Ancient-Future Worship (Ancient-Future): Proclaiming and Enacting God's Narrative
By Robert E. Webber and John Witvliet
4/5
()
About this ebook
Rooted in historical models and patristic church studies, Ancient-Future Worship examines how early Christian worship models can be applied to the postmodern church. Pastors and church leaders, as well as younger evangelical and emerging church groups, will find this last book in the respected Ancient-Future series an invaluable resource for authentic worship.
Robert E. Webber
Robert Webber (1933 - 2007) was the William R. and Geraldyn B. Myers professor of ministry at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois, and professor of theology emeritus at Wheaton College. A theologian known for his work on worship and the early church, Webber was founder and president of the Institute for Worship Studies, Orange Park, Florida.
Read more from Robert E. Webber
Worship Old and New Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Common Roots: The Original Call to an Ancient-Future Faith Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ancient-Future Time (Ancient-Future): Forming Spirituality through the Christian Year Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ancient-Future Evangelism (Ancient-Future): Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Divine Embrace (Ancient-Future): Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Ancient-Future Worship (Ancient-Future)
Related ebooks
The Divine Embrace (Ancient-Future): Recovering the Passionate Spiritual Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Worship Through the Ages Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Theological Foundations of Worship (Worship Foundations): Biblical, Systematic, and Practical Perspectives Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Rhythms of Grace: How the Church's Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Introducing Evangelical Theology Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice, Third Edition Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Evangelical versus Liturgical?: Defying a Dichotomy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearning Theology through the Church's Worship: An Introduction to Christian Belief Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMissional Worship, Worshipful Mission: Gathering as God's People, Going Out in God's Name Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEnthroned on Our Praise: An Old Testament Theology of Worship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gospel Revisited: Towards a Pentecostal Theology of Worship and Witness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Worship Like Jesus: A Guide for Every Follower Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Worship Pastor: A Call to Ministry for Worship Leaders and Teams Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becoming What We Sing: Formation through Contemporary Worship Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship: Understanding the Ideas That Reshaped the Protestant Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Music Architect: Blueprints for Engaging Worshipers in Song Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorship Quest: An Exploration of Worship Leadership Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistorical Foundations of Worship (Worship Foundations): Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Perspectives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDesiring the Kingdom (Cultural Liturgies): Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Worship Formation: A Call to Embrace Christian Growth in Each Element of the Worship Service Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSent and Gathered (Engaging Worship): A Worship Manual for the Missional Church Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Doxology and Theology: How the Gospel Forms the Worship Leader Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God's Call Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5High-Tech Worship?: Using Presentational Technologies Wisely Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Resounding Truth (Engaging Culture): Christian Wisdom in the World of Music Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship: A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Christianity For You
Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Holy Bible (World English Bible, Easy Navigation) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table: It's Time to Win the Battle of Your Mind... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Ancient-Future Worship (Ancient-Future)
12 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In his posthumously published book, Ancient-Future Worship, Robert Webber presents a deceptively simple definition of worship: “worship does God’s story” (Webber 2008, 29) by which he means that worship is rooted in God’s saving deeds in the past (the “ancient) while at the same time it anticipates God’s vision for the world (the “future”). It almost seems too obvious to state—if we have already recognized that authentic Christian corporate worship is shaped by Scripture and is Trinitarian—that worship should be about God’s people publically enacting God’s narrative. Yet this is a foundational truth. Moreover, God’s story is not simply told from the perspective of an objective observer of ancient history: through worship, the community of God becomes actively involved in the redemption story of God and God’s people. Just as the Jews—though separated by many generations—could speak of the Passover as an event in which they had been participants, so we as Christians can speak of the cross and the Eucharist as participants.
Book preview
Ancient-Future Worship (Ancient-Future) - Robert E. Webber
text.
Part 1
Rediscovering God’s Story in Worship
1
Worship Does God’s Story
Some time ago a pastor friend of mine looked me in the eye and asked, What is worship? Give me a one-liner that will solve my confusion.
I shot back the four words of this chapter title: Worship does God’s story!
The pastor’s face froze. He looked back at me with his head moving side to side in a What’s that mean?
motion. Bob,
he said, I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about. Tell me, what does it mean to say that worship does God’s story?
I have written Ancient-Future Worship to answer that question. Where do you begin? Obviously, we have the whole Bible before us, the entire history of the church, and our contemporary situation to consider. I could start anywhere—with Genesis, the Exodus event, the Christ event, the ancient church, or even the contemporary situation. However, I am going to start with the description of Pentecost—Acts 2—and you will see why.
The Pentecost Proclamation
The day of Pentecost is certainly a turning point in history. It is a day of ending, but it also is a day of beginning.
We generally associate Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, as if the Spirit originated on that day. Yet actually, the Holy Spirit has been present in all of history. The story of God is the story of the Triune God, and therefore always the story of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. For example, an image used by the early church fathers was that God always works in the world through his own two hands—the incarnate Word and the Holy Spirit.
So the Spirit is at work, as is the Son, together with the Father in creation, in the Exodus event, and in the history and symbols of Israel. In Scripture we meet the Holy Spirit in creation hovering over the waters
(Gen. 1:2) and in the inspiration of the prophets delivering the Word of God. The Holy Spirit speaks judgment in the coming forth of John the Baptist, effects the incarnation in the birth of Jesus, affirms the ministry of Jesus in his baptism, and is active in redemption through his ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.
On the day of Pentecost, ten days after the ascension, we see the work of the Holy Spirit again. Just as the Spirit is at work in creation and the incarnation, now the Holy Spirit is at work in re-creation, the redemption and restoration of the creation, announced by the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. So then, if the Holy Spirit has been present in all God’s redemptive action, what is the new work that the Holy Spirit is doing on the day of Pentecost?
What is new is not the coming of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy
Spirit, described by the Nicene Creed (AD 325) is the Lord, the giver of life,
the very source and energy of creation. Wherever there is life, it is always the work of the Spirit. What then is new?
Two words capture what is new. New understanding and new empowerment. The new understanding is summarized by Peter’s sermon on Pentecost Sunday. The people, amazed at the message of God delivered in their own tongue, ask, What does this mean?
(Acts 2:12). Then Peter stands up and speaks (Acts 2:14–36). Drawing from the history of Israel and the events of the crucifixion, he concludes, God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be both Lord and Messiah
(Acts 2:36 NLT). The Triune God, who had been active in history, has brought the world to this moment. The new understanding is that the long-expected Messiah has come, that this Messiah is Lord of all creation, and that people are to repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit. Human history has reached a turning point in the coming of the Messiah, the Lord of all creation. The story of God working in history has come to a climactic point at Pentecost, and now God’s narrative, which seemed confined to Israel, is to be known by all for all. God’s narrative is the story of all creatures and creation. He will renew the