Part Three
Chapter 11: Worship
Chapters 4 and 5 in Revelation give us a picture of worship in heaven as it goes on eternally. The question is how should be join in on this heavenly worship.
“This is what worship is all about. It is the glad shout of praise that arises to God the creator and God the rescuer from the creation that recognizes its maker, the creation that acknowledges the triumph of Jesus the Lamb.
The Results of Worship. There are two golden rules at the heart of spirituality.
- You become like what you worship.
- Since we are created in God’s image, worship makes you more truly human.
Celebrating God—Through Scripture. Reading the Scriptures are central and vital to Christian worship. “Reading Scripture in worship is, first and foremost, the central way of celebrating who God is and what he’s done.”
Celebrating God—Through the Breaking of the Bread. Communion has been a source needless strife in the church.
- Jesus instituted the meal because he knew it would explain the meaning of his death in way that no words could.
- It is not sympathetic magic. In 1 Corinthians says, “we proclaim the Lord’s death …”. Doing it says it.
Nor is it simply an act of remembering. In the meal, we are united with Jesus.
Worshiping Together. Christianity, from the beginning is something that people do together. “What matters is not so much how we go about it as that we go about it.”
Chapter 12: Prayer
The Lord’s prayer is the best starting point for prayer.
Prayer Between Heaven and Earth. Christian prayer is about bridging the gap, or being in the gap, between heaven and earth. It is quite different that pantheistic prayer (see Option 1) and Deistic prayer (Option 2).
Discovering Help in Prayer. There are lots of written prayers available to help us. Notice that Jesus didn’t tell his disciples to write their own prayers—he gave them one to pray. And, there is nothing wrong with using the prayers from the Christian tradition.
More Pathways into Prayer. The Jesus prayer is a good meditative prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.“ Wright suggest two others (quoted) and the Shema (Mcknight’s so-called Jesus Creed prayer).
Getting Started. There is lots more that could be said, but the important thing is to get on with it.
”Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, set up your kingdom in our midst.”
“Holy Spirit, breath of the livng God, renew me and all the world.”