Comments on: Vain Worship http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/12/01/vain-worship/ "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you...” Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:06:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Thomas Twitchell http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/12/01/vain-worship/#comment-1408 Thomas Twitchell Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:00:21 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/12/01/vain-worship/#comment-1408 Well, with the conversation drifting over the yellow line from time to time with subjects of form and style, it is indeed easy to lose focus of the issues at hand. I do not think that form and style have anything to do with worship in this, but rather, what do form an style bring to worship that is proper or improper. The washings really were not a bad thing, either hygienically nor as symbolic of purity, but when they became codified they imported something to worship that did not belong there. We might say the same thing about the veneration of the Host. It is not the offering of the bread, nor even much of the rest of the sacrifice of the mass that is offensive. It was the meaning imported to it that made it an offense to the commands of God. If I can refer accross blogs here, I said at SBF that it is both what we do and say in drama, and what is not done and said, that is where the problem begins. It is granted that the Supper is an acting out of Scriptural Truth. But, it is highly regulated even with some latitude of presentation. Drama does not have that same structural guide in Scripture which makes it problematic in establishing Scriptural mandated regulatory worship. One needs only look at Corinthians and we find at a bare minimum shoulds and should nots. And, if we know that the Word of God contains commands, prescriptive, proscriptive and prohibitive, which all agree it does, then it is only wise to search out what Scripture has to say and to try to establish those guidelines. I hope that this is not too vague. Let the discussion continue. I am learning here, just learning.... Well, with the conversation drifting over the yellow line from time to time with subjects of form and style, it is indeed easy to lose focus of the issues at hand. I do not think that form and style have anything to do with worship in this, but rather, what do form an style bring to worship that is proper or improper. The washings really were not a bad thing, either hygienically nor as symbolic of purity, but when they became codified they imported something to worship that did not belong there. We might say the same thing about the veneration of the Host. It is not the offering of the bread, nor even much of the rest of the sacrifice of the mass that is offensive. It was the meaning imported to it that made it an offense to the commands of God.

If I can refer accross blogs here, I said at SBF that it is both what we do and say in drama, and what is not done and said, that is where the problem begins. It is granted that the Supper is an acting out of Scriptural Truth. But, it is highly regulated even with some latitude of presentation. Drama does not have that same structural guide in Scripture which makes it problematic in establishing Scriptural mandated regulatory worship. One needs only look at Corinthians and we find at a bare minimum shoulds and should nots. And, if we know that the Word of God contains commands, prescriptive, proscriptive and prohibitive, which all agree it does, then it is only wise to search out what Scripture has to say and to try to establish those guidelines.

I hope that this is not too vague. Let the discussion continue. I am learning here, just learning….

]]> By: Nathan White http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/12/01/vain-worship/#comment-1410 Nathan White Tue, 04 Dec 2007 04:14:57 +0000 http://shepherdtheflock.com/2007/12/01/vain-worship/#comment-1410 <blockquote><strong>Thomas said:</strong> <em>I do not think that form and style have anything to do with worship in this, but rather, what do form an style bring to worship that is proper or improper.</em></blockquote> I couldn't agree more, and am somewhat puzzled that so many confuse the two. <blockquote><strong>Thomas said:</strong> <em>We might say the same thing about the veneration of the Host. It is not the offering of the bread, nor even much of the rest of the sacrifice of the mass that is offensive. It was the meaning imported to it that made it an offense to the commands of God.</em></blockquote> This is such a great illustration/point. I might post this comment over at SBF. <blockquote> <strong>Thomas said:</strong> <em>Drama does not have that same structural guide in Scripture which makes it problematic in establishing Scriptural mandated regulatory worship. One needs only look at Corinthians and we find at a bare minimum shoulds and should nots. And, if we know that the Word of God contains commands, prescriptive, proscriptive and prohibitive, which all agree it does, then it is only wise to search out what Scripture has to say and to try to establish those guidelines.</em></blockquote> Excellent summary of what I had hoped to communicate in my post. I completely agree. This is much better/more concise than my writings on the subject! I am going to post this over at SBF.

Thomas said: I do not think that form and style have anything to do with worship in this, but rather, what do form an style bring to worship that is proper or improper.

I couldn’t agree more, and am somewhat puzzled that so many confuse the two.

Thomas said: We might say the same thing about the veneration of the Host. It is not the offering of the bread, nor even much of the rest of the sacrifice of the mass that is offensive. It was the meaning imported to it that made it an offense to the commands of God.

This is such a great illustration/point. I might post this comment over at SBF.

Thomas said: Drama does not have that same structural guide in Scripture which makes it problematic in establishing Scriptural mandated regulatory worship. One needs only look at Corinthians and we find at a bare minimum shoulds and should nots. And, if we know that the Word of God contains commands, prescriptive, proscriptive and prohibitive, which all agree it does, then it is only wise to search out what Scripture has to say and to try to establish those guidelines.

Excellent summary of what I had hoped to communicate in my post. I completely agree. This is much better/more concise than my writings on the subject! I am going to post this over at SBF.

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