Book Recommendation: What Happens When We Worship
Every so often a book warrants the thought in my mind, “I wish I would have written this book.” Such is the case with What… Read More »Book Recommendation: What Happens When We Worship
liturgy
God Speaks, We Respond
Last week we noticed the dialogical structure of worship manifest in the terms “spirit” and “truth” in John 4. So let’s unpack this two-part, dialogical… Read More »God Speaks, We Respond
The Authority of Scripture over the Order of Corporate Worship
Last week I discussed implications of the doctrine of Scripture’s authority over our corporate worship, and I suggest that it involves at least three aspects:… Read More »The Authority of Scripture over the Order of Corporate Worship
Scripture-Formed Worship
Our task as churches is to make disciples, and this happens when we use the Word of God to shape the minds and hearts of… Read More »Scripture-Formed Worship
The Nature and Purpose of Corporate Worship: Order, Not Disorder
Sometimes people comment that the New Testament gives us very little instruction regarding corporate worship, but this is not true. There are many NT passages… Read More »The Nature and Purpose of Corporate Worship: Order, Not Disorder
Decent and Orderly Worship: The Context
“Our church’s worship is pretty formal, but I prefer Holy Spirit-led worship.” Such was the comment I overheard recently by a young evangelical describing his… Read More »Decent and Orderly Worship: The Context
Facing the Cross: A Service of Scripture and Song
One of the things I’m going to miss most (among many!) during this unusual season when our church can’t gather is our annual “Facing the… Read More »Facing the Cross: A Service of Scripture and Song
Episode 7 of By the Waters of Bablyon Podcast: The Reformation of Worship
This week we celebrate the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, a subject I address in this most recent episode of my podcast. In this episode,… Read More »Episode 7 of By the Waters of Bablyon Podcast: The Reformation of Worship
Episode 6 of “By the Waters of Babylon” Podcast Now Available: “The Theo-Logic of Biblical Worship”
I have posted episode 6 of my new podcast, “By the Waters of Babylon.” You can listen here. In this episode, I trace the pattern… Read More »Episode 6 of “By the Waters of Babylon” Podcast Now Available: “The Theo-Logic of Biblical Worship”
Orderly Worship
While the New Testament does not contain any examples or prescriptions of particular liturgies, Paul does address the matter of service order in 1 Corinthians… Read More »Orderly Worship
The Theo-logic of Heavenly Worship
In the book of Revelation, God granted the apostle John a look into the temple of heaven. As with Isaiah during the reign of King… Read More »The Theo-logic of Heavenly Worship
Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
What we have seen over the past several weeks is a dynamic interplay between four realities: worldview, theology, culture, and cultus. Worldview and theology affect… Read More »Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi
The Liturgical Nature of Cultus
Last week I described the liturgical nature of culture. Yet there is a second element within the broader concept of liturgy, actually the more common use… Read More »The Liturgical Nature of Cultus
The Liturgical Nature of Culture
I am arguing that liturgy forms our religion, and religion forms our liturgy. When I left off last time, I defined religion as worldview +… Read More »The Liturgical Nature of Culture
What is the Nature of Religion? Theology
Broadly speaking, theology is how we intentionally answer the questions James Sire provided (see last week’s post) that form the assumptions at the core of… Read More »What is the Nature of Religion? Theology
What is the Nature of Religion? Worldview
Religion is composed of two parts, the first of which is worldview. A worldview consists of a set of assumptions a person holds about reality;… Read More »What is the Nature of Religion? Worldview
Worldview-Forming Worship
Imagine a dense forest separating two cities. In order to engage in commerce between these cities, merchants must pass through the forest. For the earliest… Read More »Worldview-Forming Worship
Why We Should Study the Liturgical Story of the Christian Faith
Studying the liturgical history of the Christian faith paints a necessary picture of what Christians have truly believed throughout history, perhaps in some cases more… Read More »Why We Should Study the Liturgical Story of the Christian Faith
How Liturgy Tells the Story of the Christian Faith
There are many valuable ways to study the history of the church; church historians often trace the development of creedal theology, recount the lives of… Read More »How Liturgy Tells the Story of the Christian Faith
Example Video of a Gospel-Shaped Service
I regularly teach and write about how to plan and lead worship services whose structural narrative express the gospel. For example, in the following article,… Read More »Example Video of a Gospel-Shaped Service