Study: Looking into God's Word, Pt. III

IV. Meditating on the Word

In the last post, I discussed the need to hear and read the Word. Now we will go beyond reading the Word to meditating on it. The Bible promises special blessings for meditating on God’s Word. Joshua 1:8 promises prosperity and success to those who meditate on God’s Word at moments throughout the day. Psalm 1:1-3 says that meditating on God’s Word results in stability, fruitfulness, perseverance, and prosperity (Whitney, 1991, pp. 44-45).

Hearing and reading the word have been compared to a brief rainfall on hard ground. Meditation, however, soaks the soul with God’s Word and allows it to penetrate deep beneath the surface (Whitney, 1991, pp. 45-46). Studying God’s Word is an intellectual quest for meaning and understanding. It provides one with knowledge about God and his will for us. Meditation leads us into an encounter with God. It internalizes and personalizes the passage (Foster, 1988, p. 29).

Another way to consider the difference is to contrast informational reading with formational reading (Mulholland, 1993, pp. 110-111). Informational reading seeks to control the text: We select the material, we come with our own agenda, and we read it as quickly as possible to find answers to our questions.

Formational reading, or spiritual reading, is open to God’s control of our lives for God’s purposes. We allow God to set the agenda. We approach Scripture with an open mind. We let God question us through his Word. In spiritual reading, we plumb the depths of the text so that the text may plumb the depths of our being and doing.

Sometimes we need to read less in order to meditate more. We need to read for quality as well as quantity. We need depth as well as breadth. We need to slow down and savor the Word rather than gulping it down too quickly. Instead of hurrying to get to the end of a text, we need to take time to get to the bottom of it (Edwards, 1995, p. 93).

A tried-and-true method of meditation on Scripture is called lectio divina, a Latin phrase that means “divine reading.” This practice goes back to ancient monasticism. It was promoted by Saint Benedict in the sixth century, and it eventually was developed into a four-stage process by a Carthusian monk named Guigo II in AD 1150. Protestant leaders such as John Calvin and Richard Baxter practiced this method of reflective meditation on scripture (Thompson, 1995). Because this spiritual practice has proven so beneficial through the centuries, I am going to explain it here.

A. Preparing for Lectio Divina

Preparing for lectio divina requires attention to four crucial elements: time, place, mind, and body.

1. Time

Set aside a certain amount of time, preferably an hour, each day or week to meditate on a passage of Scripture. Set a time when you are less likely to become drowsy. You should also avoid interruptions or distractions during that time. For most people, an hour in the early morning might be the best time for this.

2. Place

Select a place that is free from distractions. A prayer room or prayer closet would be ideal. Each of us must find or create our own poustinia, a place of simplicity and isolation that limits outer distractions to that we can focus on the presence of God.

3. Mind

As you prepare for the reading, seek to quiet and clear the mind. Keep a notepad handy to jot down any anxieties or tasks to be completed that would weigh on your mind during this time. This procedure will release your mind from anxiety that these concerns will be forgotten later. Begin to focus the mind on the presence of Christ.

4. Body

The next step is to quiet the body. Sit in an upright position with the feet flat on the floor. Keep the head balanced on the spine like a ball on a pole. Begin to take slow, deep breaths and quietly command the body to relax. Some find it helpful to repeat a prayer in time with the breathing such as the classic Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus” (breathe in), “have mercy” (breathe out).

Once the body has been stilled and the mind has been centered on the presence of Christ, you are ready to begin the four stages of lectio divina. These stages have sometimes been compared to the process of eating, as I will illustrate below. Another way of thinking about these four stages is the poetic description of Dom Marmion:

We read                                    (Lectio)

under the eye of God               (Meditatio)

until the heart is touched         (Oratio)

and leaps to flame.                   (Contemplatio)

B. Stage 1: Lectio = Taking a Bite

Now read the passage slowly. Read each sentence as if it is the first time you have read it. Adopt an attitude of listening to what the Spirit says through the Word. Expect God to speak to you. Try not to think too much about the meaning of the words; rather, let the Spirit tell you what he wants you to know about that passage. Read a phrase at a time and repeat it slowly as you let the Word soak into your mind and heart. Imagine that the Spirit is saturating your spirit with God’s Word so that it becomes part of your very being. You may find that a particular part of the passage consumes your attention, and so you remain there as the Spirit impresses its significance upon you.

C. Stage 2: Meditatio = Chewing on the Word

In this stage, allow the Holy Spirit to carry out his role of illuminating the Word. In John 14:26, Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them everything and remind them of all that Jesus said to them. Christians have understood this promise as applying to more than just the original twelve disciples but to all future believers. As we expose our mind and heart to God’s Word, his Spirit reveals its significance and relevance to us. The concept of illumination does not mean that the Spirit reveals a new truth to us apart from Scripture but that he works through Scripture to let us know what we need to do and what we need to tell others that they need to do.

During this stage, enter the text and personally experience it. Some may find it helpful to use the method of praying with the imagination. This approach to prayer is especially helpful when focusing on a biblical narrative. T. Hall (1988) describes the method in this way:

In this approach, called “contemplation” in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius… one enters by means of imagination into a Gospel scene, seeing and hearing the persons, imagining the touch and smells of the environment, etc. I might identify with some person in the scene, or be present there as myself, watching, listening, experiencing what is going on. For example… my imagination might be used in recreating the scene…. And so I hear these words of Jesus addressed to me, and I receive his gaze with my own eyes. What do I see in those eyes as he speaks to me? And how shall I respond? (p. 40)

D. Stage 3: Oratio = Savoring the Word

Now that you have heard the Word, respond to it by opening your heart to God for direct communication and opening your will to God for responsive action. Enter into a dialogue with God about the text. The meditatio stage primarily involved the intellect, but in this stage the goal is to bring the mind into the heart. Consequently, this stage is sometimes referred to as “the prayer of the heart.” It involves not only thinking about God but also experiencing intimacy with him. Hall says that “in this prayer, our hearts are opened to him and by him, so that his light may enter” (1988, p. 42). She also describes it as “the unique and spontaneous voice of the heart which is touched by God and reaches out to him in ardent love” (p. 44).

E. Stage 4: Contemplatio = Digesting the Word

In this last stage, sit in the quiet and enjoy the peaceful presence of God. Be fully attentive to and present with God. Wait on God for whatever he wants to do in you, with you, and through you. Experience the love of God in ways that are too deep for words. This aspect of prayer has often been compared to two lovers who sit in total silence, simply enjoying the presence of the other without feeling any need for verbalizing their feelings. This stage has been described as resting in God, casting our gaze upon God, and paying rapt attention to God. Psalm 131:2 provides a helpful image for contemplation: “But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me” (NRSV). The weaned child is not straining to receive anything from its mother but simply basking in her love.

A Southern preacher once described these four stages this way: “I read myself full, I think myself clear, I pray myself hot, and I let myself cool” (Edwards, 1995, p. 94).

Reflection Questions:

1. When you study the Bible, do you generally focus more on quantity or quality?

2. What time and place would be best for you to meditate on the Word?

3. Try the practice of lectio divina. What did you find helpful about it? What made you uncomfortable?

Recommended Resources:

Edwards, T. H. (1995). Living in the presence: Spiritual exercises to open our lives to the awareness of God. San Francisco: HarperOne.

Foster, R. J. (1988). Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual growth (Rev. ed.). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Hall, T. (1988). Too deep for words: Rediscovering lectio divina. New York: Paulist Press.

Mulholland, R. (2001). Shaped by the Word: The power of Scripture in spiritual formation. Nashville: Upper Room Books.

Smith, M. L. (1989). The Word is very near you: A guide to praying with Scripture. Cambridge, MA: Cowley.

Thompson, M. (1995). Soul feast: An invitation to the Christian spiritual life. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Whitney, D. S. (1991). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Next topic: Meditation: Looking Within

Study: Looking into God's Word, Part II

II. Hearing the Word

In the last post, I wrote about the necessity of Bible study for spiritual growth. Now, I want to consider some of the ways in which we open ourselves to God’s Word so that it can transform us. The most basic posture toward the Bible that we need to adopt is that of hearing. The Word will have no effect on us unless we expose ourselves to it. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Note that hearing must precede obeying. We won’t know what to obey unless we first hear.

Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Hearing the word must precede faith as well as obedience. There are many different ways that we can hear the word. We can talk with an informed believer, such as a pastor, who can explain the meaning of Scripture to us. We can read the Bible in private devotions. We can attend weekly worship service where we hear God’s Word taught and proclaimed. We can participate in a group Bible study where believers share their understanding of Scripture with each other. We can listen to a narration of the Bible on our iPod or MP3 player. However we do it, we must open ourselves to its teachings.

III. Reading the Word

In the beginnings of the church, most believers could only hear the Word read to them. Paul’s letters, for example, were read aloud to the gathered congregation. Even in later centuries, most believers could not afford their own copies of either Old Testament or New Testament writings. It was only after the invention of the printing press and the translation of the Bible into other languages that it became widely available to believers. Today, we are fortunate that we have easy and inexpensive access to the Bible in our own language.

• Since the Bible became more available, Christians have practiced regular Bible reading as a spiritual discipline. However, they do not practice it as frequently as one might think, according to the following research (Stark & Johnson, 2011). A 1988 study by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center found that 25% of men and 39% of women in America read the Bible weekly.
• A 2000 Gallup poll found that 29% of men and 43% of women read the Bible weekly.
• Similarly, a 2007 national religion survey by Baylor University found that 29% of men and 40% of women read the Bible about weekly.

Why do so many Christians neglect something that is so crucial to their spiritual growth? Like so many things in life, I think the most common problem is simply finding the time. We need to remember that how we spend our time indicates our priorities. Is there something you do for 15-30 minutes a day that you could give up for the higher priority of reading your Bible? Consider that you can read the entire Bible in a year by reading it only 15 minutes a day. John Blanchard challenges us to make Bible reading a priority (1984, p. 104):

Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation, and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance, and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D.L. Moody put it: “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”

If you need more evidence to convict you of the need for Bible reading, consider this statistic: A.C. Nielsen Co. estimates that the average American watches TV 28 hours a week. That means a 65-year-old person will have spent nine years of his or her life glued to the tube. Do you realize that the entire Bible can be read in 71 hours, which is less than two weeks of TV viewing (Whitney, 1991, p. 29)?
 

Perhaps some believers think that it is good enough for them to get their weekly dose of Bible teaching in the Sunday sermon. But let’s assume that the average sermon is 30 minutes long. If a person attends church 50 weeks a year (allowing for two weeks of vacation and holidays), that person would receive 25 hours of Bible teaching in a year, which is less time than they spend watching TV in one week. And that assumes that the sermons they hear will actually teach the Bible and not just be filled with video clips and silly stories!

Perhaps we can be inspired by those who had much greater responsibilities than we do and yet have made time to read their Bible. Kent Hughes tells the story of Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, Jr., who was the most decorated soldier in the 30^th Infantry Division, which was rated by General Eisenhower as the top infantry division in World War II. Harrison was the first American to enter Belgium at the head of the Allied forces. He received every decoration for valor except the Congressional Medal of Honor, including the Distinguished Silver Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He was one of the few generals wounded in action. When the Korean War began, he served as Chief of Staff in the UN Command and was chosen by President Eisenhower to head the long and tedious negotiations to end the war. Surely this man was too busy to read his Bible!

When he was a twenty-year-old cadet at West Point, he began reading the Old Testament through once a year and the New Testament four times a year, and he did this until the end of his life. Even in the thick of war, he would catch up during the two- and three-day periods of replacement and refitting that followed battles so that, when the war was ended, he was right on schedule. By the age of 90, when his eyesight no longer permitted his discipline, he had read the Old Testament 70 times and the New Testament 280 times (Hughes, 1991, p. 76).

The Israelites knew the importance of regular reading of God’s Word. This is reflected in Deuteronomy 11:18:

You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your head, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.

This teaching was literally employed in the practice of the tefillin or phylacteries, which are small leather boxes that contain scrolls inscribed with verses from the Torah. Jews wear them during the morning prayers. One type is worn on the upper arm, and the other is worn above the forehead. This practice symbolizes devotion and attention to God’s Word.

The king of Israel also was commanded to keep his attention on God’s Word. Deuteronomy 17:18-20 instructed the following:

When he has taken the throne of his kingdom, he shall have a copy of this law written for him in the presence of the levitical priests. It shall remain with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, diligently observing all the words of his law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel.

When read the Bible in a disciplined, systematic way, we find there are propitious moments when what we are reading intersects with some issue or concern in our lives. We often find the Bible speaking to our situation, providing us with wisdom, guidance, and hope just when we need it.

To maintain the discipline of Bible reading, we need a plan. When I was a junior in high school, I committed myself to reading through the entire Bible in a year. I subscribed to a monthly booklet called Bible Pathway that laid out a daily Bible reading plan and provided commentary and information. Not only did I read the Bible in a year, but I did it again my senior year.

There are also many Bibles on the market, such as the One Year Bible, as well as websites that have the Bible divided into daily Bible readings. These are available in every translation. Bible software programs, such as Logos Bible Software, will set up a reading plan for you. Another simple plan is to read three chapters of the Bible every day and five chapters on Sunday. For variety, one might start in Genesis, Job, and Matthew (Whitney, 1991, p. 30).

Whatever plan we choose, the important thing is to do it. Don’t make it too difficult. Don’t think of it as time-consuming or overwhelming. Just 15 minutes a day over your cup of coffee in the morning may produce some amazing results.

Reflection Questions:

1. Evaluate how well you have maintained the discipline of Bible reading. What obstacles hinder you from it? How can you remove those obstacles?

2. What can motivate you to make Bible reading a higher priority?

3. What reading plan would work best for you? Make a commitment now to follow your plan.

Sources:

Blanchard, J. (1984). How to enjoy your Bible. Colchester, UK: Evangelical Press.

Hughes, R. K. (1991). Disciplines of a godly man. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Stark, R., & Johnson, B. (2011, August 26). Religion and the bad news bearers. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2012, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903480904576510692691734916.html

Whitney, D. S. (1991). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Next topic: Study: Looking into God’s Word, Part III

Study: Looking into God's Word, Pt. I

I. The Necessity of Study

We continue our study of the ways in which we can plug into the divine power source that brings transformation. As we have seen, the first and most fundamental way is worship. But writers on spiritual growth also promote the study of Scripture as a key transformational practice. For example, Donald Whitney writes: "Regardless of how busy we become with all things Christian, we must remember that the most transforming practice available to us is the disciplined intake of Scripture" (1991, p. 25).

Richard Foster concurs that "one of the central ways God  uses to change us is study" (1988, p. 63). He says that Christians may participate in worship and yet never be changed, but the mind is renewed by applying to it the truths of Scripture that will transform it.

John H. Westerhoff shares this view that "the central activity is discipline of the divine reading or praying of the scriptures. The scriptures provide us with a doorway into an experience of God and a test of that experience. The scriptures are a Christian's primary means for developing a relationship with God" (1994, p. 70).

Going farther back, John Chrysostom, the great fourth-century preacher, expressed the need for reading of Scripture. He described all the pressures and stresses of everyday life, which sound very similar to distractions that we face today. And then he concludes that these troubles are the very reason we need to study Scripture:

Therefore we have a continuous need for the full armor of the Scriptures.... We must thoroughly quench the darts of the devil and beat them off by continual reading of the divine Scriptures. For it is not possible, not possible for anyone to be saved without continually taking advantage of spiritual reading. (Stevens, 1993, p. 135)

Just as our biological life needs certain nutrients to survive and thrive, even so our spiritual life needs to be nourished in order to survive and develop. Worship is to our spiritual life what water is to our body. We can survive for a brief period without it, but to be deprived of it for long periods of time will cause us to waste away and die of spiritual thirst. Worship is a basic necessity for spiritual survival.

To continue this analogy, Bible study is like eating food. We can maybe survive for long periods of time without it, but eventually we become spiritually malnourished and anemic, and eventually we will suffer from spiritual scurvy. Consistent Bible reading and study will provide us with the basic nutrients and spiritual vitamins that we need to grow and become stronger in faith.

In the Bible, the Word of God is compared to the physical nourishment of milk and meat. Consider Hebrews 5:11-14:

About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

The Word of God can be described as "milk" because it deals with fairly basic beliefs and concepts. The readers of this letter were still stuck in their spiritual infancy, and these basic teaching were all they could comprehend. The writer would like to move on to more substantial teachings, especially the high priesthood of Christ. He describes these teachings of God as "meat" because they involve deeper and more advanced understanding of God. The study of God's Word is not optional if we wish to grow into the image of Christ; it is a necessity if we wish to flourish spiritually. Similarly, 1 Peter 2:2 says: "Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation."

Another passage that stresses the importance of God's Word for our spiritual well-being is 2 Timothy 3:16-17:

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

This passage stresses the transformative power of Scripture. It turns us away from spiritual hindrances and roadblocks and steers us on the path of righteous conduct. It transforms our character and our conduct.

Sociological research has also supported the role of study in our spiritual growth. In the early 1990s, the Search Institute conducted a survey of 11,122 people in 561 churches in six denominations to determine the primary contributors to spiritual maturity. The surprising finding was that "the area of church life that has by far the most influence on faith maturity and growth in faith is Christian education" (Roehlkepartain, 1993, p. 24). Christian education refers to programs and events designed to nurture faith in people, usually centered around the study of Scripture in a group setting.

Let me close these thoughts with a quotation from Richard Foster, who stresses the importance of study for spiritual growth:

Many Christians remain in bondage to fears and anxieties simply because they do not avail themselves of the Discipline of study. They may be faithful in church attendance and earnest in fulfilling their religious duties, and still they are not changed. I am not here speaking only of those who are going through mere religious forms, but of those who are genuinely seeking to worship and obey Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. They may sing with gusto, pray in the Spirit, live as obediently as they know, even receive divine visions and revelations, and yet the tenor of their lives remains unchanged. Why? Because they have never taken up one of the central ways God uses to change us: study. (1988, pp. 62-63)

Bible study is one of the primary ways in which we draw closer to God and come to know him better. I have heard a story of a five-year-old girl named Karen who was caught by her mother going through a Bible storybook and circling the word "God" wherever it appeared on the page. Trying to restrain herself from scolding the child for defacing the book, her mother quietly asked, "Why are you doing that?" Karen answered matter-of-factly: "So that I will know where to find God when I want him."

We find God through his Word. We hear the voice of God speaking to us through his Word. In future posts, I will describe some of the ways in which we can feed on God's Word so that we can continue to grow.

Reflection Questions:

1. What role has Bible study played in your spiritual life? How does it provide you with spiritual nourishment?

2. What pressures or distractions keep you from giving attention to God's Word? How can you resist those so that you make Bible study a priority?

3. How does your church promote the study of Scripture: Sunday School, Bible studies, discipleship training, retreats, workshops, youth ministry, Vacation Bible School, men's groups, women's groups, new-member classes?

Sources:

Foster, R. J. (1988). Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual growth (Rev. ed.). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Roehlkepartain, E. C. (1993). The teaching church: Moving Christian education to center stage. Nashville: Abingdon Press.

Stevens, R. P. (1993). Disciplines of the hungry heart: Christian living seven days a week. Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw.

Westerhoff, J. H. (1994). Spiritual life: The foundation for preaching and teaching. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.

Whitney, D. S. (1991). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.

Worship: Looking Up to God, Pt. III

IV. Corporate Worship

We have seen that worship is an ongoing activity but that we can also have special times of private worship. These facts don’t rule out the need to gather with other believers in corporate, public worship. In this post, I want to focus on the time of worship and the components of worship.

A. Time

Immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the first Christians met together daily to worship Christ together (Acts 2:46). Corporate gatherings marked the life of the church from its very beginning. Eventually, the early Christians developed the practice of meeting together on the first day of the week to celebrate Christ’s resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, which probably refers to Sunday night). By meeting on the first day, Christians were expressing their confidence that the risen Lord was present with them, as he had promised in Matthew 18:20.

Even in the early church, some Christians felt this was an optional or unnecessary practice, especially during times of persecution. Consequently, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews admonished them to keep meeting together (Heb 10:24-15). Through the centuries, Christians have felt that meeting together in worship was such a high priority that they would even risk their lives to do it. From the Roman Christians who worshipped in the catacombs to the Chinese Christians of today who worship secretively in houses, Christians have always met together to celebrate God’s love, even at the risk of their lives. Richard Foster has noted that the strong emphasis on corporate worship sets Christianity apart from the religions of the East (Foster, 1988, p. 163).

Why do Christians view corporate worship as so necessary for their spiritual growth? For one thing, meeting together strengthens our faith. When we are in physical proximity to each other, we kindle each other’s faith and love for God. At times, I may come to worship with a low spirit, feeling distant from God, but my brother’s or sister’s enthusiasm may spark a flame in me. And at other times I may do the same for the other. Martin Luther said: “At home, in my own house, there is no warmth or vigor in me, but in the church when the multitude is gathered together, a fire is kindled in my heart and it breaks its way through” (Foster, 1988, p. 164). Isaac Pennington says that, when people are gathered for worship, “they are like a heap of fresh and burning coals warming one another as a great strength and freshness and vigor of life flows into all” (Foster, 1988, p. 172). Marjorie J. Thompson explains the need for corporate worship:

While a worshipful attitude should permeate one’s entire life, the role of common worship is crucial. We delude ourselves if we imagine we can live the spiritual life in total isolation from Christian community, for it is impossible to be Christian in solitary splendor. To be Christian is to be joined to the Body of Christ. The central and visible way in which the church expresses this reality is by gathering in the Spirit to receive and respond to God’s living Word (1995, p. 56).

In spite of the Bible’s command to meet together and in spite of the benefits of meeting together, a Gallup Poll in 1989 showed that 70% of church members thought they could be good members without going to church (Hinson, 1991, p. 23). The excuses people give for not worshipping on Sunday led one church to have a special “No Excuse Sunday.” Here is how they promoted it:

To make it possible for everyone to attend church next Sunday, we are going to have a special “No Excuse Sunday.” Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, “Sunday is my only day to sleep in.” Murine will be available for those with tired eyes… from watching television too late on Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, “The roof would cave in if I ever came to church.” Blankets will be provided for those who think the church is too cold and fans for those who think the church is too hot. We will have hearing aids for those who say, “The pastor speaks too softly,” and cotton balls for those who say he preaches too loudly. Score cards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. Some relatives will be in attendance for those who like to go visiting on Sunday. There will be 100 TV dinners for those who cannot go to church and cook dinner also. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Finally, the sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who have never seen the church without them.

B. Components

The early church met in homes (Acts 2:42, 46), and their corporate worship occurred in the context of a communal meal (Linton, 2005). Based on the evidence in the New Testament, Dennis Smith concludes that “we should imagine Christian meetings taking place at table most if not all of the time.” In fact, he argues that the entire worship service took place in the dining room (Smith, 2003, pp. 177-179, 200-202). Sharing meals together was a central activity of various social groups in the first-century world, and the Christians also found special meaning in that practice.

First, these meals recalled Jesus’ customary practice of sharing meals with his disciples and others (Mark 2:15-17; 6:35-44; 14:3-9; Luke 5:29-33; 7:36-50; 11:37-52; 14:1-14; 22:7-23; John 12:1-8). Second, they provided a foretaste of the coming kingdom, which Jesus described as a banquet (Matt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-48; 13:22-30; 14:15-24; 15:11-31; 17:7-10). Third, they reminded the disciples of Jesus’ postresurrection appearances during meals (Mark 16:4; Luke 24:13-35; 24:36-49; John 21:9-14). For these reasons, the early Christians called their meal gatherings “the Lord’s supper” (1 Cor 17-34). The Greek word for “supper”, deipnon, means “banquet” or “feast.” The Christians had a full meal when they gathered together.

The ancients thought that eating a meal together created a social bond among the diners, and the same was true of the Christians. The Lord’s Supper symbolized the fellowship and unity that existed among the believers. According to Robert Banks, the meal “deepened those relationships in the same way that participation in an ordinary meal cements and symbolizes the bond between a family or group” (1994, p. 83).

Based on the cultural practices in Jewish and Greco-Roman settings, early Christian gatherings may have followed this format:

1. Blessing and breaking of bread
2. Meal (which was a full banquet with courses)
3. Blessing and sharing of the cup
4. Singing (Eph 5:18-20)
5. Teaching, discussion, and sharing of spiritual gifts (Acts 20:7, 11; 1 Cor 14:26)
6. Prayers

Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror (1982, pp. 69-70) provide a fuller list of New Testament “givens” for the worship service, drawn from Don Hustad’s Jubilee: Scripture readings (1 Tim 4:13; Col 4:16); homily (Acts 20:7); a confession of faith (1 Tim 6:12; Acts 8:37); singing (Col 3:16); prayers (Acts 2:42); congregational Amen (1 Cor 14:16); collection (1 Cor 16:1-2); physical action (1 Tim 2:8); thanksgiving (Luke 22:19); remembrance (1 Cor 11:25); the anticipation of Christ’s return (1 Cor 11:26); intercession (John 17:1a, 9b); the kiss of peace (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pet 5:14).

One may notice that the way most of us worship in America today is very different from the way the early church worshipped. The time is different: Sunday morning instead of Sunday night. The setting is different: buildings and rented spaces instead of homes. The format is different: a token meal in the middle or end of the service instead of a full meal at the beginning; a sermon instead of discussion; sitting in rows instead of around a dining room or table; passive observance of a performance instead of participatory contributions to the gathering. Why have things changed so much?

After several centuries, Christianity became legalized and, under the sponsorship of Constantine, Christians began building basilicas for their gatherings. The church left the home, and since their buildings did not contain kitchen and dining facilities, the Lord’s Supper was transformed into a token meal that included just the bread and cup. Sometime between AD 360 and 370, the Council of Laodicea banned Christian gatherings in private homes. And the Lord’s Supper was transformed from a joyous celebration of fellowship into a somber ritual of mourning.

The way we worship corporately today is the result of centuries of historical and cultural developments. That does not necessarily mean that the way we do worship today is wrong. Although I prefer the house church setting for worship in the context of a meal, I can also worship God in a building or rented space as I sit in a row facing the front listening to musicians perform and preachers preach. Why? Because as I wrote earlier, worship is not about me. It is about giving glory to God. Therefore, I can find meaning in worship regardless of the setting, format, structure, or custom.

V. Conclusion

Let me close these thoughts on worship with a quotation from Robert Webber (1982, pp. 11-12). He described worship as “a meeting between God and his people”:

In this meeting God becomes present to His people, who respond with praise and thanksgiving. Thus the worshiper is brought into personal contact with the one who gives meaning and purpose to life; from this encounter the worshiper receives strength and courage to live with hope in a fallen world.

Reflection Questions:

1. What blessings do you receive from corporate worship that you do not receive from private worship?

2. How does the style and structure of the worship service affect your ability to worship?

3. What draws you to gather with other believers in worship?

Sources:

Allen, R., & Borror, G. (1982). Worship: Rediscovering the missing jewel. Portland, OR: Multnomah Press.

Banks, R. (1994). Paul’s idea of community (Rev. ed.). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.

Foster, R. J. (1988). Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual growth (Rev. ed.). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Hinson, W. H. (1991). The power of holy habits: A discipline for faithful discipleship. Nashville: Abingdon.

Linton, G. L. (2005). House church meetings in the New Testament era. Stone-Campbell Journal, 8, 229-244.

Smith, D. E. (2003). From symposium to Eucharist: The banquet in the early Christian world. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Thompson, M. J. (1995). Soul feast: An invitation to the Christian spiritual life. Louisville, KY: Westminister John Knox Press.

Webber, R. (1982). Worship, old and new. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Next topic: Study: Looking into God's Word

Worship: Looking Up to God, Pt. II

III. Private Worship

Worship is both a private and a public activity. It is both personal and corporate. In this post, I want to describe how worship takes place in private, personal settings.

During Jesus’ time, worship was generally viewed as limited to specific times, specific places, and specific rituals. Jews viewed God’s presence as restricted to the innermost room of the Temple, and only one person, the High Priest, could enter that place once a year on the Day of Atonement.

This perspective on worship was displayed by the Samaritan woman who said to Jesus: “Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem” (John 4:20). She was referring the temple that was built on Mt. Gerizim by the Samaritans as a rival to the Jerusalem temple. Since she recognized that Jesus was a prophet, she wanted him to settle this interreligious dispute.

Instead, Jesus challenged her to expand her understanding of worship: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Worship is not a matter of external ritual but of internal fellowship with God, which can take place at any time in any place.

After his death and resurrection, Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit on the church. Now, every person who surrenders his or her life to Christ receives the Holy Spirit as a permanent possession. Because God’s own Spirit dwells within his people, we can turn within and commune with God at any moment.

Other passages of Scripture suggest that our entire lives are to be characterized by an attitude of worship. Paul says: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). He also suggests that every word and act should express worship for Christ (Col 3:17). Worship of God is not restricted to one hour on Sunday morning when we meet together in a building. Worship occurs any time our thoughts are centered on God’s greatness and any time we say or do something to bring glory to God’s name.

This attitude of ceaseless worship was exemplified in the life of Brother Lawrence, a fifteenth-century French monk. He discovered the secret of what he called “the practice of the presence of God.” Whether he was cooking in the kitchen, washing the dishes, or scrubbing the floors, he had learned to maintain a constant awareness of God’s presence with him (Foster, 1988, p. 162). His devotional book about this topic has inspired countless Christians through the centuries to look beyond the mundane activities of everyday life to experience the presence of God with them.

Private worship also occurs in moments of solitude when we turn away from the distractions of outer life and focus on the presence of God within. I have already written about this in a previous post. Our private prayers should always begin with praise for who God and thanksgiving for what he has done.

We will also find that certain places evoke an attitude of awe toward God. Paul wrote that “ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made” (Rom 1:20). This “general revelation” that we receive through creation makes us aware of God’s greatness and goodness, and so we respond in worship. Athanasius rightly said: “No part of creation is left void of the Word of God” (Chase, 2011, p. 3). Even Calvin confessed that “nature is God” (Chase, 2011, p. 42).

According to Diogenes Allen, “we can better understand and admire God’s power, wisdom, and goodness as we increase in our knowledge of the world’s order, harmony, and beauty—God’s glory” (1997, p. 111). Allen shows that saints of the past such as Basil of Caesarea, Bonaventure, and Julian of Norwich “emphasized contemplation of nature as a way to increase our knowledge and love of God” (1997, p. 109). Bonaventure, for example, suggested meditating on the following seven properties of creatures:

•         Origin
•         Magnitude
•         Multitude
•         Beauty
•         Fullness
•         Activity
•         Order.

Similarly, John Scotus Erigena regarded the whole world as a theophany, a manifestation of God, in which the God of light illuminates and enlightens matter. Richard of St. Victor taught that “the visible, material things of creation lead those who are contemplative to the invisible, spiritual things of God” (Chase, 2011, pp. 32-34). Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that “Earth’s crammed with heaven,/ And every common bush afire with God;/ And only he who sees takes off his shoes;/ The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries” (Aurora Leigh, Bk. vii, 1:821).

In her famous essay “Forms of The Implicit Love of God,” the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil includes “love of the order of nature” as one of the ways that a person becomes aware of God. She describes how God woos us through contemplation of nature: “The soul’s natural inclination to beauty is the trap God most frequently uses in order to win it and open it to the breath from on high” (Weil, 1951, p. 103). She describes nature as a labyrinth that leads us to God:

The beauty of the world is the mouth of labyrinth. The unwary individual who on entering takes a few steps is soon unable to find the opening. Worn out, with nothing to eat or drink, in the dark, separated from his dear ones, and from everything he loves and is accustomed to, he walks on without ever knowing anything or hoping anything, incapable even of discovering whether he is really going forward or merely turning round on the same spot. But this affliction is as nothing compared with the danger threatening him. For if he does not lose courage, if he goes on walking, it is absolutely certain that he will finally arrive at the center of the labyrinth. And there God is waiting to eat him. Later he will go out again, but he will be changed, he will have become different, after being eaten and digested by God. Afterward he will stay near the entrance so that he can gently push all those who come near into the opening. (Weil, 1951, p. 103)

John Eldredge profoundly describes an experience like this when he was a young boy of six or seven. As he wandered through the landscape of the farm, he sensed that, through the music of life sung to him by crickets, katydids, cicadas, and bullfrogs, he was being romanced by some unseen lover (Curtis & Eldredge, 1997, pp. 14-16).

Worshipping God in the cathedral of nature expands the self beyond one’s own petty concerns. It draws our attention away from the orbit of our own self-centered desires. It calms the emotions and pacifies the mind. I have had this experience standing on the south rim of the Grand Canyon overlooking that great chasm carved out over the ages. I have experienced the presence of God in the deafening roar of Niagara Falls while riding the Maid of the Mist. I have sensed something greater than myself while standing in stunned silence with my parents in the yard of our house as we watched the Northern Lights spread their shimmering, multicolored curtains across the night sky. I have seen God’s power and majesty as a young boy watching the midnight sky lit up by the heat lightning from a massive thunderstorm rolling in from the prairies of Illinois. I have come to know the greatness of God while standing on the tower on Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In these moments of transcendence generated by nature, we join in praising God with creation: “Praise the Lord!/ Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights!/ Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!/ Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!/ Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!.... Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,/ fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!/ Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!/ Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!” (Ps 148:1-4, 7-10).

St. Francis of Assisi also joined in creation’s praise in his famous canticle “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”: “Praised be You my Lord with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun…. Praised be You my Lord through Sister Moon and the stars…. Praised be You my Lord through Brothers Wind and Air…. Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water…. Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire…. Praised be You my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth…. Praised be You my Lord through Sister Death….”

Worship is not a purely private experience. Worship with others is also necessary, as I will show in the next post.

Reflection Questions

1. How would it change the way you live to understand that worship is a ceaseless activity?

2. How do you worship God in private?

3. When and where have your thoughts been lifted up to God by the contemplation of nature?

Sources:

Allen, D. (1997). Spiritual theology: The theology of yesterday for spiritual help today. Lanham, MD: Cowley.

Chase, S. (2011). Nature as spiritual practice. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Curtis, B., & Eldredge, J. (1997). The sacred romance: Drawing closer to the heart of God. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Foster, R. J. (1988). Celebration of discipline: The path to spiritual growth (Rev. and exp. ed.). San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco.

Weil, S. (1951). Waiting for God. Translated by E. Crauford. New York: Putnam.

Next Post: Worship: Looking Up to God, Pt. III