Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Worship is, will be and should be
Triune
Rev. Abraham Kuruvilla
Princeton
Theological Seminary, NJ
13 The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with all of you.
In the last one year of my study at Princeton Theological seminary, I experienced the fellowship in worship on a new level. Here at Princeton Seminary I worship with the faithful believers who come from different denominational backgrounds. These are denominations that are divided over various issues outside this worship place. However, within this worship place they are united in worship. When I think of it, I believe that this is what worship in heaven will look like. It is a worship in which fellowship, oneness and diversity exists together. This is the worship that “is, will be, and should be.”
The act of fellowship involves the action of acceptance. Acceptance transcends the prejudices we would have towards others. The Holy Spirit is the catalyst who makes this possible. Remember the time when we were in the presence of some other believers who had different understanding of faith, different way of worship, dressing, tradition, etc. We would have been suddenly made aware of the differences that exist. This is the worship that “is.” Such awareness is natural, but if we were not able to overcome this natural inclination then we are missing the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit gives us the attitude of fellowship. This attitude is not natural but rather spiritual (Eph 4: 23). It is an attitude which we have to perfect here on earth to be ready to worship in heaven.
This process of overcoming involves understanding our limitations, weakness and also our strength and possibilities. This requires the grace of Jesus Christ. Grace has an understanding of receiving favor even though we were undeserving. However, such a language has an inherent understanding of a “condition” to be met. What if Christ would not have died? Would not God still love us? Was God obliged to redeem us because Christ died? If we translate these questions into our worship life it would be something like this. Do we feel obliged and tied up in the place where we are worshipping? It is because we are trying to meet a “condition.” It can be pleasing our parent’s wishes, keeping in line with a tradition or because we have no other option. As long as it is in this realm of meeting a “condition,” grace will always be a favor that we would be doing to others. However, the grace of God is not a “condition” that God had to meet (Eph 2: 8-9).
The grace of God definitely involves the cost of His only begotten Son. However, it is the gift of God. God does not love us because Christ died, rather Christ died because God loves us. The former is based on a “condition,” and the latter points to the unconditional love of God. This is the unconditional love that we have to demonstrate in our Christian life. The worship in the Triune God is living in this unconditional love of God. Then our worship would be the expression of the unconditional love of God overflowing through us.
In the last one year of my study at Princeton Theological seminary, I experienced the fellowship in worship on a new level. Here at Princeton Seminary I worship with the faithful believers who come from different denominational backgrounds. These are denominations that are divided over various issues outside this worship place. However, within this worship place they are united in worship. When I think of it, I believe that this is what worship in heaven will look like. It is a worship in which fellowship, oneness and diversity exists together. This is the worship that “is, will be, and should be.”
The act of fellowship involves the action of acceptance. Acceptance transcends the prejudices we would have towards others. The Holy Spirit is the catalyst who makes this possible. Remember the time when we were in the presence of some other believers who had different understanding of faith, different way of worship, dressing, tradition, etc. We would have been suddenly made aware of the differences that exist. This is the worship that “is.” Such awareness is natural, but if we were not able to overcome this natural inclination then we are missing the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit gives us the attitude of fellowship. This attitude is not natural but rather spiritual (Eph 4: 23). It is an attitude which we have to perfect here on earth to be ready to worship in heaven.
This process of overcoming involves understanding our limitations, weakness and also our strength and possibilities. This requires the grace of Jesus Christ. Grace has an understanding of receiving favor even though we were undeserving. However, such a language has an inherent understanding of a “condition” to be met. What if Christ would not have died? Would not God still love us? Was God obliged to redeem us because Christ died? If we translate these questions into our worship life it would be something like this. Do we feel obliged and tied up in the place where we are worshipping? It is because we are trying to meet a “condition.” It can be pleasing our parent’s wishes, keeping in line with a tradition or because we have no other option. As long as it is in this realm of meeting a “condition,” grace will always be a favor that we would be doing to others. However, the grace of God is not a “condition” that God had to meet (Eph 2: 8-9).
The grace of God definitely involves the cost of His only begotten Son. However, it is the gift of God. God does not love us because Christ died, rather Christ died because God loves us. The former is based on a “condition,” and the latter points to the unconditional love of God. This is the unconditional love that we have to demonstrate in our Christian life. The worship in the Triune God is living in this unconditional love of God. Then our worship would be the expression of the unconditional love of God overflowing through us.
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