Quote of the Week
-
May 26, 2020: Emphasize Pentecost
Pentecost plays a crucial role in salvation history. Yet there are many communities that claim to be Gospel oriented who do not celebrate Pentecost. In order to bring God’s people into a full experience of the Good News, an emphasis on Pentecost is necessary. Broadly speaking, Pentecost brings understanding to the followers of Jesus, empowers them in ministry, establishes the church, and points to the end of history when the kingdom of Christ will be established over all the earth.
-Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 161. -
May 18, 2020: The Ascended Lord
The early church fathers saw the ascension of the Lord as the lifting up of the human nature of Jesus to the throne of God. The eternal Word was united to a perfect human nature in Jesus. Because Jesus participated in our human nature (without sin) and because through faith we are united with Jesus, our human but redeemed nature, united with Jesus, is lifted to the very throne of God. . . . If we wish to form congregational and personal spirituality, we will call attention to the ascended Lord who eternally intercedes for us and is always with us through the church and the signs of our identity with him (water) and of his continual nourishment (bread and wine).
-Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Time: Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2004), 159, 161. -
May 11, 2020: An Experience of God
The principle purpose of worship is not to teach but to worship God (although a person alert to the structure of worship will find it a constant means of learning the faith through rehearsal). God is praised as Creator, Redeemer, and Judge. The worshiper praises, magnifies, and glorifies him not only for who he is, but also for what he has done in providing life, redemption, sustenance, hope, and many other blessings. In this way, worship becomes an experience of God. The worship is carried through an experience in which the opportunity is given to make a fresh commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
-Robert Webber, Common Roots: The Original Call to an Ancient-Future Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 129. -
May 4, 2020: Proclaim and Reenact Redemption
The basic structure of early worship revolved around Word and sacrament. . . . Here we have in Word and sacrament the two means of knowing God and entering into relationship with him. By Word and sacrament God has made known his plan of redemption. The Word proclaims it and the sacrament reenacts it and both Word and sacrament, by the power of the Holy Spirit, bring us the grace of God, the benefits of Christ when we hear and receive by faith.
-Robert Webber, Common Roots: The Original Call to an Ancient-Future Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 127-128. -
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-