¶ … Commission to Worship by Wheeler and Whaley
As a North American Mission Board national missionary and associate director of the Center for Church Planting at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, David Wheeler is eminently qualified to speak on matters of spiritual study, and his jointly authored book The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for Worship-Based Evangelism demonstrates an extreme aptitude for biblical interpretation and modern empirical inquiry. His co-author Vernon M. Whaley serves as Director of the Center for Worship and Chairman of the Department of Music and Worship Studies at Liberty University, both positions which require a true commitment to evangelical teaching on a societal level. Together, this pair of highly educated religious instructors combine to create a lasting contribution to one of Christianity's most ofte-repeated debates; between the Great Commission given to the Church as an institution and the Great Commandment given to every human being on an individual basis. The questions posed immediately by Wheeler and Whalen in their opening chapter ("The Mandate of Worship and the Great Commission") are compelling on many levels, as the authors ask "how do we develop a strategy for evangelism that does not exclude or responsibility to engage in worship?"1
1. David Wheeler and Vernon M. Whaley. The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for Worship-Based Evangelism. (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2011). p. 5.
Although I was familiar with the evangelism vs. worship debate on a cursory level, reading about the intense debates which occupied the minds of the author's during their youth served as the inspiration to delve into a proper study of the debate, an experience which proved illuminating to say the least.
From an organizational standpoint, the book is structured in accordance with a 12-chapter scheme, with each chapter offering a unique take on what exactly the authors' concept of Great Commission Worship truly entails. Chapter 4, for example, instructs readers that Great Commission Worship is Formational, while Chapter 8 speaks of Great Commission Worship as Missional. In each case, the authors choose to confine the scope of their study to a particular segment of Great Commission Worship, which the authors define as "the two-pronged compass of exalting Christ in worship and reproducing His kingdom through biblical evangelism."2 In the book's fifth chapter ("Great Worship Commission is Transformational"), Wheeler and Whaley make a seemingly subtle statement on the concept of spiritual change that, when considered within the context of their overall teachings, provides the thematic foundation for the entire work. After engaging in a study session to review the transformational stories of Jacob, Jonah, Exekiel, Paul, Peter and Isiah, the authors observe that "transformation is deeply personal & #8230; (and) must be experienced by each person as he or she worships the Lord. I cannot experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit for anyone else & #8230; It is only a transformation that God can do in my life for me, individually," an assertion which provides the basis for the instructional messages provided throughout the book.
2. Ibid, p. 6.
3. Ibid. p. 91.
Concrete Response
Coming from a Christian family that was devoted to the concept of worship, but wary when it came to evangelical pursuits, I distinctly remember the feelings of awkwardness which would inevitably arise when aspiring evangelicals would knock on the door and attempt to convert us to another church or denomination. Reading through The Great Commission to Worship provided several avenues for reflection on my personal views towards evangelical practices, and despite my parents' choice to prioritize personal worship, I find myself intrigued by the concept of bringing others into the proverbial fold. I can remember instances from my days in high school when a particular classmate was suffering through her own parent's divorce, and despite her openly expressed interest in learning about spiritual methods of coping with adversity, I consciously abstained from inviting her to engage in bible study or similar pursuits. I now believe this decision to withhold...
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