Worship as Communion...

So I'm sitting here in a first class seat on a train going from London to St. Andrews and trying to prepare a presentation that I was asked to give at a conference on Christian Worship being organized by the University's CU (Christian Union). I had an overnight flight last night from D.C. to London and I really didn't get any sleep and seeing as how I have to have something to say tomorrow to students who want to know all about worship, it doesn't look like I'll be getting any sleep on the train ride home. Luckily for me first class passengers get free wireless internet and as much coffee and shortbread they can handle. In times like this coffee can be a real blessing. I think I'm on my fifth cup and I'm feeling much more awake now. I re-read part of a book that I had come in contact with years ago by James Torrance called 'Worship, Community & the Triuine God of Grace' and I'm using much of what he says in this book to frame my talk on worship tomorrow. The basic premise of the book is that it is crucial the we understand the trinitarian nature of the God we worship and that this doctrine is indespensible to the Christian's life of worship. (So all you out there who are part of the church but don't really understand what the fuss is about talking about God in trinitarian terms should make a start at comprehending this great truth of the Christian faith. In fact, the way you worship may be changed when you come to terms with the trinitarian nature of the object of your worship).

As I sit here on this train looking out at the gloomy grey skies of Britian I find myself having a more difficult time describing what worship is than I expected. I'm a worship leader, surely I must have a handle on this!?! It seems to me that one way of talking about worship is 'worship as communion.' What I mean by this is that through the Son's role as intercessor for us we are drawn into communion with God by the work of the Spirit. When we find ourselves in this communion we are in worship. This begs the question, though, whether we are the ones who do the worshiping. I'm beginning to see worship as more of a gift. Perhaps, the ability to worship, or even the worship itself, is the Spirit's doing as he draws us into communion with the Father. Of course, he is able to do this because Christ's vicarious work on our behalf. Hence the connection between the trinitarian nature of God and our understanding of worship.

If this is the case then we enjoy the worship which the Spirit enacts in us as we are drawn into communion with God. Worship=communion? Don't worry I'm not going to spring all of this on the students tomorrow but hopefully give some hints in this direction.