For: The Institute of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Blue Online Worship Theology Course with Dan Wilt

Yesterday I watched an episode of 30 Days featuring Morgan Spurlock (the same guy who did the exposé on the fast food joints). He spent a month with a family of Navajo Indians on the biggest reservation in the country, learning their ways, their culture and language, their plights and suffering. What hit me the hardest was at the end when Morgan said his goodbyes and they all started crying. He was so touched by the warmth and the closeness they all developed over that month. It was something he hadn’t felt before. The ties the Navajo have to each other, their immediate and extended families, their relationship with the earth and nature… all these were brand new to Morgan and had an intense and profound impact on him as a product of the individualistic USAmerican society.

I saw God all over that episode. In the family ties, the handed-down tradition, the love and affection the Navajo family showed to a total stranger. In their honoring the fire, the earth, the sheep slaughtered for dinner one night. The love of nature and beauty and their connection with the earth.  I see God echoed in each of these things — relationship, beauty, spirituality. God is Even in the suffering of those  on the reservation — stirring a sense of justice. The reservation is plagued with some 60% unemployment, high rates of drug and alcohol abuse and some live without running water, yet they keep their ties to their families and their heritage. (I swear this does relate to the rest of this post…)

In reflecting on all I’ve read this past week for the Essentials Blue course, I realized that one of the biggest issues regarding contemporary worship music is the lack of good theology. There are solid worship songs out there, but there is some pretty bad theology as well. Both Dan Wilt and Brenton Brown stated that most people in the evangelical church are getting their theology from worship songs than the sermon. And I see what they mean. How many of you actually remember the content of last months’ sermon? How many of you can sing more than one song you’ve sung in church? Theology and tradition in the evangelical church is handed down these days by song, just like in the past when stained glass windows, icons and reliefs on the church walls were the source of theology for the layperson.

Without a heritage and tradition of reading the Bible every day or even hearing a Liturgy packed with theological concepts, the contemporary worshiper is at a disadvantage with regards to good theology. Gone are the days when the Bible is read in school, where everyone knew the story of Rachel at the Well and the Battle of Jericho. We don’t grow up anymore with stories of faith. Our “Embedded Theology”³ looks more like the spirituality and self-help bookshelves at the book store. The only way to think rightly about God is to purposely learn and study the Bible and theology. To acquire a “Deliberative Theology”  or a theology that results from a deliberate study and examination of our embedded theology — separating the wheat from the chaff (good stuff from the flaky & inadequate).

Having good theology also involves study of Scripture. From our hearts comes our expression of faith. If our hearts and minds do not have a foundation in Scripture or good theology, then what comes out may be beautiful and overflowing with emotion but may lead those who listen astray. Both Dr. Peter Davids and Don Williams emphasize this point — Dr. Davids in his article The Importance of Scripture Study for Modern Worship Leaders and Mr. Williams’ video “Why Theology.” Don Williams said that writing heretical songs is “Trafficking in the kingdom of darkness.” Ignorance of the nature of God is a dangerous road, especially for those in leadership.

I guess what I’m trying to say with all these scattered thoughts is that in contemporary evangelical circles, with all the various interpretations of Scripture and lack of knowledge of what came before, there is a greater chance of teaching bad theology. Without roots, without tradition and looking back to the origins of the faith, the Church Fathers and Mothers, lives of saints and reformers, we’re drifting in a theological morass.  It’s vitally important in order for Christianity to continue to be relevant and move forward with the world at large that we know our past… that we purposefully call to question our own beliefs as well as those present in the songs we sing… that we read not only the newest things but reach back and outside the evangelical to writings of saints Irenaeus, Augustine, Benedict…

My heart is ancient… I grew up in the Greek Orthodox Church and still call it home. I adore the tradition, the Liturgy, the sacraments… the way Liturgy enfolds us and engages all our senses. I long for my Christian brothers & sisters to understand that old doesn’t mean boring and out-of-date — but it offers a link back to the time of Christ, a rich Christian heritage, a tradition of faith that spans across millennia. I believe that once contemporary church leaders understand that the ancient is the basis for our future, there will be a richness beyond what any faith tradition has seen — incorporating  ancient worship into our current modes and morphing into something new… The thought sends chills down my spine (in a good way ).

Sources:

1. Wright. N. T.. Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2006
2. Wilt, Dan. Essentials in Worship Theology. St. Stephen, New Brunswick: St. Stephen’s University, 2008
3. Brown, Brenton. “Theology and the Worship Leader” (video resource).
4. Davids, Peter. “The Importance of Scripture Study for Modern Worship Leaders” Inside Worship.
5. Williams, Don. “Why Theology” (video resource).