Author: David Ellis

Don: The fundamental question we have been discussing is: Can God be seen through any lens other than the lens of culture? To get at the answer, we have tried to assess the effect of culture on worship. We’ve noted the animal tendency to herd and flock together, usually based upon fear. Humans band together…

Don: Culture is the set of the values, beliefs, ideas, customs, manual skills, arts, and traditions of a people, passed along to succeeding generations. Churches and families have cultures, just as whole societies do. These cultures exert a major influence on how and what we worship. Can, or should, culture and worship be separated? Four…

Don: Most people everywhere, at all times, of all faiths, worship. Most of us are natural-born worshippers. Mankind seems to have a compelling need to worship. It is likely that the most important factor influencing the object of our worship is the culture of our place of birth. We may change the objects and patterns…

Don: Paul revealed a new paradigm for worship, stripped of ritual and symbols, when he wrote: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this…

Don: In our discussion so far, we have defined personal worship as not just worshiping alone but worshiping with the desired end-product of some individual benefit; and we have defined corporate worship as not just organized worship in church but worship which is in service to others—it is both plural and participatory. In other words,…

Don: The road from Egypt to Canaan—the road from bondage to the Promised Land—is a metaphor for the road back to God. In the Garden of Eden, humankind fell into slavery to evil. The reconciliation with God began in the Garden of Gethsemane. The story of the exodus from Egypt is rich in worship symbols…

Don: In the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives, we saw the humanity of Jesus as he faced the most difficult, immediate, intimate, and personal crisis of his entire life. He wanted his closest disciples to watch for him as he prayed there, but they failed him. Who had anything to gain by…

Don: Ritual worship is more about belonging than believing. It defines us, constrains us, informs and educates us, and above all it binds us to our faith community. Prayer is part of worship, and comes in many forms. The disciples asked Jesus how to pray: It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain…

Don: Prayer is one of the most obvious forms of ritual in any faith community. We are flush with ritual prayer: Individual and group prayer, intercessory prayer, fasting in prayer, opening and closing prayer, and children’s prayer;  prayer for the offering, for a baptism, for a baby dedication, for an ordination service, and so on….