Philip Glass meets Contemporary Service

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Permalink Reply by Suzee on February 2, 2010 at 5:18pm

We we- we- we- we- all get that it's wrong!

Thy truth defend, O God, and stay
This evil generation;
And from the error of their way
Keep Thine own congregation.
The wicked everywhere abound
And would Thy little flock confound;
But Thou art our Salvation.

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Permalink Reply by Pr. Mark Schroeder on February 2, 2010 at 6:34pm

Good evening, WMScott,

The videotape was interesting. As a Lutheran, raised in the LCMS, now a pastor in the ELCA, I can say: been there,done that. Chancel dramas, Sunday School presentations, guitar Communion services, skits, etc. In that tape, I could not help but thinking, the one guy who kept turning around, was maybe looking for someone, maybe his child that went to the bathroom. Someone else, "My girlfriend's daughter is performing in this...this is terrible." Others: "Oh, those kids are doing a good job and are trying real hard...it's kind of cute." And I could hear a rumor of the Gospel, "when we fall down, we get up" and I guess the use of the crosses is the grace of God in Christ that we are forgiven and thus "get up". But I had to stretch to arrive at that point. In terms of aesthetics, I am reminded once again of Hank Hill, "King of the Hill", when Bobby started going to a youth minister, complete with pierced ears, tatoos and singing Christian rock, Hank states to the youth minister: "You haven't made Christianity better, you've made rock and roll worse." And I have espoused that we should do such things because of the banner of "relevancy" and "relating" to people in order to "reach-out" to folks. Maybe. If Christ is proclaimed and justification by grace through faith, His sheer gift, is lifted up to low-down sinners,yes, the Holy Spirit is working. But you bring up that this is "worship". Here I part company with what you wrote.

Yes, we all have different ideas of worship and a church can't expect another church to worship as we do. But Biblically, we should worship as it is laid out in the Sacred Writings. Liturgical worship seems to be the norm of the Church both on earth and in heaven in the Bible. Truly, Gottesdienst, God's Service. I think The Apocalypse is also the revelation of worship and it is liturgical, Rev. 5: 8--24:

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
10and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth."

11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice,"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" 13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" 14And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

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