Through the talk on the importance of theological education in church ministry and social engagement by Dr Simon Chan, I have learnt that indirect theological education in church may have a larger impact on the congregation due to its subtle influence. He mentioned several aspects of indirect theological education, including worship, prayer, dress code and behaviour. These reminded me that although such activities may not explicitly express any theological doctrines, they are actually revealed and possibly learnt in a subtle manner which may have a greater influence in church than direct theological education such as bible study.
An example he elaborated on was how worship revealed the theology of the worship leaders and of the church through the songs that were sung and the basis of their composition. It challenged me to think more deeply about the songs that I lead in my own fellowship and youth service as I may not be aware of how much influence the hymns and worship songs may have on the theological thought of a young believer. I sincerely hope that more worship leaders and even the congregation would put more thought into worship, to worship not only in spirit but also in truth. Worship leaders may analyse the lyrics and their biblical basis deeper, while worshippers may meditate more on the lyrics during worship. Then, we might be following closer to what Jesus commanded us to do in John 4: 23 - 24. “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Worshipping in spirit and truth like what Jesus commanded us to do is not an easy task, for it is a fine line between balance of spirit and truth in our worship. Too often worship leaders may be focused on how to bring the congregation to a climax during worship, choosing specific songs probably not based on their biblical basis but on how the song heightens the atmosphere during worship. In my opinion, it may be helpful for youths to learn from history, when churches sing songs from the hymnals and understood the context and background of various hymns.
All in all, the main lesson I gained from this talk was the subtle influence that indirect theological education may have on the church. This may shape the way I worship, pray and dress — in order to represent the theology that I hold on to in an intentional manner and to bring glory to God. I also hope that my church may continue to pursue theological education and reform our church, to know God in a holistic manner and honour Him in all that we do. Perhaps, we should be reflecting on how worship is being conducted and practice the theological knowledge that we have gained in order to follow Jesus’s commandment of worshipping in spirit and truth.
Lim Min
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