Monday, November 24, 2008

meeting together, looking away to Christ

This quote from A.W. Tozer came from Milton's Blog, Don't Eat Alone.

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified.

Milton was writing about the Communion of Holy Eucharist, and I agree whole-heartedly. I'd like to think this is the theology behind contemporary worship. I'm not sure. I think the key phrase is "looking away," as my experience in contemporary worship is that it is a "looking in."

1 comment:

Nancy B said...

Love, love, love that quote. How I miss the Episcopal church and communion...I know you are not supposed to go to church to worship the rector, but you shouldn't want to stick pins in your eyes half way through his sermon, either. Trying to keep your hands from doing such violence is distracting during the liturgy. Sigh.