My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Typically I like books from this Counterpoint series. But typically the editor sets an agenda and framework for the subsequent discussion by presenting questions that the various authors must answer. This provides a certain amount of unity to the discussion and essays. This sense of unity is completely lacking in this book, except for the fact that they are all in some what talking about worship. The result is a collection of loosely related articles and responses that makes for a somewhat confusing and rather unhelpful read. It’s hard to compare the views because the different authors come at the discussion from very different angles and talk about very different things. In short, it’s not organized.

— Not very impressed this time.

Elements of Corporate Worship (Edmund Clowney)

March 6, 2014Kirk E. Miller

The following is taken from “Presbyterian Worship” by Edmund Clowney in Worship: Adoration and Action (page 117), edited by D.A. Carson. Although some may skibble over certain aspects of this composition, Clowney provides a succinct summary of the elements of corporate worship according to the New Testament’s testimony. (I have reformatted his collection into a bulleted list.) He states, “The New Testament indicates, by precept and example [emphasis mine], what the elements of [corporate] worship are.” According to Clowney, they are the following.

Corporate prayer is offered (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim 2:1; 1 Cor 14:16).
Scripture is read (1 Tim 4:13; 1 Thes 5:27; 2 Thes 3:14; Col 4:15-16; 2 Pet 3:15-16.
Continue reading →

The Relationship Between Worship and Culture (the Nairobi Statement)

February 24, 2014February 24, 2014Kirk E. Miller

The Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture (available for free here), prepared by the Department for Theology and Studies of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) via Lift Up Your Hearts web site, states,

The reality that Christian worship is always celebrated in a given local cultural setting draws our attention to the dynamics between worship and the world’s many local cultures.

The Nairobi Statement helpfully organizes the dynamic relationship between worship and culture in terms of four dimensions:

Transcultural – Having the same substance for everyone everywhere, beyond culture.
Contextual – Varying according to the local situation.
Counter-cultural – Challenging what is contrary to the Gospel in a given culture.
Cross-cultural – Sharing elements across cultures.

Continue reading →

Brief Meditative Reflections on John 4:1-26 – Jacob’s Well & Worshiping God in “Truth”

February 22, 2014Kirk E. Miller 2 Comments

As I read and meditated on this passage, something with which I was initially struck that I hadn’t paid much attention to before was the significance of this well in the story. In v.5, John goes out of his way to point out this well’s significance. It was Jacob’s well, the great forefather of Israel. Moreover, after Jesus mentions His “living water,” the woman asks in v.12, Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well and drank out of it himself? In other words, do you think that your water is somehow better than Jacob’s, our great forefather? And of course, likely alluding to the OT imagery of the Holy Spirit as water, Jesus argues that His “water” is superior. Jesus is greater than Jacob. And, if D.A. Carson’s understanding of “truth” (i.e., the reality, the antitype) in v.24 is correct, this insight correlates to Jesus’ statement about worshipping in “truth.” Jesus is that “true” everything that the OT anticipated according to John. Specifically here, He is superior to Jacob; His well, i.e., Himself, is the “true” well.

Continue reading →

Brief Meditative Reflections on Psalm 96

February 22, 2014February 22, 2014Kirk E. Miller

As I meditated on this passage, my thoughts seemed to center around what I think is this psalm’s central thrust, its thesis if you will. That thesis is well summarized in v.8a: “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name.” Ascribe (not “give”)—the idea of attributing some quality to God that is already His. This attribution is the central concept of worship in this psalm. In other words, to put this thesis in my own words, we are to give God the worship that He is due. We are to worship God who is worthy of our worship; and the measure, scope, and intensity of our worship is to correspond to the worthiness of the God to whom that worship is given. And, of course, the psalm goes on to make unavoidably clear that the worship due God is immeasurable great. Therefore, our worship of God must not be limited; it cannot be too great.

Continue reading →