A Gathered People/ Blue Like Jazz
Greetings one and all! This is a post I intended to write a couple of days ago, but somehow didn't make it. Better late than never I guess. Anyhow, here it is.
I have read the first 2 chapters of these books. A Gathered People is a book authored by three men: John Mark Hicks, Bobby Valentine, and Johnny Melton. The book is about worship and how it was meant to be a sacramental encounter between worshipers and our Father God. The first chapter in this book is False Dichotomy: Life and Assembly in God's story. In this chapter Hicks, Valentine, and Melton define, discuss, and refute two common theories of worship. One of these is called the "Five Acts Model". It says that there are five acts that must be in the worship assembly (singing, preaching, praying, contributing, communing). Any less and it's not scriptural worship. Any more and it dilutes it.
The second is the "Edification Model". It says that all of worship is for the edification of the saints. It isn't to glorify and praise God. It is to lift us all up.
Both of these are flawed ideas. Let me quote from the authors directly here, "Just as we believe that all of life has theological significance before God, we also believe the assembly has theological significance. As much as we endorse the idea that our lives are living sacrifices, the assembly is more than mutual edification, it's an encounter with the Triune God". Couldn't agree more with those sentiments there.
They gone on to talk about three Hebrew and Greek words that biblical scholars have translated into three English words referring to the assembly. One of them is "worship". The second word is "serve". And the third is "ministry".
The second chapter is Assemblies in Israel: We Shall Assemble On The Mountain. This chapter talks about the assembly themes all throughout the Old Testament and it's roots in the New Testament.
A Gathered People is a purely brilliant book! I love church history and especially the Restoration Movement! This book is the third book in a trilogy of books. Each of the three is based on the theme of Alexander Campbell's idea of three things that every Christian should understand. Those are: the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and the Lord's Day. Each of the three books has sought to revision those. Come to the Table re visioned the Lord's Supper. Down In The River To Pray re visioned Baptism God's transforming work. And now A Gathered People revisions the Assembly as transforming encounter. I hope each of you who read this blog will read these brilliant books and look at the Bible verses and you will see what these gentlemen are talking about.
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Now let's look at Blue Like Jazz. It is by Donald Miller. I am reading this book, because I am deeply interested in working with young adults because they are in a very serious period in life where they are seeking their own identity and finding there own faith for themselves. Most (if not all) of them are what we tend to call "post-moderns" and Blue Like Jazz brilliantly addresses the post-modern frame of mind.
At the start of this book Miller says that you can't really love something until you see someone else who loves that something. It's like they are showing you the way. He talks about not really liking jazz music. That is until he saw a jazz player intensely playing a song with his eyes shot. He didn't open them during the entire time Miller was listening to him play. Ever since them Miller says that he likes jazz music. He also says that he didn't like God. That was until what he talks about in this book started happening.
Chapter one is entitled :Beginnings: God on a Dirt Road Walking Toward Me. In this chapter Miller talks about how he envisioned God to be when he was a child. That He was like a rich man who's daughter was the cheerleader caption and others.
He chapter two he addresses Problems: What I learned on Television. Here he talks about the problems in society today. But then he turns it to himself and advises all of us to do the same. Am I doing something to find a solution to our societies' problems? Or am I part of the problem? If we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem, Miller seems to be saying.
Please tone in next time when I'll talk more about these brilliant books.
Thanks and God bless!
Zack
I have read the first 2 chapters of these books. A Gathered People is a book authored by three men: John Mark Hicks, Bobby Valentine, and Johnny Melton. The book is about worship and how it was meant to be a sacramental encounter between worshipers and our Father God. The first chapter in this book is False Dichotomy: Life and Assembly in God's story. In this chapter Hicks, Valentine, and Melton define, discuss, and refute two common theories of worship. One of these is called the "Five Acts Model". It says that there are five acts that must be in the worship assembly (singing, preaching, praying, contributing, communing). Any less and it's not scriptural worship. Any more and it dilutes it.
The second is the "Edification Model". It says that all of worship is for the edification of the saints. It isn't to glorify and praise God. It is to lift us all up.
Both of these are flawed ideas. Let me quote from the authors directly here, "Just as we believe that all of life has theological significance before God, we also believe the assembly has theological significance. As much as we endorse the idea that our lives are living sacrifices, the assembly is more than mutual edification, it's an encounter with the Triune God". Couldn't agree more with those sentiments there.
They gone on to talk about three Hebrew and Greek words that biblical scholars have translated into three English words referring to the assembly. One of them is "worship". The second word is "serve". And the third is "ministry".
The second chapter is Assemblies in Israel: We Shall Assemble On The Mountain. This chapter talks about the assembly themes all throughout the Old Testament and it's roots in the New Testament.
A Gathered People is a purely brilliant book! I love church history and especially the Restoration Movement! This book is the third book in a trilogy of books. Each of the three is based on the theme of Alexander Campbell's idea of three things that every Christian should understand. Those are: the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and the Lord's Day. Each of the three books has sought to revision those. Come to the Table re visioned the Lord's Supper. Down In The River To Pray re visioned Baptism God's transforming work. And now A Gathered People revisions the Assembly as transforming encounter. I hope each of you who read this blog will read these brilliant books and look at the Bible verses and you will see what these gentlemen are talking about.
-------------------------------------------
Now let's look at Blue Like Jazz. It is by Donald Miller. I am reading this book, because I am deeply interested in working with young adults because they are in a very serious period in life where they are seeking their own identity and finding there own faith for themselves. Most (if not all) of them are what we tend to call "post-moderns" and Blue Like Jazz brilliantly addresses the post-modern frame of mind.
At the start of this book Miller says that you can't really love something until you see someone else who loves that something. It's like they are showing you the way. He talks about not really liking jazz music. That is until he saw a jazz player intensely playing a song with his eyes shot. He didn't open them during the entire time Miller was listening to him play. Ever since them Miller says that he likes jazz music. He also says that he didn't like God. That was until what he talks about in this book started happening.
Chapter one is entitled :Beginnings: God on a Dirt Road Walking Toward Me. In this chapter Miller talks about how he envisioned God to be when he was a child. That He was like a rich man who's daughter was the cheerleader caption and others.
He chapter two he addresses Problems: What I learned on Television. Here he talks about the problems in society today. But then he turns it to himself and advises all of us to do the same. Am I doing something to find a solution to our societies' problems? Or am I part of the problem? If we're not part of the solution, we're part of the problem, Miller seems to be saying.
Please tone in next time when I'll talk more about these brilliant books.
Thanks and God bless!
Zack
posted by Zack | 4:57 PM
3 Comments:
Zack, it was so good to hear from you and hear that you're doing well. Thank you for leaving me a message on my blog. I look forward to keeping up with you through this blog world!! Have a good weekend.
Sara Jo
Zack,
Thanks for the overview of the first two chapters of A Gathered People. I think those two chapters set the tone and basis for the rest of the book. If we do not see the essential unity of the Scriptures on the subject of worship than we miss a great deal about the Story itself.
Would love to hear from you when you get done with the whole book for an evaluation.
Blessings,
Bobby Valentine
I have read both of these books and enjoyed them. Blue Like Jazz was a powerful book about true life and the struggle that is found within.
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