Barnabas File

There are few topics that have prompted more discussion and even open conflict in the church than worship, so I will admit that I am on dangerous ground when I comment on this subject.   Terms like “traditional,” “liturgical,” and “contemporary” are often used to describe worship but the definition of each is very subjective.   Every form of worship was new and innovative at one time whether Gregorian chant or gospel quartet.   Worship is very diverse, but whatever style is practiced by a church the most important aspect of worship is what it says about the worshippers’ relationship to God. A number of years ago John Claypool introduced me to Soren Kierkegaard’s ideas about worship.  Kierkegaard presented the concept that Christian worship was a drama. Although many churches of his day accepted that idea, Kierkegaard saw a variety of ways that churches practiced the various roles in the drama.  He observed that most often in worship, God was considered th...

How does ritual function as individual and communal practices of care?   This was one of the questions addressed by Dr. Nichole Phillips during a continuing education workshop sponsored by the Pastoral Counseling Centers of Tennessee.   Dr. Phillips explained how rituals (including but not limited to worship practices) can reaffirm meaning, bond community, deal with ambivalence and emotional conflicts, and establish a sense of order.   Those practices that are most meaningful to us in communities of faith can be very important to pastoral care as well. As we discussed this idea, I reflected on my experiences during Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s annual General Assemblies.  The recent meeting in Forth Worth was like those of previous years but even more so than usual.  Planners seemed to have intentionally built in additional time for us to practice some of those rituals.  There are rituals that take place during plenary sessions—voting on the budge...