We are not alone… (Essentials Red)

We reflect God’s glory

The Institute of Contemporary Worship and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt.

One interesting, though unexpected, impact of that course in worship history and this week’s focus on public prayer and scripture reading has been to make me realize that we, people, communities, church of the 21st century, are not alone. We stand in the middle of a crowd of worshippers, that come from places as far as prehistory and that will extend to who knows where (1) .

The fact that early church viewed all ministries as the “ministry of Jesus” (2) revealed to me how narrowminded my vision of ministry is. If the church is the body of Christ and is exercising the ministry of Christ, no wonder then that we have such a diversity of ministries all around the world. Instead of focusing on my community  (which I will still be praying for though), I can see that the whole church accross territorial and denominational borders is showing Christ.

I can rejoice in the fact that the Catholic church is showing so much compassion and the Charismatic churches so much of God’s power.  I can be thrilled by the numerous miracles African churches are witnessing and by the amazing faithfulness of the Chinese church.  I can leap for joy at the intimacy with God displayed in the Vineyard churches and be awed by the majesty of God revealed in the Anglican church.  Of course, we are all flawed, but as a whole, we are reflecting the glory of Jesus.

Public prayer and scripture reading remind me how much all voices should be heard and listened (3) to because the harmony they create speaks of our beloved God.

(1) Dan Wilt, Week 2 : History of worship (video 1)

(2) Ibid

(3) James F. White, Introduction to Christian Worship. Nashville : Abingdon Press, 2000, p. 115.