The Ascension as the Coronation Ceremony in Psalm 24

By Paxson Jeancake

The Heavenly Arrival

In the Gospel of Luke and in the Book of Acts, we can read of Jesus’ earthly departure. Luke recounts this event twice. Psalm 24, however, offers us a prophetic window into his heavenly arrival.

“Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory!” (Psalm 24:7-10, ESV)

Though King David may have written this psalm on the occasion of moving the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, we can stand on the shoulders of the apostles and interpret this, ultimately, as the coronation ceremony of Jesus as he ascended to heaven and took his place at the right hand of the Father.

The Apostolic Precedent for Interpreting the Psalms

As we learned through Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, David, in Psalm 16, “was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection” (Acts 2:31). We also know that David was speaking of Christ’s ascension in Psalm 110. The apostles likely gleaned this knowledge from Jesus when he said “everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled,” and then “opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45). For more on this topic, refer to my previous article, On the Centrality of the Ascension in Luke-Acts.

We can use the precedent of Peter’s own apostolic commentary on Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 and deduce that, with regard to Psalm 24, David was (most likely) looking into the future and speaking of Christs’s ascension.

An Ascension Sermon for Easter Sunday

To deepen his congregation’s understanding of the resurrection, pastor Brad Allison preached on the ascension of Christ in his Easter sermon in 2018. Using Psalm 24 as his text, he writes:

“Psalm 24 is commonly regarded as a psalm about the ascension of Christ into heaven, mostly because of the last four verses… verses 7-10 tell us something no human has witnessed - the arrival of Jesus in heaven after his resurrection. We have abundant eyewitness testimony to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You can read those eyewitness testimonies in the four Gospels. We also have eyewitness testimony to Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Luke tells us that the apostles all saw Jesus ascend (Acts 1:9). But none of them, nor any other human, witnessed his arrival in heaven.”

It is worth pausing at this moment. “But none of them, nor any other human, witnessed his arrival in heaven.” Have you ever considered Christ’s ascension from earth as his arrival in heaven? Have you ever really used an informed imagination, based on the relevant writings in Scripture, to comprehend the nature of this amazing moment in redemptive history?

The event of the ascension certainly warrants the exercise of our imaginations, but it is also vitally important that we understand the nature of the ascension for it has profound implications on how we understand other doctrines of our faith. Before we expound on those doctrines, let me recount my own journey with regard to Psalm 24 and the ascension of Christ.

My Own Journey in Understanding the Significance of the Ascension

I can still remember the moment, in 2005, that I became acutely aware of my lack of knowledge regarding the ascension of Christ. I had left our home in Atlanta and was driving to the church for a typical day of work. On my drive, a lyric and melody began to “sing” in my mind: “To the King of glory, strong and might. Lord so holy, King of glory.” I couldn’t get to the church fast enough to write down the lyrics and capture the melody so that I didn’t forget it!

In 101 More Hymn Stories, Kenneth Osbeck shares the story behind Helen Lemmel’s hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Here is how Helen describes her moment of inspiration: “I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus, with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody.”

My experience with the chorus to our song “King of Glory” was the same as Helen’s experience with “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” I don’t remember a conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody. The text and tune just began to “sing” together in my mind.

As I began to craft the song in my church office, I took a book off my shelf that one of our elders had given to me as a gift. The book was Christ in the Psalms by Patrick Reardon. I turned to his commentary on Psalm 24 and read the words that have literally captured my heart and mind for more than fifteen years.

“Relative to the Lord’s Ascension, we may say that the Church saw Him “going” (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9) but not “arriving.” That triumphant arrival in heaven, nonetheless - Jesus’ crowning as “Lord of all” - is explicitly affirmed in the New Testament (cf. Mark 16:19; Phil. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16).”

Until that moment, I had never given much thought to the event of the ascension. I knew all about Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection, and return. However, his ascension wasn’t really on my radar, except when we would recite one of the creeds and proclaim: “The third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” I imagine this has been your experience as well, and this is precisely why I have felt compelled to write songs, blogs, and articles on this vital aspect of our faith.

Implications for Other Doctrines of Our Faith

I mentioned above that the ascension has profound implications for other doctrines of our faith. Let me explain that statement. Understanding the ascension sheds light on our Christology (doctrine of Christ), our pneumatology (doctrine of the Holy Spirit), our ecclesiology (doctrine of the Church), and our eschatology (doctrine of last things), including our understanding of the present realm of heaven.

These considerations will become more clear in subsequent writings, but for now I will say that a robust doctrine of the ascension helps us understand that Christ is located in a real place called heaven, thus informing our eschatology and what is known as the “intermediate state.” He is still incarnate, in other words, he is still in a physical, though glorified body; and he is still ministering to us from the right hand of the Father, though not physically present with us on earth. Both of these realities inform our view of Christology.

Finally, the Holy Spirit is Christ’s spiritual presence with us on earth, thus informing our pneumatology; and the Spirit is present with us individually as believers and corporately as his Church, thus informing our ecclesiology, our doctrine of the church. This is a brief sketch of what we will unpack in subsequent blog posts, but hopefully it is enough to demonstrate how Christ’s ascension informs other key beliefs and areas of theology.

Cultivating an “Ascended Christ” Consciousness

In this final section I will outline why I believe the ascension suffers such neglect in the church today and offer a way forward. First, its suffers neglect because it is not being celebrated as a major festival in the Christian Year like Christmas and Easter. Second, and related, it is not being preached from pulpits in most churches today. As a result, we don’t really have an “ascended Christ” consciousness. We don’t think of Jesus as the ascended Jesus so much. We have a "virgin-born Christ” consciousness, a “crucified Christ” consciousness, and a “resurrected Christ” consciousness. We can picture him in the manger and on the cross, and we can picture the empty tomb, but we don’t typically think of Christ ascending. Here, I believe, is where Psalm 24 can be of great help to us.

I believe that a big reason we don’t think of Christ ascending is we only have his earthly departure in mind. In other words, we can, at best, only picture the eleven disciples with their necks craned backwards, looking up into the sky. That picture, alone, doesn’t seem too powerful, and may be part of the reason why the ascension is overlooked and neglected.

However, when I consider the ascension from the perspective of Psalm 24, as a coronation ceremony for his heavenly arrival, that stirs my heart and my imagination! This is the perspective I think we need when we think of the ascension of Christ. When we put Luke (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9) and David’s (Psalm 24:7-10) narratives together, then we can fill out the story of both departure and arrival.

Reflections on the Son’s Return to the Father

Concerning Psalm 24, Justin Martyr (an early Christian apologist) wrote in his Dialogue with Trypho:

“When our Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the rulers in heaven, under appointment of God, are commanded to open the gates of heaven, that He who is King of glory may enter in, and having ascended, may sit on the right hand of the Father until He makes the enemies His footstool… For when the rulers of heaven saw Him of uncomely and dishonoured appearance, and inglorious not recognising Him, they inquired, ‘Who is this King of glory?’ And the Holy Spirt… answers them, ‘The Lord of hosts, He is this King of glory.’”

Commenting on Justin’s reflections, Dawson writes:

“Justin did not envision the ascension as an instantaneous translation from earth to the right hand of the Father, but rather as a procession that led to the gates of heaven, where angelic sentinels guarded the way to the precincts of God’s presence. Jesus arrived with ‘uncomely and dishonoured appearance,’ caused by his taking up of our humanity and by his passion. Thus still arrayed in our flesh, he was unrecognized by the watchers. Their enquiry, however, was answered by the Holy Spirit, who declared that the still incarnate Jesus is indeed the Lord, the King of Glory.” (Dawson, Jesus Ascended, pg. 61-62).

When we begin to understand Jesus’ ascension in this manner, as a coronation ceremony in the courts of heaven, I believe we will gain a fresh perspective on this neglected event in the life of Christ. I believe that our hearts will soar with awe and wonder at his heavenly arrival as they do at his birth in a manger, his death on a cross, and his resurrection on the third day.

In closing, I will share a final insight regarding Psalm 24 and the ascension of Christ. Inspired by the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and Rembrandt’s painting of that same parable, Henri Nouwen wrote a book titled The Return of the Prodigal Son. In his book, Nouwen meditates deeply on the parable and the painting, wondering if Jesus is the prodigal son who, after lavishly giving himself for the sake of the world, returned to the Father. He writes:

“I am touching here the mystery that Jesus himself became the prodigal son for our sake. He left the house of his heavenly Father, came to a foreign country, gave away all that he had, and returned through his cross to his Father’s home. All of this he did, not as a rebellious son, but as the obedient son, sent out to bring home all the lost children of God… Isn’t the broken young man kneeling before his father the ‘lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world’? Isn’t he the innocent one who became sin for us? Isn’t he the one who didn’t ‘cling to his equality with God,’ but ‘became as human beings are’? Isn’t he the sinless Son of God who cried out on the cross: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Jesus is the prodigal son of the prodigal Father who gave away everything the Father had entrusted to him so that I could become like him and return with him to his Father’s home… Looking again at Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son, I see him now in a new way. I see him as Jesus returning to his Father and my Father, his God and my God.”

I appreciate Nouwen’s reflections and the way he captures the extravagancy of Christ’s love for us. Jesus gave his life for us and through his death, resurrection, and ascension, we can now have a relationship with him. The one who returned to the Father, opened the way for us as well. In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul affirms this promise:

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6, ESV).

The Belgic Confession also states:

“We have our own flesh in heaven - a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven.”

These are rich promises for us! Jesus is our forerunner who, right now, is ruling, reigning, and interceding on our behalf at the right hand of the Father. My prayer for the church is that, together, we will be enlivened and enriched as we drink deeply of the event and implications of Christ’s ascension to heaven.

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On the Centrality of the Ascension in Luke-Acts

By Paxson Jeancake

Introduction

Few subjects have captured my heart, mind, and imagination like the ascension of Christ. Since 2005, I have written songs, articles, blogs, and sermons on the ascended life of Jesus. What struck me so profoundly fifteen years ago was how something so central to the story of redemption and so important throughout church history could be virtually absent among us today? When we read from Augustine, for example, we find that the Ascension was:

That festival which confirms the grace of all the festivals together, without which the profitableness of every festival would have perished. For unless the Savior had ascended into heaven, His Nativity would have come to nothing… His Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and His most holy Resurrection would have been useless. (Davies, He Ascended Into Heaven, pg. 170)

Through the years I have tried to play a role in balancing the scales once again in the church. I long to see the event and present spiritual realities of the ascension hold a more prominent place in our worship and in the life of believers. In this article, I will focus on the Lucan writings and discuss how, and perhaps why, the ascension is the central organizing and theological event in Luke-Acts. Since Luke-Acts represents one-quarter of the New Testament writings, these are not small considerations. I will also offer a few practical ways that we can begin to highlight the ascension in Luke-Acts, in the church, and through the arts.

How the Ascension is Central to Luke-Acts

The Chiastic Structure

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When I first began my deep dive into the ascension I came across an article by Kenneth Wolfe entitled, The Chiastic Structure of Luke-Acts and Some Implications for Worship. In that article Wolfe argues for the chiastic structure of Luke-Acts with the ascension of Christ at the center of the chiasm. A chiasm is an ancient literary device that gives overall structure to a literary work and highlights what is of primary importance to the author. Thus, for Wolfe, the ascension is of primary importance in Luke-Acts.

Observing the diagram above, Wolfe argues that the Gospel of Luke moves from a Galilean context, through Judea and Samaria (the “Travel Narrative” section of Luke, 9:51-19:40), to Jerusalem, and ultimately ends with the ascension of Jesus. The Book of Acts picks up with the ascension of Jesus, locates the disciples in Jerusalem, then moves outward through Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:1b-11:18) after the stoning of Stephen, and ends with Paul in Rome - at that time, pretty close to “the end of the earth.” (Acts 11:19-28:31). Of course, Jesus himself telegraphs this “gospel movement” just before ascending. He tells the disciples:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, NLT)

Once I understood the organization of Luke-Acts in this manner, I could not see it, read it, or understand it any other way. Not only, however, does the chiastic structure reveal its centrality, but the details along the way also reinforce the primary importance of the ascension for Luke.

The Conversation Between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration

In the narrative of the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke offers a detail which the other Gospel accounts do not. He sheds light on the nature of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in this divine event:

About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:28-31, NLT)

This “exodus from this world” is no doubt the ascension of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the exodus from Egypt was God’s great act of deliverance. Jesus’ exodus (ascension) from this world is God’s great act of deliverance in the New Testament. Having completed his mission of atoning for the sins of the world and offering the hope of new life, Jesus returned to his Father in heaven to be our ever-interceding Lord!

Perhaps it was through an interview with Peter or James or John that Luke may have discovered this detail. We know that Luke interviewed eyewitnesses. Perhaps one of these three, who were present (though somewhat groggy), may have overheard a bit of this conversation. Whatever the case, it is worth noting that in this mysterious event, the transfigured Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah about his ascension.

The Introduction to the Travel Narrative Section of Luke

Furthermore, Luke telegraphs the importance of the ascension again in a statement that occurs just a few verses after the transfiguration narrative.

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51, NLT)

This verse begins what is commonly referred to as the “Travel Narrative” section of Luke. Despite the common bias in some commentaries for the cross or the resurrection, Luke plainly states that it is the ascension that is his focus and motivation for going to Jerusalem. This was the ultimate fulfillment of his mission on earth. The ascension is the fulcrum of redemptive history, transitioning Jesus from the risen Lord who began his ministry on earth, to the ascended Lord who continues his ministry to his people from heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s Sermon and Insights on the Day of Pentecost

As we move into the Book of Acts, we can see further how the ascension is central to this two-volume work. On the Day of Pentecost, as the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter stood up to explain this mysterious occurrence. After quoting from Psalm 16, Peter offered this apostolic commentary:

Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave. (Acts 2:29-31, NLT)

In the same manner, Peter then acknowledged the reality of Jesus’ ascension, quoted from Psalm 110, and offered further apostolic interpretation of the Old Testament Psalms:

Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,

“The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
    making them a footstool under your feet.”

So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah! (Acts 2:33-36, NLT)

On the Day of Pentecost Peter explained the divine dialogue in Psalm 110:1 between God the Father and God the Son. He pointed back to another Old Testament, Davidic psalm and showed how Jesus’ Lordship is portrayed and fulfilled in it. Clearly, for Peter, the reality of the ascension was of great importance to understanding Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

Some Observations Regarding Peter’s Insights on the Day of Pentecost

It is worth asking, “Where did Peter receive all of this knowledge?!” Is this the same Peter who, just a month prior to this even, had denied Jesus three times? Isn’t he one of the twelve who never seemed to understand Jesus’ mission - that he came to die, to rise, and to ascend back to his Father? How was Peter able to stand up so boldly and start quoting and interpreting Old Testament Scriptures??!!

When one considers Jesus’ promises to the disciples (and to us) in John’s gospel, and his appearances to them prior to his ascension, the answers become clear. In his last discourse before his crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that he would send another Advocate who would remind them of all that he had taught. And over a period of forty days after the resurrection he appeared to them and opened their minds to all that was written about him in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms.

I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. (John 14:25-26, NLT)

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:44-45, NLT)

Jesus opened the minds of the disciples as he did the two men on the road to Emmaus. I’m sure their hearts were burning as he spent hours expounding on the Scriptures and his fulfillment of them. Surely Jesus referred back to the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms and showed the disciples how he fulfilled these portions of Scripture. We can imagine Jesus saying to them, for example:

Here, in Psalm 16, David wasn’t referring to himself. He was a prophet, and he knew God had promised that one of his own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of my resurrection.

Thus, as Peter stands up on the Day of Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is able to explain with clarity how Jesus fulfills two Old Testament psalms, highlighting the resurrection and the ascension and declaring Jesus as Lord and Messiah.

The Economy of the Trinity

There is an economy to the Trinity and an order to the events of redemptive history which can be more clearly understood and appropriated when we have a solid grasp on the ascended life of Jesus at the right hand of the Father and the indwelling Holy Spirit, our Advocate, here on earth. What Peter experienced on the Day of Pentecost is a spiritual reality that is available to all Christians! Our ascended Lord Jesus still speaks to us through his word and through the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit!

Stephen’s Vision

Another example in the Book of Acts that demonstrates the centrality of the ascension is in the martyrdom of the Stephen, the first deacon of the church. After delivering a lengthy and powerful speech, Luke describes the striking contrast between the Jewish leaders and Stephen.

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. (Acts 2:54-60, NLT)

This is a powerful, though sobering narrative. I was so inspired by this text in 2009 that I penned a song entitled, “Right Hand of the Father.” In the third verse I penned the following lyrics:

At the right hand of the Father, standing now to welcome home,
sons and daughters, every martyr not ashamed to be called his own.

Stephen, in some mysterious way, saw a real, physical, ascended Jesus, standing, according to Swete, “to succour His servant in the hour of great need.” (Swete, The Appearances of Our Lord after the Passion, pg. 118). I am moved by the power of Stephen’s vision each time I read this narrative. To believe that Jesus advocates for us in this way fills me with fresh faith and fervor for my Lord.

Saul’s Conversion

Finally, Luke’s account of Saul’s conversion demonstrates the centrality of the ascension in Luke-Acts. Luke records this powerful story in three places in the Book of Acts: Acts 9:1-9; 22:6-11; 26:12-18. Here is the first account of Saul’s conversion in Acts 9:

As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”

“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. (Acts 9:3-9, NLT)

In this conversion story, Saul did not encounter the earthly Jesus (as the other apostles). He heard the voice of the ascended Jesus, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” And it changed his life forever. It is interesting to note that in another account, as Paul is before King Agrippa, he adds another detail to Jesus’ words to him:

At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:13-14, ESV)

I love it that Jesus speaks to Saul through an idiom of the day, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” was a Greek expression that implies “ruinous resistance.” The NLT translates this same phrase as, “It is useless for you to fight against my will.”

This tells us something about the manner in which Jesus speaks to his people. In his humanity, Jesus gets down on our level and speaks to us in poignant ways he knows we will understand. The main point, however, is that Saul (later Paul) was utterly transformed by the power of the ascended Jesus. Through the years, he still remembered the very words that were spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and his life was radically changed by them.

With some answers as to how the ascension is central to Luke-Acts, I will now offer some insights on why it may have been so central to Luke, the “beloved doctor” (Colossians 4:14) and Paul’s loyal travel companion.

Why the Ascension is Central to Luke-Acts

The question of how the ascension is central to Luke-Acts has made itself pretty clear to me over the years. The question of why it was so central to Luke has not been… until recently. An interesting story emerges when we take ourselves to the point at which doctor Luke, himself, enters the narrative. Throughout the Book of Acts, Luke writes in the third person plural (“they/them”). When we arrive at chapter 16, however, the pronouns change to first person plural (“we/us”).

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are on their second missionary journey, and they have just recently picked up young Timothy in Lystra to join them on their gospel adventures. Guided by the Holy Spirit (perhaps for a divine encounter), they end up in Troas. There Paul has a vision about a man in Macedonia. It is at this point that the pronouns shift and Luke himself joins the adventure. Here is Luke’s account:

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. (Acts 16:6-10, NLT)

I believe that this account in Acts 16:6-10 offers us some clues as to why the ascension is so central to Luke-Acts. Most scholars agree that this is where Paul first meets Luke. If this is true, it would seem fairly plausible that Paul shared with Luke about his conversion. In telling his story to Luke he may have begun by sharing about Stephen and how “His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.” (Acts 7:58) I can hear Paul confessing, “Luke, that we me. I was giving approval to Stephen’s persecution.” He then, no doubt, would have shared how he was struck blind on the road to Damascus; how he was on his way to persecute Christians; and how the voice of the ascended Lord Jesus changed his life forever.

I believe that the ascension is so central to Luke-Acts because it was so powerful to Luke, personally. First impressions are highly formative. Though Luke would later hear eyewitness accounts about the appearances of the resurrected Jesus to Mary, to Peter, and to the other disciples, the first testimony he likely heard was of the transformative power of the ascended Jesus.

Through his travels with Paul, he both heard and experienced, first-hand, the power of the ascended Jesus. I believe this is why the ascension is so central in Luke-Acts.

What We Can Do to Highlight the Centrality of the Ascension

In closing I would like to offer some practical ways that we can highlight the centrality of the ascension in Luke-Acts, in our churches, and through the arts.

Read, Preach, and Teach Luke-Acts in the Way that Luke Intended

Unfortunately, the “canonical” order does not place Luke and Acts together - they are separated by the Gospel of John. I would simply encourage believers to read through Luke-Acts as one story in two books as Luke intended. Try to read large chunks in a few sittings for the greatest effect. I would also encourage pastors and small group leaders to take a season and preach and teach through Luke-Acts.

Celebrate Eastertide and the Festivals of the Ascension and Pentecost in Corporate Worship

It is also unfortunate in most evangelical churches today that Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday are the only two festivals that are celebrated throughout the Christian Year. I would encourage pastors and worship leaders to give energy and attention to the season of Eastertide, the “Great Fifty Days.”

Take time to highlight the narratives of the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. Plan robust celebrations for Ascension, perhaps on the Seventh Sunday of Easter (a common practice) so that it is not lost to a poorly attended Thursday service. Utilize Scripture readings (perhaps Lectionary selections) from various ascension texts (Psalm 24, Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23). Celebrate the Day of Pentecost. Sing biblical songs about the Holy Spirit, read selections on the fruit of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, etc.

Give Opportunities for the Artists in Your Church to Create Works Related to the Ascension

I have actually held “Call to Artists” events in the churches in which I have served. Having a live gallery that people can take in after the Ascension Day and Pentecost services has been a refreshing and enlightening experience for both the participants and the congregation. I have seen visual artists, songwriters, poets, photographers, wood workers, and many others participate in these events.

We cannot underestimate the way that art forms us in profound ways. Creating and receiving various artistic expressions related to the ascension can be a powerful means of grasping its many truths and implications for us.

My heart and goal in writing still resonates with that of J.G. Davies who wrote:

There are those who claim that the Cross is the heart of the Gospel; others that the Resurrection should occupy this position. It is not my intention to seek to displace either of these two by the Ascension, but to add the Ascension to them, so that this triad in unity is recognized as forming the heart of the Gospel. (Davies, He Ascended into Heaven, pg. 170)

May this be true in the church today. To God alone be the glory.

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A Vision for Worship Ministry

A CLEAR SENSE OF direction

While taking a philosophy of ministry course in seminary in 2001, I crafted three vision statements that have characterized the worship and arts ministries I have overseen for the past seventeen years. The statements are:

Cultivating the Heart of the Psalmist
Recapturing the Story of Redemption
Celebrating the Gifts of Artistic Expression

Though they have been fleshed out a bit differently, they have given direction and clarity in each unique church and context. They have served as my compass, giving me a clear sense of where we are going in worship. Over the years my passion for these three vision statements has only grown stronger. In the following paragraphs I'm including a brief explanation of each statement and some personal and practical examples of how they have been translated into ministry.

CULTIVATING THE HEART OF THE PSALMIST

From the most exuberant of praise to the darkest of lament, the psalms give us a lyrical record of lives lived in perpetual response to God. This dynamic of unceasing worship and honest expression is what we are seeking to cultivate - not a once-a-week observance, but a lifestyle of perpetual response.

I have always resonated with David, Asaph, the Sons of Korah - all the various psalmists. They demonstrate what an open, honest, and intimate conversational lifestyle with God looks like. Whether it is through the words I use with my congregation, the songs I write, the devotion and prayer times with my worship teams, or over lunch with my volunteers and staff, I have tried to imitate the honesty and "real life" posture that we see demonstrated by the psalmists.

RECAPTURING THE STORY OF REDEMPTION

So often we live life in a dislocated manner. We can so easily begin to live selfishly and independently, or we can get easily discouraged by the harsh realities of life. Corporate worship - through the power of Word, sacrament, song, and prayer - paints another reality for us and places us in the context of a story larger than ourselves. Worship opens our eyes to the beauty of the gospel and relocates us in the eternal nature of God and his kingdom, in the context of community and relationship.

The idea of story and meta-narrative has always been compelling to me. The Bible is so much more than a list of propositions, it is a great drama of redemption. We retell this story in one sense every week in corporate worship. However, we also tell this story as we follow the rhythms and seasons of the Christian Year. We remember and experience the beauty of the gospel as we celebrate the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and his sending of the Holy Spirit.

It saddens me that so much of modern evangelicalism only observes Christmas and Easter. As a worship leader I feel compelled to help "pass on the story" by recognizing all of the various festivals of the Christian Year.

CELEBRATING THE GIFTS OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

Artistic expression is a natural overflow of a life of worship. We are continuously exploring the intersection of worship, art, and gospel, and desire to invest in the next generation, recognizing the legitimacy of a vocation in the arts.

Since 2006 I have intentionally tried to identify and invest in one student each year - someone who has (1) a demonstrated level of skill and musicianship as well as (2) a trajectory of continuing on in either music or worship ministry. This has been such a fruitful endeavor. Each year it seems that God has put someone new in my path with whom to build a relationship, musically. Because so many people invested in me, the least I can do is give back some of what I have learned over the years.

I have also tried to celebrate those with gifts in songwriting, dance, visual arts, aesthetics, and literary arts. I love encouraging people in their primary area of passion and gifting and helping them identify a way to use that gift in the context of the local church.

I am grateful to have spent some time wrestling seventeen years ago with how to articulate my core values regarding worship - values I believe are well articulated in God's Word.

Gospel Storytellers | My Story

By Paxson Jeancake

BEING VULNERABLE AND BUILDING TRUST 

Telling aspects of my own, personal story in worship is part of what keeps things real for me, and hopefully, for my congregation as well. While I don't think that leaders should work out their issues with their congregation as a form of therapy, I do think that everyone with the privilege of regularly leading some aspect of corporate worship should consider how vulnerable and transparent he or she is being from week to week.

When our congregation hears us describing our failures as well as our victories, I truly believe we are building genuine trust with our people. We shouldn't come across as ministry professionals who have everything all together. We should convey, humbly and wisely, some of the ways we wrestle with things like fear, shame, pride, and self-centeredness. We, too, are in a progressive journey of sanctification.

Usually, for me, I try to refrain from sharing something personal and transparent every week; however, I do seek to regularly share from my heart about something real in my everyday life. This may come as I transition from the sermon into the closing song; it may be a brief word before leading into a prayer of confession or renewal; or it may be as I'm responding to a song we just sang or a creed we just affirmed together. There is no particular formula, but I do try to listen to and follow the Spirit's leading as well as my own intuition.

CONNECTING WORSHIP WITH EVERYDAY LIFE

Part of the power and purpose of being vulnerable is to keep worship from becoming disconnected from everyday life. Hopefully, people find themselves saying "Me too!" as I share. In addition, sharing from our personal lives is a way of reminding our people that God is living and active. He is doing things in my life that reveal to me, on a daily basis, how desperate I am for his guidance and protection; how grateful I am for his sustaining power, advocacy, and intercession; how amazed I am at his beauty in the regular cycles of his creation; and how in awe I am of his grace, love, mercy and intimate presence in my life.

I am so grateful for the decision I made twenty years ago to serve as a worship leader in the local church. Though she is flawed, she is the hope of the world. I count it a privilege to plan and lead worship each week - to tell God's Story, to celebrate Our Story, and to share a bit of My Story with the body of Christ.

*Previous articles in this series: Introduction, God's Story, Our Story

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Gospel Storytellers | Our Story

By Paxson Jeancake

Celebrating the Story God is Writing in Each Local Church

During my years in vocational ministry I have served in four different local churches, spanning the east and west coasts of the United States. Each one has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Each one has a unique role to play in God's kingdom and economy.

I love the local church. Each and every weekend, it is my job to help tell not only God's Story, but also Our Story, the story of our local church. As worship planners and leaders we do this, from week to week, in a variety of ways:

  • Commissioning a team going on a mission trip

  • Interviewing artists about their work in a church art exhibit

  • Showing the pictures of a recent, city-wide outreach event

  • Administering the sacrament of baptism to new believers

  • Having students share about their growth in Christ

  • Sharing video testimonies about people's faith journeys

  • Spending time in prayer for our city, community, and loved ones

  • Hearing the stories from recovering addicts and alcoholics

  • Celebrating the new babies born in the past year

  • Recognizing the various graduates among us in May

We celebrate these various wins in our congregation - the places where we see God at work, bringing his kingdom through the different ministry areas of our church.

PLANNING WORSHIP that ExpressES Our Story


sermon series themes

One way a church expresses the unique story God is writing is through the various sermon series topics that are preached on throughout a given ministry year. Each year our leadership focuses on a theme for the upcoming ministry year (September - May). As we discern where God is leading us as a church, we develop a collection of sermon series that we feel will flesh out that theme.

This past year we focused on Kingdom Renewal and studied key passages from the Gospel of Matthew. We emphasized Kingdom Attitudes (The Beatitudes), Kingdom Prayer (The Lord's Prayer), and Kingdom Parables, for example. Two years ago we focused on being a Healthy Disciple, highlighting emotional and spiritual health as vital characteristics of being a follower of Christ.

Each local church must discern from week to week, month to month, and year to year what God is saying and where God is leading his people.

Prayers of the People

Another aspect of the worship service where Our Story is expressed is through the "Prayers of the People." We engage in this type of intercessory prayer about once a month. The way I have led this recently is to guide our people through a litany of prayers for the church, the world, our community, and loved ones. I utilize a printed prayer and guide us through these petitions while leaving room for pause, silent prayers, and extemporaneous prayers as well. I believe this is helping our congregation think beyond just our own personal lives and consumeristic tendencies. We are being given eyes to see a bigger story that includes global and local concerns and a heart that cares for the city and the kingdom of God. 

Ministry Highlights

We will regularly highlight a given ministry or event in our worship service as a way to celebrate what God is doing among us and/or to encourage people to participate. This is another great way to tell the story God is writing in the local church. For example, we recently started a recovery group for women who have experienced sexual abuse. We recognize that, as a body, we have a number of people who have been sexually abused and need a safe place to find hope and healing. To highlight this new ministry we had one of our own staff members (a female who experienced sexual abuse as a young girl and as a teenager) share her testimony and then offer information on the new group - providing very sensitive and confidential ways for those interested to get involved and be a part of this new restorative community. 

We have other ongoing events throughout the year that we highlight: the LoveBrevard initiative where we partner with other churches to provide days and weeks of focused deeds of love and mercy throughout Brevard County; our Global Missions Weekend, highlighting the various ministry partners we support around the world; Lockmar Lights, a neighborhood-focused outreach event to kick off the Christmas season; Come Together events during the summer as a way to stay connected, enjoy a meal, and experience fellowship, worship, and testimonies as a church body.

Celebrating these events and initiatives in worship is a very intentional way to share what God is doing among us - a way to tell Our Story as a local church.

Congregational Singing

The songs that we sing as a congregation tell part of Our Story. The various psalms, hymns, and modern worship songs that we sing from week to week reflect and shape who we are becoming. I feel strongly about embracing treasures old and new in worship. Thus, we join our story with those from centuries ago as we sing classic hymns such as Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners, All Creatures of Our God and King, and Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

We also join our story with the global church of today singing the popular modern songs and hymns of our current time such as In Christ Alone, Everlasting God, 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord), The Lion and the Lamb, O Praise the Name, and Good Good Father. Though these modern songs may not be around as long as some of the classic hymns above (though some will!), they are no less powerful expressions of Our Story as we shout aloud these new songs of praise and adoration in our current day.

Finally, we celebrate Our Story by singing original songs and hymns that come forth from our own local community of songwriters. In addition to embracing treasures old and new, cultivating the songwriters in our own congregation is another passion of mine. The Bible exhorts us over and over again to "sing a new song unto the Lord." The songs that are birthed within our church - as a response to God's Word and as an expression of a songwriter's own faith journey - are a special gift.

We find many hymn fragments from the early church scattered throughout the New Testament (e.g., Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Timothy 3:16). The church has always expressed its faith through song. From the Old Testament psalms, to the New Testament hymns, to the new songs of today, the church was, is, and will always be a singing people. Music is a powerful gift that God has instilled in his people. It is an ancient and affective way to tell Our Story as a local expression of the Body of Christ.

Video Testimonies

As a final example, we share the story God is writing in the local church through the testimonies of our people. Currently, we are in a series entitled, Summer in the Psalms. Each of our teaching pastors have chosen different psalms to preach on throughout the summer. To complement this series we issued a call to our congregation to share their favorite psalms. We have heard the stories of our own people interacting with a given psalm and how it helped them through a hard season and also how it continues to shape and inform their lives to the present day. Cultivating a culture of storytelling in this way edifies us all and also brings glory to our faithful God.

The Formative Character of Worship

All of the above examples emphasize the idea of lex orandi lex credendi (mentioned in the Introduction to this series) and how the things we pray, preach, sing, and share together in worship help form and shape our perspective and our worldview.

God is writing a unique story in every local church. We do not need to compete with the mega church down the street or the hip church across town. We do not need to reproduce the story God is writing somewhere else. We should be concerned and engaged with the story God is writing in our local context and congregation. Part of our corporate worship should be about recognizing, celebrating, and telling our unique story.

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Gospel Storytellers | God's Story

By Paxson Jeancake

As a worship leader I am often asked, "Do you plan everything around the sermon theme?" Though the paradigm that I use to guide my worship planning includes the sermon theme, it goes much broader and deeper in scope than just that one factor. I briefly articulated my approach last week in the Introduction to this four-part series. When I plan each week I think in terms of God's Story, Our Story, and My Story. This week I will focus on God's Story, beginning with a discussion on the annual rhythm of the Christian Year.

Celebrating the Annual Rhythm of the Christian Year

IMG_2116.JPG

This liturgical art is by Rini Simon, a talented young adult from our church. It is an ink drawing which depicts the life of Christ - his role in creation, his birth, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, sending of the Holy Spirit, and future return and reign. This is the heart of God's Story. In worship we remember, recall, and appropriate these events and realities. We do this, in part, by following the cycles and seasons of the Christian Year.

Part of my passion for telling God's Story comes from the narrative found in 2 Kings 23:1-3 (ESV):

Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him. And the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

The context for this narrative is that the high priest, Hilkiah, found the Book of the Covenant (likely, the book of Deuteronomy). We do not know how long it had been lost, but the people had fallen away from the Lord. Finding and restoring the Word of the Lord sparked a revival and ushered in a number of reforms through King Josiah. As a worship pastor, I feel a responsibility to steward God's Story so that it is not lost in my generation. The message of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 likely motivated Josiah in his day. It is part of my own motivation to serve as a Gospel Storyteller for my local church and my family:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

We are to immerse ourselves in God's Story, passing it on at home, at work, and in worship. The psalmists functioned as storytellers in the Old Testament. They often retold all or portions of the story of redemption in their songs, spurred on by this motivation:

One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts. - Psalm 145:4 (ESV)

Finally, in the New Testament we receive this exhortation from the apostle Paul:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. - Colossians 3:16 (ESV)

It is for these reasons that I feel compelled as a worship leader to tell God's Story of redemption through the annual rhythm of the Christian Year. I am not motivated or compelled by mere tradition; I am fueled by a passion to pass this story on, one generation to the next.

The liturgical calendar below is a helpful way to visualize the seasons of the Christian year. 

During Advent and Christmas we retell and reorient ourselves around the reality that God put on flesh and walked among us. Throughout Epiphany we tell about his manifestation to the world. We recall the Magi who came to see him, his baptism in the Jordan River, and his transfiguration.

On Palm Sunday we sing and shout "Hosanna!" to the King of kings; however, we also remember the irony of this day as Jesus wept over Jerusalem for her blindness and hardness of heart. We walk through the sobering events of his arrest, trial, and crucifixion on Good Friday. We rise on Easter Sunday to celebrate Christ's resurrection and the hope of new life.

Though it is definitely the forgotten festival among many evangelicals, many congregations recognize the Ascension (either on a Thursday or the following Sunday) and the reality that Christ is now at the right hand of the Father interceding and advocating for his people. We remember the day of Pentecost, celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit in power to the church. Pentecost is a time to remember the third person of the Trinity who empowers, comforts, fills, and guides us, the people of God. As we tell God's Story we are formed and transformed, year after year, by the spiritual realities of a living, sanctifying God.

Rediscovering the Ascension as a Major Festival and Doctrine of Our Faith

Before discussing the weekly rhythm of the Lectionary, I would like to focus on the Ascension in an effort to rediscover the riches of this neglected doctrine and festival. I have devoted a page on our website for Ascension Resources where you can read and discover even more on this topic.

Since 2005 I have been intentional about celebrating the Ascension at the churches where I have served. In Augustine's day the Ascension was seen as the crown of all Christian festivals. Augustine declared that it was:

"that festival which confirms the grace of all the festivals together, without which the profitableness of every festival would have perished. For unless the Saviour had ascended into heaven, His Nativity would have come to nothing... and His Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and His most holy Resurrection would have been useless." 1

Our recognition and understanding of the Ascension is much different in our present time. Today, the Ascension goes by virtually ignored in the evangelical world. I think this is really unfortunate. In his book He Ascended into Heaven, Davies writes: 

"There are those who claim that the Cross is the heart of the Gospel; others that the Resurrection should occupy this position. It is not my intention to seek to displace either of these two by the Ascension, but to add the Ascension to them, so that this triad in unity is recognized as forming the heart of the Gospel." 2

I resonate with this statement wholeheartedly and long for the day when the Cross, the Resurrection, and the Ascension (this "triad in unity") are recognized as forming the heart of the Gospel.

Engaging our Artists During Ascension and Pentecost

In hopes of gaining a more robust celebration of both the Ascension and Pentecost at my current church in Florida, I issued a Call to Artists in 2016 on the theme, God Is For Us: The Ascension and the Outpouring.

The purpose was to invite the artists among us to engage with the event or the present realities of Christ's Ascension or the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In doing so, my hope was that all of our hearts would be encouraged and edified, and that our imaginations would be stirred by the advocacy of our ascended Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Once the deadline for submission arrived, we had just over a dozen artists who participated and twenty different works that were on display for the two weekends of Ascension and Pentecost that Spring. The exhibit exceeded my expectations and was a successful event for our congregation through the means of community and creativity. I hope the Church will, once again, recognize the Ascension as a major festival and vital doctrine of our faith. 

Celebrating the Weekly Rhythm of the Lectionary

In addition to the annual rhythm of the Christian Year, I also seek to tell God's Story through the weekly rhythm of the Revised Common Lectionary (henceforth, the Lectionary). 3 Over the years, I have utilized many of the Lectionary-based resources available through books, journals, and liturgical planning calendars. I have found it creative and edifying to incorporate Lectionary readings and prayers within the flow of a worship service. Utilizing these resources throughout the Christian Year is a way to tell God's Story and offer our people a healthy diet of Word and prayer.

Most recently, I have been inspired by a book by F. Russell Mitman entitled, Worship in the Shape of Scripture. In this book Mitman describes an organic liturgy - one in which the sermon and liturgy organically arise out of the shapes and forms inherent in the Scriptures themselves so that the whole worship service aims, through the Holy Spirit, at becoming an event of the Word of God. Mitman's basic paradigm is "from lectionary to liturgy."

This idea has deepened my appreciation for the Lectionary at multiple levels and has motivated me to begin to craft my own prayers, affirmations of faith, and other elements as they organically flow out of engaging with the Scriptures for that week. (Mitman's book was a major impetus for creating The Lectionary Journey).

My church is not one that follows the Lectionary in its preaching. However, I have found that by engaging with the Lectionary readings each week, personally and as a family, I usually find one or two texts that I can weave into the flow of worship in a natural and intentional way. Typically, after singing a couple of opening songs, I (or a vocalist on the worship team) will read one of the Lectionary passages. Then, we will have a worship element that flows out of the reading (e.g., a prayer of confession or renewal followed by an assurance of forgiveness, a prayer of intercession, an affirmation of faith, etc.). That element is often followed by an appropriate song of response. All of this is part of the Gathering portion of the traditional four-fold pattern of worship which I have followed for years: Gathering, Word, Table/Response, Sending. 4

Incorporating Lectionary readings and original or readily available Lectionary-based resources has become a natural and intentional way to follow the seasons of the Christian Year and incorporate Scripture and other worship elements throughout the service. In remembering these cycles and seasons, we tell the whole Gospel story (God's Story), stirring our hearts, minds, and imaginations around the realities of our triune God. In doing so we are heeding the call, mentioned earlier, to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.

Notes:
1. J.G. Davies, He Ascended into Heaven (Cambridge: James Clarke and Company, 1958) 170.
2. Ibid.
3. The Revised Common Lectionary is a collection of readings from the Bible for use in Christian worship, making provision for the liturgical year with its pattern of observances of festivals and seasons. The Lectionary is organized into three-year cycles of readings. The years are designated A, B, or C. Each yearly cycle begins on the first Sunday of Advent (the last Sunday of November or first Sunday of December).
4. I plan to write about the four-fold pattern of worship in another series of articles.

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3

Gospel Storytellers | Introduction

Introduction

By Paxson Jeancake

I have been planning and leading worship in a full-time capacity for twenty years now. It is an honor and a privilege. Personally, I want to steward my planning and leading well so that in worship our people are bringing honor and glory to God; connecting with one another as the body of Christ; and growing in their desire to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. It is my hope that this post will offer a paradigm for those who lead and plan worship each week - those who steward the story God is writing in the local church.

Because of the cherished influence of John Frame, I often think in triads. Frame's technical vocabulary of the normative, existential, and situational perspectives has shaped how I think and process so many different facets of life and ministry. Thus, I have a number of triads that serve as paradigms for me as I think about and share different aspects of worship.

In my book, The Art of Worship: Opening Our Eyes to the Beauty of the Gospel, I describe a triad that deals with the various roles of the worship leader. I discuss how a worship leader should be able to think like a theologian, labor like an artist, and shepherd like a pastor. As I lead seminars and workshops with churches or at conferences, I often share another triad as I discuss a philosophy of worship that includes leadership, theology, and context.

In recent years I have begun to articulate a new triad that guides some of the various aspects of planning and leading worship. In this paradigm I see the role of worship leaders and worship planners as Gospel storytellers, and on any given Sunday there are, at least, three stories to tell: God's Story, Our Story, and My Story.

Building upon Frame's perspectives, God's Story would be the normative perspective of this paradigm, focusing on the events of the life of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit as past, present, and future realities. At the macro level, worship tells God's story throughout the course of the Christian Year. The rhythms and seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost tell the grand narrative of redemption each and every year. These seasons and celebrations form and transform us as we are re-oriented into the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of its implications for us - past, present, and future.

Our Story is the situational perspective that declares and processes what God is doing among us in our local context and congregation. At the micro level, worship tells the story of each unique congregation of believers. Each local expression of the church lives in a unique culture and setting; studies various topics and books of the Bible; witnesses its own joys and sorrows; navigates its own path in spreading the gospel and making disciples. At a more personal level, worship tells the collective testimonies of redemption and restoration - the various journeys of faith represented by the congregation.

Finally, My Story is the unique way in which God is at work in each of our lives, as leaders, bringing about sanctification and restoration. This is the story we tell as wounded healers. It is our opportunity to make ourselves vulnerable before those we serve. While leading I will, at times, share about a personal struggle, choosing to be transparent before our people to encourage them and let them know they are not alone in whatever challenge they may be facing.

There is an old Latin phrase championed by our Anglican brothers and sisters, lex orandi lex credendi. It is loosely translated as, "the law of praying is the law of believing," or that "liturgy leads to theology." Whatever your particular view of this phrase may be, it is true that the Scriptures we read, the songs we sing, the prayers we pray, and the testimonies we share are all highly formative, shaping our faith and our beliefs. Thus, as worship leaders and worship planners, we need to make sure we are serving our people and stewarding our times of corporate worship well.

I want to take some time over the next several weeks to unpack this particular triad (God's Story, Our Story, My Story) and offer some reasons why it brings balance and richness to our worship services. Next week we'll dive deeper and discuss God's Story.

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