WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 11 (December 2021) “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls,who, on finding one pearl of great value,went and sold all that he had and bought it.” —Jesus Christ (Matthew 13:45) The stock market rises and plunges, as do our personal resources. House values soar, but so do house prices. Inflation takes off; so does the cost of living. Our …
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 10 (November 2021) Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, people (the crowds, the disciples, or individuals) would “marvel” or “wonder” at the things Jesus did and said; they were reacting to the evident power and authority and wisdom of God working in and through him. For instance: And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27) …
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 9 (October 2021) “Here is the church, and here is the steeple; open the door and see all the people!” As has often been observed, there is precious little in the New Testament by way of specific instructions about how to practice corporate worship in the church. Of the little that one does find, most of it has to do with Paul correcting abuses or …
The Gathering: “Decently and in Order”(1 Corinthians 14) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 8 (September 2021) Scott W. Hahn, in his excellent article “Canon, Cult and Covenant:The Promise of Liturgical Hermeneutics” (in Canon andBiblical Interpretation, ed. Craig G. Bartholomew, Scott Hahn,Robin Parry, Christopher Seitz, Al Wolters [Zondervan, 2006]),has given a fascinating overview of the entire spectrum of biblicalrevelation as centered in and heading towards worship. In fact,he shows how each major movement in the scriptural recordculminates in worship. Last …
The Worship Trajectory and Goal of the Entire Bible (Part 2: New Testament) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 7 (August 2021) Scott W. Hahn, in his excellent article “Canon, Cult and Covenant:The Promise of Liturgical Hermeneutics” (in Canon andBiblical Interpretation, ed. Craig G. Bartholomew, Scott Hahn,Robin Parry, Christopher Seitz, Al Wolters [Zondervan, 2006]),has given a fascinating overview of the entire spectrum of biblicalrevelation as centered in and heading towards worship. In fact,he shows how each major movement in the scriptural recordculminates in worship. …
The Worship Trajectory and Goal of the Entire Bible (Part 1: Old Testament) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 6 (July 2021) Last month we saw how Jesus, in His encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, breaks down geographical barriers (John 4:3-4), ethnic and social barriers (4:5-9), and spiritual barriers (4:10-15). Now we come to the core of Jesus’ teaching on worship, and see how He breaks down the religious barriers between the Jews and the Samaritans. JESUS BREAKS DOWN RELIGIOUS BARRIERS As …
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 5 (June 2021) John 4 is one of the most important passages on worship in the New Testament. Because it’s here in John 4 where Jesus Himself teaches on worship. Zane Hodges wrote: [The Samaritan woman] raised the subject of worship, and the Saviour’s reply was as pregnant a statement on this issue as had ever escaped the lips of man. Indeed, once He had …
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 4 (April 2021) INTRODUCTION How small and distant God can seem when we’re discouraged! Two of Jesus’ disciples faced that kind of disappointment and discouragement as they wearily made their way from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus on the Sunday afternoon after their Master had undergone a horrible execution on a Roman cross, as related to us in Luke 24. THE WALK Two …
The Road to Understanding: A Post-Easter Meditation (Luke 24:13-35) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 3 (March 2021) Formerly known as GCoMM (Global Consultation on Music and Missions), the newly minted name GCAMM (Global Consultation on Arts and Music in Missions) only compels us to remain evermore faithful to our primary values. Originally conceived over twenty years ago, our gatherings have served as a meeting juncture for musicians with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ; yet today, we acknowledge the …
GLOBAL CONSULTATION ON ARTS AND MUSIC IN MISSIONS (July 12-15, 2021) Read More »
WORSHIP NOTES Volume 16, No. 2 (February 2021) C. E. B. Cranfield rightly reminds us of the different ways we use the English word “worship”: We may distinguish three uses of the word “worship”; (i) to denote a particular element of what is generally referred to as worship, namely, adoration; (ii) to denote generally the public worship of the religious community gathered together and also the private religious exercises of …
