the trinitarian aspect of convergence worship

[DeanZF]

I am still chewing and stewing about the whole "trinitarian" worship thing. What does it mean? What does it imply?



I've not found a really succinct definition, or even one that is vague. Sometimes, I'm a really black-and-white kind of guy--I LOVE to have rules, boundaries, and limitations (to quote a certain "Dog Whisperer"). I can do almost any job, but if I know the expectations, some rules, some guidelines, even a reasonable expectation of the goals, I can do that job more efficiently, with better outcome. I'm searching for the expectations here, talking out loud, not trying to create a definition, and certainly not proclaiming one!



I went back to Dr. Chan's notes and found an interesting paragraph:<QUOTE author="Simon Chan">

If convergence is to be actualized and the movement is to mature, convergence churches must take up the challenge to produce song-writers and musicians who understand the liturgical (that is, trinitarian) structure of worship. To borrow from the contemporary evangelical-charismatic world of worship is not going to advance convergence. David cannot fight in Saul’s armor! Good songs are those that are composed for the liturgy. The liturgy must determine the form and content of our songs. But what often happens in so-called blended worship is that the liturgy is made to fit into a christomonistic or pneumatomonistic paradigm of worship.

If "liturgical" equals "trinitarian", it's helpful to check further back in Dr. Chan's notes to see that he sees liturgy as a complete worship form (my label, not his), where we address the Godhead, not just Father, or Son, or Spirit. He took us to task about looking at the triune nature of the creed where we profess belief in all three members of the Godhead. In the Lord's Prayer, we pray to our Father. In the liturgy of the Table, we commemorate and re-member the Son. Throughout the service, we talk about our interaction with the Spirit, Who empowers us to walk out our faith in everyday life.



Helena & I have talked about this a lot. We sense that it's very, VERY important to the CEC, to our own parish, and to the entire body of Christ, but putting that sense into transportable, understandable terms is not easy. I'm trying really hard not to presume to have "THEEEE" definition here. I do want to put another thought out on the table, though, maybe more a concept and image than a thought.



We got to talking about how we both feel that Dr. Chan was expressing so much of what we have practiced in our own musical ministry for years, and what we see, by-and-large, in the CEC parishes with which we've come in contact. Our personal emphasis is on what we've called "throneroom worship" for years. It's Revelation 4 & 5 scene: throneroom, with Father on the throne, Son seated at His right hand (the place of honor), with the Spirit blazing before them in the form of the seven firepots or lamps. And in that place what else do we see? Thrones of the 24 elders, the glassy sea of the throngs of the saints victorious and the variously described creatures flying toward and froward, proclaiming the holiness of our/their God. Their songs and proclamations do not include the words "I" or "we". Most of them are descriptive of or proclamatory about God, done in the third person and yet still addressing the Sovereign God. And the others address God in the second person, "Worthy are YOU to..."



I've made a few jokes over the years about the four living creatures who "day and night [do not] cease to say, 'Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, Who was and Who is and Who is to come.'" The quartet with one song. Same song for eternity! They probably know the words really well! No need for a teleprompter. How many of us get bored when we use the same song list, one day a week, for a month!?



Liturgical=Trinitarian. Throneroom=Trinitarian, when we keep in mind what that heavenly throneroom looks like.



Dr. Chan also drove several more arrows into this particular target. He talked mostly about music but I think that he would agree that ANY of the worship arts would fit into what he was sharing. He also talked about some other things:<LIST>

• <LI>
• Good songs are those that are composed for the liturgy.</LI>
  <LI>
• We need to develop/encourage song-writers and musicians (Dean translates: worship artists in general) who understand the liturgical/trinitarian structure of worship.</LI>
  <LI>
• Liturgy must determine the form and content of our songs, rather than be conformed to or modified by the songs.</LI>
  

</LIST>And again, this is all the expression of one who is not involved in a liturgical congregation! He sees the enormous value and need, however.



Liturgy must determine the form and content of ALL of our artistic offerings. Context is important. In real estate, it's "location, location, location." In Christian worship, it's about context, in my opinion. Liturgy IS the context. How does my artistic expression and offering fit in? And how do we express this trinitarian thought appropriately.



Because we live "in" time and are not currently involved directly in heavenly worship with the triune expression of the Godhead before us, it can be hard to deal with more than one member of the Trinity at one time. And it's certainly going to be hard to change old habits and thought patterns from the "I" oriented stuff to the "You" focus or even the "He/They" focus. Does a somewhat balanced approach of artistic expression fit into the trinitarian model? This week we sing "Holy Spirit, Thou art welcome in this place" and next week, we do "Only Jesus can satisfy", and the week after, we focus on Father by singing "Ancient of Days". Does that satisfy a trinitarian expression? I wonder. I hope so.



Certainly more chewing and more pondering to come.