For: The Institute Of Contemporary and Emerging Worship Studies, St. Stephen’s University, Essentials Red Online Worship History Coursewith Dan Wilt 

I like to think of the Church calander or year as a spiritual rhythm that can facilitate the centrality of Christ in our lives.  Obviously Christ is central in the observance of the Christian Year.  And every season and time marked within it, is done so, for our rememberance of Him.  I have struggled most of my Christian life to find a “rhythm” that brings life to me spiritualy, one that is consistent, meaningful, and enriching.  Instead I can look back on my journey and see seasons and moments, sometimes lasting months and sometimes just days, where I developed a “rhythm” in which I could engage in a study or scripture.  But they seemed chaotic and loosely attached to a larger story, or for the sake of continuing the analogy, a larger song.  The idea of intentionally setting my spiritual life to the rhythm of something that has been utilized by millions of people before me and is being engaged by many even now is, to say the least, an exciting possibility.  Especially being that I have categorized these practices as lifeless tradition and religion prior to now.  Which truthfully can be said of the practices that I have developed over the years in my worship experiences as well.  What we can’t forget is that these instruments and practices are a means to an end, and that end is always the person of Jesus.  He is, not only the source of life, but the fulfillment of all life that could ever be had by engaging in these rhythms.

Even though I am only on the threshold of this experience, it seems that it can provide an elaborate root system for the many expression of worship and acts of remembrance in the church.  Whether through song, teaching, the reading of scripture, or simply living in community, the expressions of our remembrance are only given more fuel by consistently reminding ourselves of the fact that Jesus was, is, and is to come.

I do not fully understand these methods, but I do understand that a method can become mysteriously beautiful when it is used to unveil the beauty of Jesus.  The eyes of our hearts were created to behold something magnificent and sometimes those treasures can only be unlocked by persistence and intentionality.