Spiritual Worship
"'Spiritual worship' refers to worship where God is recognized and is grasped by the mind, as happens when it fears and trusts the God." --Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV: The Mass (Kolb/ Wengert Edition, (c) 2000)
Romans 12:1-- "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (ESV)
Some say that our Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is in the middle of a "worship war." That is to say, the debate about what constitutes true Lutheran worship is under discussion. (note: I find it interesting that we aren't talking about "Christian worship" but "Lutheran worship. But I digress.)
The words of the writers of the Apology tell us what spiritual, ergo "true", worship is. It's worship that engages the reason so as to fear and trust God more. It doesn't mention anything about forms, functions, liturgies, or orders. That which engages the reason to ponder God and leads to a further fear and/or trust in Him is spiritual worship.
For some, this is done by following a liturgy over and over and over again, so that the truths of Scripture reflected in that liturgy are imprinted upon the mind, heart, and soul of the believer. For some, reviewing the same words and concepts allows for a deeper understanding. I see great beauty in sitting with believers who are able to recite a confessional verse from memory while in their old age. The word of God has become a part of them. But, I also see the downside for some. Doing the same thing over and over and over again can be boring and allows the brain to disengage. When this happens, it's no longer spiritual worship.
Likewise, a new format with a service that changes every week can challenge the mind to try and wrap itself around new concepts each week and can give some believers a sense of anticipation to see where they will be led this week. I see great beauty in people who are excited about their faith and can't wait to come to worship. But, I also see the downside for some. Some come with an expectation to be entertained each week and, if this need is not met, they feel like worship "didn't speak to them." Because they didn't "feel" worship, they didn't engage their mind and it wasn't true worship.
I find it interesting to hear discussions about form, when "spiritual worship" comes down to engaging the individual believer. When this is done, it's true worship.
Romans 12:1-- "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (ESV)
Some say that our Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod is in the middle of a "worship war." That is to say, the debate about what constitutes true Lutheran worship is under discussion. (note: I find it interesting that we aren't talking about "Christian worship" but "Lutheran worship. But I digress.)
The words of the writers of the Apology tell us what spiritual, ergo "true", worship is. It's worship that engages the reason so as to fear and trust God more. It doesn't mention anything about forms, functions, liturgies, or orders. That which engages the reason to ponder God and leads to a further fear and/or trust in Him is spiritual worship.
For some, this is done by following a liturgy over and over and over again, so that the truths of Scripture reflected in that liturgy are imprinted upon the mind, heart, and soul of the believer. For some, reviewing the same words and concepts allows for a deeper understanding. I see great beauty in sitting with believers who are able to recite a confessional verse from memory while in their old age. The word of God has become a part of them. But, I also see the downside for some. Doing the same thing over and over and over again can be boring and allows the brain to disengage. When this happens, it's no longer spiritual worship.
Likewise, a new format with a service that changes every week can challenge the mind to try and wrap itself around new concepts each week and can give some believers a sense of anticipation to see where they will be led this week. I see great beauty in people who are excited about their faith and can't wait to come to worship. But, I also see the downside for some. Some come with an expectation to be entertained each week and, if this need is not met, they feel like worship "didn't speak to them." Because they didn't "feel" worship, they didn't engage their mind and it wasn't true worship.
I find it interesting to hear discussions about form, when "spiritual worship" comes down to engaging the individual believer. When this is done, it's true worship.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home