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Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry
John F. MacArthur

Recently, I felt that as a pastor I needed a refresher on what pastoral ministry is all about. I found Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry by John MacArthur, Jr. and the Master’s Seminary Faculty to be a challenging and encouraging read on God’s call to ministry.

Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry reads much like a manual on pastoral ministry and would certainly be appropriate for a college or seminary class on the subject. This 439-page book is split into four main parts. First, biblical perspectives are considered. Second, issues concerning preparation for ministry are discussed. The third section is devoted to personal issues with which the pastor will grapple. The fourth section discusses various pastoral perspectives.

The end of the book includes suggested reading for the pastor as well as three appendices to help the candidate for ordination. There are also three helpful indices of authors, scriptures, and subjects discussed throughout the book.
I appreciated Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, firstly, for its conservative stance on pastoral ministry. It is obvious that this book was written not to capitalize on trendy issues within the church world, but to present a manual on ministry that would be current for many years. I also liked the wide variety of topics and in-depth consideration of various issues.

The conservative holiness reader should be aware of various theological differences he or she will probably find with these writers. First, the Calvinistic doctrine of these writers is evident, although usually not blatant. Secondly, it is suggested that only males are called by God to pastoral ministry. Thirdly, these writers suggest that a man is not fit for the ministry unless all of his children are born-again Christians.

While John MacArthur, Jr., is the editor of this book and his influence upon the faculty of The Master’s Seminary is understood, I found several promotions in the first few chapters by various writers of MacArthur’s books, etc. to be a little nauseating. Furthermore, several chapters delved into such deep Biblical word study that the point and practical application were lost upon me.

Regardless, the strong loyalty expressed by these writers to the authority of God’s Word and the primacy of preaching in pastoral ministry were refreshing to me. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry would serve as an excellent manual for the ministerial student, an positive encouragement for the seasoned pastor, and a great introduction to the pastor’s passion and purpose for the layperson.

Occasionally, I have been asked what commentaries I use when preparing for a sermon. There are several that are my favorites, but in this post I will focus on a set that has quickly become one of my favorites.

Several years ago, I received an advertisement in the mail about a new commentary set that was being published, including a softcover sample copy of Titus. I looked through it, saw the beautiful color pictures and sidebars and was impressed. However, when I saw that the commentary for Titus was only fourteen pages long and then I looked at the price, I decided it was not worth it. (Note: this commentary series has been bundled in various sets. The hardcover version has four volumes. Titus is included in Volume 3: Romans to Philemon. In the paperback version I have, Titus is included in a volume including all five pastoral epistles.)

This past Christmas, my wife Zenia and I were browsing a Christian bookstore and found nine out of twelve of the New Testament volumes in paperback version – for only five dollars apiece. This Christmas present has become invaluable to me.

While the verse comments of this commentary are typically short and do not usually go in-depth into doctrinal issues, this commentary excels at providing historical and cultural context that other commentaries may miss altogether or only give a brief allusion.

Since believe it is critically important to understand the historical and cultural context of the scripture when I prepare a sermon, this commentary has quickly become one of my favorites. If you are looking for another commentary set to add to your collection, whether you are a preacher or lay person, I would suggest you carefully consider this set.

How about you? What are your favorite commentary sets, especially when you are trying to learn about the context of the scripture’s story?

OutofUr.com, the blog operated by Leadership Journal included a short article on the late Robert Webber on April 30, 2007.  “Webber will be remembered (and appreciated, mostly) as the man who gave a name to the quest to recover both philosophy and experience of worship that were endangered by contemporary evangelical practices in the late 20th century: He was the father of ‘ancient-future worship’” (http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur).  Worship is a Verb, written by Robert Webber, is an engaging discussion of his idea of what Biblical worship should look like.

Major Premise of the Book

The title of this book, Worship is a Verb, might suggest that it is the major premise of the book.  Indeed, in the first chapter Webber lays out his contention that worship is a verb – something we are to be doing.  He continues to come back to this thought throughout the book.  However, the subtitle, “Celebrating God’s Mighty Acts of Salvation”, added to this second edition of Worship is a Verb actually is a better description of the major premise of this book (Webber, 2004, p. v).

This premise is introduced and fleshed out in chapters two and three.  In Chapter 2, Webber argues that worship celebrates Christ and, more specifically, that worship celebrates the Christ-event.  On pages 37-38 he writes, “It is important to understand, though, that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not an event which we memorialize.  Its power, like that of Exodus, reaches down through history and becomes a present reality to the people who celebrate it in faith” (Webber, 2004).  In Chapter 3, Webber expands upon this thought in his argument that “worship tells and acts out the Christ-event” (2004, p. 43).  He states that this primarily happens through the order of the Word and Table.  He says, “There is a reason for the order of the Word and Table: It is rooted in the Gospel story, in the rhythm of the dying and rising of Christ; and it represents Christ.  Consequently, Word and Table together with the rites of Preparation and Dismissal constitute the structure of Christian worship” (Webber, 2004, p. 60).  Repeatedly, he states that Biblical worship re-enacts Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Description of the Book

On page iv of Worship is a Verb we learn that this book is a new printing to complement a program titled 30 Days of Worship Discovery.  The book begins with a preface in which Webber says that he is usually reticent to say “must” or “should”, but feels so strongly about the need for worship to recover biblical and historical substance that the subtitle “Celebrating God’s Mighty Acts of Salvation” is now a must (Webber, 2004, p. v).  An introduction to the study guide questions at the end of each chapter follows the preface.

Chapter 1 begins the book with the author’s personal frustration with worship and his perception that there is a widespread shift in thinking concerning worship.  He lists five new insights he has had concerning worship and eight principles of worship.  Webber expands upon these eight principles in the next nine chapters.

Chapter 2 covers the first principle that “worship celebrates Christ” (Webber, 2004, p. 21).  Webber tries to lay out the Biblical basis for worship in this chapter.  This chapter is mostly theoretical, but does include one illustration of how Webber sees a proper worship time unfolding.

Chapter 3 talks about the second principle that “worship tells and acts out the Christ-Event” (Webber, 2004, p. 43).  In this chapter Webber talks about the historical order of worship.

Chapter 4 talks about the third principle, “In Worship God Speaks and Acts” (Webber, 2004, p. 65).  Webber says that God speaks through the Word and acts through the Bread and Wine (pp. 71-80).

Chapter 5 is on principle four – “Worship is an act of communication” (Webber, 2004, p. 85).  Webber talks about the communication of the primary symbols, the Word and Table, and of the secondary symbols, which include personal preparation, the Preparation and Dismissal movements of worship, and body language.

Chapter 6 covers the fifth principle which is, “In worship we respond to God and each other” (Webber, 2004, p. 109).  Webber talks about how we respond to God Himself, God’s actions, and the specific.  He spends some time talking about images and their use in worship as well as giving examples of how people respond in worship.

Chapter 7 discusses Webber’s sixth principle of worship that we should return worship to the people.  Webber talks about worship being a meeting between God and His people, suggesting that there is dialogue in this meeting.  He also suggests the participation of every person in worship will help restore the concept of the priesthood of all believers.  He also talks about the tension between order and freedom in worship.  In this chapter Webber includes a large section that contains suggestions and examples of how individuals can participate in worship.

Chapters 8 and 9 both deal with the seventh principle of worship – “All creation joins in worship” (Webber, 2004, p. 156).  Chapter 8 is devoted to the discussion of time as a vehicle of worship.  Webber spends some time talking about the church year and its importance in worship.  Chapter 9 discusses using space, sound, and the arts as vehicles of worship.

Chapter 10 covers the final principle of worship that says worship should be a way of life.  This chapter is divided into sections on “worship and prayer”, “worship and the family”, “worship and work”, “worship and social action”, and “worship and evangelism” (Webber, 2004, pp. 205-213).

The book ends with a short epilogue in which Webber includes practical suggestions on how to implement the principles and suggestions of his book into one’s church.  He advocates a slow process of changing worship practices so that the congregation will see the benefits instead of rejecting the changes without understanding why there might be need for a change.  A bibliography includes a number of sources about worship that would be beneficial to the person wanting to study more about worship.

Practical Application

Webber begins this book by discussing his personal frustration with worship that can be easily understood by those who have also felt they don’t really worship in the worship service.  Webber’s personal tone throughout the book is engaging and makes you feel at times like you are sitting in a living room having a heart-to-heart discussion with the author.

The reader, however, must read a significant amount of the book before finding very practical suggestions or tips on how to organize worship according to the model that Webber suggests.  The chapters on the first two principles are especially theoretical and at times unclear.  Chapter three does include a list of eight elements that are part of the Preparation phase of worship.  This list on page 46 provides a good outline of how the Preparation phase might be conducted for the person wishing to follow Webber’s model of worship.  However, Webber states at the end of this chapter his reticence in telling the reader how to act out the three or four parts of worship (2004, p. 61).

As one who comes from a tradition in which Communion is observed infrequently, I did find Webber’s discussion on this aspect of worship on pages 75 through 80 to be helpful in my understanding of this important Christian sacrament.  Webber becomes extremely practical in chapter 5 as he offers a number of suggestions about how to make the Word and Table aspects of the worship service to be more meaningful.

Throughout the book, but especially in the latter part, Webber gives illustrations of how churches have worshiped or might worship according to the pattern he lays out.  He argues that this pattern allows for freedom and can be adapted to wide variety of worship styles.  Despite this assertion, it appears that Webber is basically advocating a certain style of worship.  While I found several thoughts concerning different aspects of worship to be helpful, Webber’s basic thesis is quite restrictive, requiring that true or Biblical worship re-enacts Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Personal Evaluation

The major thesis of Worship is a Verb is that Biblical worship is a re-enactment of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.  Therefore, this primary assertion must be true for the rest of the book to hold together.  Webber says that “the content of Old Testament worship is determined by the Exodus-event, while the content of New Testament worship is determined by the Christ-event” (2004, p. 28).

Webber then notes three parallels between the Exodus and the Christ-event.  He points that Christ reveals himself as God revealed Himself to the Israelites through Moses’ message of deliverance.  He talks about how Exodus was a redemption of Israel from the oppression of her enemies and was commemorated by the yearly Passover.  Similarly, Christ’s death on the Cross provides us redemption from sin.  After the Exodus, God created himself a people as He and the Israelites entered a covenantal agreement at Mt. Sinai.  Similarly, Jesus, who is the New Covenant, has created himself a people, the Church of God.

The problem, however, is that Webber fails to prove that Old Testament worship actually recreated the Exodus-event.  Yes, the Israelites celebrated the Passover yearly, but there is nothing to suggest they did so on a weekly basis.  Furthermore, while Webber says that the worship of early church re-enacted Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, he does not demonstrate that they actually did.  This failure creates an uncertainty in the reader as to how much he can trust the writer, regardless of the fact of how well respected as an authority on worship he may have been considered.

One of Webber’s main New Testament references to the Biblical pattern for worship is Acts 2:42, which talks about the early church’s devotion to teaching and preaching, as well as the “breaking of bread.”  Webber draws from this scripture the orders of the Word and Table.  He states that the Preparation and Dismissal were added over time.  Unfortunately, he does not include any kind of documentation.  It is also unclear how these orders of Word and Table necessarily reenact Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in the worship service.  Yes, Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were remembered in the observance of the Lord’s Supper, yet it is a supposition to say that the early church re-enacted Christ’s life, death, and resurrection either through their observance of the Lord’s Supper or throughout the order of the service.

Another problematic element in this book is Webber’s use of his personal, subjective feelings and experiences to give validity to what he taught as Biblical worship that must be recovered by the Church today.  In a discussion with Jim Young, Young said that worship without sequence and order had the effect that “my life and relationship to God seem unresolved” (Webber, 2004, p. 58).  Webber then relates the thoughts of art professor Art Sheelsey and his own experience.  He then states, “The shape of worship that is faithful to God’s revelation and redemption is a medium through which truth is communicated” (Webber, 2004, p. 58).  Webber relates a question he asked of Pastor Bob Harvey, “Does the worshiper experience Christ through the structure?” (2004, pp. 58-59).  With the affirmation of this pastor, the question is then answered.  In fact, the conclusion seems to be derived by very subjective means.

Can such subjective means be the basis of a trusted theology of worship?  I have worshipped God deeply in services that did not necessarily follow Webber’s pattern.  Was my worship false?  Or should I insist that the pattern of the deeply moving worship services I attended is the proper method of Biblical worship?

As illustrations, Webber used only a few churches to demonstrate the positives of using the pattern he espoused or the negatives of not doing so.  Again, the evaluation was typically very subjective and non-scientific.  One could probably find a church with uninspiring worship that is not following Webber’s pattern any given Sunday.  Yet there may be ten other churches not following his pattern that are experiencing vibrant worship of God.  Who knows?

Another question that must be asked is what will the worship of a church that adopts this pattern look like in a couple of decades.  Throughout history there have been a number of calls back to more biblical worship or doctrine.  There have been various calls to revival.  Yet after awhile, most seem to have become dead ritual forms.  For example, Wesley and the Methodist church had a great impact on the world through its Biblical teaching on entire sanctification.  But in time, the Methodist church became very formal and opposed to the teaching of entire sanctification (Cowen, 1948, pp. 11-13).

There are two statements Webber makes that I believe are Biblical errors, yet may be minor problems in relation to the main thesis.  First, quoting 1 Corinthians 10:17 he says, “the single loaf of bread is a symbol of the universal church of Jesus Christ” (Webber, 2004, p. 50).  The bread of Communion is rather a symbol of Christ’s body that was broken for us.  We don’t eat the bread because it represents the Church, but because it represents Christ’s crucified body through which we became part of the Church of God.  Second, Webber writes, “When I am thoroughly involved in worship I not only hear and see, but I become.  I am to become God’s Word and God’s Bread to the world” (Webber, 2004, p. 105).  Nowhere in the Bible am I aware of anything that supports such a statement.  We are to share God’s Word with the world, but we are not the Word of God.  The only person who is the Word is Jesus Christ, the eternal Word (John 1:1-5, 14).  Similarly, Jesus is God’s Bread; we are not (John 6:53-58).

Webber described a powerful worship service he attended at Plymouth Brethren Church.  He noted how he slipped into the service, bowed his head in prayer and read Scripture as he prepared for worship.  Then, in this free form worship style, the church followed the pattern he suggests is of Biblical worship (Webber, 2004, pp. 120-122).  A question that must be asked, however, is if one of the primary reasons why this worship service impacted him so powerfully was due to his own preparation for worship.  It must be admitted that the typical church could do more to help the congregation to prepare for worship.  On the other hand, the individual bears much responsibility for being prepared to worship.  If the average individual does not prepare himself, is it the fault of the worship service sequence or the individual that he fails to meet God?

Interestingly, it could also be argued that a traditional church service follows much the same pattern as that which Webber describes.  For example, the Preparation might include the welcome, congregational singing, pastoral prayer, offering, announcements, and special song.  The Word would be the sermon.  Many churches might not include the Table, but Webber himself indicated that not every service must include the Table (2004, p. 59).  Finally, the Dismissal would include the altar call and closing prayer.  Of course, it might be easy to argue that the typical church is not nearly as intentional in its worship order as Webber suggests and may not have any stated intention to re-enact Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.  If it cannot be proved that Biblical worship must include this re-enactment, one must wonder what is the vital difference between Webber’s pattern and the typical worship service.

Yet it is at this point that I find Worship is a Verb most helpful.  While it might be argued that Webber’s pattern of worship is not too different from most churches, Webber’s pattern reflects an intentionality that is often missing.  For example, many churches take an offering partly due to the idea that giving to God is part of worship, but mostly due to the need for funds.  In Webber’s model, however, the offering is intentional.  After having heard from God, the offering is part of our response to God.

Furthermore, while I have raised many issues with this book, I believe Worship is a Verb is a valuable resource.  Webber’s various discussions on Communion are helpful, especially for those whose churches rarely celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  I believe his emphasis on using more scripture in a worship service is good also.

I do not know if the use of symbols, art, and dance are really that important to worship.  In fact, I might be more inclined to think these helps could cause distractions or lead to idolatry.  The church might benefit, however, from the use of more visual aids in worship.  Webber’s discussion gives a church who has shunned such things a new perspective.  Furthermore, Webber’s discussion on the liturgical year is intriguing and could almost convince me to use it in the future.  I especially appreciate his discussion of how secularism has affected the church in the use of time.

Conclusion

For the person who would like to learn more about worship, I believe Worship is a Verb is a good resource.  I would caution the reader from becoming overcome with Webber’s insistence that worship must re-enact Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.  However, I believe the reader would be helped by Webber’s stress on worshiping with intention.  I may have disagreements with some of Webber’s conclusions, but I believe all Christians would be helped if they could hear the passion for worship that filled Webber’s heart.  Thank God for the contribution Robert Webber made in our understanding of worship during his lifetime!

References

Cowen, Clarence Eugene (1948). A History of the Church of God (Holiness). Overland Park, KS: Herald and Banner Press.

Robert Webber’s Ancient-Future Journey Was Our Journey (2007, April 30). Retrieved May 19, 2007, from http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/04/robert_webbers.html

Webber, Robert E. (2004). Worship is a Verb. Washington, DC: Hendrickson Publishers.

By Dr. Gayle Woods

I have great admiration for Josh McDowell, the author of “The Last Christian Generation.”  I have read a number of his books.  I have heard him speak.  He is a tremendous scholar and a great apologist.   The many books that he has authored such as, “Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” “More Evidence that Demands a Verdict,” “Beyond Belief to Conviction,”  “The New Tolerance,” “The Da Vinci Code: A Quest for Answers,”  “More than a Carpenter,” etc. are consistently among the top titles of books on the subject of Apologetics.  For over 25 years he has provoked the world to think about incidents surrounding the events of the life of Christ that can’t be explained by mere coincidence.

My interest was piqued when I first read the title to this volume.  I thumbed through the book.  My eyes grazed over the promising table of contents.  When I was convinced that Josh McDowell would be talking about the post-modern generation I did not hesitate to purchase the book.

I was not disappointed as I read the first six chapters.  Dr. McDowell spoke of the shocking reality that the Christian church is losing a generation of people.  The PEERS test (Politics, Economics, Education, Religion and Social Issues) administered by the Nehemiah Institute in Lexington, Kentucky tested 20,000 students in 1,000 schools.  They discovered that 85% of youth from Christian homes who attend public schools do not embrace a biblical worldview.  What is even more alarming is that those attending Christian schools scored only slightly higher than their counterparts. (p. 14)

After this heart stopping look at reality, Josh went on to speak about specific problems that the church and Christian parents have overlooked.  He discussed young people’s distorted view of Christianity.  Sixty-five percent of our young people are not sure how to tell which religion is true. (p. 34) It gets worse.  Sixty-five percent of our young people do not believe that Satan is real, and sixty-eight percent believe that the Holy Spirit is only an influence for good. (p. 38) The author then continued to pile up the evidence as he described our young people’s distorted view of truth.  “They have adopted the view that moral truth is not true for them until they choose to believe it. They believe that the act of believing makes things true.” (p. 42)  McDowell then described the young persons distortion of reality as being directly connected to its pragmatic value.  He stated that 72% of our young people believe that “you can tell if something is morally/ethically right for you by whether or not it works in your life.”  (p. 52)  With this backdrop in place, Josh painted a picture of the young person’s distorted view of the church.  He said that to them, the “church is boring,” it “is non-stop activity,” it certainly “isn’t the biggest influence in my (their) life or my (their) spiritual development,” it just “seems like…a series of events…,” and “it won’t help me (them) grapple with the real issues of…” their lives. (p. 58-63)

Christian leaders were asked to identify ten critical life issues if our young people are going to become “healthy and mature relationally, morally and spiritually.”

THE TOP 5 PRIORITY ISSUES

1. That my kids experience a transformed life in Christ (chosen by 84% of all surveyed).

2. That they know why they believe what they believe (chosen by 41% of all surveyed).

3. That they develop healthy relationships (chosen by 35% of all surveyed).

4. That they learn to resist ungodly influences (cho­sen by 23% of all surveyed).

5. That they discover how to make right choices (cho­sen by 18% of all surveyed).^{” (p. 64)}

Over two thousand youth workers were then asked to identify the top five challenges facing them.

THE TOP 5 CHALLENGES

1.  Developing passionate followers of Christ.

2.  Making Christ and Scripture real and relevant to kids.

3.  Getting kids to know-and live-the truth.

4.  Helping kids combat ungodly influences.

5.  Ministering intergenerationally. (p. 65)

In my opinion, to this point the information was fascinating.  After that, however, I forced myself to complete the book.  The author spoke of changing our educational model by revealing the God of redemption, relationships and restoration.  As I read, I kept hoping that he would reveal something that wasn’t totally obvious.  I accept the fact that his observations and conclusions are correct. It was presented in such an abstract, theological manner, however, that I fear it left many hopeful readers who were looking for a game plan, completely discouraged.

Josh McDowell’s final consideration has some redeeming value.  He makes the case for the need to move from program-driven to process-driven ministry.  This is something that we should pause to consider.

Is the book worth buying?  Absolutely.  Is the book worth reading?  Yes.  I would suggest that you give thorough attention to the first eighty-eight pages, and pages 153 – 178.  I would then suggest that you scan the remainder of the book.

Dr. I.C. Holland is attributed to stating that if you get one idea from a book, it is worth the price of $12.99.  You will get your money’s worth.

Josh McDowell and David H. Bellis, The Last Christian Generation, 2006.  Green Key Books, Holiday, Florida, ISBN:  1932587667.

]]> http://www.cogh.net/the-last-christian-generation/feed 0 http://www.cogh.net/praying-your-prodigal-home http://www.cogh.net/praying-your-prodigal-home#comments Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:32:09 +0000 Dr. Gayle Woods http://cogh.net/?p=122 A Book Review

By Dr. Gayle Woods

Those who have prodigal sons or daughters understand the feeling I had when I was given “Praying Your Prodigal Home” as a Christmas gift.   Hope surged.  Maybe there was some secret hidden in the book that I had missed.  Maybe my prayers for my own son would be more effective after I read the book.

I also opened the book with some sense of skepticism.   What did this person know about my heartache?  Was the author really involved?  You have to face this situation from a stance of experience.  Mere research is not enough.

As I began to read my heart soon melded with the Richard Burr.  He and his wife had suffered my heartache.  They sat where I sat.  Their son Jeff, showed great promise as a teen.  He appeared to live for God.  He was involved in Church work.  Attending Baylor University, however, Jeff was assigned a homosexual roommate.  Later his parents were to learn that Jeff’s pastor in Waco, Texas was also a homosexual.   The parents were devastated in 1984 when Jeff flaunted his own homosexuality and told them he never wanted to see them again.   He was so adamant in rejecting his Christian past that he changed his surname.

For 15 years they prayed.  During this time they learned valuable lessons about praying for a prodigal.   They discovered that this is not something that is to be hidden.  You must share your burden with other concerned Christians.   You also must not chase after your prodigal.  You have to learn to let go.  The prodigal’s father, in Luke 15, only went to the edge of his property and longed for his son.  He did not follow him to the place of sin in order to stage a rescue.  The prodigal must be released to God. 

Richard Burr emphasizes the importance of praying the Word of God.  He states, “The underlying combination of God’s Word with the ministry of prayer releases the divine power of God to produce unfathomable results.” (p. 33)  Throughout the book he gives examples of how he and his wife prayed the Word of God as they interceded for their son.    As he says, “. . . prayer without the Word leads to mysticism and false religion, and the Word without prayer leads to legalism and dead orthodoxy.” (p. 36)  In urging the parent to intercede for their children, Burr underscores the point that prayer must go beyond a supplemental activity and become a foundational, fundamental ministry. (p. 48)

The author deals with the work of the Holy Spirit in His convicting and drawing power.  He also points to the absolute necessity of true repentance and active faith. 

I can confidently encourage parents of prodigals to digest this book.  It will it be a source of encouragement in seeing how Jeff, dying with AIDS reconciles both with his parents and with God.  A spark of hope will be ignited for your own personal situation.  In addition, you will receive elementary instruction in the work of praying your prodigal home.   It is my prayer that we will see a large crowd of prodigals rushing home as a result of our renewed hope and revitalized intercession.

Richard A Burr, Praying Your Prodigal Home, (2003).  Christian Publications, Inc., Camp Hill, PA.  ISBN:  0-87509-956-4.