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Trinitarian Worship
By David Fellingham
Brighton, UK
At the heart of the Christian faith lies the concept of the Trinity. To have a Trinitarian understanding of God is basic orthodox belief.
It is this truth that separates mainstream Christianity from such pseudo Christian sects as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. It is also the understanding of the triune God that makes Christianity unique among world religions.
It is important that we do not devalue the concept of God as trinity by ignoring it or not recognising its significance. In his book God’s Ultimate Purpose, Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones says, ‘The praise and worship and adoration, indeed all worship, must be offered and ascribed to the blessed three persons… Christian worship must be Trinitarian if it is true worship.’
Although the word ‘trinity’ is not found in the Bible, from Genesis through to Revelation we are given an understanding of God as three persons
in one.
Our salvation is a Trinitarian experience. ‘The Father draws us close to his own heart (having reconciled us in Christ’s death) by stretching out the hand of His Spirit which draws us to the hand of His Son. Then, grasped between the hands of Spirit and Son, we are drawn to the Father and held in a Trinitarian embrace’ (Worshipping Trinity, Robin Parry).
The Trinity is not only vital in our understanding of personal salvation but also in our understanding of church. There are many metaphors expressing the nature of the church as God’s community. In drawing an analogy between the church and the temple, Paul says in Ephesians 2:21-22, ‘In him (Jesus) the whole building is being joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.’
In his teaching on the church as a body in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lays a Trinitarian foundation for the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:9
• Different kinds of gifts –
the same Spirit
• Different kinds of service –
the same Lord
• Different kinds of working –
the same God works all of them in all men.
God as Trinity is actively working in and for the church.
The Trinity is also involved in mission. ‘Mission is first of all God sending His Son in the power of the Spirit to reconcile the world to Himself, and the mission of the church is nothing less than the gift of sharing by the Spirit, in the Son’s mission to the world on behalf of his Father’ (ibid).
Holiness and character are developed in the believer by our participating in Jesus’ obedience to the Father with the help of the Holy Spirit. The fact that we have eternal life is due to the gift of the Father, given to us through His Son, in the Spirit. ‘The Son has unified human nature and divine nature in his person so that humanity is now joined in Christ to the very inner life of God. The divine Spirit that flows through Christ’s veins, will flow through ours too’ (ibid).
The Trinity is not just a concept for theologians to worry and think about. To have a Trinitarian understanding of God helps us to appreciate the wonder of our salvation, our placement in the church, our holiness of life, and the security of eternal life. In view of this, surely our worship times should reflect our Trinitarian understanding of God. With so many ‘touchy feely’ songs there can be a danger of over-subjectivism. It is vital that we do not miss out on the wonder and grandeur of a God who has revealed himself as Father, Son and Spirit, with all the ensuing blessings and benefits that brings.
If we are to be worshippers in Spirit and in Truth we should remember that we worship the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. Songwriters, worship leaders and those who participate in worship through body ministry, would do well to give greater consideration to the Trinitarian nature of worship. To sing ‘It’s all about you Jesus’ is only true if we are seeing the uniqueness of Jesus in his ministry as it relates to the Father by the Spirit.
A truly satisfying worship time should reflect who the Father is; His sovereignty, love, grace and mercy. It should reflect on who Jesus is; our prophet, priest and king, the one who has shed his blood to reconcile us to the Father. It should draw on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who cries ‘Abba!’ assuring us of our sonship, glorifying Jesus in our midst. ‘Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit’ then must surely be more than a formal doxology. It should be the central theme of our worship times from which flows all our singing, expressions of praise and the exercising of spiritual gifts. Such content will glorify God, strengthen us inwardly and surely be worship in Spirit and truth.
A personal footnote
Throughout my years as a songwriter and worship leader, I have had a passion for Trinitarian worship. I am, therefore, very thrilled to have read Robin Parry’s recent book, Worshipping Trinity, from which I have quoted extensively. The book fills out in an accessible style how the doctrine of the Trinity affects our worship. It is truly inspiring. In collaboration with Robin Parry, Nathan Fellingham is currently working on an album with songs reflecting Trinitarian truth and themes. Several well-known songwriters have contributed to the project. It will be released in April next year. |
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