“Stained Glass (Essentials Red Fall 08)”

“For:The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

As Christians and Worship Leaders we must become as stained glass. Allowing the light of Christ to shine through us while telling the story of the gospel and the testimony of our own lives.

Stained Glass is breathtakingly beautiful and captivating and speaks something of its creator. It is intricate and time consuming. It both fragile and strong, beautiful and stunning. In much the same way we speak of our Creator.

It’s amazing that we are created in the image of God. He too is fragile in his compassion for his creation. His heart breaks at our sufferings yet he is infinitely powerful and fierce some.

Using us as artists, we speak volumes of our Creator. He is passionate about his work and with the same diligence that we work, his conscientiousness is infinite. He takes great care and pride in His work of the whole creation.

We are indeed beautiful creations of God, but it is His light shining through us that makes us glow and glorifies Him. Saint Augustine said that “the Glory of God is Man fully alive”. In other words: The glory of God is man maintaining His unique structure and creativity while allowing the divine light of Christ to show both his failures and beauty

It is to Gods glory when we use our creativity to glorify him with transparentness and allow his pure light to shine through us. In essence, we become Gods masterpieces as he intended us to be. We are truly living breathing monuments; statues of glass that are compassionate, powerful and loving channels of Gods identity.

When we as living monuments allow the beauty of Christ to be made manifest in our lives, we demonstrate the power, humility, and love of God. When we remove the impurities and allow the pure light of Christ righteousness to shine through us, we become fully alive and glorify God as we where meant to from the beginning of time.

“The Living Mystέrion (Essentials Red Fall 08)”

“For:The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

Although the early church choose sacrament for the Greek word Mystέrion, the word more closely associated to the English word for mystery. The term refers to “the secret thoughts of God, which transcend human reasoning and therefore must be revealed by God to those whom God wishes those secrets to reach” [1].

The Greek term sacramentum means “an oath of allegiance taken by a solider or a vow to keep a promise”[2] which hold a much more legalistic and non-relational feel to it. We are indeed soldiers in Gods army, but we are also called the bride that helps Christ her husband fight the War. Our relationship should be primary based in love not in sacrifice or sacrament.

In Hosea 2:16 God says that he desires mercy rather than sacrifice and the he will no longer but our Master but instead our husband.

It’s interesting that the term Mystέrion was used to refer to Christ whom is also known to be the living wisdom of God. He was literally the mystery of God revealed in the flesh in human form. He is tangibly God reaching, interceding and revealing divine will to his creation.

We are the body of Christ, we are living Mystέrions, revealing the will of God in the earth. We are lights that sign in darkness and living Mystέrions that display the living truth of Christ in us resurrected!

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1. White, James F. Introduction to Christian Worship. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000) 151.

2. White, James F. Introduction to Christian Worship. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000) 151.

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“The Significance of Prayer (Essentials Red Fall 08)”

“For:The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

It’s amazing that daily prayer was a part of the Jewish culture and way of life. They were and continue to be much disciplined in their prayerful devotion of Yahweh. Isaiah 62:6 states “O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord.”

Our Lord was born into this very culture at a specific point in time and space for a specific reason: to be an example unto future followers of Christ of how to pray. As Christians we can learn from the ancient writings of Psalm 105:4 which states to “Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him”.

I can think about how Jesus spent much time in prayer with the Father. Being completely in tune with the Spirit of God, knowing where to go, when to go, what to say and how to say it. In the garden of Gesemine, the Father gave Jesus great strength and reassurance to undertake the huge task of being beating, flogged and ultimately his crucifixion.

Prayer brings us in communion with God, changes our earthly perspective to a heavenly one. One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:6 which admonishes us to not worry about anything, but to pray about everything, and the peace of God which surpasses our understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

This scripture brings me great hope in that God promises us peace as we cast our burdens upon Him and thank Him for everything, good and bad in our lives. As we do this we enter into a realm that Paul exercised. A realm of divine peace which allowed him to praise in a prison before he was scheduled to be executed!

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, prayer opens the channels of  Gods living water to fill us anew, giving us strength and allowing to bear much good fruit. The more we pray the stronger we grow, the more connected we are with Christ.

Prayer must be considered to be a two way cycle, our petitioning to God but more importantly allowing Gods spirit to talk to us, strengthen us and encourage us.

“The Significance of Reflecting on Our Ancient Jewish and Early Church History (Essentials Red Fall 08)”

“For:The Institute Of Contemporary And Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Course with Dan Wilt”

The study of history is so important. We must learn where we have come from so that we might contemplate where we’re going. I’ve heard it said that if we don’t study the mistakes of the past we will make the same mistakes in the future. I could venture to say that if we loose the jewels of the past we won’t look for them in the future. Truly if we don’t constantly remember the treasures of our past then we will forget.

The Bible itself is a history book, and ancient book of stories. God places supreme importance on the accuracy and telling of these ancient struggles and triumphs. These stories have been preserved for thousands of years and cover the spectrum from the beginning all the way to the end of creation. God’s heart for the past should be shared by us by the study and devotion to accuracy and the telling of these tales. Furthermore, His gaze on the future is always being transparently observed through the glass of the past.

Although the Jewish rituals are looked at as “Old Testament” and outdated by some, let me remind us that Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. Every Old Testament tradition and ritual has a significant meaning, not in the ritual itself, but in the meaning and fulfillment of it in Christ. We must study the history of the Bible as it all points to the cumulative point of time at Calvary.

I think of when Israel lost the book of the law and how Josiah was compelled to make things right with God. It was as if Gods word opened his eyes and he ripped his garments in utter horror of the condition of the Kingdom. Upon receiving the truth he responded radically, and caused extraordinary change in the Kingdom. We could do the same today by “finding the book of the law”, these ancient jewels from the past.

When I think about the early church whose numbers were added to daily, I look at our current condition and ask myself “how far have we stayed from the heart of God?”. Could these ancient jewels hold simple yet profound revelations to growth individually and corporately in the body of Christ?

When we study the Bible and ancient worship forms we should not dismiss them as archaic and outdated, but rather see them as a rich ocean of knowledge to be fished from. Although our worship will vary with time, culture and preference, we should always strive for authenticity. One thing has always held true, that God is looking for “mercy and not sacrifice”. Anything (although it may seem ritualistic) done in love will glorify the Father and bring him honor. I’m glad that God looks at the heart and not on the outside.

Our Worship should be both reflective on the actions of God in the past and the hope of the future glory that we have in Christ. Our Worship should be an authentic expression of the love and adoration we have of the God incarnate who died for the sins of man.

Let us bring the humble and sincere offerings of Abel back to life!