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Worship Recaptures a Vision of the Lord of Glory
BIBLICAL WORSHIP RECAPTURES A VISION OF THE LORD OF GLORY Worship is not a choice, but a divine imperative. God has been calling his people to worship from the beginning. Accordingly, Jesus declared that the Father was seeking true worshippers (John 4:23). Knowing the will of God in this matter, believers down through the centuries have been trying to appreciate and develop proper and meaningful worship practices. That is the task for every new generation of believers; and every generation must preserve the heritage that it has received and build on it. But at the heart of this effort is the need for believers to recapture the vision of the exalted and holy LORD of glory, that is, the sublime; for to the degree that worshippers apprehend the glory of the Lord, their worship will be purified of base instincts and elevated to the level of true and spiritual worship. Almost everything in our nature and in our world pulls us back from that; and without a good knowledge of the biblical revelation on the subject, worship becomes routine, centered on people and performances, and secularized. And the sense of celebration of being in covenant fellowship with the living God is lost. — Allen P. Ross, RECALLING THE HOPE OF GLORY: BIBLICAL WORSHIP FROM THE GARDEN TO THE NEW CREATION. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2006, p. 73. ISBN 0-8254-3578-1. This book looks like a treasure—highly recommended. [I look forward to reading more in this important volume. This is not a how-to book (in terms of musical styles or instrumentation for worship), but rather a why-to book. It will go on my shelf right next to David Peterson's ENGAGING WITH GOD and Noel Due's CREATED FOR WORSHIP, two other excellent books that put forth a thorough biblical theology of Christian worship. Take a look at the quote index for the WQOTW which is found at www.wqotw.org/quotes.php.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Music and Worship The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org =========================== |