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Worship in Christ
WORSHIP IN CHRIST Authentic worship can only be IN Christ. It is not driven by a liturgy or a call to worship, a change in style or a methodology. Redemption does not signal the beginning of worship. Instead it marks its once-for-all cleansing. It is washed in the blood of the Lamb and turned into a following after of the example of Christ and into continued deliverance from the intrusions of fallen worship. Our redemption and our worship are henceforth one with the other. Our entirety, not just a narrowed spiritual corridor or mere churchgoing and ministry, is swept up in newly complete living. Work becomes worship, just as worship becomes duty and delight. Eden is not just restored; it is surpassed, for in his redemptive outpouring, God gave us the supreme gift of Christ-in-us-in-Christ. Our salvation comprises a newfound continuous outpouring of everything that we are and can become in light of all that Christ was, is and shall be—always the same, always new, yesterday, today and forever. —Harold M. Best, UNCEASING WORSHIP: BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVES ON WORSHIP AND THE ARTS. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003, p. 27. ISBN 0-8308-3229-7 [MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A SUMMER WORKSHOP: Harold Best and Bob Kauflin will be my guests at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for a special summer workshop to study biblical worship. The dates are July 12-16, 2004. More information will follow.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky carlstam@aol.com www.carlstam.org www.sbts.edu =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org =========================== |