ANCIENT FUTURE FAITH

Have you heard about the “Emerging Church”? If you haven’t, you will. It is the latest trend in the rapidly growing church-growth movement. While there are various ideas being promoted, there is one that stands out – in order to go ahead, the church must go back. It’s called ancient-future faith. What, you ask, is that?

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Dr. Robert “Bob” Webber is recognized by pastors, denominational leaders, scholars and lay people as one of the foremost authorities on worship renewal. He regularly conducts workshops for almost every major denomination in North America through the Institute of Worship Studies which he founded in 1995.

Prior to his appointment to his present position at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Weber taught at Wheaton College for 32 years as Professor of Theology. He has authored over 40 books and is also a regular contributor to numerous magazines and newspapers including “Worship Leader. [1]

I was first introduced to Dr. Webber and his views when I read an article he had written for “Worship Leader” titled Wanted: Ancient Future Talent. Under a subheading labeled “The Call for Ancient-Future Worship Talent” Webber wrote:

I am personally most gratified to see the shift toward a recovery of the ancient. While many good choruses have been produced over the past forty years, the rejection of the sources of hymnody and worship by the contemporary church has resulted in a faith that is an inch deep. [2]

In this article, Dr. Webber stated that “the Spirit is working a new thing in the church” and an “ancient-future worship is being born.” He listed a number of things that he believed were necessary for “talented workers” to become a successful part of this new movement. Some of these are:

·        Rediscover how God acts through the sacred signs of water, bread and wine, oil and laying on of hands.

·        Rediscover the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist.

·        Rediscover how congregational spirituality is formed through the Christian celebration of time in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost.

While I agree with Dr. Webber that it would be beneficial to reintroduce the great hymns written in the past by anointed men and women of God who expound sound biblical doctrine, it appears that is not all that he meant by returning to “the ancient.” In fact his list of things to do in his call for “ancient-future worship talent” mentions a number of terms and ideas that can not be found in the Bible.

For example, when I hear the expression “sacred signs of bread and wine” or “Lent” as a means of “rediscovering congregational spirituality” - while these ideas may be ancient, I wonder where the ideas originate.

Further, when I hear about “rediscovering the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist” I am reminded about the “new evangelization” program presently underway initiated by Pope John Paul II when he called for a “missionary vision” centered on “a rekindling of amazement focused on the Eucharist” that would bring the world to the Eucharistic Jesus!

There is just something about the Emerging Church that troubles me. I hope I’m wrong.

I am Roger Oakland. This has been a biblical perspective to help understand the times.

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