Truth is ancient; it's grey hairs may make it venerable;
it comes from Him who is the ancient of days. --Thomas Watson

 

6 September, 2005   comments: (0) Today's Worship   'Old' Worship Was God-Centered Andy Stanley (son of TV preacher Charles Stanley), has released a new book designed to help you determine your style of worship. There's even an online "what's your worship style?" questionnaire that goes with the book. Similarly, Rick Warren's Saddleback mega-church invites you to bring a coffee into (your choice of) any of their worship style venues, including: Overdrive (rock concert style worship), Ohana (Hula worship with a "luau" after the service), and Country (country music with line dancing). With all of this modern emphasis on what's best for you in worship, perhaps it would be useful to consider some historical contrast from centuries gone by. Aaron Menikoff gives us a couple of examples that demonstrate how church leaders defined worship priorities in past centuries: William Cunningham, in the 19th century, argued that Scripture's self-attestation as the sufficient and perfect rule of faith and practice applied to the practices of the church services and, as a result, he made the strong conclusion that the Biblical arguments in their entirety were, "quite sufficient to shut out the lawfulness of introducing the inventions of men into the government and worship of the Christian Church." In other words, he said Scripture leads us to believe that methodological flexibility is not appropriate when it comes to corporate worship. It should be noted that the heart of Cunningham's point is a commitment to the Word of God. He writes, "The great source of error in religious matters is that men do not fully and honestly take the Word of God as their rule and standard." Nonetheless, if Cunningham's position seems too stringent, we should recognize that there was disagreement within the Puritan camp over this very issue; for example, John Hooper, a Bible expositor of the 16th century, wrote: Nothing should be used in the Church which has not either the express Word of God to support it, or otherwise is a thing indifferent in itself, which brings no profit when done or used, but no harm when not done or omitted. Read the incredible story of John Hooper's death. In introducing the notion of a "thing indifferent" Hooper shows the importance of Christian prudence. First of all, a "thing indifferent" he argues, must have an origin and foundation in Scripture. Second, it must be neither commanded by Scripture nor prohibited by it. It should be something "to use or not to use, as shall seem useful or otherwise to the conscience of the person using it." Third, its utility for the church must be apparent and fourth, it must be established with "evangelical tolerance and freedom, not with a violent tyranny." So, where Cunningham practically shuts the door on methodological flexibility, Hooper seems to leave it slightly ajar - so long as the methods practiced have a clear root in the Word of God. While Hooper and Cunningham were not concerned about drama and contemporary music, theatre seats and topical sermons, their thoughtful discussions regarding Scripture's role in establishing the parameters of a corporate worship service is largely missing from church's today. Perhaps most interesting to our 21st century ears is the fact that Hooper and Cunningham were not primarily interested in what results a corporate service might produce. Their ultimate concern was that all that the church would do would be faithful and honoring to the God of the Universe who revealed the Book that formed the church. We need to be reminded that hundreds of years ago, church servants like Hooper and Cunningham were concerned with where the "methodological flexibility" of man would take the church. Read more of Aaron Menikoff examination of historic worship, entitled "Loving Questions for Pastors of Seeker-Sensitive Churches". Ingrid Schlueter from Slice Of Laodicea recommends this excellent audio sermon from Pastor Alan Cairns entitled "Christ-Centered Worship". Hear it (free) over the internet: http://sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=8140511458 Posted by: Jim B.   Link: http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.43   Be the first to post a comment about this article        Home  |   About  |  Videos   |  Calvinism