appeared. The entrée was served and in seconds the 12 ounces of rich milk chocolate became a mere masticated memory. Once we were completely full of this self procured alternate cuisine, it was then that mom called out, “Okay kids, supper’s ready!” Ever so slowly to the table we would mope. There we would guiltily sit, with stomachs crammed full. All we could do was look askance at the real feast wondering why it didn’t seem so special after all. Our impatience had driven us to settle for that which was far less satisfying. And in the end, we missed the best meal of the day. Many churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper on Christmas Eve. I wonder if we will truly be prepared to welcome the King as He seeks to take up residence within each of us. Or will the significance of the meal elude us because we have genuflected at the world’s altar instead?

Point 1 – Note how this pattern of impatience played out as Jesus' prophesied birth came to pass. The Hebrews knew of the promised Messiah and were asked to wait patiently and prepare. Because they went to plan B, desiring a Messiah of their own design, they missed the true Messiah when He did appear.

Point 2 – During the season of Advent we are called to patiently prepare our hearts -to look back in celebration of Christ’s first coming and to look ahead to His second coming. Sadly, many of us go to plan B. Our focus is not on the Christ of Christmas – and making room within our hearts for Him, but rather our attention is on the dollars to be made or the gifts to be gained. We gorge ourselves on the secular view of the season, while the significance of Christ’s sacrifice is, at best, secondary.

Point 3 – When we come to the Lord’s Table, we are called upon to participate in the Body and Blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16), we are told to rightly discern or recognize the Body of Christ as we partake at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:29). Further, we are taught that at this Table we can truly know Him in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24). Yet, for many of us, we turn to plan B. Rather than participate with Christ in His cross by dying to ourselves, or really recognizing and knowing our precious Savior and thereby being renewed and transformed, we take what we want, commit only as long as we are comfortable, and allow ourselves to be changed on our own terms. Perhaps this is why we are told to examine ourselves before we experience the Lord’s Supper. Plan B participants gorge themselves on the things of the world and have no room for Spiritual food. Sadly, they may be missing the best meal ever prepared. Ignatius, the first century Christian leader called this feast “the medicine of immortality.”

Conclusion: Next week Advent begins – a four week period of waiting patiently for the celebration of Christmas. May we not so much count the shopping days left till Christmas, as we anticipate and reorient our lives to welcome Jesus.

As we come to His Table, I pray that we have not so filled ourselves with the things of the world that we can not appreciate the sacrifice made to provide us with this bountiful spiritual feast central to our Christmas Eve service of worship. Jesus says to us, "This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." Supper will be ready! How about you?