Proclamation and Praise

An important missing element in today's raging worship debates is a proper acknowledgment of the continuing ministry of the living Christ in mediating and leading our worship. This is a crucial truth that transcends issues of style and form and thus provides a foundation for a unified and unifying understanding of worship, in spite of the wide diversity of worship expressions that has always characterized the body of Christ. The wonderful fact is that we are not left to worship God on our own strength! Rather, the grace of God, which is so abundantly provided to us for our salvation and sanctification, can be seen to be just as operational and effectual when it comes to our worship. Our worship is acceptable and pleasing to God not because of any inherent excellence of its own, but because we come in Christ and his righteousness into the Father's presence. In Hebrews 2:12 we find an amazingly succinct yet powerful description of the two-way mediating ministry of Christ: he continues to be the agent of God's revelation to us and also serves as the leader and facilitator of our response back to God in worship. Christ does not just open or show us the way into the Father's presence in worship; he actively leads us, takes us with him so that we might enjoy the same relationship of love and fellowship that he himself enjoys with the Father. This transforming understanding opens up a wide range of complementary truths concerning the Trinitarian and Christological implications of worship--with profound implications for our churches.