Preaching as Worship

J. Quicke Michael

Description

Much current literature on church worship rarely mentions preaching, and vice versa. Worship is often seen as restricted to music and liturgy while preaching is assumed to operate on different principles for different purposes. But veteran preacher Michael Quicke argues that preaching should be viewed as worship, as both worship and preaching belong within the same Trinitarian dynamic, serving the same purpose and marked by similar characteristics. Drawing on insights from wide-ranging literature and practitioners on both sides of the gap, this insightful book confronts and corrects ten characteristics of preaching that are disconnected from worship.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441234278
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

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© 2011 by Michael J. Quicke
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
E-book edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3427-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked Message is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked NASB is taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Scripture marked NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.
To
the latest generation of Quickes,
Luca, Anton, Elliot, and Sophie,
praying that they may grow up into
big-picture worship of God.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Figures
Acknowledgments
1: An Ocean and a Bucket
Part 1: From a Small Picture of Worship
2: Preaching and Worship
3: Beware Myopic Preaching
Part 2: Toward a Bigger Picture of Worship
4: A Fuller Definition and Deeper Theology
5: Preaching in 360-Degree Worship
6: Directive Scripture with Thoughtful Liturgy
7: Directive Scripture with Thoughtful Liturgy
8: Toward Community Formation
9: Integrating Elements of Community Formation
Part 3: A New Process
10: Toward a New Pattern for Big-Picture Preaching
11: Beginning Well
12: Being Directed
13: Continuing Strong
14: Evaluating and Building Forward
Appendix: Some Definitions of Worship
Notes
Index
About the Author
Back Ads
Figures Figure 1. The Existential Experience Model Figure 2. The Spiritual Dynamic of Preaching Figure 3. Preaching Included in the Dynamics of 360-Degree Worship Figure 4. Community Transformation in 360-Degree Worship Figure 5. Four Stages of Worship Formation Figure 6. Contrast between Preaching Swim and Worship Swim Figure 7. Stages of the Worship Swim Showing Lead-Worshipers’ Collaboration Figure 8. Worship Swim Stage 2 Figure 9. Worship Swim Stage 4
Acknowledgments
I f someone had told me eight years ago that I would write a book on worship, I would have laughed at the idea. My reply would have been that my focus as a teacher and author is on preaching, and I have had my work cut out for me just to write a couple of worthwhile books on that topic. But in recent years, I have been propelled into a fresh understanding of how worship includes everything . Whenever definitions of worship limit and shrink it down to small-scale stuff, great damage is done to God’s cosmic purposes. We need to see not only how preaching belongs within worship but also how the whole of church life and mission is part of worship too. My convictions about worship have grown in dimension so much that they have radically deepened my life and ministry and reordered its goal. That’s why I hope you will take the time to read this book.
Many people have helped me on my worship journey, some of whom have played a large role. In the first chapter, I describe Bob Webber’s impact on me as well as my work with Karen Roberts. Early on, Dr. Jim Stamoolis read some of my writing, and later six readers formed a formidable team who read my final drafts and privileged me with insights. I offer profound thanks to these six friends: Stu Heiss, skilled musician and former student; Dr. Barry Morrison, pastor and former professor; Dr. Karen Roberts, my colleague at Northern Seminary; Dr. David Schlafer, gifted author and homiletician; Dawneen and Bill Suriano, both remarkably thoughtful worshipers in the pew. Worshipers all, these six brought eagle eyes, lively minds, and warm hearts to the task. Together they greatly improved this book, even rewriting some sections. I remain responsible for its many imperfections, but there would have been even more without their intervention.
I owe a great debt to Northern Seminary for granting time and opportunity to study and write over the last three years, which included freedom to lead several workshops and conferences that opened my eyes to so many worship issues. In particular, the 2009 Ockenga Lectureship Series at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary enabled me to focus on closing the gap between preaching and worship. Friends in different churches, especially Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), have also interacted with me, often through postings on my blog. Some elements were developed in other publications, especially Preaching magazine, which published a three-part series on “Preaching and Trinitarian Theology” (January–June 2008) and an interview with me that sparked considerable debate (July–August 2009).
I will always be thankful for the many conversations and insights that have contributed to my learning. On the publication trail, I am immensely grateful for the professional skills and patience shown by Robert Hosack and Kristin Kornoelje, as well as other people at Baker Books. Talking of patience, I especially thank my wife, Carol, who has tolerated the shut study door for almost more hours than she could bear. Most importantly, because I believe that worship participates in fellowship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I am profoundly humbled by God’s help in writing this book. Like my six readers, he is not to be blamed for its faults. But if there’s something here that lights us up about worship, it is because he put it there.
1

An Ocean and a Bucket
Give me new Christians before they have heard too many sermons and been to too many worship services.
I spent several summers at the International Baptist Seminary when it was based at Ruschlikon, Switzerland. The seminary overlooked Lake Zurich, which stretched into the distance and was surrounded by low mountains on both sides. To my surprise, a postcard on sale in the seminary office showed the same lake view but with a vast, snow-covered mountain range in the distance. This seemed rather fanciful. On earlier visits I had never glimpsed these mountains, and no one had even mentioned them. I know postcards are sometimes doctored for effect, and without much further thought, I concluded this represented an imaginary scenario. So I put the mountains out of my mind.
On one unforgettable early morning, however, I glanced across the lake and there to my utter astonishment, snow-covered and dazzling in sunshine, was an alpine range filling the horizon. Soon the sight was lost as clouds moved in, but not before I had excitedly called my wife and all the friends I could find. With me, they gasped at the sight. I breathlessly checked with those who lived at the seminary. “Oh yes,” they told me, “sometimes you see that view for a few hours. It’s awesome, isn’t it?”
Parallels with writing this book about worship may become obvious. All my life, from my earliest worship experiences in church, I have been aware that there might be more. Beyond uncomfortable pews and often stark chapel walls bearing fading painted texts, I imagined more dazzling encounters with God than the pedestrian, predictable services offered—more mystery, wonder, and danger. At best these worship services hinted at more profound realities of experiencing God’s sheer godness and of loving, joyous, and peaceful relationships in a community shining with holy-nation, royal-priesthood possibilities. First Peter 2:9–10 excited me not just about gathering with brothers and sisters in bricks and mortar but about God’s much bigger mandate. I imagined progressing on a journey together, once not a people but now God’s people, destined to impact those around us as a community united in living for God’s greatest purpose as a holy nation and a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:11–12), being a church that overflowed walls and Sundays.
Dan Kimball claims that church success is measured by “looking at what our practices produce in the called people of God as they are sent out on a mission to live as light and salt in their communities (Matt. 5:13–16).” [1] And a powerful New Testament example of such a church is found in the emerging Thessalonian church of the first century: “You became an example to all believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you . . . in every place your faith in God has become known . . . and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God” (1 Thess. 1:7–9). These believers are urged to continue pleasing God “so that you may behave properly toward outsiders” (1 Thess. 4:12).
During my years as a pastor serving two churches for a total of twenty-one years, I helped plan weekly services of worship, ever yearning for fresh experiences of God’s awesomeness, intrusiveness, inclusiveness, and community formation