Year: 2010

A Conversation On The Priority Of Worship Over Theology

In some Reformed quarters today it is all the rage to say that Worship must precede Theology. As such, in these Churches, all kinds of attention is paid to the Worship service itself and the Liturgy of the Worship service. Now, I certainly agree that we need to be careful regarding our worship but genuine care for our worship requires us to get our theology right, for their will be no Christ-honoring worship where our theology is skewed or confused. Suggesting that doxology precedes theology skews both our theology and our doxology.

A danger in this “Liturgi-centric” approach is that so much effort is expended upon ecclesiastical worship and in emphasizing the importance of worship that the impact of theology on every area of life does not receive the attention it deserves. If people really believe that getting worship right will lead to everything else being right then the outcome of this will be people who know both the solemnity and the hilarity of worship but know little of what theology should look like as we worship God outside the sanctuary in our daily living worship. This kind of liturgi-centirc emphasis can lead to the same old problem of communicating that the sum of Christianity is found in the Church.

Now, as I believe that the worship is at the heart of the Church, and that sound communities are only as good as the theology taught in their Worship centers, I do highly regard worship but there are other life systems in the body that must be attended to or we will have a strong heart and a weak limbic system, or failing auto-immune system, or a worthless nervous system. The means by which a body is kept in shape — from its worship to its ministry of mercy, to its body life — is theology that is Biblical, practical and alluring.

Below is a conversation I had on this subject with a fine Christian Brother. I disagree with him on this subject but I have a high esteem for him.

Dr. Blast

Get the worship right first…or pervert it all.

Bret responds,

Get the theology right and the worship will follow.

Dr. Blast

Not at all persuaded bro. Bret…have seen far too many ‘theological-link picking know-it-alls…who have precious little heart for worship. I would rather say…”get the worshiping heart right…and the theology will follow.”

Bret responds,

Not possible Doc. Literally impossible. You’re arguing for the consequence before the cause. No one will get worship right unless they are smitten with the beauty of the Holy. That is Theology.

What the know-it-alls need is better theology. A theology that does not lead to Christ centered worship is pagan. A theology that is theological-link picking is not Christian theology.

Dr. Blast

No, you are mistaken brother. known and seen too many pastors & children who could pass any theology/catechism exam…but had little real heart for true worship…your bassackwards…a heart for true & vibrant worship might eventually get the theology right, but churches are plagued w/heartless theologians who hate worship, people… & God.

Bret responds,

LOL … bassackwards.

You show me a man who has worship right and I’ll show you a man who has his theology right. You can not worship Biblically what you do not know. This whole movement lately to front-load worship over theology is fundamentally horrid. It is yet one more example of looking for experience and emotion to lead the way over thinking God’s thoughts after him. People who advance this paradigm, while well intentioned, are doing God and true religion a disservice.

Worship is the out-flowing of the minds intoxication with God. You can know more have Worship before Theology than you can have babies before Sex.

People who have their catechisms memorized or their systematic theology down cold who are not at the same time not smitten with the beauty of God do not know their catechisms or their theology. The remedy for such people is to return to their Bibles, catechisms, and theology for it will only be a return to the beauty contained in those where they will find their hearts strangely warmed.

“Theology” that is known in the way that a Medical student knows his cadaver is not Christian theology. The problem for such people is not cured by getting them jazzed up in a worship service or by introducing them to the solemnity of worship associated with smells and bells. The problem is cured by the Spirit given realization that they are the cadavers and God is the Medical student. Only by the Spirit given understanding that God is not a subject to be dissected but a Triune person who fills the earth with His splendor, majesty, and royalty can a person be cured of this theolog-itis. However, when a person is given that understanding they have passed into true theology and are not for the first time ready for worship.

You can not have right worship without right theology and if you have right theology that does not lead to right worship you do not have right theology.

Pray For Christopher Hitchen Day — 24 Hours Later

Christopher Hitchens is a well known, well publicized and frequently published Christ hater. He has become a bit of a poster child also for Christian yearning that God might send Reformation and awakening to increasing numbers of people in America who, like Hitchens, hate Jesus Christ.

So here is my prayer for Mr. Christopher Hitchens,

God of all mercy and grace open the eyes of Mr. Hitchens to your wrath against him and your intent to crush him, both temporally and eternally, if he does not find refuge in your expressed love of Jesus Christ for sinners such as myself and Mr. Hitchens. In wrath remember mercy, gracious God, and extend to Mr. Hitchens your irresistible grace that he might be a trophy of your ability to take captive even the most hardened against you.

And most Sovereign and Benevolent God we implore thee that you would also send forth the Spirit of Christ to convert many of the Christopher Hitchens in our own lives, that we meet every day, that your name might be honored among the nations.

Yet Holy Father, whatever you might do, in rescuing or damning, we pray that we would bless you that in all your actions you are pursuing the highest and best love — the love for yourself and the intra-trinitarian love of each person of the trinity for the other.

Masquerading Words

I once came across an idea, long ago, that I thought very profound at the time. I still think it is very profound. That idea is that language and words are, and the communication process is often intended to conceal meaning as much as they are intended to reveal meaning. People, who have an agenda, will often use words to communicate with the explicit intent to misdirect people or to make people think they, as the communicator, are meaning things they do not in reality mean.

For example, if you check out what is concealed as opposed to what is revealed — if you do not rely on masquerading words, you will discover that the language of “gun control” once implemented is not intended to control guns, or that the language of “rent control” once implemented does not control rent, or that government’s “stimulus” does not stimulate the economy. Once you learn how language conceals as well as reveals you also eventually learn that many policies that are sold as “compassionate” inflict cruel results. However, in order to get to gun control that doesn’t control guns, rent control that doesn’t control rent, government stimulus, that doesn’t stimulate or compassionate conservatism that is beyond cruel you have to conceal your thoughts.

If you check out the facts, instead of relying on masquerading words, you will discover that Comprehensive immigration reform means amnesty, planned parenthood means abortion, health-care reform means mismanaged death care, and political correctness means reality incorrectness. One phrase I really liked in the 90’s was “invest in America,” which concealed the meaning of “forced increased taxation.”

Then there are biggies. “Social justice” is all the rage these days and has been for quite some time. What does it mean? Nobody knows for sure but if it is invoked, well then, Katy bar the door. Usually what it means is something like “that’s not fair,” and usually fair is defined as some arrangement that doesn’t fit some twisted and uninformed idiosyncratic view of reality. The pursuit of social justice has led to policies that have increased the out of wedlock births, the destruction of the family, the creation of a citizenry that has a dependent mindset, and the glorification of victimization. This is “social justice?”

The whole “rights” language has excelled at concealing. The glory of “Women’s rights” have led to the enslavement of women in their pursuit to be men, the death of many women by abortion before they were born, the objectification of women in sex by the peeling away of sex from marriage, the depriving of women of their children as the children are cast aside for daycare or government schools so mom can pursue equality, and the overall diminution of women in their import and significance to family. Women’s rights, as it turns out, means Women’s drudgery.

These kinds of masquerading words exist often in the Church as well. Often times Churches will talk about “Church growth,” when what they really mean is “redefining the message of the Church.” Churches will talk about “free grace” when what they really mean is “license to sin.” Churches will say that “the Bible contains the word of God” when what they really mean is “the bible only becomes the word of God when you have an existential encounter with the word.” Churches will say, “Jesus died for your sins,” and what they really mean is that you can find favor with God if you follow Jesus’ example and be a good doobie. Churches talk about “repentance” when what they really mean is “recruitment.”

Now you take the reality that I have set forth where people are purposefully deceiving with their language and compound with the reality that language is always going to conceal when person “A” speaking to person “B” has a different worldview from one another. In this situation even if person “A” does not intend any deception, deception will occur as the words “A” uses mean differently in their autonomous worldview than what they mean to person “B” who is hearing those same words in their theocentric worldview.

We are so awash in masquerading words that one would have to be a simpleton to not practice some form of hermeneutic by suspicion.

The Wisdom Of Koran

Quran — 008.012

“Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.”

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Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been Allah’s Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of Allah,- He will never let their deeds be lost.

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The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter.

9:5 When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way. God is forgiving and merciful.

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Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

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O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

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YUSUFALI: They do blaspheme who say: “Allah is Christ the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.

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YUSUFALI: They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.