Act of Worship

Act of Worship

By Jonathan Michael JonesReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Act of Worship episodes

  • Christian Mysticism
    A grand spectrum of traditions subsist with the Christian subculture (e.g., Reformed, Apostolic, high church, low church, modern music styles, charismatic, etc.), and with such diversity comes great disparity—one of which is the chasm between experience and knowledge (i.e., the mind vs. the heart). Many might wrongly point to the heart as the source of right worship, but Jesus instructs his people of the greatest commandment: “… ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:30). Moreover, unhealthy discrepancies permeate the church of the Lord as experience vs. knowledge is pitted against each other. Biblical Christianity, however, does not negate one at the expense of the other. There is room for differences within the body of Christ. The church’s goal then is to be as precise as possible on such matters. Thus, a balance must exist between knowledge and experience.
    Historic Christianity includes mysticism. Mysticism is not new and certainly not to historic Christianity. Additionally, there are not only mystical instances in church history but also in the Bible. This word, therefore, is intended both for the believer who struggles with accepting mysticism as good and right in Christianity and the one who tends to stray further from orthodox practice than he or she should, but it aims heavily toward the one who finds the concept of Christian mysticism difficult to grasp. For that reason, mysticism will be defined here, and a founded contention for Christian mysticism will be employed.
    33 min
  • The Duplicity of Idolatry
    Idolatry is often considered in the most extreme circumstances (e.g., foreigners worshipping physical statues built by the hands of humans or sacrifices offered to false gods). Although these extremities are certainly examples of idolatry, when idolatry is rightly considered as anything that takes the place of God’s rightful position, the nuances of such sin become more personal and closer to the sin with which God’s people struggle in their own lives and even in Western and American culture. The realization then should be not only the glaring degradation of idolatry but idolatry’s treacherous nature, for the most common idolatry is not that which is set in front of God’s people but rather the Trojan horses that deceptively sneak into the lives of Christians.
    26 min
  • Unequally Yoked
    Scripture is replete with difficult-to-understand passages that are often misinterpreted, misapplied, and perverted for personal gain. One such instance is the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth. Paul instructs the Church at Corinth (and, thus, all believers to follow), “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14) While it might be simple to focus on the first part of the command (not to be yoked with unbelievers), all aspects of the verse stem from the second aspect—the lack of commonality between believers and unbelievers. Perhaps one of the most misunderstood and certainly misinterpreted verses in the Bible, when examined from a broader approach, the meaning becomes clearer and it is not related to romantic relationships, as is commonly suggested.
    23 min
  • Can a Christian Be a Socialist?

    Socialism and its

    far-reaching and seemingly unceasing grasp have seen drastic rises in Western
    culture—especially in the United States of America. Recent data reveals
    surprising (and troubling to many) increases in socialist support in the United
    States. Nearly half (46% to 49%) of 18- to 34-year-olds view democratic
    socialism positively. Separate data from organizations like the Cato Institute
    indicate that up to 62% of young people aged 18 to 29 hold favorable views of
    socialism. Within the Democratic party, support of socialism is up from 50% to
    about 66%. While most Americans tend to favor capitalism over socialism, the
    numbers continue to fall for the former and rise for the latter.[1]

    In the United States (at

    least), however, socialism is often masked with the title of democratic
    socialism—possibly a feeble attempt to separate the title from communism. The
    aim of both, however, is the same: to federalize the means of production and
    private business. With the recent elections of boldly-admitted socialists
    (e.g., Florida Democrat Angie Nixon, Colorado’s Melat Kiros, NYC Mayor Zohran
    Mamdani, NY’s Darializa Avila-Chevalier, and massive wins by Democratic
    Socialists of America (DSA) candidates in Michigan and Pennsylvania, the issue
    is more than a mere passing phase. It is crucial that Americans consider all
    facets of socialism and (for the church) especially what it means for
    Christians.


    [1]

    Lydia Saad, “How Americans View Capitalism, Socialism, and Free Enterprise,” Gallup,
    August 6, 2026, https://news.gallup.com/poll/713144/americans-view-capitalism-socialism-free-enterprise.aspx. 

    33 min
  • How to Handle Fallen Church Leaders

    When a Christian leader

    has a great fall, what should be the response of believers? In world that
    readily desires to condemn God’s people (and especially her leaders), should
    local churches respond differently since their lives should reflect that of The
    Way?[1]
    God’s call is not purely a vocation (although it could be) but (more) a holy
    charge by God himself. Collectively, pastors are an extension of the Jesus’
    ministry so they are to live disparate lives from even those of the people they
    lead. Thus, such matters are vital to an appropriate witness for Jesus Christ
    so here three considerations will be discussed.

    1.      Immediate actions

    2.     

    Community
    and personal response

    3.      The contrast to the ways of the world


    [1]

    Here it should be understood as not minor or miniscule mistakes but rather
    sin-specific actions that cause severe mistrust and pain and primarily by those
    in local church leadership (i.e., pastoral ministry).

    37 min
  • The Best Deviled Ham
    The healing power of Jesus is surely no secret. Unambiguously, Jesus is God and, thus, possesses the same healing power as the Father and the Spirit. One of the most unique accounts of Jesus’ healing is told in the fifth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, and it might double as the first report of deviled ham in history. A man who is possessed by a demon understands the power and authority of Jesus in this telling and, therefore, offers a grateful response of worship because of his healing, which could not be accomplished apart from Jesus Christ. In the same way, Jesus is the answer to all the world’s problems. Without Christ, everyone would live to their own perpetual destruction. It is, nevertheless, the power of Jesus that heals, for only Jesus may take a person’s devil and turn it into deviled ham.
    Here (Mark 5:1-20) is an account of Jesus’ authority and recognition, several responses to Jesus, and the first recipe for deviled ham in history. To the first two elements (Jesus’ authority and recognition), a call is offered to everyone: what will you do with Jesus? Ultimately, everyone will give an answer to what they did with the Son of God, and when that answer is short, Jesus will respond to them with, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt 7:21).
    38 min
  • Self-Love: the Antithesis of the Gospel

    An increasingly common

    fancy in modern society suggests that self-love is right. Statements such as,
    “I know my worth,” or even something that proposes the term itself like, “I am
    focusing on loving myself,” are seemingly prevalent. The idea, while alluring,
    however, does not reflect the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, such a concept
    is antithetical to the gospel and should be avoided by Christians. A rebuttal
    might ask, “Does not Christ want us to love ourselves? Is not self-love merely
    viewing ourselves the way God views us?” While sincere questions, the gospel
    message answers such contentions with stark and often difficult truth: truthful
    in that the gospel realizes humanity’s dire state and difficult because such a
    realization demands justice, which certainly is not the mercy of God (except
    that his wrath was poured on his Son Jesus Christ); thus, God’s love, mercy,
    and grace are consummately underserved for anyone.[1]

    To appropriately analyze

    the absolute incorrect perpetuation of self-love, one must consider the
    opposing views which subsist in society: 1) the worldly idea of self-love and
    2) what should be considered Christ-honoring love,[2] as
    the two offer diametrically competing concepts; yet, the two concepts are not
    both right, for only Christ-honoring love permeates the gospel message. The
    world’s idea of self-love, however, offers only deadlocks and destruction.
    Human nature enjoys being in control and struggles with the truth that a loving
    God is also just so reality is that he would be unequivocally right in
    punishing every single radically depraved person (i.e., everyone) in utter and
    eternal torment. To conclude such a truth, both concepts should be considered:
    self-love and Christ-honoring love.


    [1]

    Even suggestions that a loving God would not send an innocent person to hell
    falls short because such a person does not exist, and the gospel message
    teaches and realizes this truth.

    [2] It

    should be noted that the opposite of self-love is not low self-esteem, which is
    itself selfish and self-centered. Rather, Christ-honoring love understands the
    twofold reality of humanity’s utter and debased depravity and the unmerited
    mercy of God; additionally, Christ-honoring love chooses to boast not in self
    but in Christ and understands that the only reason Christians may stand before
    the Father is the mediation of Christ.

    24 min
  • The Christian Worldview on Given vs. Earned Respect

    People often claim that

    respect is earned rather than given. Nonetheless, is such a claim biblical and
    right? What nuances establish such a claim? The common understanding is that
    Christ respects all (or is at least tolerant of) all opinions, but does he? Is
    he? Sensible thought would suggest that people should have a broad respect for
    a position (e.g., the president or leader of a country, a wise teacher of a
    course, etc.). Therefore, to a degree, much respect is not earned but simply
    given in specific positions, especially those of authority.[1]
    The simplest Christian worldview on given versus earned respect then is this:
    respect is largely given rather than earned, for believers should show the same
    respect Christ shows for all people.

    How then is one to

    assess what more respect he or she should give? To answer such a question, a
    distinction should be made between those inside and those outside the Christian
    faith. Scripture offers several indicators of Christian respect and how God’s
    people should treat others—both inside and outside the faith.


    [1] If

    respect had to be perpetually earned, mutual respect among humans could not
    exist, for everyone would constantly try to establish and reestablish respect. 

    38 min
  • Introduction to Sacraments and Sacred Rites

    Intro for the following may be found here. Additionally, audio for the Sacraments and Sacred Rites series may be found here. You may also listen to podcast episodes here. Additionally, Dr. Jones' book entitled Sacraments and Sacred Rites may be found here or bought on platforms such as Amazon or the Book Patch.

    Christian worship is a lifetime journey of participation and involvement in the life of Christ. The sacred rites and rituals in which the people of God participate should not be undermined, neglected, or misunderstood, for surely, they are vital to a life of worship both individually and corporately.

    This series aims to replace misunderstanding with replete comprehension and does not shy from difficult topics and terms often avoided (at least anecdotally) in Evangelical Christianity (e.g., sacrament, rite, etc.). To properly understand the significance of sacred acts of worship, however, one must not separate the sacramental nature of the Christian life, for surely, God is participatory in his people’s lives.

    Furthermore, Christian worship holds deep roots, which although strongly connected, transcend that of Judaism. The church calendar and the sacred rituals through which God’s people worship the triune and eternal God offer ample opportunity for the church to live within the reality of Christ’s life and participate in his redemptive process and sacrifice, for God’s people are certainly called to share not only in the life of Christ but in his sacrificial death.

    The more the people of God understand the sacramental nature of sacred actions in worship, the more they will experience the reality of Christ’s work in their lives and fully participate in Christ’s work within his bride: the church. This series, therefore, has the notable aim of clarification and understanding—understanding the nature of the church, the nature of sacrament, and the participatory foundation of Christian worship, which is most evident through the sacraments and sacred rites.

    20 min

About Act of Worship

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Dr. Jonathan Michael Jones' discussions of worship, theology, and culture