Worshiping God With Your Body

I know I have been away. I have been given extra responsibilities at work which have taken a toll on me.

Here is something from Jonathan Edwards on worshiping God with your body

I don't suppose that any understanding men, of whatsoever sect or opinion, will say that God is really pleased with bodily worship as such, that is, that merely such and such gestures and motions of body are what delights him as a part of virtue; but only as they are helps to the exercise of real virtue and the worship of the mind. Now there is an indissoluble, unavoidable association, in the minds of the most rational and spiritual, between things spiritual and things bodily. Thus when we are joyful and express our joy, 'tis natural to do it with a lively voice; and when we express sorrow, to do it with what we call a mournful voice. This is natural to us, and the association becomes much stronger by use in other matters.

Therefore if, when we come to praise God or confess our sins, we resolved not in any measure to alter our manner of expression for sorrow or joy, we must restrain that which is strongly associated with the joy and sorrow; and thereby shall unavoidably, in some measure, forever restrain the spiritual affections themselves, till we quite dissolve the association: which cannot be, in the most rational, while in the body. So we are necessitated to join some gestures to some habitudes of mind in common affairs, as uncovering the head, and some other gestures besides fitting with reverence. Thereby there grows a strong association, so that if one be restrained the other will unavoidably be restrained too. So that some bodily worship is necessary to give liberty to our own devotion; yea though in secret, so more when with others. For we having associated the idea of reverence and other habitudes of mind to such and such gestures of body, it would restrain our notion or apprehension of another's reverence, etc., if we should see those gestures which we have associated to contrary dispositions; so that our own devotion would not be so much assisted by theirs but restrained, and the communion in the duty in some measure destroyed, and so the end of social devotion. 'Tis necessary that there should be something bodily and visible in the worship of a congregation; otherwise, there can be no communion at all.

I acknowledge, that the more rational a person, the less doth his disposition of mind depend on anything in his body; and that if he practises gestures of body in worship, where there is no necessary and unavoidable association, it tends to make him, or to keep him less rational and spiritual. But yet there are some associations of this nature that [are] equally unavoidable, and coeval with the association of soul and body. So many as are thus necessary, we are allowed in gospel worship, and more [than that] are contrary to its nature; for the gospel supposes the church to be no longer an infant, but as come to the stature of a man. Wherefore the weak and beggarly elements are rejected, and the childish bodily ceremonies cashiered, as being fit only for children, and unworthy of those who are come to riper years; and the worship that is now required of [us] is only that which is manly, rational and spiritual.

The Declaration as a Sociological Statement Pt 2

The Declaration as a Sociological Statement Pt 2

The next major objection to the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation is that it is an expression of tyranny. According to this view the Christian segment of society use their influence to oppress those with view contrary to theirs. A prominent example of such a view point is homosexuality.

I do not find this viewpoint persuasive for two reasons. Firstly, democracy presupposes that views of the majority will take precedence over the views of the minority. Democracy is a political tool that creates national consensus on governance issues among groups with differing viewpoints through elections. Secondly, I do not think that majority rule and tyranny of the majority are synonymous. In most democracies the rule of law guards against the violation of fundamental human rights.

So that is the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation as a sociological statement. Next post the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation as a moral statement.

Christians and Politics

Here is a quote from Edmund Clowney on Christian Participation in politics.

"Since democracy gives its citizens a voice in Government, Christians have the responsibility of their privilege to participate. There is every reason for the general office of the Church ('laity') to consult together on political issues. So, too, the special officers of the church must provide biblical guidance and wisdom to assist in Christian analysis of political questions. The Church has a prophetic role to perceive and expose ethical questions that underlie political issues. Where God has spoken in condemning sin, whether sodomy or financial exploitation, the Church cannot be silent...Yet Christian involvement in political life does not cancel out the spiritual form of Christ's kingdom. Calling the sate righteousness does not mean calling it to promote the gospel with political power or usher in the last judgement with the sword. Christians are not free to form an exclusively Christian political party that seeks to exercise power in the name of Christ. That would identify Christ's cause with one of the kingdoms of the world. Political action on part of Christians must always be undertaken in concert with others who seek the same immediate objectives. Such objectives, promoting life, liberty and restraint of violence, are the proper goals of civil government. They are not the goals of faith and holiness that Christ appointed for his Kingdom" Edmund P. Clowney The Church p.193

The Biblical Worldview and the Purpose of the State

These are quotes from an online essay by New Testatment Theologian Norman Thomas Wright:

"like everything else in Jewish and Christian theology, all Biblical wisdom about God and Government goes back to Genesis...Genesis declares two things: first, that our world is the good creation of a good God; second, that humans are given a place of special responsibility within that world. The doctrine of human beings being made made 'in God's image' is about the vocation of humans to bring God's wise, fruitful order into the world, and in turn to sum up the praises of creation before the creator....And it isn't only gardens that humans are called to look after. The concept of humans bringing God's order to the world lies at the heart of all ordering of human society, all leadership, all government."

You can read the whole essay here.

Charles Kachikoti on Church and State

The following are extracts from two articles posted on Kabwata Baptist Church's website. They are by Veteran Zambian Journalist and current Chief Policy Analyst for Press at State House Charles Kachikoti.

The Church plays not only vital but decisive roles in the moral and spiritual
development of the citizens of Zambia, but also provides crucial uplifts in
areas of health, education, agriculture, human rights and governance, and
economic development at large. The list is inexhaustible. It is true that
politicians meet people, but pastors always have ready audiences in the
individual souls they attend to by way of personal or familial ministry, and in
the congregations they address weekly and, in certain circumstances, daily.
Therefore, the Church, speaking on issues that cause communal disquiet and
anxiety, is in a competent and authoritative place to air people’s concerns. And
when it does so, Government must listen.

If it is Christ Jesus that the Church serves, and the people in their diverse fortunes and misfortunes, it can afford in certain circumstances to speak one language. A pro-government church will not help anyone because it will decorate Government mistakes or failures and deceive the rulers of the day; and an anti-government church will harm everyone because it will ridicule every Government success. The three mother Church bodies (The Christian Council of Zambia, The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, The Zambia Episcopal Conference) are highly informed in practically all sectors of the economy and have the ability to competently engage Government point for point. This strength alone precludes the use of words of mass destruction by the Church. It also warrants a respectful view of Church by Government. From ancient times the Church has been a resilient, persistent pilgrim for change. Not always have churches been able to engage governments at the very time they wanted to. Previous attempts to iron out the creases may not have worked but the current President of all Zambians is a listening leader, contrary to media portrayals of a leader who is too far to hear anything.

The complete articles can be found here and here

For Laughs

On the subject of politics:

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies"

Groucho Marx

The State and Morals

I have quite a backlog of posts for the Zambia as a Christian Nation series, but as you wait, here is a quotation on the relationship between statecraft and morality.

Frank Beckwith writes in his book Politics for Christians: Statecraft and Soulcraft,

“’Statecraft,’ Aristotle instructed his pupils, “is soulcraft.” He meant by this that the state or government, by its policies, procedures and actions, places moral ideas in the social and legal fabric of a political regime, and that these ideas serve to shape the quality of its citizens’ character.”