"Reformed worship is beautiful, but it does not have the beauty of sensual things. Rather, it has the beauty mentioned in several of the psalms. 'Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness' (Ps. 29:2).It is for this reason that Reformed worship has always been marked by what some have called 'a stark simplicity.' The beauty is found in the faithful preaching of the Word of God, in the simple, unadorned, but faithful administration of the sacraments, and in the maintenance of faithful discipline. Reformed people find their delight in truth and in the spiritual things that Christ spoke of when he said that we must worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Abraham Kuyper spoke of 'the serious danger with which symbolism menaces the future of our Calvinistic Church life.' When 'symbolism replaces revelation,' he said, it 'makes us fall back from conscious to unconscious religion. The Reformed faith always places revelation in the foreground, and tolerates no other performances than such as are able to echo it and remain carefully under its sway.' This simplicity is a hallmark of the worship conducted in Reformed churches."
- Thomas E. Tyson and G.I. Williamson, What is the Reformed Faith?, Part IV, p. 34
Great post! I agree that so much of what is passed off for worship and praise is mere sensuality. It is so hard to keep the flesh out of worship.
ReplyDeleteThat is so good! Thank you for sharing this. The "stark simplicity" of reformed worship reminds me of Micah 6:8 "...to act justly...love mercy...walk humbly with your God."
ReplyDeleteMy brothers, let us all worship God in spirit and in truth! Thank you for your fellowship. :-)
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