"Worship Wars"

It may sound strange, but the American church has been fighting various “worship wars” during the last three decades. Everyone has their “worship” preferences, usually between “traditional” and “contemporary” (which really doesn’t make a lot of sense, since today’s “contemporary” will be tomorrow’s “traditional”). The individual skirmishes are much more specific: some like CCM (contemporary Christian music), some prefer more mellow “soaking music” of the I.H.O.P. (International House of Prayer) while others prefer out-and-out rock and roll. Some prefer hymns, but those old songs can be done in either a traditional or a contemporary mode. Many are rediscovering older forms of liturgy. And what about country music and southern gospel? And then there’s the “war” between traditional and contemporary Gospel music, including the issue of hip hop and spoken word. I heard of one church in California that meets at 18 different sites, each one with a specific “worship” preference.

But it seems to me that the “worship wars” are not about worship at all. In reality, they are about preferred music styles (and preferred personal styles). More than a passion for worship, these “wars” represent the worst in the commercial nature of the American church (“you can have it your way”). It might be helpful to stop and review what “worship” really is.

One of the most common New Testament (Greek) words for “worship” is proskuneo. It not only refers to the heart of worship but also to postures of worship. It literally means “to kiss the hand, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead, to make homage by kneeling or prostration.” This word is used to describe the magi coming to worship Jesus (Matthew 2:2). Jesus used the word when he commanded his tempter to worship the Lord (Matthew 4:10). When the resurrected Christ appeared to the disciples, they worshipped him (Matthew 28:17). This is the word used in the teaching of Jesus about true worship (John 4:20-24). The apostle Paul used this word only in 1 Corinthians 14:25: “So they will fall down and worship God.” This is the key word in the book of Revelation, its ultimate theme being, “Worship God” (19:10; see also 4:10; 5:14; 7:11; 19:4).

Another common word for “worship” is leitourgia (from which we get the word “liturgy”). This word refers to a sacred service and to specific ways to serve God. It literally means “a public office which a citizen undertakes to administer at his own expense, the service or ministry of the priests relative to the prayers and sacrifices offered to God; to be employed in ministry.” This is the word used to describe the elders in Antioch fasting and worshipping before sending Barnabas and Saul on their first mission (Acts 13:2). Being a joyful, generous giver describes this kind of worship (2 Corinthians 9:12). Paul used this word to describe the “priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel” (Romans 15:16) and his life and ministry as a “drink offering” before the Lord (Philippians 2:17). The writer to the Hebrews used this word to describe the worship of the priests (9:21; 10:11), angels (1:7) and Jesus himself (8:2, 6).

The apostle Paul’s favorite word for “worship” was latreia. This is another description of a sacred service of God, special ways to serve the Lord. It simply means “the service or worship of God; to perform sacred services, to serve or minister, to render religious homage or service; to worship.” It also refers to the activity of worshippers more specifically: “to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, to worship God in the observance of the rites instituted for his worship; to discharge the sacred office.” Jesus commanded the tempter to worship and “serve” the Lord (Mark 4:10; Luke 4:8). Paul’s testimony was this: “I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets” (Acts 24:14). Paul often described his whole life and ministry as worship (Romans 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:3). He explained his commitment to be a worshipper this way: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3). Most famously, Paul summarized the life of a disciples as worship: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12:1).

The only real “worship war” is the one in the human heart, and it’s called “idolatry.” If “worship” is assigning the true worth to someone or something, “idolatry” or false worship is assigning that same level of worth to something that is not really worthy. Paul made note of the fact that the city of Athens was “full of idols” (Acts 17:16). Paul warned about believers who were “idolaters” (1 Corinthians 5:10-11). In fact, Paul said that idolaters will not “inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5). Paul summarized his warning this way: “Do not be idolaters” (1 Corinthians 10:7), “Flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14), and “Put to death…idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). The apostles John closed his letter with these simple words: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). If the core treasure of our heart is anything other than God, it is an idol. Removing that idol is our true call to a worship war!

Being "In Community"

The word “community” has become such a commonly used buzz word it has lost all semblance of a consistent meaning. At the same time, “community” is a central idea in our Christian faith. We know we were created by God for community and that we thrive as individuals in the context of community. Experiencing “authentic community” has proven to be a vital growth element in many areas of life, including recovery movements, “group therapy,” etc.

Throughout the history of the Christian church, the idea of “community” opens up the possibility of various “small group” experiences. In the New Testament some form of “small group” can be seen from the “two or three gathered in my name” of Jesus to the “they met from house to house” in the book of Acts. Every significant renewal movement in the church’s history has included a reemphasis on small groups, from the “choirs” of Zinzendorf and the Moravians to the “classes” of Wesley and the Methodists. I have been consistently involved in various “small group” ministries since the early ‘70’s. I remember: (1) cell groups, local congregations organized and led primarily through small groups formed geographically; (2) life groups, a pastoral strategy that depended on small groups and pastoral leaders in every group; (3) affinity groups, small fellowship groups organized around a common interest (a “Gun Cleaning Group” was one of my favorites); (4) G12 groups, the pyramid scheme of small group ministry (I just offended someone – so sorry); (5) missional communities, groups that not only shared life together but also shared in a mission in their community; and on and on the list could go.

More recently we have encountered the challenges of experiencing authentic community and a multi-racial, multi-generational, multi-class diverse congregation. To be honest, most small group models depend on in-tact families in a middle class (largely white) home and neighborhood. Cultures that have a strong extended family kinship structure look to their kinship group for community. Many churches still look to Sunday School or Bible Study to provide an experience of community. Combining all those (and other) groups together in one congregation requires a new definition of how community can be experienced. In 2004, the Willow Creek Community Church conducted their REVEAL study, showing that involvement in a more traditional kind of small group primarily benefits newer believers; more mature believers are benefited by experiencing community in a small group that serves together. As a result, they changed one of their core values from, “We want every member to be in a small group, to “We want every member to be in community.” So my question is this: What does it mean to “be in community”? Let me suggest a few ideas.

Being in community depends on a certain quality of relationships:

1.  Transparent relationships, marked by honesty and accountability. Relationships that are guarded and superficial (true of most relationships) prohibit the possibility of community. Somehow we have to learn to trust enough, and earn enough trust, to let our guards down, to be open and honest with each other.

2.  Trustworthy relationships, held together by loyalty and dependability. There must be a level of unconditional love and commitment that creates a “safe place” for participants. All of us have experienced rejection, betrayal and abandonment. The scars left behind make community very difficult. The example of Jesus returning to the disciples after they had abandoned (and even denied) him, offering him his love, gives us hope that it can be done.

3.  Transformational relationships, resulting in changed lives and a Kingdom witness. Our desire is that we will grow and be changed as a result of the life that flows between us in community. Remember what Paul said: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16). You can find any number of relationships that include unconditional love and acceptance, but if they are to be transformational, the elements of accountability (which might include confrontation in love) must also be present.

Most importantly, being “in community” is only possible in a Christ-centered context. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:19-20). The kind of relationships described above are humanly impossible without Christ at the center. It is the Presence of the Lord in the midst of community that makes it life-giving and transformational.

It doesn’t matter what you call your experience of community in a smaller fellowship – we use the term “Community Group” to refer to any and all such groups. The only thing that matters is the extent to which those who participate experience being “in community.” It’s that experience that we are passionately committed to – every member “in community.” 

"Make Disciples"

In a time when church leaders imitating business leaders is all the rage, having a clearly defined statement of vision, mission and values is becoming increasingly common. Don’t get me wrong – I clearly see the value of defining our “organizational DNA,” so long as it reflects what is revealed in Scripture. Our congregation has gone through more than one iteration of these “genetic” elements.

And now local congregations and their networks have categorized different kinds of church DNA. Some churches define their vision, mission and values in “attractional” terms, describing the focus of the church as attracting as many as people into a building as possible. Because this very blatantly reflects the influence of our consumer culture, some have bailed out of this “model” and adopted “missional” DNA. These churches focus on getting people out of the church and into the community, serving the community in a variety of ways whether or not anyone ever comes into the church building. Lately both of these models have come under fire: “attractional” because it tends to produce a congregation of immature, superficial Christians, and “missional” (especially when built on a foundation of attractional) because immature Christians are incapable of significantly impacting the community in a Kingdom way. (It might be best to keep some believers inside the four walls of the church and not expose the community to them.)

These are current organizational trends in the American church world. However, it seems to me that Jesus left us with some assignments and instructions on how to fulfill those assignments. Let’s take another look at the “Great Commission”: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-1). It seems fairly straitforward, doesn’t it: “Make disciples.” If Jesus were to define the organizational DNA of his local church, the mission statement would read, “To make disciples,” the vision statement would read, “A church that makes disciples,” and the #1 value would be, “making disciples.” It might be helpful to provide some definition. The word Jesus used (Greek matheteuo) to describe the object of our mission simply means “to follow the precepts and instructions of someone.” A “disciple” is a learner, pupil, apprentice, adherent or follower. A “discipler” is a teacher, instructor or tutor.” In the New Testament, a “disciple” (the most common descriptor of a Jesus follower) refers to someone who has dedicated their lives to learning the teachings and the way of life of their Master, i.e., Jesus. Consider the use of the word “disciples” in the book of Acts: “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing” (6:1). “The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly” (6:7). Notice that it wasn’t church members or attenders that were increasing – it was disciples. “Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (9:1). Attenders would have been no threat to Saul. The word “Christian” came later. “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” (11:26). In Antioch, “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples” (14:21). Early believers were willing to pay a price to follow Jesus: “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said” (14:21).

The question remains, How do we go about making disciples? Did Jesus give us any instructions about the disciple-making process? In fact, the first part of Jesus’s instructions was, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). “Baptizing” implies a clear presentation of the Good News of Jesus and a clear response of repentance and faith. You can’t make someone into a true follower of Jesus without them making a decision to turn from doing their own thing, living their own life their own way, and apprenticing themselves to Jesus. That’s the essential starting place of the disciple-making process, but it doesn’t end there. “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Responding to the Gospel in faith from the heart leads into a lifetime of learning and obeying. Jesus provided us with key “commands” that he expects us to obey. True discipleship is not just a friendly nod in the direction of Jesus, it’s much more than attending religious events; true discipleship is a clear and consistent determination to live out the Kingdom lifestyle Jesus came to teach and model. (As Paul understood, a leadership development process is simply an intensification of the discipleship process. “He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9).)

For us, the commission to “make disciples” involves three simple but essential dynamics – these are the things we are committed to as a local church – these are the commitments and practices that will make disciples:

1.  Gathering, to worship and fellowship.

2.  Growing, the spiritual formation of Christian character, the image of Christ being formed in our lives.

3.  Going, representing Jesus in every area of our lives as salt and light, discipling disciplers.

The Power of Belonging

When you think about it, all of us, every human person, are looking for “home.” We’re longing for a place and a people to call our own. We want to feel connected and accepted. Rejection is a common human experience but it also one of the most painful. The reason is simple: God created us for relationship, for community.

Our longing to belong is blocked by a couple of powerful barriers: (1) We have this pesky issue called “sin” that has resulted in alienation and a disconnection between us and God, each other, and the rest of God’s good creation; and (2) We live in a culture known primarily for “individualism.” I’ll never forget the survey that showed “rugged individualism” as the #1 element of American culture; that same survey revealed that the #1 complaint by Americans is loneliness. Go figure! In 2000 Robert Putnam published a sociological study of American culture entitled, “Bowling Alone.” In it he showed that “the stock of social capital” in our society had seriously plummeted, resulting in growing disconnections from our families, friends, neighbors and communities. Unfortunately, this trend in American society can also be seen in the American church.

The theme of “belonging” is a powerful one in the New Testament. Jesus brought Good News of the universal availability of God’s salvation to all people. Jesus even protected the right of little children to belong in the Kingdom of God. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). He encouraged his followers that “you belong to the Messiah” (Mark 9:41). While being shipwrecked Paul testified about his own belonging: “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me” (Acts 27:23). Paul identified the Roman believers those who “are called to belong to Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6). He also told them that they belong to each other. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4-5). That statement seems so un-American! “I don’t belong to anyone! I’m not the slave of anyone!” But IN CHRIST, “each member belongs to all the others.” We belong to each other. We love the Lord and we need the Lord, but we also love each other and we need each other. As members of the Body of Christ, each of us equally belongs to each other, no matter what our particular gift or calling (see 1 Corinthians 12:15-16). There are no classes in the Body of Christ; no one has any kind of special privilege or entitlement. We are one! We belong to each other!

In Christ, we not only have an individual identity, we have a corporate identity. The question is not only, “Who am I” but also, “Whose am I?” Paul tried to find the balance when he stated, “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone” (1 Corinthians 9:19). It is only in Christ that we belong to each other. Paul referred to those “who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). We are family!

The local church is the primary context in which we experience the family of Jesus. The word “fellowship” refers to the “common life” of members of Christ’s Body. By the Spirit we have a vital connection to each other, a connection that results in life, health and growth. Paul described it this way: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16). Membership in the church was so important to the early believers, the very worst that could happen to someone was to be “excommunicated,” or literally dis-fellowshipped or de-membered, to be removed from the life of fellowship with other members of the Body. After all, they belonged to each other. Unfortunately, the modern American church no longer shares this value. “Church discipline” is no longer a value in the church, simply because so many members excommunicate themselves, disconnect themselves from their brothers and sisters at the slightest whim. It’s almost as though the culture of no-fault divorce in our society has found an expression in the local church.

It's possible these days to read a large number of articles and blogs that complain about common leadership and membership issues in the church. In almost every case I see the root issue as being a deficient view of the church, a picture of the church that reflects something other than the Kingdom community established by Jesus and launched in the New Testament. I've had the privilege of pioneering a local church and functioning in a variety of pastoral leadership roles from Missouri to Oregon to Georgia, and I've been reflecting (a sign of old age) on the difference between a church plant and a church split. A church plant occurs in the context of a specific mission, a specific calling to a place and a people at a certain time. As a mission-specific, apostolic venture each church plant seeks to extend the influence of God's Kingdom into an area that is largely untouched and underserved. On the other hand, a church split is simply a breakaway group of Christians (usually led by a breakaway leader who has a "better idea") who establish a separate congregation as a result of drawing members out of other churches. I also see a couple of disturbing trends in the American church: (1) Some communities have a mobile, portable "congregation" of "members" who move from church to church, seeking out the newest and most exciting experience of "church," and (2) It has become not only acceptable but popular for new congregations to form in a way that actually reflects a "church split," drawing members out of other churches and thus dividing and weakening the local church in that community. It's possible to "belong" in a way that reflects alienation and separation, not community. 

One of the greatest callings and responsibilities each member of the church has is the ministry of “acceptance” and the offer to finally “belong.” This was a high value for the apostle Paul. “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters” (Romans 14:1). The church is not called to judge or reject outsiders. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). We are a community committed to each other, in good times and in bad. We are also a welcoming, inclusive community with the clear message, “Everyone is welcome!” A culture of unconditional love will empower those who experience it to come back into the arms of the Father, to be healed, liberated and restored. Where else can someone experience acceptance if not in the local church. That is the power of belonging!

The Power of Encouragement

One of my favorite characters in the book of Acts is Barnabas. “Barnabas” was actually a nickname given to him by the church leaders in Jerusalem. His given name was Joseph; he was a Levite and a native of the island of Cyprus. Barnabas doesn’t stand out as one of the VIPs in Acts. However, he appears at all the key points in the story: When the Jerusalem church began to be persecuted and oppressed, Barnabas was there to be a strong support (Acts 4:36). When the authenticity of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus was being questioned by everyone else, Barnabas took him under his wing and personally mentored and advocated for him (Acts 9:27). When the Gospel began to be preached to Greeks in Antioch, the church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to support them (Acts 11:22). It was Barnabas who recruited Saul to be a part of the mission in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). When the Antioch church wanted to send support to the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem, they chose to send it by Barnabas and Saul (Acts 11:30; 12:25). As a member of the leadership team in Antioch, Barnabas participated in launching the mission of Saul and joined it as a member of the team (Acts 13:1, 2, 7). It wasn’t long before the apostolic team of “Barnabas and Saul” became known as “Paul and Barnabas,” Barnabas empowering Saul/Paul to take the lead (Acts 13:42ff). When a controversy arose about placing restrictions on the Gentile converts, Barnabas joined Paul in defending the Gospel of grace (Acts 15:2, 12). However, when Paul refused to take Mark with them on his next missionary journey, Barnabas decided to stay behind and continue to mentor Mark (Acts 15:36-39).

As I’m sure you know, “Barnabas” means “Son of Encouragement.” Encouragement was the primary ministry of the apostle Barnabas.  In fact, observing the life and ministry of Barnabas paints a clear and beautiful picture of the power of encouragement. The word (Greek paraklesis) translated “encouragement” in the book of Acts means comfort, consolation, appeal; it means a calling near, a summons, supplication, entreaty. An “encourager” is someone who is called to come alongside of a person to be their personal advocate, tutor, guide, counselor, helper and supporter. This word is also used by Jesus to describe the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7).

“Encouragement” is a prominent theme in the book of Acts. It was recorded about the church that, “Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers” (Acts 9:31). The preaching and ministry of the apostles included a large dose of encouragement (see Acts 11:23; 15:32; 16:40). The brothers and sisters learned the power of encouragement and dedicated themselves to speaking words of encouragement (Acts 18:27). It wasn’t just Barnabas that had a ministry of encouragement, Paul also placed a high premium on the power to encourage others. “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people” (Acts 20:2). Even while being shipwrecked, Paul took the time to minister encouragement to his shipmates (Acts 27:36).

When I was young(er), my mentor, Pastor Dick Iverson, used to say that the greatest enemy of a pastoral leader, the thing that pushed more leaders over the edge into failure than anything else, is not false doctrine or immorality or a lack of personal integrity and accountability; instead, the greatest enemy of the pastoral leader is discouragement. In fact, he pointed out that most of the other kinds of leadership failures have discouragement as the root cause. Therefore, learning how to be encouraged, stay encouraged, and to be an encouragement is vitally necessary for all members of the pastoral leadership team. There is a famous Old Testament story that illustrates this point. David and his men and their families were living in the city of Ziklag. When David and the men were off fighting a battle, the Amalekites attacked and burned the city and took all the families captive. When the men returned to the city, they “wept until they had no more power to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4). All of them were overwhelmed with discouragement, so much so that the men discussed the possibility of stoning David. “Why did we ever decide to follow David in the first place? Look where his leadership has led us.” “But David encouraged himself in the Lord” (1 Samuel 30:6).

What does it mean to be able to encourage yourself when you are in such a crisis that even your closest friends are thinking about killing you? What is the power of discouragement? What is the power of encouragement? Where does the power to encourage yourself come from?

When we find ourselves in the midst of the storm and it looks like the boat is surely going to sink, we have to trust in God to pour supernatural courage into our hearts – courage to carry on, courage to step out of the boat, courage to have a good word for others who are in despair, courage to keep from despairing ourselves. An EPIC church will face many opportunities to learn the power of encouragement. Perhaps we’re facing that need right now. May God give us the grace to encourage ourselves and to be an encouragement to others.