Monday, June 14
Ch. 7—How the Word Nourishes Spirituality
Thanks for the many responses. They will result in an interactive book. Part II of the book deals with nourishing Christian spirituality through the church (ch. 5), worship (ch. 6), the Word (ch. 7), Eucharist (ch. 8), prayer (ch. 9), and the disciplines (ch. 10). Each chapter deals with (1) the current crises. (2) The ancient understanding and practice. (3) Nourishing baptismal identity (union with Christ), and (4) Nourishing the baptismal pattern of spirituality (dying and rising). Don't try to comment on the whole chapter. Concentrate on one or two aspects of the chapter, especially where you have an observation or example. Thanks!
Ch. 7—How the Word Nourishes Spirituality Monday, June 14
A. Crisis. By "Word" I refer to the use of Scripture in public and private worship. In worship we are faced with the crisis of neglect. Numerous churches, particularly those of the contemporary sort, no longer read Scripture in worship. The crisis of neglect is also experienced when pastors do not preach Scripture or use Scripture as a pretext for sermons that are primarily driven by therapeutic or motivational models of content. The reading and praying of Scripture has suffered from the rise of the image, the erosion of reading, and the development of slogan communication.
B. What can we learn from the ancient church? An old prayer puts the purposes of the Word succinctly—that "we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them." The Word in worship and private devotion must take up residence within and shape us into Christlikeness. But how? Augustine teaches us to distinguish between "the thing" and "that which is signified." God's word in creation, Scripture, the Incarnation, church, worship, sacrament is more than words of information and knowledge. The Word in worship and private devotion is a sign that signifies God and our union with him. We are to "inwardly digest" that which is signified, namely Jesus, through whom our union with God is sealed. From the early church we also learn the power of communal interpretation and how to pray Scripture (Lectio Divina) so that I not only read Scripture, but more importantly Scripture reads me.
C. How does the Word nourish spiritual identity? Scripture ultimately signifies Jesus Christ, the living Word. We are to proclaim Scripture and pray Scripture by the power of the Holy Spirit so that it becomes for us the living Word of our own identity: "For to me to live is Christ." Jesus alone embodies true humanity. Jesus is the true bread which comes down from heaven. The words of Scripture are his words which we are to eat and to "inwardly digest"so that our humanity becomes so thoroughly united with his humanity that we become an "epiphany" of God. The words of Scripture are then no longer mere intellectual propositions, but words that become a language of embodiment in a person so united to Jesus that he/she becomes God's presence of love.
D. How does the Word nourish the pattern of spiritual living-dying to sin and rising to the new life in Christ?
The key is to embrace Jesus as the embodiment of true humanity. He alone has restored the image of God in humanity. From his very conception through infancy, adolescence, and adulthood he chose to be in union with God and to recapitulate the human condition. He is not only the sacrifice for our sin and the victor over evil, but also the example of how one is to live, to die, and to be raised again. In preaching and in private devotion we are to be taught always to live in union with his death and resurrection. In union with him we are to choose to die to sin and rise to the new life in Christ by the Spirit. This is a continual day-by-day, moment-by-moment pattern of life. What do you think? Please interact with me. Do you have a comment, a story, a disagreement? Let me know. Write me at: rwebber@northern.seminary.edu
Bob Webber
Myers Professor of Ministry
Director of M.A. in Worship and Spirituality
Northern Seminary—www.seminary.edu
(See Northern's M.A. in Worship and Spirituality and D.Min. in Worship by clicking on the website.)
