Services & Classes
Classes
Six Summer Sundays
Class Outlines and Handouts
Fourth Sunday, July 22, 2001:
"Side by Side"
A. Meaning through juxtaposition: one thing set next to another
1. Thesis
"The thesis operative here is this: Meaning occurs through structure, by one thing set next to another. The scheduling of the ordo [i.e., written directions about what service to schedule at what time or what specific rite, scripture readings, or prayers to use, and the suppositions which underlie those directions], the setting of one liturgical thing next to another in the shape of the liturgy, evokes and replicates the deep structure of biblical language, the use of the old to say the new by means of juxtaposition." -Gordon W. Lathrop, Holy Things, A Liturgical Theology, p. 33 (Fortress Press, Minneapolis, 1998).
2. Illustration: Word & Table
"The use of texts to say the same thing the meal says is the Sunday business of the church. The meal set next to the texts deepens and focuses the breaking that should occur in the Christian word service. The religious meanings of ancient scriptures are found to have (surprising) new referents when set beside a meal of thanksgiving in which Christ's death is experienced as life-giving. The body and blood of the crucified, made available as life-creating food, call the community to read all texts according to the (meaning) of Sunday, according to the spirit of the one who was dead but whose life enlivens the meeting. Every deliverance story is made to speak this central Christian word. Israel delivered from slavery, Jonah from the sea, the three children from the furnace, Sara from the demon, Susanna from the hands of the old men-in each of these the community hears of the God who raised Jesus and raises us. All the other texts follow suit, testifying together to the faith in the God who gives grace to the godless and life to the dead. Then the scriptures too are the way we encounter Jesus Christ. They are audible bread and cup. . . .
"On the other hand, the texts call the community to eat the meal of thanksgiving with wider meaning than it had thought possible. In the meal we stand before that God to whom the texts witness. Here (are) the manna, the lamb, the temple meals, the feast for all nations upon the mountain. And, besides these meal stories, all the other stories of the scriptures resonate here, in the meal of Christ, as well. Here (are) the survival from the flood, the assembly of the people of God, the dwelling place of God, the beginning of the wiping away of tears. Then the meal is tangible and visible word, an eating of the meaning of the scriptures, as if we were eating the scroll given Ezekiel (Ezek. 2:8-3:3).
"The ordo for the Sunday meeting is word service and meal. This twofold pattern of the assembly has been called by a variety of names in the Christian East and West, but it has been universal. Even when the ordo has decayed, . . . as in the disappearance of the weekly meal among Western Protestants, the resultant liturgical practice has often been accompanied by a memory that the full twofold action was the classic Christian norm for Sunday." -Lathrop, Holy Things, pp. 50-51.
B. Juxtaposition of name with unique personhood, character, characteristics and role
1. Thesis
"In biblical thought, a name is more than a designation differentiating persons or things. A person's name encompasses his complete identity, reputation, and character and refers to his whole self or person. In the Scripture, the phrase 'my name' is often used in place of 'I' or 'me,' and 'his name' means 'him.' " -Robert E. Webber, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, Vol. 1, The Complete Library of Christian Worship, p. 23 (Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1993).
2. Examples, from the study book and otherwise
God the Father
God Most High
Mighty God
Eternal God
Living God
Holy One
Rock
I Am Who I Am
The Lord-Will-Provide
Lord of Hosts
Strength of Israel
Shepherd
Father
God the Son
Son of God
Son of Man
Savior
Servant
Word
God with us ('Immanuel')
High Priest
Branch of Righteousness
King
Good Shepherd
Messiah
Vine
Light
Bridegroom
Lord
Prince of Peace
God the Spirit
The Holy Spirit
The Spirit of Truth
Counselor
Comforter
Helper
C. Juxtaposition of name and worship
1. Thesis
"[A] synonym for 'worship' in the Scriptures is the expression 'call upon the name of the Lord' (Gen. 26:25; Pss. 80:18; 99:6; 105:1; 116:13,17). Often we hear the summons to praise, bless, or exalt his name . . . or to ascribe glory to his name. . . ." -Robert E. Webber, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, Vol. 1, The Complete Library of Christian Worship, p. 23 (Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1993).
2. Illustrations from tonight's Evening Prayers
a. In the Call to Worship
Minister: Praise ye the Lord.
People: The Lord's Name be praised.
b. In the Psalm
The Psalm: (The people sitting, the Reader reads Psalm 103:)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
c. In the Preface to the Prayers of the People
Minister: Almighty God, You have given us grace, at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications unto You; and You promise, that when two or three are gathered together in your name, You will grant their requests.
d. In the Prayers
Minister: We also bless your holy name for [_____________], for all your servants departed this life in your faith and fear
e. In the recessional hymn
"Saviour, again to thy dear name we raise With one accord our parting hymn of praise. Guard thou the lips from sin, the hearts from shame, That in this house have called upon thy name."
D. Juxtaposition of name with duty
1. Thesis
"To name God or to call upon the name of God is a powerful thing to do and should not be done lightly. To use God's name, even in worship, in a light, joking, or indifferent manner is what it means to take the name of the Lord in vain. On the other hand, to speak the name of God with awe, wonder, and praise is to give glory to God and to honor His name." -Webber study book
Exodus 20:7: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (KJV)
2. Exposition
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament (Schmul Publishers, Salem, OH, 1975), at pages 265-266, commenting on the Third Commandment, Exodus 20:7:
"V. 7. The third commandment is concerning the manner of our worship; Where we have,
"I. A strict prohibition. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain -Supposing that, having taken Jehovah for his name, this command gives a caution not to mention it in vain, and it is still as needful as ever. We take God's name in vain, First, By hypocrisy, making profession of God's name, but to living up to that profession. Secondly, By covenant breaking. If we make promises to God, and perform not to the Lord our vows, we take his name in vain. Thirdly, By rash swearing, mentioning the name of God, or any of his attributes, in the form of an oath, without any just occasion for it, but to no purpose, or to no good purpose. Fourthly, By false-swearing, which some think is chiefly intended in the letter of the commandment. Fifthly, By using the name of God lightly and carelessly. The profanation of the form of devotion is forbidden, as well as the profanation of the forms of swearing; as also, the profanation of any of those things whereby God makes himself known. For the Lord will not hold him guiltless-Magistrates that punish other offences, may not think themselves concerned to take notice of this; but God, who is jealous for his honour, will not connive at it. The sinner may perhaps hold himself guiltless, and think there is no harm in it; to obviate which suggestion, the threatning is thus expressed, God will not hold him guiltless-But more is implied, that God will himself be the avenger of those that take his name in vain; and they will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
E. Juxtaposition of name with baptism
1. Thesis
Acts 19:4-5: Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. (NIV)
2. Illustration, from baptismal liturgy
Minister (as each person is baptized, kneeling):
(Name) , I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
F. Juxtaposition of God's mysterious and holy presence with our response of worshipful awe
1. Thesis
a. Awe as a result of the presence of God
Hebrews 12:22-24, 28-29: But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. . . . Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire." (NIV)
b. Awe as God's command and our choice
Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, . . . let us . . . worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, . . . .
c. Pursuit of awe not for its own sake but to know God
We need not and should not pursue a feeling of awe in worship so that we can have that feeling. We should seek to do those things which help us to enter into the presence of God in worship. If we enter into his presence, we'll have plenty of awe without our having looked for awe for its own sake.
2. Illustration: holiness juxtaposed with place
". . . . Nevertheless, Jesus understood and accepted the concept of the holy place in its deepest sense. He questioned the focus of the Pharisees, who swore by the gold of the temple or by the offering on the altar-in other words, by the products and symbols of man's religious commitment. To the contrary, said Jesus, it is the temple that sanctifies the gold and the altar that sanctifies the offering (Matt. 23:16-19). Jesus' language, incomprehensible as it may seem to us, was not incomprehensible to the early church, which continued to respect those places where God had manifested his presence in a numinous experience. Thus Peter speaks of that time when the apostles were with Christ 'on the holy mountain,' by which he meant not Sinai or Zion but the Mount of Transfiguration (2 Pet. 1:16-18)." -Robert E. Webber, The Biblical Foundations of Christian Worship, Vol. 1, The Complete Library of Christian Worship, pp. 77-78 (Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1993).
G. Juxtaposition of reason and mystery
1. Thesis: neither reason alone nor mystery alone
"The God who is worshiped in Scripture gives the revelation of his truth at his own initiative but hides the workings of his own being behind the envelope of his radiance. The holy is the revealed yet the unrevealed." Ibid., at p. 75.
2. Illustration of mystery
"For Gregory [of Nyssa, one of John Wesley's favorite saints], God is met not as an object to be understood, but as a mystery to be loved." -Exciting Holiness: Collects and Readings for the Festivals and Lesser Festivals of the Church of England, p. 228 (Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999), reading for July 19.
3. Illustration of reason: approaches to knowing God and His truth, as an example of the application of the Wesleyan-Anglican "quadrilateral" of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience, in that order
| The Issue | The Wesleyan-Anglican Way, in Which Various Others Join, in One Respect or Another | Other Leading Points of View |
| 1. Divine inspiration of Scripture | plenary | verbal |
| 2. The truth of the Scripture | soteriological: contains all of the truth that is necessary for our salvation | comprehensive: is a scientific, historical, sociological and soteriological text |
| 3. Interpretation of the Scripture | thematic and deductive | particular and inductive |
| 4. What makes a statement true | It corresponds with reality; God said it because it's true. | It's true because God said it. |
| 5. Where truth is found | 1. Special revelation: in the Bible 2. General revelation: in nature and society | Special revelation: in the Bible |
| 6. The Church's role in revelation | God continues to reveal Himself and His truth through the Church, in accord with Scripture. | God's revelation of Himself was complete when the last words of the Bible were written. |
| 7. The role of reason | Human reason is necessary to understand and communicate the Scripture. | Human reason is utterly unreliable and cannot ascertain the truth. |
| 8. Truth from private revelation | no | yes |
| 9. The role of experience | Objectively examined experience - of Christians - generally helps resolve uncertainties about the truth. | 1. One view: Experience has no role in knowing truth. 2.Another view: Personal experience is the only reality. |
| 10. The means of grace, in relation to the individual | They are the ordinary channels through which God grants grace - whether convincing, prevenient, converting, sanctifying or sustaining - to His people, but not automatically because of participation in the means of grace, and not only through the means of grace. | 1.One view, no longer widely held: God automatically dispenses grace through certain particular means of grace. 2.Another view: There's little or no correlation between the means of grace and whether the individual repents of sin and accepts Christ as Savior. |
| 11. The means of grace, in relation to the Church | Baptism and Holy Communion are actions of God administered through the Church and help to fulfill Christ's high priestly prayer that believers may be one in Christ. | Baptism and Holy Communion are actions of the individual facilitated through the Church. |
| 12. Works of justice and mercy | Such works are both evidence of grace and means of grace. | Such works, though laudable, are not related to whether one attains eternal life with Christ. |
| 13. The purpose of salvation through Christ | Enabling believers now and in eternity to love God completely, and others as themselves: the actual restoration of the image of God in humankind | Forgiveness of sin, and eternal life with Christ: the covering of sin, and imputation of Christ's holiness to believers |
H. Questions to ponder or discuss, now or later
1. Which came first: liturgy (the people's pattern of worship) or theology?
2. What can prayer in public worship do, which private prayer cannot?
3. How important is intercessory prayer in a worship service?
4. Why are the "Prayers of the People" part of the Service of the Table rather than being part of the Service of the Word?
5. If a service does not contain an invocation of the Triune God at the outset, is anything important lost?
6. What is the most intensive and extensive form of praise and thanksgiving in the Christian tradition?
7. Where do we find a church's primary theology?
8. Are active participation and self-expression worship?
9. What is transubstantiation in reverse?
[Responses: Making the holy into something mundane, such as by failing to appreciate the holy, failing to receive Communion, and failing to give worth to the body and blood of Christ]
10. Who leads our worship? Who should do so?
11. What about our worship serves as a school against forgetfulness?
12. What about our worship serves as a school against ingratitude?
13. Is there a distinction between loving God with all our heart, and worshiping God with all our heart?
14. Can prayer be visual instead of verbal?
15. Which religious gestures are holier than others?
16. Which religious symbols are holier than others?
17. Which carries more meaning: a statement of religious or theological fact or truth, or a symbol of the same?
18. Which of the five senses should be omitted from worship?
19. Should the human imagination be omitted from worship?
20. Is participation in religious ritual:
a. Participation, by attention, in the rites?
b. Participation in an act of the church?
c. Participation in the rule and reign of God?
21. Does our worship regularly reveal the difference between who God is and who we are?
22. Is there such a thing as physically embodied theology?
23. What role, if any, does bodily memory play in worship?
24. Is silence important in worship?
25. How does following the Christian calendar illuminate the scripture?
26. What is the role of confession of sin, in a worship service?
27. Is a benediction important in a worship service?
28. Was John Wesley right or wrong, in his contention that one should receive Communion as often as possible?
29. What's a "collect"?
30. What is the role of lamentation in a worship service?
31. Is the Eucharist inexhaustibly relevant to every human context of suffering? Why, or why not?
32. Is worship really worship, if it fails to engage the people with the mystery of God?
33. Is worship really worship, if it fails to engage the people with human suffering?
34. How important is the reading or singing of scripture, in a worship service?
35. Does it make any difference where the pulpit is placed? Where the Communion altar is placed?
36. Can doctrines be reduced to cognitive human systems? What keeps doctrine from becoming dogmatic and negative?
37. Is it the purpose of worship to make an impact on the culture?
38. Does God prefer unplanned worship?
39. Through symbol, parable and metaphor, can worship take us beyond what our senses can otherwise disclose of God?
40. Can Christians mark time by remembering forward and backward?
41. What is missing, when Word is without sacrament, or when sacrament is without Word?
I. Next Sunday: Sessions 9 and 10 of Robert E. Webber's Learning to Worship with All Your Heart
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