This chapter focused on the Trinitarian nature of God and how we encounter the Trinity in worship, how worship forms our theology of the Trinity, and how each person of the Godhead meets and ministers to us in worship. This is a concept we have discussed often in worship or ministry classes over years, and it is always good to be reminded of the holistic nature of worship.The end of the chapter also encourages the reader to reflect on how our own worship tradition emphasized different persons of the Trinity.
When considering this, I think of the church I grew up in and the church I have been attending since moving to Indiana three years ago. These churches are fairly different but have a similar heart. The church I grew up in definitely emphasized the person of Jesus most in the Trinity. Jesus was the focus. A reason why I love my home church so much is because of this simple fact, they just want to know Jesus more. The sermons, whether New or Old Testament, are focused on getting to know what Jesus was like on earth as a person, as a human being, now and when he was on earth. This is also emphasized through regular practice of communion, and musical worship usually focuses mainly on the Gospel story. But, something Dyrness said that I never really considered is that the Gospel story is the central story for all the persons in the Trinity. Whether or not that is explained or praised in your church is one thing, but the fact still remains. My home church did acknowledge and worship the Father and Spirit regularly too, but in terms of who stood out the most in a service, it would be Jesus.
Now, the church I have been attending in college is a bit different in its tradition. This church is more charismatic and Pentecostal in practice and belief. So, the emphasized person on the Trinity at this church is the Holy Spirit. Largely this is because we are called to live in step with the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and with the Holy Spirit as our help. So, we are learning in service how to live supernaturally like is described in Scripture. We rely on the presence, power, and voice of the Holy Spirit throughout the whole worship service. Unlike what Dyrness said in the book about Pentecostal churches, I would say this church focuses on the Holy Spirit and the Father heavily. We do talk about Jesus a lot, don’t get me wrong, but I found it shocking that Dyrness said in a lot of Pentecostal churches the Father is pushed to the side. At this church we want to know the heart of the Father like Jesus knows his heart. And I think that belief and desire runs through many aspects of the service and church body.
Yet, despite these experiences and spiritual roots of mine, the Trinity is meant to be experienced as a whole, not one favored over the other. The church father Tertullian said that the Trinity is to be experienced “simultaneously” in worship, with each other, not separated. I think the clearest example of this is what I mentioned briefly and what Dyrness expands on, that the Gospel story is a key story for the whole Trinity. Yet, how often is that story just about Jesus? It actually robs us of a full understanding, or theology, of God and his love for us when we say this was only about Jesus. The theology we form becomes only binitarian or Trinitarian in understanding but not in practice. It keeps us from really knowing all of God and disregarding the unemphasized person of God. That is not how God should be honored and worshiped and known by his people. It is a responsibility for the worship leader to form this Trinitarian, whole, loving, cohesive theology of God.
The worship leader may have to be creative or think outside their tradition to form worship practices that honor the Trinity simultaneously. The response often to encountering the glory and presence of God is to fall on our face in worship and offer ourselves to God. What this practically looks like may be individual, small group, or corporate prayer. It may also look like worshiping through song and art in a way that responds to the Trinity. I think the fear in contemporary churches that often arises with worship in relation to the Trinity is that it becomes “too religious.” But it does not have to be an intense course on theology and biblical studies in order to worship God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is a mystery, but it is also accessible through revelation by the Holy Spirit, because of the work of Christ, to know the heart of the Father. I think it is important for the church leader to incorporate Trinitarian language in the church service regularly, and for our understanding of God to be covered with grace.
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