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A Biblical Balance
in our thoughts about Christian worship. A BIBLICAL BALANCE A biblically balanced view of worship must take into account both God's transcendence and his immanence, his exaltation and his nearness, his majestic holiness and his unmeasurable love. This balance is not always easy to maintain. Churches that focus on divine transcendence are in danger of making God appear distant, aloof, unfriendly, unloving, devoid of grace. Churches that focus on God's immanence sometimes lose sight of his majesty and purity, his hatred of sin, and the consequent seriousness of any divine-human encounter. To maintain this balance, we must go back again and again to the Scriptures themselves so that we may please God in worship rather than merely acting on our own intuitions. - John M. Frame, CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP MUSIC: A BIBLICAL DEFENCE, P&R; Publishing Co., 1997, page 14. [One doesn't have to read very far in the Psalms to discover a prayer language that refers to both the transcendence and immanence of God. Give it a try. See what you can find there.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu |