Comments on: Stumbling Into Mystery: Toward A Theology Of Worship

By: Awa Dembele-Yeno

Awa Dembele-Yeno — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:28:17 +0000

I liked reading that post, as a whole but there is one thing I really loved : it is the reminder that no one on earth is an orphan, the reminder of how God is fully engaged in our human history, whether we acknowledge it or not. That he is the beginning and the end of that story.
I know the list of things to reflect upon in terms of the theology of worship is not exhaustive, so I would like to add some of the things that I think are necessary to think about when engaging in worship:
- God as our parent, responsible, present, growing us and letting us learn
- worship as a natural response to who God is. The verses in Revelation about the ongoing worship always stir in me that feeling : all the creatures described there ( some of them quite scary when I think about it) respond naturally to God by worshipping him.

By: Dan Wilt

Dan Wilt — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:32:37 +0000

Vintage tone – reclaiming a sound vs. nostalgia. I like it Justin.

By: Justin Mulder

Justin Mulder — Thu, 14 May 2009 09:51:49 +0000

For me one of the things that gives one the analogue tone we all love from theology, is to use the tubes of revelation. When our thought’s are merely the product of the best human reasoning or logical linear thought humans are capable of, we end up with the squeaky clean digital signal at best. At worst it becomes dogmatic and legalistic leaving us nothing of God himself.

We need to go back to the practices of the past to get that vintage tone, and that means making time for revelation to take place. To open the scriptures and give God time to reveal Himself and let Him paint the picture that He wants. When revelation penetrates our reality we getthat awesome warm imperfect but true tone of the person Truth (John 1).

The Apostle Paul for me is such an example of this as he never denies all his impressive theological training he recieved and in fact he uses it to great effect. However all that training didn’t change his life and meant nothing until he had a personal analogue encounter with Jesus Christ. He also had a period of time out of the spotlight where Jesus was breathing life and tone into his theology and teaching.

That’s the signal I want to give out and it’s those people with the analogue sound that I want to follow

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 10 May 2009 21:12:27 +0000

Hey Dan,

I love the digital / analog analogy you use. There is something so visceral and real that you find when listening to analog recordings. The imperfection yet beauty of life somehow captured without being sanitized or quantized.

You have a way with words, and I truly look forward to digging into these ideas over the coming weeks in the essentials blue course.

Cheers,
Stephen

By: Clifton

Clifton — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:09:28 +0000

Nice post Dan. I, as everybody else, really like the digital/analogue analogy.

Worship, as I have understood it, is simply glorifying God. I say “have” because lately I have realized that there is much more to it than that. Up to this point I haven’t been able to define these realizations but I am hoping that Essentials Blue will help me with that.

So far I have found it quite an interesting course.

-Clifton

By: Administrator

Administrator — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:13:45 +0000

Great interjection, Adam. Rich offerings, you bring!

By: Adam Mosley

Adam Mosley — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:58:08 +0000

I love the digital/analog analogy. In my experience, diving into theology is more like trying to discover the origin and character of sound. I think of all of the scientists and engineers dedicated to synthesizing and modeling sound. I am sure that their experience is much like ours. The more they learn about the object of their studies, the more they discover they don’t understand.

From the beginning of time until the end of time, we will continue to unfold the layers of faith, God and theological understanding, yet we will never “arrive”. There is, however, so much beauty in the journey. Additionally, I believe that every new taste of God leaves us hungry for more. That’s why some of us will devote our lives to digging ever deeper into the question of who God is.

I’m glad to be taking the journey with so many great fellow travelers!

By: A THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP: STUMBLING TOWARD MYSTERY at Deep Church

A THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP: STUMBLING TOWARD MYSTERY at Deep Church — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:54:23 +0000

[...] article was originally published here and has been reproduced with kind permission of the author in order to further the [...]

By: Doug Jones

Doug Jones — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:31:28 +0000

Dan,

Great post – exceptional actually. Some great thinking.

I dig that digital/analog metaphor – very helpful – as our inability to see clearly with certainty in this world (or objectively) is one many accept begrudgingly – but still must accept.

I also love the parallel’s you draw out between what we can know of God and what we can know of man… the parallels between creating and relating and participating in salvific history…

One thought I think I might add that is clearly a part of our worship AND a necessary antidote to our culture – is the place of REST (Sabbath) in our theology of worship. Rest comes clearly from God finishing His creation work and he established that pattern… So in Gen. 1 – we can see that we are made in God’s image – in at least three ways – God Creates; God Relates; and God Rests — we are privileged to follow suit in participating in Creation (having dominion; be fruitful); Relating to one another, creation and God; and are called to follow the command to Rest from our work and trust God’s provision.

Anyway just thought I would chime in here… good to see a Messiah Grad representing so well.

Peace! (a fellow Messiah ‘88 Grad)

By: Shelley

Shelley — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:13:21 +0000

very well said Lewis!