No Tongue Can Bid Me Thence Depart

I'd like to tell a story. It begins with a confession.  Simply put, 

I was mad at God. 

I went to WHAM (Worship Him at Midnight) one Friday night and I decided to spend most of the time writing in my journal and praying.  I had been feeling distant from God for quite sometime and I wasn't sure why.  I could feel something separating us, but I honestly had no idea what that "thing" was.  So, I was crying out to God, asking Him to show me, so I could get rid of it.  I desperately wanted to be "wholly Thine".  But He was quiet. I felt like I was crying out to an apathetic, silent God and I got really frustrated.  For the next few days, I feigned indifference, but I couldn't deny the weight of guilt that laid so heavily upon my shoulders.  A good friend of mine asked me to a prayer group.  He was so persistent, so I consented, despite my less than eager attitude.  I mocked myself because I felt like a ridiculously dramatic, snobby teenager who was mad at her Dad and decided to "punish" him by giving him the silent treatment ("You won't talk to me? Well, I didn't want to talk to you anyways. Take that!").  I knew how ridiculous I was being, but I didn't care.  I trudged all the way to Pastor Tim's (the prayer group) and once I got there, I spent most of the time journaling my frustrations, as I did at WHAM.  I had heard good, but weird things about Pastor Tim's so I was somewhat skeptical walking into it.  This guy who they call Pastor Tim prayed over everyone there, including myself. He asked me my name and then prayed for me and said things that seemed a little specific for him to just make up.  It was pretty strange and I wasn't sure what to think of it all.  He prayed mostly in "thank-you's":

• Thank you that Emily doesn't just want to know about you, she wants to know you personally.
• Thank you for the healing prayer ministry that she will one day lead.
• Thank you that you will speak to her through dreams and visions.
• Help her to not be so hard on herself.
• Thank you that she is a compassionate listener who wants to reach out to the broken.
• Thank you that her days of self-doubt are over.

There was more, but that was all that I remembered as I frantically wrote it all down when he finished. I was taken aback by the directness of his prayer and rather confused. The next day, I was still mulling things over, but I had sort of come to the conclusion that self-doubt was the problem.  That afternoon, I began playing and singing different praise songs in the practice room, a habit from last semester that I hadn't picked back up. When I sang Before the Throne of God Above by Selah, the words penetrated me (despite the number of times I had previously sung them) and my eyes were opened to the beautiful salvation of God.  He was speaking again and I was filled with joy. That night, I went to set up for a recital in Hughes, expecting there to be rehearsals going on, but there wasn't a single person in there.  I've always recognized that Hughes is a sacred place, but when I walked in there, I was overwhelmed by God's presence.  I sat in the balcony and just sat with the Lord until people showed up. It was glorious. The sun (Son) was pouring into the windows and was warming my soul.  The next morning, I went to chapel and I actually got there early, so I had time to sit and prepare for corporate worship.  The first song we sang was Before the Throne of God Above.  I couldn't stop smiling because God was so obviously speaking to me. He was assuring me of my salvation. I closed my eyes and worshiped Him and saw Him smiling down at me.  He was pouring His love into me and I have never felt so FULL in my life.  The rest of the music was perfect and the chapel speaker boldly preached the Gospel (which was very refreshing).  The rest of the day, I just wanted to run around telling everyone how GREAT God is and how DEEP His love is for us.  Later, I went into Hughes when it was empty again and I sat in the balcony singing hymns.  I'm so thankful for an intimate God.  He is not apathetic or distant, but He is with us. That's basically the end of my story, but I could literally go on for hours praising His name.

I started writing this post a few weeks ago on spring break, but then college happened again, so this post is a little dated.  Since then God has been showering blessing after blessing on me through new friendships and existing ones, an answered prayer--my amazing TAG partner, Leslie--, deep conversations, an uncontainable joy, true worship, and His love. The amount of times I've felt like the happiest person alive recently is pretty amazing. 

To conclude, here are the lyrics to Before the Throne of God Above. 

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea

A great high Priest whose Name is Love

Whoever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands

My name is written on His heart

I know that while in heaven He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end to all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the risen Lamb

My perfect spotless righteousness

The great unchangeable I am

The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God!

With Christ my Savior and my God!

One with Himself I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God!

With Christ my Savior and my God!

Amen. Amen. Amen. I hope you understand the magnitude of His sacrifice and the depth of His love. :) "I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone." And now,

No tongue can bid me thence depart

My love to all,

Emily 

Twenty-Fourteen

FOUR WORDS, FOUR CALLINGS: 

Intention * Love * Altruism * Contentment

As I approach my second semester of college, I am a bit overwhelmed.  I have a full course load (17 credit hours, 10 classes), training for a new job, a spiritual life and a social life to maintain, and 13 hours per week in the practice room. It's just dawning on me now how hard this semester is going to be and I know it will be even harder if I don't stay determined and intentional every second.  I didn't make a list of resolutions like I did last year...mostly because I didn't complete half of them! But I feel like God has placed these four words on my heart as a calling to who He wants me to be. I have discovered quite a few things about myself throughout this transition to college, some good things, some bad.  And when I look back on last semester, I am convicted most strongly by the times I was unintentional, unloving, selfish, and discontent.  So, that's my goal, my resolution, my mission this upcoming year:

 

To be intentional in everything I do, say, and think. 

To love others even when it's hard.

To put other's needs above my own.

To be content even when life isn't going as planned. 

So there it is. I fully expect to fall on my face, but if along the way I grow closer to God and closer to who I am called to be, even just an inch, it will all be worth it and my goal will be met. I know I'm a little late, but Happy New Year, everyone! May God bless and keep you throughout twenty-fourteen and beyond. 

Love,
Emily

In the Hallway

There are times in life when we must wait. It is in our waiting that our true nature comes out. I think it's safe to say that we are not patient creatures. We expect God to answer our prayers the second we pray them. We think that if a prayer goes unanswered, God has forsaken us. But it's not that simple. What if God allows us to roam the hallway for a while so that we can draw closer to Him? What if it is an act of love rather than an act of negligence? What if the Creator of the heavens and earth is merely seeking intimacy with His beloved creation?  

Our constant struggle to get out of the hallway might as well be considered a rejection of His love. Imagine if your husband set aside some time for the two of you to enjoy each other without any distractions and the whole time you were just praying it would be over soon because you believed there was something better out there. Putting it in the context of a marriage really demonstrates how rude and ungrateful we can be.

I believe that the hallway will become a precious place when we learn contentment, enjoyment, and redamancy. We will treasure those moments of waiting because they are times set apart for pure enjoyment of the Father; times to love Him and receive His love What's even sweeter is that God still opens doors, He still answers prayers.  

The open doors are gifts of grace from our Beloved; shall we not delight in waiting and the opportunity offered to just sit with our Beloved for awhile?

As Long as You Are Glorified

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings yet not welcome any pain?

Shall I thank You for days of sunshine yet grumble in days of rain?

Shall I love You in times of plenty then leave You in days of drought?

Shall I trust when I reap a harvest, but when winter winds blow, then doubt?

O let Your will be done in me. In Your love I will abide.  

O I long for nothing else as long as You are glorified.

Are You good only when I prosper and true only when I'm filled?

Are You King only when I'm carefree and God only when I'm well?

You are good when I'm poor and needy.

You are true when I'm parched and dry.

You still reign in the deepest valley.

You're still God in the darkest night.

O let Your will be done in me. In Your love I will abide.  

O I long for nothing else as long as You are glorified.

So quiet my restless heart in You.

καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷμένει. 

"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 John 4:16

To God be the glory in all things.

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

His Eye Is on the Sparrow is a beautiful hymn written by Civilla D. Martin and composed by Charles H. Gabriel.  This hymn was inspired by the scriptures, Matthew 6:26, 10:29-31, and a Christian couple, the Doolittle's.

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they? (Matthew 6:26)

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

"Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience."

- Civilla D. Martin 

These words have brought me much comfort during my transition to college.  I have been at Asbury for almost three months now and it has been 6 weeks since I last saw my family.  Needless to say, homesickness has crept its way into my heart.  I'm fine when I'm with friends or my mind is busy, so I try to avoid solitude, however, I am forced to spend 13 hours a week alone in a practice room.  I started bringing my piano book of hymns and I came across His Eye Is on the Sparrow.  I was familiar with the hymn, but I never really thought much about it.  One line that struck me the most is, "Why should my heart be lonely... when Jesus is my portion?"  Total dependence on God is something that I long for.  Growing up with such wonderful parents, I was given everything I could possibly need.  Now that I am away from them, I have to rely on Someone greater; Someone who is always with me (That is not to say my parents aren't still here for me, but it's different 8 hours away).  So through this hymn and the words of God, I have discovered the beauty in homesickness and I would like to share with you the reasons why I am thankful for homesickness.

#1 I am thankful for a home and a family that I love so much, my heart literally feels heavy when we are separated.  Many are not this fortunate. I'm thankful that I have something to miss.

#2 I am thankful that I am offered a deeper relationship with God through homesickness.  He is teaching me that He is my portion, my constant Friend, my Guardian, my Leader, my Provider, and that I can depend on His love and care.

Read over these words and let them fill you with the hope and joy of a Savior who cares about us and let yourself be fully dependent on Him.  It is through dependence/surrender that we are free. 

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,

When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I'm happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender words I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Peace and rest be with you all on this beautiful Sabbath. 

Love,

Emily

On Bended Knee: Restoring the Creator-Creature Relationship

Introduction

“When the music fades and all is stripped away and I simply come…”[1] With these powerful lyrics written by Matt Redman, the essence of worship is brought to light.  Worship is not just about the music, it is about entering into communion with God, the Creator.  Without establishing the truth about worship, the church misses the opportunity to participate with the eternal and, as a result, the community suffers an agonizing separation from God.  In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God in the Garden of Eden. At the Fall, the relationship between God and man was mortally wounded.  In The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer emphasizes how crucial it is for Christians to strive for a restored relationship with the Creator.[2]  The world, in a fallen state, is in a chaotic, downward spiral; man exalts himself and walks his own way. Man pretends that the world is his stage and God is a mere puppet that he can close the curtain on whenever it is convenient.  However, Jeremiah 10:23 states that, “Man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”[3]  Without the Creator, mankind is lost.  Therefore, man must implement a “voluntary exalting of God to His proper station over us and a willing surrender of our whole being to the place of worshipful submission which the Creator-creature circumstance makes proper”.[4] 

Many people acknowledge that a problem exists with worship in the church, but they attempt to address it in different ways.  Some pursue the modern, contemporary way of worship, while others fall back on the liturgy.  Worship should bring the creature into proper relationship with the Creator and this is done most effectively through the four major parts of the liturgy: the Entrance, the Proclamation of the Word, the Eucharist, and the Dismissal.[5]

Definitions

Before discussing the different elements of the liturgy, a few terms need defining.  First, worship is defined most simply as the act of offering something pleasing to God.[6]  Litourgia, translated from the Greek, means “the work of the people. And this work of the people—the people of God—is to offer themselves and their substance and their praises as an oblation (offering) to God, made acceptable by virtue of the One Offering, namely the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.”[7]  To be clearer, liturgy is a form or arrangement of different worship elements that some churches have retained through the ages.  Truly, definitions are like the stepping stones to the garden where the farmer works, and so the foundation is set and the work begins!

The Entrance

 Upon entering the church, one begins the liturgical journey. The liturgy allows worship to take place the moment one enters the house of God.  The Entrance is when Christians leave the world and gather together in a sanctuary of peace.  This “assembly or gathering constitutes the most basic symbol of Christian worship”.[8]  After a long, wearisome week, Sunday is a day to set aside for fellowship with other believers, and rest for the upcoming week.  The essentialness of the Sabbath is embedded in the finite nature of humans. Acknowledging that a day of rest is needed recognizes the frailty of humans and that the Lord is the only Provider of peace and strength.  Peace comes from God and not from man.  The Entrance is an act of worship because it unseats the pride of man and points toward the need of a Supreme Being. 

The Greeting  

There are four sub-elements within the Entrance: The Greeting, the Adoration, the Confession, and the Absolution.[9] In the Greeting, the church-goers welcome one another with a salutation.  The pastor often uses the salutation, “The peace of the Lord be with you,” and the congregation replies, “And with you also.”[10]  This salutation offers the gift of peace to one another and prepares the congregation for worship.  The Greeting could even act as a kind of pretense. C.S. Lewis writes on this kind of pretense in Mere Christianity: “The rule for all of us is perfectly simple.  Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.  When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”[11]  Whether the people feel affection for one another the Greeting provides the opportunity for the congregants to love as an act of the will and as C.S. Lewis reveals, authentic love will soon follow.

The Adoration                                                      

The Song of Adoration begins the musical portion of the liturgy.  Pastor David Cloud articulates the discouraging state in which many churches are in today:  “There is an intense war being waged today for the heart and soul of Bible-believing churches, and one of the Devil’s most effective Trojan horses is music.”[12]  He is proposing that Satan is manipulating music surreptitiously as a way to divide the church, most often through the prideful opinions of Traditionalists and Modernists.  This does not mean that music is a corrupt vehicle to worship.  On the contrary, music is a wonderful gift from God that can and should be used for His glory alone.  However, when the music choice for worship becomes a debate on whatever pleases the individual, the point of worship is forgotten and fellowship is broken by the inward-curvedness of man.  Evidently, the song of adoration easily strays from an adoration of God to an adoration of man.  So often the lyrics are written about how God loves man rather than how man loves God, and thus desecrates the definition of worship. What arrogance is demonstrated when man enters into the house of God and says to Him, “Oh, you love me! You are jealous for me!” In this case, the Church is like the suitors in Homer’s, The Odyssey, by abusing the rule of hospitality and over-stepping boundaries. God welcomes His people into His house and instead of receiving thankful, humble servants, He receives boasting swine.[13]  One way to correct this prideful approach to worship is to employ a humble worship leader who will be intentional in selecting music that adores God.  The Adoration was instituted into the liturgy to humble the creature through praising the Creator.  If the worship leader leads the congregation in true songs of adoration, the stage is set for a transformation to take place in the hearts of the people.

The Confession

            The Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the All Saints Church in Wittenberg in 1517.[14]  The Reformation was an opportunity to discard the fallacious doctrines of the Catholic Church and pursue the Truth, but instead both the good and bad of Catholicism was rejected and detested.  O pendulum of reform, you swing too far!  The Confession is one of many elements that lost its importance through the Reformation.  The Protestants main issue with confession is when the priest acts as the intermediary.[15]  However, in refuting the Catholic process, the entire practice of confession is minimized. James 5:16 instructs, “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”[16]  The Confession is incorporated into the Sunday liturgy because, like the Greeting, the church must be reconciled with God and with each other in order to worship.  All sins must be dealt with so the body of Christ can function properly.  Evelyn Underhill defines worship as “the response of the creature to the eternal”.[17] Confession is the response to a perfect God; it identifies man as a sinful creature contrasted by the absolute holiness of God. Therefore, confession is another instrument that plays in the joyful song of worship.

The Absolution

             The Confession exposes the depravity of man, and thus, he is given an opportunity for redemption.[18] The Absolution is a reminder, given by the pastor, of the words of forgiveness offered by Christ for those who repent of their sins.[19]  Protestantism, once again overreacting to Catholicism, cast out the Absolution in rebellion to the notion that a priest could grant or deny forgiveness.  There is no need of an intermediary because Jesus stretched out His hands to the world via the cross and became the ultimate Mediator.  For this reason, the Absolution is best accomplished by reading 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”[20] The “if” indicates the condition for receiving forgiveness.  In this way, the pastor neither grants nor denies forgiveness, but reminds the congregation of the opportunity offered by Christ.  Les Schofield admonishes believers that, “the death of Christ provides us with the gift of confession to gain forgiveness and the cleansing that brings holiness so we can stand in the Presence of God without dying on the spot”.[21]  After the first part of the liturgical journey, the Entrance, the Church is one step closer to becoming the Body of Christ.  Each member is at peace with one another, and with God, so the worship continues.

The Proclamation of the Word

The next major element is the Proclamation of the Word and it includes the Reading of the Scripture, the Sermon, the Creed, Intercession, and the Sign of Reconciliation and Peace.[22]  The value of the Proclamation of the Word increases tremendously when one understands that the Bible is the “speak of God”.[23]  The eternal God of the earth authored a timeless book, the Bible, which speaks to all who devote themselves to its teachings.  Furthermore, these two principles of spiritual exegesis[24] are presented in Susan K. Wood’s Spiritual Exegesis and the Church in the Theology of Henri de Lubac:

Spiritual exegesis, which is supposed by the whole liturgy, is an exegesis dominated by two principles.  The first principle is that the Bible is the Word of God, not a dead word, imprisoned in the past, but a living word addressed immediately to the man of today taking part in the celebration of the liturgy.  The second principle is that the Old Testament is illumined by the New, just as the New only discloses its profundity once it is illumined by the Old.[25]

Wood is asserting that the Word of God is not dead; it is alive and speaking to all who will listen.  So, as the Proclamation of the Word begins, the believer inclines his ear to receive the Word of an ageless Savior.

The Reading of the Scripture

            Liturgically, the Reading of the Scripture is a celebration.  Many expect God to be an unreachable Deity, much like the gods in other religions, but the truth is that He is ever-present and desires an intimate relationship with the creature.  The Bible describes the Church as the Bride of Christ.[26] The language itself illumines the intimacy that God intends for His people.  The necessity of reading the scriptures is found most simply through marriage.  For a marriage to be complete, the two must become one.  That unity originates in knowing each other’s character completely.  In the end, the Bride will be united with Christ and what better way to prepare for marriage than to learn the Groom’s character.  The Reading of the Scripture reveals God’s character, which sanctions the joining together of the Bride and Groom and allows the worshiper to identify the nature of God and respond appropriately.

The Sermon

            The Sermon is the part of the Sunday Liturgy where the minister seeks to bring about a greater understanding of the Scriptures with the help of the Holy Spirit.  The minister should understand the magnitude of this responsibility to be fully submitted to the Spirit of God before he utters the first word. This is a time when the transforming power of God can be realized and accomplished through the spoken word.  Something is wrong when the word is preached and the congregation remains complacent and without challenge and conviction.[27]  Modern sermons are often characterized by the nefarious rise of individualism.  When community is forgotten in the midst of pleasing the needs of the individual, the church is not the Church.  Unlike the Confession and Absolution, the Sermon remains integrated in the Sunday service, but in an attempt to serve man, the Church often wavers from the liturgical foundation. 

The Creed

            The recitation of the Nicene or the Apostles’ Creed introduces the basic tenets of the Christian faith.  “When the church professes the creed in its worship, it too is testifying to its separate identity from the world.”[28]  The Creed singlehandedly marks the set-apartness of the Church, affirms the faith of the believer, and equips the believer with the answer to the intimidating question, “What do you believe?”  

Intercession

            In the world today, the need for prayer cannot be denied.  Intercession is a corporate prayer to God beseeching Him to intervene in the debauchery of the world.  The intercessor voices the petitions for prayer and the congregants respond with, “Lord, hear our prayer.”[29]  The Protestants often exclude this element of the liturgy because of its rote nature.  However, prayer draws the creature into proper relationship with the Creator and establishes the identity of the Church.  Therefore, intercession is an indispensable component in the worship service.  “May we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.”[30]

Signs of Reconciliation and Peace

            This is the last element of the Proclamation of the Word and thus serves as a bridge to the Eucharist.  The Bible warns that, “whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord”.[31]  For that reason, the partaker must examine his heart fully and repent of all sins before the Eucharist.  The Signs of Reconciliation and Peace is confirmation of the absolution received and perpetuates the peace among the congregation in preparation for the Holy Communion. 

The Eucharist

Alexander Schmemann defines the Eucharist as, “the state of the perfect man.  Eucharist is the life of paradise.  Eucharist is the only full and real response of man to God’s creation, redemption, and gift of heaven.”[32]  The Eucharist embodies the Offertory, The Great Thanksgiving, The Lord’s Prayer and the Holy Communion and is the apogee of the Sunday liturgy.[33]  Before continuing, let it be known that the profundity of the Eucharist is immense and cannot be explained fully without years of study and a blank canvas on which to paint the masterpiece of the Eucharist.[34]

The Offertory

            In a materialistic world, the symbolism of the Offertory is obscured.  The Offering includes not only offering money and tithes for the furtherance of God’s kingdom, but also offering oneself in submission to God’s will.[35]  The liturgy capitalizes the relationship between the Offertory and Communion.  There is a mutual interdependency between all of the elements and only through active participation of the liturgy as a whole will the journey of worship be complete.

The Great Thanksgiving

            The Great Thanksgiving leads up to receiving Holy Communion and is a time to address God the Father in a prayer that recognizes all of His works in creation and His establishing of the covenant between Himself and man.  Through praise and adoration the congregation acknowledges God’s sovereignty. “The prayer provides a majestic vision that takes in the triune God’s eternal purpose actualized in the coming of Christ and the creation of the Church by the power of the Spirit, and finding its final perfection in the new creation epitomized in the heavenly banquet.”[36]

The Lord’s Prayer

            “This, then, is how you should pray…” Matthew 6 instructs the Church how to pray properly with the Lord’s Prayer.[37]  The opening line in the Lord’s Prayer addresses God as, “Our Father,” and not, “My Father,” making it clear that Jesus is teaching the Church to pray corporately. This corporate prayer is included in the liturgy to unite the Body of Christ. 

The Holy Communion

            The Holy Communion begins with the breaking of the bread, after which the minister invites the pure in heart to partake of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.  The Eucharist is not an insouciant event, but a powerful, humbling encounter with the One who died on the cross for the sins of mankind.  The Invitation beckons only those who have been made holy by the Holy Spirit.  “Holy things are meant for holy people.”[38]  Jesus’ death on the cross provides the answer for the broken relationship between man and God. The Eucharistic celebration is best described by Alexander Schmemann:

He [Jesus] became man and lived in this world.  He ate and drank, and this means that the world of which he partook, the very food of our world became His body, His life.  But His life was totally, absolutely Eucharistic—all of it was transformed into communion with God and all of it ascended into heaven.  And now [through the Holy Communion] He shares this glorified life with us.[39]

One must enter into Holy Communion intentionally mindful of the magnitude of what takes place in this part of the liturgy, but also with a sense of joyous anticipation.

The Dismissal

            The liturgical journey now comes to an end as the benedictory prayer is imparted.  The Benediction is given at the end of the service as a blessing from God before the people must leave the sanctuary and reenter the world.  Part of the purpose of the Dismissal is to prepare the congregants to bless others as they go about their daily lives throughout the week.  The impact of the Eucharist remains imprinted on the heart of man as he is dismissed back into the world; all of his actions seek to serve the one, true God in anticipation of entering into worship again on the next Sabbath. This is not to say that worship only takes place within the walls of the church, but it is where the Body of Christ together encounters the triune God in all of His glory. 

The Church Set Apart

            The Church would universally agree that worship should bring the creature into proper relationship with the Creator; however, some contemporary churches try to accomplish this without using the liturgy, and thus, miss the transformative powers of true worship.  In the minds of modernists, creating a more attractive worship service is a means to obtain a larger congregation, and, as a result, there are more ears to hear the gospel.  In a society of tolerance, acceptance, and individualism, the church is swept up into appealing to the individual and their sins, even at the cost of altering the truth.  The contemporary church is passionate about bringing people to Christ and being “in the world” so as to share the love of Christ with others.  Unfortunately, these passions are evolving into the church being “of the world”.[40]  In an attempt to entreat the world, the church is becoming assimilated with the world.  Liturgy pronounces the set-apartness of the Church through worship that acknowledges the gravity of sin, the necessity of repentance and the significance of sharing in the life and death of Christ through the partaking of the Eucharist.

Conclusion

            The Sunday liturgy encompasses four major parts, the Entrance, the Proclamation of the Word, the Eucharist and the Dismissal, each including multiple elements which collectively bring the creature into proper relationship with the Creator.  Worship should be a defining characteristic of the Church rather than of the world.  Worship is the Church “bending the knee” while the world is standing.[41]  To the Christian Church: Take these words to heart and waste no time establishing a Sunday liturgy for the reward of being an authentic worshipping community is beyond the riches of gold.  May the Church no longer be “a conflicted people living in a land of conflicted people,” but a community identified by the Creator and by the world as the Church on bended knee.[42]

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1. Redman, Matt, “The Heart of Worship,” On The Heart of Worship, CD (London, England: Sta Song Publishers, 2005).

2. Tozer, A.W., “Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation,” in The Pursuit of God. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Christian Publications, 1948), 93.

3. “Jeremiah 10:23 - New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed April 13^th, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2010:23&version=NASB

4. Tozer, A.W., The Pursuit of God, 96.

5. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping Community (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 129-130.

            6. Matt Bianco (CCMM Director of Education and Events) in discussion with the author, April 5, 2013.

7. Robert Webber, The Renewal of Sunday Worship. (Nashville, Tennessee: Star Song Publishing Group, 1993), 112.

 8. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.

             9. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.

             10. Ibid., 131.

             11. C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. (New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2001), 131.

             12. Billy Hallowell, “Worship Wars: Is the Worst Fight in Your Church Over the Style of Music?” The Blaze, November 27, 2011. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/11/27/worship-wars-is-the-worst-fight-in-your-church-over-the-style-of-music/.

                13. Homer, The Odyssey, Translated by Robert Fagles (6th Printing. Penguin Books, 1997).

    14. Daniel J. Boorstin. The Discoverers. (New York: Random House, Inc., 1983), 69.

                15. Nancy Veatch (Teacher and Mother) in discussion with the author, April 13, 2013.

                16. “James 5:16 - New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed April 13, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%205:16&version=NASB (Accessed April 13, 2013).

                17. Evelyn Underhill, Lent with Evelyn Underhill (London, England: Continuum International Publishing, 2006), 62, quoted in Robert E. Webber, The Renewal of Sunday Worship (Tennessee: Star Song Publishing, 1993), 99.

                18. Philip Veatch (General Internist, B.A. Bible Major, and Father) spoken through Ryan Owens (Pharmaceutical Representative and Youth Leader), 2009. Exposure equals an opportunity for redemption.

                19. Robert E. Webber, The Renewal of Sunday Worship, 232.

                20. “1 John 1:9 - New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on April 13, 2013,  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A9&version=NIV

                21. Leslie N. Schofield Jr. “Toward Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21^st Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines” (2006), 15-16.

                22. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.

                23. Philip Veatch, in discussion with the author, 2013.

                24. Spiritual exegesis is defined as “a theological term used to describe an approach to interpreting a passage in the Bible by critical analysis.” Quoted from "Definition of Exegesis." The Bible Study Site. Accessed April 14, 2013. http://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/definition-of-christian-terms/exegesis.html

                25. Susan K. Wood, Spiritual Exegesis and the Church in the Theology of Henri de Lubac (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), quoted in Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 137. 

                26. “Revelation 21:2 - New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on April 14^th, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelation%2021:2&version=NASB

                27. Marva J. Dawn, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 205-206.

                28. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 111.

                29. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 139.

                30. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Discovery House Publishers, 1992), March 31.

                31. “1 Corinthians 11:27 - New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on April 13, 2013 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2011:27&version=NASB

                32.  Alexander Schmemann quoted in Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010.), 24.

                33. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.

                34. See The Eucharist Is, a poetic compilation of Alexander Schmemann’s quotes on the Eucharist by Father John Finley, http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/triumphalhymn/the_eucharist_is_._._

                35. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 141.

                36. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 143-144.

                28. “Matthew 6:9 - New International Version,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on April 15, 2013 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:9&version=NIV

                38. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 144.

                39. Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World (2^nd Ed., St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1973), 42-43 quoted in Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 145.

                40. “John 17:13-18 – New American Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on April 15, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17&version=NASB

                41. Leslie N. Schofield Jr. “Toward Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21^st Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines” (2006), 20.

                42. Leslie N. Schofield Jr.“Toward Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21^st Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines,” 20.

It's Happening, Isn't It?

"Ready or not, here I come," warned August 11th.  

I am in utter disbelief that summer is coming to an end in less than two weeks.  The clock ticks by too fast...  I have been supremely surprised by my floods of excitement and lack of anxiety.  I keep waiting for it to really hit and sink in. I guarantee you it's not going to be pretty when that happens. I have little moments when I think about my "last" Sunday at Shepchap, or my "last" piano lesson, or my "last" band/choir practice, but then I'll talk to someone from Asbury & I get excited again.  This is the week of all my "last"s and I don't know if I'm ready for them.  But it's happening, whether I'm ready or not. I am so lucky to have a home that I love and care for deeply.  Everyone complains about poor ol' Stanco, but it's honestly my favorite place in the world.  I like running into people I know everywhere I go. I like that our movie theater only costs $4.50 for a matinee.  I like how excited Stanco is when we get new things like a Cookout or a Sweet Frog.  I like that the ladies at Belk or Jcpenney have watched me grow up and now share in my excitement for college.  I like that Goodo's Putt Putt, just a shabby hole in the wall, has the best ice cream in the world.  I like that I consider the waiters at Mazatlan my friends. Most of all, I like that my family, friends, and church are in Stanco.  It's just the little things that make this town so special to me.  A promise that I made and fully intend to keep is that I will always love my ground. 

I have ten more days here and I am determined to make them count. I ask that you be in prayer for my family and I as I fear we will be displaying the ugly cry for all to see on campus next week.  I am full of anticipation for the days ahead, but dreading the never-pleasant "see you soon"s. Pray for comfort and easy transitions; I would greatly appreciate it.

It's really happening.