Too often today I hear people talk on one side of the issue or the other. They either can't stand the old hymns and traditions of the church or they can't stand the new music, style, technology, and new traditions of the church. Kauflin gives us a refreshing look at both. He reminds us that we aren't, "the first to think about and pursue Biblical worship." (p. 189) and that our own culture, time, and generation doesn't have a corner on the market for worship.
We, as Christians, come from a long line of strong Christian men and women throughout the ages and those men and women had the same Spirit of God in them that we have today. God spoke to those men and women and they had lots of valuable ideas and insights into Biblical Christian living and worship if we are willing to look into their traditions and see them. However, "The greatest traditions in the world are meaningless unless they effectively communicate God's truth to the people who come to our meetings." (p. 191) Wonderful, theology-rich traditions are pointless if people don't understand them. It is important that, if we are drawing upon those traditions, people clearly understand the meaning behind them. There is value to be found in the hymns and traditions of the church past. There is also value in being fresh and new and giving people ways to see and hear the gospel in ways that they have not before. "Being the church is no reason to be thirty years behind in decorating styles, graphics, and technology...our goal is to communicate clearly..." (p. 192) Both the old and the new can be wonderful tools for bringing people to a greater understanding of God and who He is. But the point is that no matter what we draw upon, whether it is Old or New, that the focus is not upon the tool of communication, but rather the focus is on the purpose of the communication...the Gospel of Jesus Christ! "..every church should make sure that the story of God's redemption can be clearly understood and experienced by those they're seeking to reach with the Gospel." (p. 192)
"When it comes to forms of worship, any form that facilitates and encourages worship in spirit and truth by a particular gathering of people, at a particular time in history, in the context of a particular culture is pleasing to God...Cultures change, styles change, traditions change, times change. God remains the same." (p. 193)
I can understand routine, to a degree, is useful in that it shows continuity and provides a solid base to work from, but we shouldn't get comfortable either if the routine becomes dull to the listener and the leader as well. I agree with the point that we need to be rooted in that which honors and praises God while trying to be relevant to the world around us
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a church that read a corporate confession of faith or a creed almost every Sunday. And we often prayed prayers in unison. I remember rebelling against that later, for a time (when I thought I had become more "spiritual"), thinking that this was NOT indicative of a "personal" relationship with God. But it really is true, as Kauflin said, "A repeated liturgy that's biblically based can help people rehearse and remember the story of redemption each time the church gathers. That's the reason behind a corporate confession of sin followed by an assurance of forgiveness through Christ's atoning death." Maybe we could incorporate a bit more of that in our services at VVCC.
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