Act of Worship

Act of Worship

By Jonathan Michael JonesReligion & SpiritualityChristianity
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Act of Worship episodes

  • Introduction to Sacraments and Sacred Rites Series

    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.

    19 min
  • Sacraments and Sacred Rites Part 5 - Feasts and Holy Days

    This episode will unveil how the Christian calendar’s specific

    feasts and holy days might be employed for the benefit of God’s people and the
    worship of triune God. Often related to the events that occurred in the life of
    Jesus, the church is right to remember, observe, and realize all elements of
    Christ’s life as God became human and dwelt among people in his resolve to save
    his people from their sin by his atoning sacrifice. While not prescribed as the
    only method for Christian worship, this text advocates for the Christian
    calendar’s usage and employment so that the church accurately and gainfully
    receives the benefit of realization and experience through the feasts and holy
    days of the Christian calendar.

    59 min
  • Sacraments and Sacred Rites Part 4 - Jewish Roots of the Christian Calendar

    Sacramental theology demands the vitality of ritual. Whether believers

    acknowledge it or not, ritual is key to the Christian experience. As such, the
    Christian calendar presents one of the most significant tools in the faith: the
    church calendar. Often seemingly viewed as meaningless, antiquated, and
    irrelevant, liturgical actions aid in producing the reality of formation.

    In discussions of the Christian calendar’s benefits, the vivacity of its

    Jewish roots should not be missed.

    Despite centuries of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism in

    Christianity, the problem faced is that the origins of these rites are
    generally unknown, or at best, it is believed to be a new function in Christian
    worship that began with Jesus. For this reason, this study focuses on
    discovering the origins of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism in their original
    Jewish context as acts of worship.[1]

    Sacramental theology assuredly includes a

    commitment to ancient practice and correct understanding. Nonetheless, the
    church calendar is but a tool, which allows God’s people to live in the
    realities set forth by the Lord himself.


    [1] John

    Edward Ross III, “The Jewish Origins of the Ordinances of Christianity: Worship
    Within Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.” DWS diss., Liberty University,
    Lynchburg, VA, 2020, 8.

    41 min
  • Sacraments and Sacred Rites Part 3 - Union in and with the Divine

    The nature of Christian worship is mystical. By its

    own foundations, worship acknowledges not only the holiness of God but also the
    participation of the saints. The sacraments, moreover, afford the opportunity
    for the church to not only remember and display but also to experience and
    participate, as God’s work in the lives of his people is fully comprehended and
    undergone.

    Such experience subsists of the basis of union—both

    union with and in Christ and union between the people of God. The Lord’s Table
    is often referred to as Communion, but the sacrament is also union.
    Additionally, the sacraments display union perhaps more than any other aspect
    of Christian life, for more than a public display, the sacraments are an
    experience of eternal reality.

    Union in and with the divine is a privilege and

    right that belong solely to the redeemed church of God.[1] Such
    benefit may not be experienced as reality if the sacraments’ mystical
    foundation is not understood. The sacraments, therefore, must be more than
    historic rituals but rather ever-present experiences among God’s people. Union
    in and with the divine is a mystical participation and an eternal reality.


    [1]

    A seemingly common notion is that all people are invited to the Table of the
    Lord, but this thought is wrong and dismisses the truth of God’s requirement of
    redemption.

    732 hr 30 min
  • Sacraments and Sacred Rites Part 2 - Mysticism in Baptism

    The Lord’s Table holds a

    mystical quality among the sacraments. The action is unique in that it
    represents not only participation and initiation into the body of Christ. Baptism
    also affords believers participation in the life of Christ, for the redeemed
    buries the old way of life and enters the new. In such a manner, Baptism
    involves sharing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    Baptism’s Biblical and

    historical foundations are replete and necessary to understand a fitting
    employment of the sacrament. Similar to the Lord’s Table, Baptism should be
    employed publicly, as it represents to the people of God one’s election. Though
    performed as an individual, Baptism also indicates incorporation into a
    communal body—the church. Thus, the sacrament of Baptism should be executed
    before the entirety of the local church.

    This chapter explores the Biblical,

    theological, and historical foundations of Baptism as well as presents
    implications of one who chooses to follow Christ in obedience through the
    sacrament. Moreover, an examination of the means and mode will be offered for
    clarification on what is Biblical and right. Although this book is presented
    from a (certainly) reformed viewpoint, one must be mindful of the grace that is
    necessary between believers of varying traditions. Therefore, the possibility
    of other interpretations surely subsists among the people of God, and charity
    should be shown between all people of the Christian faith.

    1 hr 22 min
  • Sacraments and Sacred Rites Part 1 - Mysticism in the Table

    Mysticism is a topic and term

    that often induces caution from those who encounter it. Although mysticism is
    nothing new or anything of which to be afraid, the misunderstanding of its
    concept creates fear among believers. Alluding to the reality of participation
    in the body of Christ, when the church experiences Christ through the
    sacraments, mysticism becomes a tangible comprehension rather than an ambiguous
    discussion.

    As a mystical sacrament, the

    Lord’s Table holds unique and manifold implications for the people of God and
    perhaps more than the sacrament of Baptism. The church must undergo the Table
    with the realization of its subject—namely Christ. Moreover, the Son is not the
    only party at work during the Table, for as with the Gospel, the Table includes
    Trinitarian work and a triune experience. The Eucharist is, thus, not only remembrance
    and observation but experience and participation in the life of Christ. In such
    a manner, the church participates not only in a sacrament but in a reality that
    transcends the mere eating of bread and drinking of wine. The Table, therefore,
    is an inimitable and mystical act of worship for the people of God in which the
    Lord himself invites his people to commune with him and involves himself in the
    life of his bride.

    799 hr
  • The Difference in Right and Wrong Sacrifices

    The book of Isaiah holds

    sharp warnings for the people of God—not only the ancient people of God but the
    church today.

    587 BC was a disastrous time for the

    people of Jerusalem and Judah. More than a century earlier the northern tribes
    of Israel were conquered and carried away by the Assyrians. Now the Babylonians
    laid waste the southern territories and a seventy-year exile uprooted the
    nation. Shameful idolatry had caused the undoing of the people. Innumerable
    warnings incited only an unresponsive disdainfulness; the prophets were
    considered fools (Hos 9:7). God, who never threatens in vain, allowed the axe
    to fall (Isa 1:7).[1]

    Isaiah 1:10-18 begins the Prophet’s

    message, and while seemingly hopeless, a reminder of the Lord’s mercy is
    assuredly present, for in amazing love, God never abandons his people, though
    they falter.

    The

    waning people of God hear the words of the Lord through the Prophet Isaiah who
    calls them to return—return to the Lord and return to worship. In a similar
    manner, the message subsists today and transcends generations, as the people of
    God are not called to mere sacrifices but to purity of heart, for without such
    a condition, God’s people may not rightfully worship and, therefore, may not
    worship in sincerity. There are three essentials which must be observed from
    the text.


    [1] Stuart D. Sacks, Revealing Jesus as Messiah:

    Identifying Isaiah’s Servant of the Lord (Fearn, UK: Christian Focus Publications, 1998), 16.

    [2] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the English

    Standard Bible.

    18 min
  • Three Characters to Whom Everyone May Relate

    Jesus’ usage of parables

    is prominent in the gospel accounts as his primary manner to deliver lessons to
    his followers. Moreover, Jesus employs parables in such a sufficient manner
    that even modern times may not negate their efficiency. One of the more familiar
    parables taught by Jesus is that of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Rare
    are times when Jesus utilized such a specific person or group of people in his
    teachings, but if he does so, it seems to be done with Pharisees.[1] The
    Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector grasps nearly every believer’s
    heart with a reality that everyone fits into at least one category of the
    characters within the narrative. A read through the short parable and an
    analysis of the characters within its text beckons the reader to examine his or
    her own heart in response to condition and what is required to worship the Lord
    in spirit and truth.


    [1] I

    am certain Jesus did not hold judgment, impartiality, or disdain for Pharisees
    (or any other group) in and of themselves and surely not based on their racial,
    ethnic, or external qualities but rather for the condition of their hearts.

    19 min

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