Thursday, July 28, 2005
Theology of Reformed Worship 4
“What It Means to be Reformed”
This booklet gives three emphases of being Reformed: the doctrinalist emphasis, the pietist emphasis, and the transformationalist emphasis. We used these categories to reflect on theologians throughout class today.
Ostervald, The Liturgy of Neuchatel and Vallangin
We recognized influence from the early church, Calvin, and the Book of Common Prayer tradition.
Ostervald, The Liturgy of the French Protestant Church
•He argued that liturgical structure could be owned and could deepen the practice of the worshipper.
•He added congregational Amen! to increase congregational participation.
•He had shorter, more precise prayers so that people could more easily understand and engage them.
Mercersberg Liturgy, 1857
•This has one of the first references to choir in the official liturgy.
•The confession and assurance has a strong assurance (like Heidelberg) without judgment.
•After the creed, the congregation responds, “Help thou, O Lord, our unbelief!” This scriptural prayer is comfort for those who may struggle with doubt.
•The offering is brought forward before communion instead of the typical end of the service.
•The service ends with an extended blessing.
Nevin, Vindication of the Revised Liturgy and Mystical Presence
According to Nevin, we have objective participation in Christ’s union in our hearts. Many saw Nevin as fusing Romantic mysticism with Lutheran ubiquity.
Bomberger, Reformed But Not Ritualistic
He critiques Nevin with particular focus on the placement of the offering, the lectionary, and the Christian year.
The Choir Loft and the Pulpit
We read a section on worship and art: “Increase of awareness, greater depth of feeling, greater riches of meaning—these are the contributions of the arts to worship. They enable the Church to appeal to the whole being of man, heart, mind, soul, and strength. They speak to all his facilities, make him alive in every part, and carry him to the Divine Presence for the Word that will breath into him the breath of this eternal life.”
Van Dyke, The Church: Her Ministry and Sacrament
He uses Calvinistic images of feast and medicine for the Lord’s Supper. He also strongly emphasizes the celebrative nature of the sacrament and refers to it as a “Eucharistic sacrifice.”
Hodge, “Presbyterian Liturgies” and Princeton Sermons
He writes against both Finney and Nevin.
Miller, Thoughts on Public Prayer
He recommends a strong private prayer life, focusing on the language of the word of God, and “the habit of devotional composition” for “attaining excellence” in public prayer.
Baird, Eutaxia
He argues in favor of the “discretionary use of written forms.”
Barth, The Knowledge of God and Service of God
The primary actor in the church service and the sacraments is God. Human obedience is action in worship as well; it is through human action that God acts like God and causes rain through clouds.
von Allmen, Worship: Its Theology and Practice
•Jesus is the “perfect worshiper,” and the worship of the church is a mirror of that perfect worship.
•All time is part of the history of salvation. What is past informs our present identity and what is future is the confirmation and manifestation of the process.
•It is in worship that we see the reality of the church.
Moltmann, The Church in the Power of the Spirit
He follows von Allmen’s idea of time and emphasizes both the remembrance and hope of the Lord’s Supper.
Ecumenical Dialogues
•Reformed-Roman Catholic on the presence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper
•Anglican-Reformed on the Eucharist
•Pentecostal-Reformed on “Spirit, Proclamation, and Spiritual Discernment”
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