PCA Conversations

Comment from David Richter
Time December 22, 2008 at 10:54 am

Dear Bill,

Thank you so much for your willingness to be a catalyst for this conversation. As a young pastor who has spent his last year dividing his time between working for L’Abri and a local PCA church, I have become keenly aware of our need to bring the gospel, which as Tolkien says; “contains a story of a larger kind which embraces all the essence of fairy stories” to our Sunday morning worship…….Yet at the same time, doing so without leaving behind the wonderful reformed emphasis we have on a rich exposition of the word.

What have been some resources (besides children’s story bibles, which I fully agree are a wonderful way to awaken us to our need for story & symbol) that have helped you make the transition between a felt need and a more fully realized practice in worship?

What have been some things that you have tried in worship that have worked well in your attempts to bridge this gap?

What have been some things that haven’t worked so well?

Comment from Bill Boyd
Time December 22, 2008 at 9:57 pm

David, Thanks for listening and for chiming in. One of the most helpful resources has been the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, in part because of the content, but perhaps more due to the form. Thomas Cranmer, the author of the original Book of Common Prayer, had a gift for conveying biblical truth in a poetic and terse manner. We borrow from it and also use it as a model. Related, there is a book called The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, by Zahl and Barbee.

Other works you might check out are those of Hughes Old, Lawrence Hull Stookey, Alexander Schmemann, Gregory Dix, and Hans Urs Von Balthasar. Balthasar’s commentary on the lectionary readings, “Light of the Word,” is another one that is helpful in form as well as content.

And in terms of general helpfulness, Eugene Peterson’s recent series on spiritual theology (five volumes) always applies to Word and worship, as does Frederick Dale Bruner’s commentary on Matthew (my favorite of all commentaries) and Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis’ commentary on the same (textual, devotional, rich; though certainly from a Roman Catholic perspective. I am assuming you will appreciate it for what it is and glean accordingly; which I assume for everything I recommend - including Calvin).

I should point out again that I read these men because of their tone and the way in which they communicate, as much as for what they say. We must learn to communicate well and in order to learn to do so, we must steep ourselves in those who do so.

The biggest failures we/I have had liturgically have almost always come from trying to do too much, or be too complex. Simplicity (a reformed principle) of worship requires real thought and labor, the same way that a good twenty minute sermon requires more preparation than a thirty or forty minute sermon. At All Saints our mantra is not “less is more,” but rather, “just enough is more,” which we have co-opted from Google, Inc.

That which has worked best for us in worship is weekly communion with the congregation coming forward. What we appreciate about this is the physicality and intimacy. It allows us to gather around the table, albeit in wide semi-circles. It allows ministers and elders to speak to congregants by name, face-to-face. It also means people have to wait in line for someone else to be served before taking their own place around the table. All of this creates a wonderful cadence and emphasizes practical gospel virtues like patience, forbearance, pro-action, public profession, and reception (people put out their hands and are served, which is quite different than grabbing the bread for themselves).

As I mentioned in the interview, this should not be taken as “law.” There are multiple ways to do communion that emphasize different aspects of the gospel and its implications for neighborly love. Perhaps you and your congregation will come to some thoughtful, creative conclusions about such.

One other thought: you cannot place too high of a premium on reading the Scriptures publicly, which means reading them well, which requires forethought, practice, and a slower rather than faster pace. A truly thoughtful reading is very similar to a sermon. It is a means of communicating, even contextualizing the Word. In other words, the most basic things are the most important, and are the ones to be approached thoughtfully, artfully, and simply.

Enough. Would love to hear any feedback or further thoughts from you, or others.

In Christ,

Bill

Comment from W. Clinton Stockton
Time December 24, 2008 at 7:41 pm

I have heard of a few churches who sometimes take prayers out of the “Valley of Vision” and change them to use them for corporate prayer. I would be interested in your feelings about the “Valley of Vision” as a worship source.

Thanks
Clint