Earlier this summer (Summer ends 21 September 2013) the good folks of the Associated Presbyterian Church invited me to contribute an essay on worship to the denominational magazine, APC News. It appeared as “Worship Matters” in APC News, 160 (July/August 2013), 5–9. It’s a free PDF download.
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In our context, should someone approach their pastor to say, “I should like to talk with you about worship” that pastor elder is likely to groan inwardly because it has become like discussing politics or religion with relatives—painful and divisive. Worship has become so controversial in our time that it is sometimes easy to forget what worship is, giving to the living, holy, merciful triune God the praise and thanks due to his name, for his glory, according to his
revealed Word. Read more»
Hmmm.
Thought this was the ARPs, but it is the APC.
As in the RPW collides with idolatry/2K?
The Lord McKay controversy in the late ’80’s precipitated the 1989 APC separation from the Free Presbyterian Church, in that McK was both a FP ruling elder and civil judge, who attended the Roman Catholic state funeral of a colleague and friend and was disciplined for it by the FP GA.
Yes, worship matters, but how much and to what degree might be the real question? Does Chapt. 20 of the WCF contradict or over ride Chapt. 21? Was the genesis of the APC schism or separation?
Not to stir the pot, but respectfully, that question might have to be answered before the APC returns to/continues to hold on to the RPW, if the argument is that it has already departed from it at the get go.
Bob,
I am at a disadvantage. I wrote this in response to a request from one of our grads, who serves an APC congregation. I don’t know the history of the APC, so I’m having trouble following your argument.
More background?
Are you involved?
You wrote: “They knew that practice of worship shapes believers. In the words of Greg Beale, we become what we worship.”
Beale might have said that, but a far better citation would be Ps 115:8.
But on the subject of worship, why would anyone even among the reformed (at least after 1800) be at all familiar with the Psalms.
Greetings Dr. Clark,
The APC left the Free Pres Church in part because Lord McKay was disciplined for attending a Roman Catholic funeral, with the APC arguing for Chapt. 20 and liberty of conscience as per the denominational link in the article.
For more background, which IMO is fairly objective, see also:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mackay,_Baron_Mackay_of_Clashfern
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Presbyterian_Church
I am not involved other than I visited what I thought was the FreeP congregation in Vancouver, BC in the early ’90’s, but which was by then APC, and heard some of the story from the minister. It took a while to sort out and in the end I didn’t agree with him or the APC argument, but hey, not being a member of the infallible magisterium touted by Bryan and Jase that’s just my take – just as they are entitled to their fallible opinion on the magisterium.
Thanks Bob.