As I stated in Sunday's post, I am currently reading "Evangelical is Not Enough" by Thomas Howard. In this book, Howard is in no way condemning evangelicalism but is simply making the argument that, from his experience, growing up evangelical gave him a knowledge of Christ, redemption, prayer, etc... but left him wanting more. I have to say, I agree with him to a certain extent. It's one thing entirely to tell others of Jesus and his death, burial and resurrection, it's another thing to disciple them into what a life walking with Christ will be like (simply put, it's one thing to make converts, it's something totally different to make disciples). My experience right after I came to the Faith was "okay, you're a Christian, read your Bible and start acting like a Christian," without really any guidance toward what that meant. I am in no way condemning those who were in spiritual authority over me, only stating what my perspective was. Although the things that I heard and learned were sound as far as the Scriptures were concerned, left to my own devices, I was completely at a loss of where to start and what to do. But, enough about that, back to Thomas Howard (who actually touches on that point in a different chapter, but that is another post in and of itself).
In the second chapter of his book he begins discussing the Spirit and the Flesh. In this chapter he discusses how growing up evangelical he was instructed that there is a major difference in the spiritual man and the fleshly man. That ones worship is within, not without. That images, posture, tangible things were inappropriate when it came to worship and to things of God. In the section that shares its title with this post he states to assume these things is a misunderstanding of the Incarnation of Christ. He states, "The Incarnation took all that properly belongs to our humanity and delivered it back to us, redeemed. All of our inclinations, appetites, capacities, yearnings and proclivities are purified, gathered up and glorified by Christ. He did not come to thin out human life; He came to set it free! All the dancing, feasting, processing, singing, building, sculpting, baking and merrymaking that belong to us, and that were stolen away into the service of false gods, are returned to us in the Gospel."
He also argues that position of our bodies also belong in the act of worship. He states later on, "To restrict worship to sitting in pews and listening to words spoken is to narrow things down in a manner strange to the gospel. We are creatures who are made to bow, not just spiritually (angels can do that) but with kneebones and neck muscles." This statement comes after telling of his experience in an Anglican church while studying abroad in Britain and how the congregation would kneel every time they would pray during the service.
In regards to how tangible things relates to our spiritual life he says, "It is in the physical world that the intangible meets us. A kiss seals a courtship. The sexual act seals a marriage. A ring betokens the marriage. A diploma crowns years of schooling. A doctoral robe bespeaks intellectual achievement. A uniform and stripes announce a recruit's training. A crown girds the brow that rules England. This symbolism bespeaks the sort of creature we are. To excise all of this from piety and worship is to suggest that the Gospel beckons us away from our humanity into a disembodied realm. It is to turn the Incarnation into a mere doctrine."
Needless to say, Howard makes a compelling point about how the spiritual needs to be reunited with the physical. Obviously there is not one perfect way to worship the Lord, but for someone like Howard (and I have learned over the last few years, someone like me), although it may appear constricting and legalistic, it is actually very freeing to have these disciplines and outlooks and allows for a different perspective on worship.
In the second chapter of his book he begins discussing the Spirit and the Flesh. In this chapter he discusses how growing up evangelical he was instructed that there is a major difference in the spiritual man and the fleshly man. That ones worship is within, not without. That images, posture, tangible things were inappropriate when it came to worship and to things of God. In the section that shares its title with this post he states to assume these things is a misunderstanding of the Incarnation of Christ. He states, "The Incarnation took all that properly belongs to our humanity and delivered it back to us, redeemed. All of our inclinations, appetites, capacities, yearnings and proclivities are purified, gathered up and glorified by Christ. He did not come to thin out human life; He came to set it free! All the dancing, feasting, processing, singing, building, sculpting, baking and merrymaking that belong to us, and that were stolen away into the service of false gods, are returned to us in the Gospel."
He also argues that position of our bodies also belong in the act of worship. He states later on, "To restrict worship to sitting in pews and listening to words spoken is to narrow things down in a manner strange to the gospel. We are creatures who are made to bow, not just spiritually (angels can do that) but with kneebones and neck muscles." This statement comes after telling of his experience in an Anglican church while studying abroad in Britain and how the congregation would kneel every time they would pray during the service.
In regards to how tangible things relates to our spiritual life he says, "It is in the physical world that the intangible meets us. A kiss seals a courtship. The sexual act seals a marriage. A ring betokens the marriage. A diploma crowns years of schooling. A doctoral robe bespeaks intellectual achievement. A uniform and stripes announce a recruit's training. A crown girds the brow that rules England. This symbolism bespeaks the sort of creature we are. To excise all of this from piety and worship is to suggest that the Gospel beckons us away from our humanity into a disembodied realm. It is to turn the Incarnation into a mere doctrine."
Needless to say, Howard makes a compelling point about how the spiritual needs to be reunited with the physical. Obviously there is not one perfect way to worship the Lord, but for someone like Howard (and I have learned over the last few years, someone like me), although it may appear constricting and legalistic, it is actually very freeing to have these disciplines and outlooks and allows for a different perspective on worship.
No comments:
Post a Comment