Ecclesiology

What is Worship? Theological and Liturgical Outline

In response to my post, “Loud Music in Worship?”, one question invariably arises: What is worship? The following outline seeks to provide a balanced account of God-centred, holistic Christian worship, integrating theology, liturgy, and lived response.

A. What is worship?
Ralph Martin defines worship as: the dramatic celebration of God in his supreme worth in such a manner that his ‘worthiness’ becomes the norm and inspiration of human living.

Worship is heart-occupation with Christ. Worship is the overflow of the heart that has no request to make. To worship God is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God; to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God. (William Temple)

Worship is the activity of the new life of the believer in which recognizing the fullness of the Godhead as it is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and His mighty redemptive acts, he seeks by the power of the Holy Spirit. Biblical worship is holistic as it is centred on the Triune God and it ministers to the whole person. to render to the living God the glory, honor, and submission which are His due. (Robert Rayburn)

Biblical worship is therefore holistic: It is Trinitarian, Christ-centred, and directed to the whole person’ s mind, will, affections, and body.

Continue reading “What is Worship? Theological and Liturgical Outline”

Loud Music in Church Worship?

Someone posed to me a question regarding the dominance of loud music in contemporary worship. Sharing here a very concise response since this is the first time I have put down my thoughts on this issue in words.

First, Christianity should be fun without being frivolous as Christians come together for fellowship and worship.

1) Worship must be governed by what God has commanded in Scripture, not by human preference or popular culture. When music becomes the central focus, it sidelines prayer, preaching and sacraments. There is a risk elevating human creativity and sensuality above God’s ordained means of grace.

2) Word-Centered Worship – Excessive reliance on music can shift attention from what God has revealed in his unchanging Word to fluid emotional experience. Worship becomes more about how we feel (human centredness) than what God has said. A word-sacrament centred worship will be God-centred and Christ-centred even as we rejoice in God’s presence.

3) Reverence vs Performance – Dominance of (loud) music distracts us from the simplicity and reverence that ought to accompany our encounter with the holy God. Performance ‘worship’ undermines corporate and individual participation in worship even as individuals come to worship meetings to 1) nourish their faith by participation in the Lord’s Supper which is a means of grace and a renewal of our covenant with God, and 2) to have our faith nourished by the Word of God.

In short, while music is a good gift from God to enrich our worship, it must remain a secondary element and not the dominant element in worship.

Good and bad theology in hymns and worship songs Continue reading “Loud Music in Church Worship?”

Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique

A “repetition” of the ancient path with Soren Kierkegaard.¹

Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique
The contemporary call to “reimagine church and Christian faith” is often presented as a bold attempt to jettison outmoded church beliefs and practices in order to initiate a creative response to new cultural realities. However, we are mindful of cultural analysts who note with irony that youths who rebel against the social conventions of their parents end up wearing the same clothing fashions, listening to the same pop music and repeating the same platitudes to express support for diversity and social justice. In reality, these youths are merely exchanging one form of social conformity to another in the name of creativity.

It is ironic that churches also conform to the latest religious fashion in the name of “reimagining church and Christian faith”. ² Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) would diagnose this call for innovation as a symptom of a deeper spiritual sickness – the sickness of an age that has lost its inward passionate commitment of faith and its sense of eternity. In such an age, truth is reduced to nothing more than fashionable opinion. For Kierkegaard, when the church thoughtlessly follows the latest fashion, it is simply accommodating itself to “the spirit of the age” (Zeitgeist). It ceased to be the Church of the New Testament. It has become what he calls Christendom – Christianity domesticated and made respectable, a form without inwardness, reflection without obedience. Continue reading “Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: A Kierkegaardian Critique”

1
For Kierkegaard true repetition goes beyond simply repeating acts in conformity to social expectations. He rejects inauthentic existence where one simply conforms to social expectations. Repetition is a philosophical and existential act of renewing everything that one had in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of one’s personal life and relationships. It seeks to reassess one’s life commitment and intentionally takes personal responsibility for choices made in order to create a new, authentic self
2
Several prevailing characteristics of the contemporary “reimagine church and faith” movement (following its predecessor, the Emergent Church Movement) include the following: 1) A culture of experimentation and innovation to create seeker-sensitive services. 2) Use of multi-media and bands which incorporate contemporary music styles and art to attract a new generation of youth growing up in a culture of musical performance and entertainment. 3) Relevant messaging where practical advice and personal faith stories replace “mystifying” spiritual and doctrinal teachings of the traditional church. 4) Inclusive approach to Christian faith without demands for adherence to a set of clear-cut theological doctrines.
While these adaptations in church structure and faith practices to engage contemporary culture are not inherently problematic, the concern arises when these innovative external expressions of seeker-sensitive services have in practice inadvertently diminished the timeless truths of the gospel and supplanted inward spiritual passion and obedient discipleship. This dynamic raises important questions about the extent to which these shifts reshape the church’s spiritual identity and doctrinal continuity.

Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: An Evangelical Response

A. Missional Context
To spark interest in the recently published book, Christianity Reimagined, the following provocative questions were posed: What if you could rediscover the heart of Christianity’s spirituality – profound meaning, genuine connection, and a sense of the transcendent – without forcing yourself to accept a single belief that you just can’t? What if Christianity was never meant to be about rigid doctrines or blind belief, but about deep, transformative experiences – the kind you’ve had, the kind that truly shapes a life? These questions are designed to invite readers into the journey of reimagining Christianity for themselves.

The call to reimagine Church and Christian faith is frequently raised by activists from a spectrum of movements that includes liberation theology, postmodern and deconstructive theology, feminist and postcolonial theology, intercultural-religious dialogue and LGBT-Queer theology. These movements seek to reinterpret and modernize Christianity in order to make it relevant to perceived modern spiritual interests and sensibilities. Therefore, attention is directed toward revising traditional doctrines and church practices that are seen as obstacles to personal authenticity and social inclusivity.

The call to reimagine the Church and Christian faith is grounded in the belief that truth claims are inherently relative and must be deconstructed and reconstructed to align with emerging communities and evolving cultural contexts. The aim of this reimagination is to cultivate a faith that resonates with the “lived experience” of spiritual seekers, and to foster a church environment that serves as a “safe space” – a concept that originated within LGBT culture in the United States during the 1970s—for individuals who feel alienated or disillusioned by traditional church structures. Continue reading “Reimagining Church and Christian Faith: An Evangelical Response”

Recommended Books on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. BADR Part 12/12

Selected Bibliography on Biblical Anthropology, Death and Resurrection
1) Hans Walter Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament. Fortress, 1973.
2) Anthony Hoekema, Created in God’s Image. Eerdmans, 1986.
3) John Cooper. Body, Soul and Life Everlasting. Eerdmans, 2000.
4) Gary Habermas & Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Christ. Kregel, 2004.
5) G.E. Ladd, I Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus. Eerdmans, 1975.
6) John Wenham. The Easter Enigma. Zondervan, 1984.
7) Murray Harris, From Grave to Glory. Zondervan, 1990.

ANNOUNCEMENT
Kairos Podcast will be taking a break until March 2025. It will resume with a 5-parts podcast series on Homosexual Practice and the LGBT Sexual Revolution: Biblical & Sociological Perspectives.

Compromise in Biblical Inerrancy and Authority of the Bible is an Existential Threat to the Church

Former church turned into a bar

The article offers some sober lessons for the church. Churches begin to decline when they they make compromises in the final and sufficient authority of the Bible in order to remain ‘relevant’ to wider culture and society. Some of us can remember how many Malaysian churches in the 1960s went into decline because they neglected the Great Commission due to the influence of liberal theology. Compromise in biblical inerrancy and biblical authority is an existential threat to the church.

Lessons:
1) Compromise in biblical inerrancy and final authority is the slippery slide which results in the death of a thousand cuts for the church. Continue reading “Compromise in Biblical Inerrancy and Authority of the Bible is an Existential Threat to the Church”

A Reforming Catholic Confession: Continuing the Reformation to Attain Unity of the catholic (universal) Church

I. The Reforming Catholic Confession (RCC) in Context One criticism of the Protestant Reformation that is often raised is that it splintered the universal church in the 16th century. The sectarian spirit of the Reformation not only undermines ecclesiastical authority; it also engenders a rebellious spirit resulting in radical individualism and secularization of of modern … Continue reading “A Reforming Catholic Confession: Continuing the Reformation to Attain Unity of the catholic (universal) Church”

I. The Reforming Catholic Confession (RCC) in Context
One criticism of the Protestant Reformation that is often raised is that it splintered the universal church in the 16th century. The sectarian spirit of the Reformation not only undermines ecclesiastical authority; it also engenders a rebellious spirit resulting in radical individualism and secularization of of modern society. The proliferation of Protestant denominations only confirms the perception that the Reformation is a tragedy to Christianity.

It is therefore appropriate that recently, more than 250 Protestant leaders and theologians published “A Reforming Catholic Confession (RCC) –A “Mere Protestant” Statement of Faith to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.”

The RCC begins by setting the diversity of Protestant denominations in proper perspective.

Not every denominational or doctrinal difference is a division, certainly not an insurmountable one. We dare hope that the unity to which the Reformers aspired may be increasingly realized as today’s “mere” Protestants, like Richard Baxter’s and C. S. Lewis’s “mere Christians,” joyfully join together to bear united witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to its length, depth, breadth, and width – in a word, its catholicity

The RCC lays out a set of eleven carefully and precisely formulated doctrinal statements [D] under the following headings: Triune God, Holy Scripture, Human Beings, Fallenness, Jesus Christ, The Atoning Work of Christ, The Gospel, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, Baptism and Lord’s Supper, Holy Living and Last Things. This is accompanied by an explanatory document, Explanation. A Historical and Theological Perspective: Why we say what we say

I shall give only a few abridged statements of the RCC as a sample to provide a sense of its precise formulation accompanied by an irenic spirit. Continue reading “A Reforming Catholic Confession: Continuing the Reformation to Attain Unity of the catholic (universal) Church”

Christian Worship in Times of Crisis: Escapism or Engagement with the World?

Related Posts: Worship of God and Ways of Man and I Find it Hard to Worship God in Church Without doubt Christians in Malaysia are filled with a sense of foreboding as Islamic authorities seized the Alkitab, the Courts through unreasonable judgments effective curtailed their freedom of religion and the Prime Minister failed to censure … Continue reading “Christian Worship in Times of Crisis: Escapism or Engagement with the World?”

Without doubt Christians in Malaysia are filled with a sense of foreboding as Islamic authorities seized the Alkitab, the Courts through unreasonable judgments effective curtailed their freedom of religion and the Prime Minister failed to censure aggressive Islamic NGOs for their slander and threats against the Malaysian Church.

It is heartening to see many Christians turning to the Lord in times of social crisis, seen in their fervent prayers in revival meetings. Crisis however brings up the best or the worst from us. Christian worship and revival meetings can become either an avenue of psychological escapism or a platform for spiritual renewal and social engagement.

Escapist Worship
Middle class Christians may be tempted to compensate their sense of social impotence by turning to other-worldly spirituality. Hence, a surreal emphasis on spiritual power in some revival meetings and a tendency to rally around men of charisma or self-styled apostles and prophets, if only that anxious believers may have a ‘touch’ of omnipotence mediated to them. Unfortunately, such focus on ‘touching’ spiritual power can distract believers from building genuine relationships based on shared lives to ensure the members of the community of faith will stand in solidarity with one another in the face of hostilities.

Spirituality then becomes a form of social-psychological pathology as distressed Christians seek consolation in the pie in the sky, resulting in personal resignation, passivity and indifference towards social engagement. Some find solace in cloistered personal piety; others delight in claiming victories in the heavenlies; and still others yearn for abundant material blessings – all without requirements of mutual accountability within the community of faith. Pre-occupation with revival meetings provides convenient excuses to the Church as it retreats from its holistic mission of witness and responsible engagement with an unbelieving, if not hostile world.

These observations are not meant to disparage current revival meetings but to challenge Malaysian Christians to recover the full dimensions of holistic worship adequate for strengthening personal spiritual formation and building community relationships and forging shared vision for social engagement. Given the present crisis I shall focus on holistic worship and social engagement with an unbelieving world. Continue reading “Christian Worship in Times of Crisis: Escapism or Engagement with the World?”

Worship of God and Ways of Man

Related Posts: Christian Worship in Times of Crisis: Escapism or Engagement with the World? What is Biblical Celebration-Worship? Ralph Martin describes worship as “the dramatic celebration of God in his supreme worth in such a manner that his “worthiness” becomes the norm of living.”/1/ Few Christians would dispute with such a concise and balanced statement. … Continue reading “Worship of God and Ways of Man”

Ralph Martin describes worship as “the dramatic celebration of God in his supreme worth in such a manner that his “worthiness” becomes the norm of living.”/1/ Few Christians would dispute with such a concise and balanced statement. What it means in reality is another matter, however, since we do not worship in abstraction. Week after week we go to a church and get involved with ¬people in a worship service. Worship services assume diverse forms. They appeal to people differently and obviously meet different needs. People may express disappointments over some aspects of their worship meetings and may even suggest improvements. Nevertheless, they keep going back faithfully to their church worship meetings. The reality of God must have been experienced and their needs must have been met somewhat, regardless of occasional complaints. I shall bear in mind such human expectations as I try to crystalize some thoughts about three different forms of worship. Continue reading “Worship of God and Ways of Man”