Sentence Summary:
Sunday worship is to be founded in baptism as the presupposition and basis of all Christian worship and is to be comprised of communal prayer and singing, a sermon, and the Lord’s Supper, in accordance with Scripture and by the working of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Church, summarily all to the glory of God.
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Sunday worship
Longer Summary:
Old emphasises that the Reformed tradition follows not any man but a tradition of many great men from many different paths who are united by Scripture. Tradition must be reinterpreted, but not recreated, each generation in accordance with contemporary culture by the rule of Scripture, which is of primary importance. We therefore do not concern ourselves with what tradition has to say about worship but only “what tradition tells us about what Scripture has to say about worship” (171).
Old therefore delves into the historical reception and development of various parts of worship, each part forming a chapter in his work. He briefly analyses how Scripture informs an understanding of the relevant aspect of worship, taking a brief, non-polemical and ecumenical approach, to then discuss the early reception of the aspect within the Church fathers and early church. Discussion of the Middle Ages is ordinarily brief, but particular focus is paid to the various Reformers and the developments within their various traditions, particularly the Reformed tradition.
Old’s final chapter reminds us that we should not fall into either liturgical trap of archaeologically reconstructing a prior liturgy or perpetually revising our current liturgy. Instead, the Reformed liturgical tradition must reform the current state of Christian worship in accordance with the principles of worship established within the tradition, with consideration for current culture. These principles, and their proposed modern application, are written in Chapter 10, which alone is worth reading the book for.
Judgment:
I've read many books on worship at this point, and none have been like this book. It is short and efficient, and educational in every respect. The writing is interesting, the Scriptural exegesis is sound, and the historical analysis is greatly informed by his many years lecturing on the subject. I recommend supplementing this read with another book detailing the Scriptural foundation of worship, as this book predominantly details the historical reception of Christian worship. In this respect the book is invaluable for any person who wishes to have a holistic understanding of Christian worhip, especially if you lean more towards the Reformed tradition. Read LessRead less about Sentence Summary:
Sunday worship
