Being a young Christian today in
our modern world can prove to be increasingly daunting with the challenge of
having an intimate relationship with God, being rooted in Scripture while
living with the many factors-internal and external- that affect us daily in our
spiritual walk with God. Nonetheless, this journey is not meant to be borne by
one’s pure human effort alone for one who walks in Christ understands the
importance in the reliance of God through His many wondrous ways and lives with
the end goal in mind – eternity in His divine kingdom. Moreover, the spiritual
journey in Christ is never meant to be undertaken by one alone but rather with
a community of people congregated together exalting and glorifying His name, in
other words, the church. Throughout history as seen from the life of Paul and
his missionary works in Acts, churches are the anchor points for believers in
fundamental areas of worship, fellowship and discipleship. Fast forwarding to
the present through John Calvin’s legacy, there is still adaptation from the
early churches into the Presbyterian denomination today. As the young
regardless of origin are first introduced to the concept of church and how it
works as they grow in the community, there is always the ever-present need for
inculcation of correct theologies and doctrines as they are after all in the
early stage of spiritual development where solid foundations must be laid. With
a forward-looking mindset, issues of succession, continuity and future
leadership come into the picture where youth play a pivotal role as mentioned
in 1 Timothy 4:12. Understanding what and why things happen in church is key
before matters of leadership and succession even come into discussion.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set
an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in
purity.”
Hence as a Presbyterian, I go
with the stance that the current generation of youth need to have sufficient
comprehension in several doctrines and beliefs founded on biblical truths,
possessing the necessary skills not excluding character development before
having their part in the continual sustenance and reformation of the core
pillars of the church –worship, sacraments, Christology and Christian living
–whilst not jeopardizing or compromising on the standards founded upon
Scripture managing the various issues as potential leaders of the church. In my
essay, I will be discussing the topics of worship and leadership structure in
church and how they relate to youth.
[1] Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
our transgressions.”
[2] “Theology in Worship” by Rev Tan Tiong Ann, STEP 2017
[3] “7 things we regularly get wrong about worship” 3.
Self-centredness destroys all worship. http://www.crosswalk.com/home-page/todays-features/7-things-we-regularly-get-wrong-about-worship.html
generation Christians, are in
exceptional risk to having gone to church but in some cases personally, there
is hardly or no spiritual growth or divine encounter attributed to lack of
knowledge and understanding, loss of personal commitment and moral standards or
hardness of the heart.[1]
An example to demonstrate my point would be the toxic mindset that is
self-centred of how one can benefit in getting their needs met (physical,
emotional, relational or spiritual). Thus, the view on what worship is(only one
of the many aspects of life as a Christian) at the individual level needs to be
theologically sound and rooted in Scripture inculcated by the predominant
figures of authority-parents, or leaders in the church[2] as worship
is a fundamental core of the faith. With a correct approach in the heart of
worship for the believers across the age spectrum settled, matters of worship
en masse can then be brought into discussion.
Congregational worship began
since the times of the early churches in Acts 2[3] where they
engaged in many basic acts of worship that still of relevance today[4].
Moving along the basis of worship to be that we are to be in a continuous
divine human encounter with God and is the nursing ground for where the faith
grows, it is evident in the Presbyterian style of worship that adopts a
traditional liturgy[5].
Utilising a key Reformation principle Sola Scriptura, this traditional liturgy
has kept a constant foothold ensuring that God is in the centre of it all. Some
examples from our own local Synod churches to illustrate would be a time of
silent meditation before service begins to direct believers to begin their
Sunday in pensiveness rather than to chit- chat in the sanctuary about their
past week’s highlights. Call to Worship, placed before the actual Praise and
Worship segment, serves as an invitation from God through the worship leader,
in the narration of Scripture (commonly Psalms) to focus their hearts and minds
on Him in preparation for the service. The Corporate Prayer segment, typically
led by either an elder or deacon, allows for the congregation to be brought to
God united as we pray as a congregation for matters pertaining either within or
outside the church walls.[6]
My list of liturgical examples in our current structure can go on and on, but
my point here is this: every element in worship stands for the continuous
divine human encounter that is experienced not
by our own human effort but through the Holy Spirit, from the
congregational level down into the heart of the individual. Linking back to my
target group, it is crucial youths understand the various elements of worship
and see how they interact with the aim of having a deeper engagement with God
to give them a sense of purpose and fulfilment into why worship is conducted
the way it is rather than just taking things as they are on face value.
Detractors to my argument would claim that the adoption of traditional liturgy in Presbyterian liturgy would create some issues in areas of church growth and attractiveness to non-believers/visitors especially in the age of millennials. In view of the rising explosion of mega churches around the world the past decade especially in the US[7], it can be deduced that the number of people attending these mega churches- believers or non-believers is nothing short of increasing.
[1] “Second generation Christians” His main arguments in
the 4 areas mentioned. http://www.truthmagazine.com/archives/volume31/GOT031195.html
[4] http://www.thetransformedsoul.com/additional-studies/miscellaneous-studies/-worship-in-the-early-church Early churches did basic acts of reading and
exposition of Scripture, prayer, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual
songs, and the observance of the sacraments
[6] “Theology in Worship” by Rev Tan Tiong Ann, STEP 2017
The 3 examples used to demonstrate traditional liturgy.
[7] See Figure 1.0 http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2013/february/explosive-growth-of-us-megachurches-even-while-many-say.html
 |
Figure 1.0
– to demonstrate the uprising trend of mega-churches
|
This trend is not just exclusive
to USA and from a local perspective, the statement still holds with the mega
church influence in New Creation Church with other churches such as City
Harvest Church and Faith Community Baptist Church[1]. A
possible reason for this trend could be attributed to the style of worship
adopted which is utilizing contemporary culture. Mega-churches, being
independent or without any specific denomination, publicise themselves with the
contemporary style of worship. As their services are generally conducted in
large auditoriums, they adopt a concert-like approach involving many people
from the musical aspect of backup-singers/choral group to the logistics aspect
of AV and lighting, not to mention their sheer number of ushers involved in
crowd control. Such an approach creates an environment that encourages people
to serve with the result being attractive – captivating lights and sounds that
make the atmosphere lively- allowing the worship experience to become
“holistic”. This is evident in New Creation Church that utilizes the STAR Vista
Auditoriums for its Sunday Services with intricate lighting and AV equipment
and its leather clad crew of singers that are almost pitch perfect. Contrasting
this to the traditional liturgical style which is much more conservative and
static, the prospect of new believers opting for the contemporary style becomes
more and more distinct as seen in the population spike over the past few years
in mega-church demographics as compared to the slower growth seen in our
Presbyterian churches where the entire Synod stands at about 24,000. Moreover,
this charismatic style adopted is free of denominational ties which is viewed
to be simpler to grasp for new believers, creating an “open-door” policy that
is more marketable to the masses. Detractors would also claim that the church
over time has become inflexible; to be overly rooted in its tradition in
Reformation without consideration for change with the modern times to cater to
the profiles of pre-believers.
[1] http://www.baylorisr.org/2015/07/02/notes-from-the-global-church-megachurches-in-singapore/ NCC- over
30,000 , CHC, over 20,000 and FCBC, 12,000
I concede then, that from the
area of church growth, mega churches are leading the forefront with
Presbyterian communities behind. Church growth is an important factor in
sustenance of the church however there are many other areas that should be
considered in worship. Many a time in things that we do for Christ, they are
nothing but filled with good intention, but in this context, does the good
intention of Man to spread God’s word equate it to being God-centred? From the
perspective of a youth in a Presbyterian church, these seemingly
multigenerational attractive styles combined with triumphant music can makes us
doubt the traditional liturgical style that we have been brought up with.
Emerging youth churches, such as the Heart of God and Cornerstone church,
follow the similar motivations of the already established in Singapore sowing
even more questions in youths today. An example to demonstrate the demographic
of Presbyterian churches generally would be the proportion of youth to adults
and elderly as compared to the churches mentioned above.
The Bible does not clearly present to us a clear, chronological flow of worship from cover to cover and did not specify that a standard liturgy is to be applied to all believers which is why there have been many interpretations of what worship should be like, some firmly grounded while others seem to be a display of force fit or loose contextualization. There is an unprecedented danger in the contemporary style of worship and the threat lies from within us. That is our pride and self-interests. Linking to my previous point about what constitutes worship as an individual, there is this invisible and often undetected risk that envelops the contemporary style of worship both for the congregation and people in the ministry. I am not implying that the worship ministries in Presbyterian churches are absolutely free of this risk, but rather this contemporary style already predisposes itself to be anthropocentric instead. By utilizing elaborate means in the execution of praise and worship, members in the congregation can possibly get accustomed to this style and start to associate worship as a form of entertainment or “feel-good” session for themselves as much as worship is ultimately for the pleasure and delight of God[1]New believers in mega-churches could possibly be imbued with a heavy misconception of what worship is due to the over-emphasis on the quality of praise standards done by man. Traditional liturgy strips away the unnecessary and potential distractions, to allow believers to fully focus on God with minimalistic use of theatrics and choreography to prevent believers from equating worship to performance. In view of the mega-church style of worship, it is important for youths to be discerning from what the world feeds us through culture, staying grounded in the Word and keeping worship rooted in God, bearing in mind that worship is not for one’s own self-glorification. Worship is so much more than just a Sunday Service but rather is an essential part for youths to keep in view as they mature. Practically speaking for the worship ministry, there needs to be a fine balance in the devotion of resources to development of hard skills as well as mentoring and guidance in the spiritual aspect for youths as aspiring leaders to have a biblical basis in whatever they intend to implement and review in the future. Thus, there is basis behind the Presbyterian liturgy and youths in churches should gear to developing a greater appreciation for it while understanding the risks associated with other styles.
The Bible does not clearly present to us a clear, chronological flow of worship from cover to cover and did not specify that a standard liturgy is to be applied to all believers which is why there have been many interpretations of what worship should be like, some firmly grounded while others seem to be a display of force fit or loose contextualization. There is an unprecedented danger in the contemporary style of worship and the threat lies from within us. That is our pride and self-interests. Linking to my previous point about what constitutes worship as an individual, there is this invisible and often undetected risk that envelops the contemporary style of worship both for the congregation and people in the ministry. I am not implying that the worship ministries in Presbyterian churches are absolutely free of this risk, but rather this contemporary style already predisposes itself to be anthropocentric instead. By utilizing elaborate means in the execution of praise and worship, members in the congregation can possibly get accustomed to this style and start to associate worship as a form of entertainment or “feel-good” session for themselves as much as worship is ultimately for the pleasure and delight of God[1]New believers in mega-churches could possibly be imbued with a heavy misconception of what worship is due to the over-emphasis on the quality of praise standards done by man. Traditional liturgy strips away the unnecessary and potential distractions, to allow believers to fully focus on God with minimalistic use of theatrics and choreography to prevent believers from equating worship to performance. In view of the mega-church style of worship, it is important for youths to be discerning from what the world feeds us through culture, staying grounded in the Word and keeping worship rooted in God, bearing in mind that worship is not for one’s own self-glorification. Worship is so much more than just a Sunday Service but rather is an essential part for youths to keep in view as they mature. Practically speaking for the worship ministry, there needs to be a fine balance in the devotion of resources to development of hard skills as well as mentoring and guidance in the spiritual aspect for youths as aspiring leaders to have a biblical basis in whatever they intend to implement and review in the future. Thus, there is basis behind the Presbyterian liturgy and youths in churches should gear to developing a greater appreciation for it while understanding the risks associated with other styles.
Up next, I will be looking at leadership and the Presbyterian polity as it entails how the church is run affecting the congregation under the system. In spite of many churches today including this segment in their discipleship lessons to educate the younger generation of believers, it is clear that youth may underestimate the importance of the structure let alone comprehend the undergirding principles for why the church is managed this way. This is evident in a lackluster attendance or divided attention of youths in Annual General Meetings where key matters relating to the church are discussed and disseminated to the congregation. With understanding that the word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbuteros which means elders, it is a structure that has been utilized since John Calvin
[1] http://www.crisismagazine.com/1992/the-biblical-way-to-worship-a-presbyterian-appreciation-of-liturgy Points 1 about worship and God being the true audience.
where he was pastoring his own
church in Geneva[1].
The session court consists of elders – leaders who have been elected by the
congregation who have at least been members for 3 years in the church- and
pastors- people with theological background called by Christ to lead and
shepherd the believers as spiritual leaders- who in union come to discuss and
settle pertaining matters of the church. What is uniquely strong about the Presbyterian
form of ruling is that authority and power is shared between the session court
and congregation. The responsibility of the congregation in choosing the right
people to be elected as elders and the accountability of the elders to each
other as well as to the congregation who have deemed them capable to lead the
church under the guidance of God[2].
This system has its advantages over hierarchical models governed by powerful
single individuals[3]
with a greater sense of accountability amidst the Session Court. Moreover,
there is inclusiveness where the congregation is involved in significant
ministry decisions and there is no level or hierarchy bias between communicant
members of the church and that the pool of selection for elders is from the
congregation itself, allowing for a larger spectrum of perspectives outside
from the theological circles held by pastors and reverends. There are several
levels of councils – Session, Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly where each
of these are connected to each other. An example would be a local church
running under a Session Court with a few Session Courts forming a Presbytery
and a few Presbyteries forming a Synod…
Within the Presbyterian community, our denomination reflects the unity
of the church universal through a common system of beliefs and a common polity[4].
To demonstrate my point, it would be oxymoronic in nature to dub a Presbyterian
church as independent as connection
is of utmost importance.
Critics to my claims would debate that there are weaknesses in such a system of democracy for the fact that the very nature of decision-making at times can prove to be cumbersome and inefficient as compared to a smaller committee that implements policies or decides on behalf of the church. Another reason that they argue is that in the election of elders, they are elected sometimes not on the basis of ministry and character but rather because of their fame, reputation or fortune in the world. The unspoken criteria decided by the masses can be worldly-minded instead of being spiritually focused resulting in the election to be like a popularity contest where using the opinion of the congregation to decide may not be the most optimal as the popular choice may not necessarily be the right choice. The voting and election processes may not be the most credible as there could be many invisible factors that are present that threaten its integrity such as a crowd pressures or growing bias towards certain people.[5] Even throughout history in the Bible, the decisions made by the majority were often wrong through the lives of key leaders such as Moses, Joshua and Caleb.
However, their criticisms of the Elder ruling
system reflect a negativity bias in their thinking with a disregard for the
stability and anti- corrupt atmosphere it creates. An example to illustrate my
point would be the implementation in the Reformation through the life of John
Calvin where he ruled in Geneva for 23 years and where the merits outweighed
the problems. John Calvin did not decree that his method of church governance
be replicated as a mandatory measure for churches throughout time but rather it
worked the other way around. The Presbyterian polity stood out and the legacy
left behind by John Calvin is of utmost relevance today as seen throughout the
entire Synod in Singapore. From their relatively biased claims opposing the
Presbyterian polity, it is an indication the churches they are in adopt the
Episcopal or Congregational polities. Till today, these methods of
[1] “John Calvin and His Relevance till Today” by Rev
Peter Chan, STEP 2017
[2] “ Presbyterianism” by Rev Peter Chan, STEP 2017
[5] https://www.jewishideas.org/majorities-are-often-wrong-thoughts-parashat-shelah-lekha-june-14-2014
church ruling have their own set
of issues that could be of a larger magnitude than those experienced under
Presbyterian polity. The Episcopal system elevates hierarchy and possesses the
clergy- layman distinction which creates power inequalities between the
congregation and their leaders. The undergirding principles of Presbyterian
polity stand firm and a notable one in this context includes the understanding
of our natural inclination as humans to sin, the accountability system of
elders serve to restrain the human depravity. Another key principle is that we
appreciate the value of order and structure for the furtherance of God’s
kingdom (just as He is in His triune nature). Hence, before the topic of
succession and church leadership amongst the youth is invited, all that has
been mentioned above has to be instilled in them to aid them in their
understanding of why the church governance was and still is the way it is today
in the Synod.
In a nutshell, worship and leadership styles are only just two of the key pillars of the church that I have chosen to discuss. There are still other areas such as Missiology and Sacraments that are of importance for youths to understand on how we are all Gods ambassadors and the significance of the 2 sacraments: baptism and the Holy Communion. Therefore, as I conclude, to reiterate that it is key for youths in churches to have a solid foundation on biblical truths which aids in understanding and discernment of Christian doctrines culminating to the formation of their Christian worldview and how it affects and has a role to play in the church as potential leaders.
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