Every Church A Peace Church

	Support ECAPC!
	ECAPC is a movement built upon the financial support of individuals like you. Click here to make a contribution.

	Publications
	Subscribe to Online Publications to support your journey!

	Register
	Individuals, small groups,and congregations are invited to join the National Registry of Peace Churches. More...

Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us all, becoming a peace church to share in Gods work to save the world.

A Radical Thought On Worship

View Archives

     Worship is the recognition and celebration of God and God's rulership (or kingship) of the world as revealed in Jesus. I suggest that this is a radical thought on worship, or maybe rather, a thought on radical worship.
     Jesus led us to this understanding of worship when he said "Love God with your whole heart, mind and strength, this is the first commandment," and "seek first the kingdom (rulership) of God." I'm sure there is a sense in which all Christians view worship as the attribution of worth to God, but not so sure that God's "worth" is generally related to the way God intends to rule the world, or that the way the world should be "run", or governed, is by the sovereign power of love.
     But the surpassing power of love is what Jesus revealed as the form of God's supreme power. It is radical to affirm this because the rulers of this world (Mark 10) claim that domination and coercive, including homicidal, power is the greatest power of all. Therefore, every affirmation that Jesus is lord, and that Jesus reveals the heart of God, is a direct and plain criticism of every lordship, kingship, premiership, or presidency which claims that it knows how to run the world.
     This view of God's rulership and of worship places the kingdom of God in very serious tension with the kingships of the world. It flies a different flag, which is why national flags have either a very troubled or no place in peace church houses of worship. Worship that loves God with one's whole heart implies not loving other sovereignties with one's whole heart.

John K. Stoner jstoner@ecapc.org

Submit a Comment!

We appreciate your comments. Your e-mail address will not be displayed on our website.
Name
Email Address
Comments (you may use html tags)

View Print-Friendly Page Send This Page To A Friend