From the Calvin Worship Symposium

January 25th was a terrific day. I am at the Calvin Worship symposium.

The morning began with worship. It was powerful the way the orchestra invited us to enter worship. Scott Hoezee gave a excellent sermon. He lead us through a series of texts that included Phillipians 2. He suggested that the translation that 2: 6 “though he was in the form of God…” should be translated “because…” The expression of his divinity was the kenotic will. Incarnation is not a concession, God’s accommodation is not a condescension.

 

John Witvliet suggested that people who lead worship are language instructor.

Think about worship elements as preparation for prayer. The words that imprinted my imagination: The LORD takes pleasure in our deference more than our preference.

Laura Smit reminded me that von Bathasar proposed that the biblical idea of glory parallels the aesthetic category of beauty.

Carol Bechtel presented a compelling way into Psalm 121. She gave an interesting metaphor for the psalms when she said that the psalms act like a sponge that soak up associations that hearers and readers bring to the text. She described the reference to slumber and sleep in ways that will stay with me. First she reminded us to consider how Elijah taunted the Baal prophets that their god might have fallen asleep. Second she described sleeping as nodding off and slumber as sawing logs, but the way she demonstrated the difference is something my words cannot capture. When we pray we need to remember that yes prayer includes our words to God but we should attend also to God’s word to us. As we try to connect with the Psalms as a resource of prayer we should remember this. She invited us to listen to Psalm 121 as a lullaby. She played the harp and sang the psalm to the tune to the lullaby, “All through the night.”

The day ended as it began with worship. Cornelius Plantinga preached on cruciform glory. It was a compelling concept. He reminded us that death is a necessity for resurrection. He also made clear that the cross was a symbol of the Roman occupation’s reign of terror. The Roman cross signaled the cseasar was lord.