True Worship

Jane almost chews out her co-worker on a particularly bad day at the office, but God’s forgiveness of her own sins springs to mind and she bites her tongue. John refrains from participating in a university drinking binge, instead opting for orange juice, despising the shame because his Saviour endured the ultimate embarrassment. Peter loves to attend church services and above all loves to sing – “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul, rejoice...” Which of these three are worshipping: Jane, John, or Peter? The answer is d: all the above. In the word of Bob Kauflin or Paul David Tripp – I can’t recall which, exactly – we are always worshipping something. Through our words, attitudes, actions, and decisions, we are inherently ascribing worth to one thing or another.

This short introduction to the doctrine of Christian worship pulls no punches and hits hard in the space of only six chapters, as if Roberts knew he only had a finite amount of time and space in which to imbue his readers with a more biblical understanding of worship, and set out to maximize his effect. Each of the six chapters is anchored in a fragment of Bible verse:

1)      The Foundations of Christian Worship: ‘In Spirit and in Truth’

2)      The Nature of Christian Worship: ‘Living Sacrifices’

3)      The End of Religion: ‘He Sat Down’

4)      The Purpose of Christian Meetings: ‘Encourage One Another’

5)      The Place of Music and Singing: ‘Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord’

6)      Understanding the Lord’s Supper: ‘Do this in remembrance of me’

The first chapter uses Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4 as a launching pad from which to address the ‘how’ of Christian worship (in spirit and in truth), the objective ‘who’ of Christian worship (Christ himself), and the ‘where’ of Christian worship (in the heart, anywhere, anytime). Roberts’ simple but effective definition of a worshiper is “one who recognizes Jesus for who he is, the living God, and then seeks to live accordingly.” Those looking for the necessary inclusion of music in the definition will be disappointed, but “Jesus Christ is the living God” should be music to any believer’s ears.

The second chapter explores the elements which constitute true worship: a remembrance of God’s mercy on undeserving sinners through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, a response which includes the whole person in a wholehearted sacrifice of self, and an all day, everyday life of obedience to Christ’s commands. Paul’s injunction in Romans 12 to present ourselves as living sacrifices forms the theological underpinning for this chapter. It’s also worthwhile to note Roberts’ no-nonsense approach to worship:

Many people who come to church are looking for an experience. They do not want to think; they want a direct encounter with God. They want to feel his presence with them. And when they do, or at least when they think they do, they call that ‘worship’. For them, worship is primarily to do with the feelings rather than with the mind. But the Bible will not allow us to divorce the two. True worship will certainly involve our emotions, but it does not begin with them.

If you think that’s tough talk, the third and fourth chapters are even more challenging. Here, Roberts addresses what he conceives to be the misconception that we meet on Sunday mornings specifically to worship God. We do that, insofar as whatever we do is worship, he maintains, but the Sunday meeting has a particular purpose: to encourage and edify one another. Chapter 3 provides a theological mini-lesson on New Testament words usually translated as ‘worship’ and anchors the discussion in the worship vocabulary of the book of Hebrews. Hebrews remains the dominant text in Chapter 4 as well, which gets into the nitty-gritty of biblical worship: rituals, roles, and spiritual gifts. It’s fair to say that while not comprehensive, this chapter forms the heart of the book and is worth returning to again and again.

Chapter 5 provides guidelines about the role of music in the church meeting, reiterating the primacy of the written Word of Scripture. Roberts returns to his discussion of feelings in worship, advocating against equating what he calls the ‘liver shiver’ with the presence of God. Going further, he condemns the view that sees music as a vehicle of ‘entering into God’s presence.’ Guidelines for choosing music are given and the chapter rounds out with Martin Luther`s quote on music as the greatest treasure in the world after the Word of God.

Chapter 6 explains how the Lord’s Supper is a special way to commune with Christ and His body, the Church. Roberts sees Holy Communion as an explanation of Christ`s death, an anticipation of heaven, and the institution of a memorial meal. After giving some history on the ordinance, especially Christ`s treatment of it the night before he died, Roberts goes on to look at the practice of the Lord`s Supper in churches today. As one might expect from the Rector of St. Ebbe`s, a Church of England church in Oxford, his focus is on his fellow CofE churches, whom he accuses of tolerating a mixed-up Lord`s Table liturgy in the most recent editions of CofE prayer books. An appendix extends the discussion oftheological precision in administering the Lord`s Table, with special reference to Roman Catholic practices, which Roberts also criticizes for hodge-podge theology.

True Worship is saturated with the Word of God expounded and applied – never pedantically, but sensitively and appropriately. Roberts does not bring the Word as a wrecking ball to demolish opposition, but faithfully exegetes the Word as applied to worship, conscious that even writing this little book is an act of worship needing to be approached in spirit and in truth.