15-5

Healthy Tensions: Guiding Principles

Every church has a liturgy. All that means is 'a public way of doing things.' The question often arises, 'how are we supposed to do church?' We have to ask ourselves if what we are doing is biblical or just a preference, just the way we've always done it? This is not a new question. John Calvin, when he separated himself from the Catholic Church, started following what became known as the 'regulative principle.' In a nutshell, that means that if scripture doesn't clearly command that we do it, it is forbidden in worship. Some churches who follow this do not use instruments or songs other than Psalms in worship. Martin Luther on the other hand, followed the thought that whatever scripture doesn't forbid is allowed. Over the years, the two schools of thought have produced split after split, denomination after denomination. So why is it so hard to figure out what God wants us to do?

One reason is that God hasn't been extremely specific in this area. There is no service order that we are to follow anywhere in the pages of scripture. In the Old Testament we see choirs, musicians, processions, priests, robes, annual celebrations, and instrumental praise. However the New Testament rarely mentions those things. Should we praise God with singing, dancing, and instruments (Psalm 149) or with reverence and awe (Hebrews 12:28)? That depends on who you ask.

Another reason is that we tend to read the Bible through the lens of what we like to do! Charismatics focus on singing and dancing, Presbyterians focus on doing everything 'decently and in order.' Various churches emphasize 'holistic worship, cultural relevance, and ministry to the poor.' "Whether a tradition is three hundred, thirty, or three years old, the danger is the same. We start with Scripture but eventually invest ultimate authority in our own traditions and views."

Still another reason is that some people claim God hasn't said anything about how we should worship Him, so anything goes! The fact of the matter is that is false. Scripture teaches us to pray together, to have pastors preach and explain God's Word, sing praises, and how to participate in the Lord's Supper! God hasn't given us a detailed outline, but He certainly hasn't left us in the dark either.

So how do we decide what we do in worship? We try to follow three rules: 1. Do what God clearly commands. 2. Don't do what god clearly forbids. 3. Use scriptural wisdom for everything else. Just because God didn't give us a service order doesn't mean that we don't filter everything we do through the lens of the Bible.

There are things that are not negotiable. "God alone determines how we approach Him, what we call Him, and how we relate to Him. Jesus is the only Savior, who died and rose for all who would ever turn from their sins and rust in His atoning sacrifice for forgiveness. Worshiping god is impossible without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. These are nonnegotiable truths that aren't open to discussion." Just about everything else on the other hand...is open for discussion.

We should always be seeking to learn from other in this area of worship. We can't afford to become locked in to thinking that our way is the only way to worship. We have much to learn from each other. It is like setting up a volleyball net. The net can only be set up when there is a healthy tension between the two poles, if one pole is not providing tension, the whole thing will collapse. Rather than viewing those who have different opinions about how worship "should be" as opponents, we need to learn to appreciate other perspectives. As long as it is not unbiblical, we should think of other perspectives as both/and rather than either/or.

Over the next several weeks we will be taking a look at healthy tensions. By default, we will lean one way or the other on pretty much all of these subjects. Our challenge is to remain humbly obedient to the scripture, and not rely solely on our opinions. In this way we will help to ensure that both poles remain standing. The danger here is examining these tensions may reveal to us changes that we need to make both in our church and in our lives. We have all undergone some pretty drastic changes recently, and we have to remember that our church won't change overnight. Truth must be patiently and humbly taught, retaught, and modeled, and I thank all of you for the role that you are playing in accomplishing this.

As we work together to glorify God, "may our meetings and churches be places where God is truly worshiped in spirit and truth, where people exalt God without having to choose sides, and where the glory of Jesus Christ is clearly seen in all we do."

Enjoy the Journey