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TIME AND SPACE IN WORSHIP
Time and space are steadfastly linked to Christian worship because time and
space are the most evident tools utilized in worship gatherings.[1] The time
and space of worship gatherings are critical.[2] Time
and space are human elements but elements which God created. Therefore, not
only is human understanding limited but believers worship a God not bound by
the two elements. God’s worthiness, as much as may be attempted, is impossible
to describe because he exists outside of time and space.
Since God is not bound by time and space, he is infinitely worthy. For him
to be bound by anyone or anything would be for him to not be God. God, however,
transcends time and space. In fact, he governs the two. Moreover, God has
created time and space and uses it as a part of his story. Thus, time and space
are crucial elements to Christian worship. While human understanding of
anything is finite, believers should trust God no matter their circumstances
because he not only knows and understands everything, he also presides over all
situations and all outcomes. Christians should take comfort in this truth and
give God glory within the time and space that he has created.
God Is Outside of Time and Space
When asked if God created the universe, the late Stephen Hawking
responded:
The
question itself makes no sense. Time didn’t exist before the Big Bang so there
is no time for God to make the universe in. It’s like asking for directions to
the edge of the Earth—the Earth is a sphere that doesn’t have an edge, so
looking for it is a futile exercise.”[3]
What Harking missed in a magnificent way is a God
outside of time and space. Humankind has no capability to comprehend anything
outside of time and space, as much as we may discuss it and try to understand
it. A superlative fact about God, however, is that he exists outside of time and
space. He, therefore, is matchless and incomparable to any other so-called
deity or god.
In the context of worship, Christians
must realize the roles time and space hold. Certainly, God exists outside of
time and space. Nonetheless, he is worshipped within the bounds of time and
space. A God who exists outside of time and space is an unexplainable fact.
Human understanding is limited to time and space because humanity operates
within their bounds. The physical laws that govern humankind’s existence and
understanding do not bind God (Is 57:15). As such, Christians should worship
God with an understanding that he is boundless and worthy of worship beyond
anyone or anything else.
Each Lord’s Day, Christians have the
opportunity to worship God as the matchless creator. Even Satan is bound by
time and space and not the equal counterpart of God. The triune God is
matchless. He created the universe in a few short days and no point of
reference for his beginning or end—a fact that is unexplainable to humankind,
but Christians must trust its truth. A God who is bound by anything including
time and space is a God who is not truly God. God cannot be bound by anything,
for indeed, he controls that which binds anyone else. For that reason,
Christians understand that God is worthy without comparison.
As it relates to personal worship,
understanding a God who is outside of time and space allows for a realization
of a God who not only knows but also controls the future. Since everything is
from God, to God, and through God (Rom 11:36), Christians should take comfort
in the fact that the one they serve and worship holds every circumstance in his
hands and will be glorified in and through them. Even Satan himself cannot
thwart the plans of God, although he has tried throughout history.[4]
It is thought that the laws of physics govern everything in existence. Such a
theory, however, does not consider a God who governs and created such governing
laws. Gregory Ganssle writes:
In thinking about God’s nature,
we notice that whatever God is, he is to the greatest degree possible. He knows
everything that it is possible to know. He can do anything that it is possible
to do. He is maximally merciful. This “maximal property idea” can be applied as
well to the nature of God’s life. God is a living being. He is not an abstract
object like a number. He is not inanimate like a magnetic force. He is alive.
If whatever is true of him is true of him to the greatest degree possible, then
his life is the fullest life possible. Whatever God’s life is like, he surely
has it to the fullest degree.[5]
Christians worship a matchless God and
should give him that of which he is worthy simply because he is worthy. Not
holding any other basis, God would still be worthy of the worship of humankind
because he is who he is. People are limited to an understanding within space
and time, but even space and time attest to the glory of God. Psalm 19 declares
that even the heavens declare the glory of God (Ps 19:1).
Furthermore, God is not only outside of
space but time as well. He is the first and last (Is 48:12-13); (used as a
metaphorical device), a day is like a thousand years to God (2 Pet 3:8); and he
inhabits eternity (Is 57:15). Human minds comprehend circumstances in the
framework of time and space. Thus, when difficulties arise, human perspectives
are limited. God’s perspective, however, transcends time and space. Therefore,
when human difficulties impact personal worship, God’s worthiness is not
impacted so it is improper for Christians to allow circumstances to do so.
God is matchless and omnipresent—a
theological truth that is nearly impossible to explain or understand. God’s
omnipresence and existence outside of time and space warrant ceaseless
offerings of worship to him. God is matchless and should be worshipped in a
matchless manner. Outside of time and space, triune God holds a worthiness to
be worshipped by all people at all times.
God Uses
Time and Space for His People So It Is a Part of His Story
While God subsists outside of time and
space, he has created and uses time and space for his glory and his people so
time and space is a part of that which the church is to declare in worship: the
story of God. Even utilizing the Christian liturgical calendar allows God’s
people to live within the reality of Jesus Christ’s story.[6]
The Christian feasts commonly recognized each year (e.g. Christmastide, the
Feast of the Resurrection, Lent, Pentecost) are not merely festive occasions in
the church but rather opportunities for God’s people to live in the reality of
the time and space that God used during his time and ministry on earth.
Though God is outside of time and
space, he has created time and space and ordained their part of his plan
including in Christian worship. In worship, the story of God is preeminent.
Therefore, worship must include time and space. God might be considered apart
from time and space, as the two aspects do not impact him. Nonetheless, God
uses time and space in his own story throughout human history.[7]
If it is the experience of the
passage of time that grounds these longings, there is good reason not to
attribute any experience of time to God. Therefore, it is better to think of
God as timeless. He experiences all of his life at once in the timeless present.
Nothing of his life is past and nothing of it is future.
The
realities of time and space then should be considered in Christian worship. One
way to do so is to employ the Christian calendar. Although not regulative,
historic liturgy allows God’s people to live within the reality of God’s story,
not merely remember it. Time and space are realities created by God. Time and
space are parts of God’s plan. The story of God is preeminent in Christian
worship; therefore, time and space should be considered and used to God’s
glory.
Moreover, living within the reality of
Jesus’ story allows a mystical participation with Christ. Worship is not merely
an event to be attended but a reality to be experienced. If one has not
encountered the living God, he or she has not worshipped. Worship is
participatory not only regarding the people of God with each other but
individuals with God himself. Through every element of worship, the people of
God participate in union with Christ.
In this manner, liturgical elements
such as the church year, the fourfold order, and the celebratory feasts of
remembrance provide opportunities for local churches to engage in the present
reality. By remembering the past, God’s people engage in the present spiritual
reality of a living and triune God.
Something that is mystical is something
that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence. It is “the sense of the presence of a
being or reality through other means than the ordinary perceptive processes or
the reason.”[8] Mysticism
transcends human capabilities. Therefore, participation in such a manner
involves a spiritual reality beyond the engagement of human senses. Worship
indeed involves mystical participation with the divine. Otherwise, the actions
offered in the corporate worship gatherings are empty physical activities.
An exceedingly encouraging element of
God’s authority over time and space is that his mercy is also not bound by time
and space. Worship operates upon the foundation of a merciful God who has
redeemed the people who worship him within time and space. God’s mercy is
boundless. Therefore, no person exceeds the limits of God’s mercy irrespective
of what they have or have not done. Even in discussions of election, the
perspective shifts when God is known as the governor of time and space.
Foreknowledge takes on a new meaning and implication, as the future is
irrelevant. Even the sin of humankind becomes irrelevant to God’s capacity to
forgive since he has already forgiven. A God outside of time and space
transcends the limits of humankind’s inability to hold to God’s standards,
which is why the New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant.
A God outside of time and space holds a
plurality of implications, not the least of which is the way he uses that which
he has created. Time and space govern the workings of humankind while God
governs time and space. Worship has imperatives of understanding God outside of
time and space but recognizing his creation and use of the two. The two
elements are a significant part of the story of God. Throughout history, God
who is outside of time and space has used the two for his glory and his
people’s benefit. In modern worship, it is essential to understand God’s use of
time and space and utilize them for the governing purpose of worship.
Human
Understanding Is Limited by Time and Space
A necessary component to right doxology
is a proper comprehension of who humankind is and who God is. In this instance,
that is understanding humanity’s limitations in understanding. People are bound
by time and space and cannot understand anything outside their parameters. God,
however, holds no bounds and not only controls time and space but created them.
As such, God who is over time and space is limitless in his ability in time and
space. He is omniscient; he is omnipresent; he knows everything that may be
known and he can do anything that can be done. To the finite human mind, such a
concept cannot be grasped; yet, believers trust the truth.
In a human ontological understanding of
the universe, Christians must trust the scriptures—God’s ways are higher than
the ways of humanity (Is 55:8-9). In Christian worship, trust is essential.
People cannot worship one whom they do not trust. Thus, a consummate trust in
God is necessary to a proper offering of worship. Numerous promises of God’s
providence are provided in the Bible in addition to commands to trust God. Without
trust, worship may not be in Spirit and truth (John 4:23), as Jesus desires.
Built upon the foundation of trust,
worshippers may prove that worship has occurred because they will be changed.
Without trust in the Lord, there exists no proof of the worship experience. In
seeing the proof of worship, there is but one source of evidence: change. Where
one has not been changed, one has not worshipped. Because God exists outside of
time and space, he is reliable. The human heart is not reliable, as it is
wicked and deceitful (Jer 17:9). Thus, people should understand that God,
understanding that which transcends time and space, is the only reliable
friend.
Indeed, when worshippers trust God,
obedience is heightened. When Christians operate in trust, they willingly and
swiftly offer their lives as living sacrifices and act upon the commands and
leadings of the Holy Spirit. A Christian who trusts God understands that no
matter what happens, if God is for us, who may be against us (Rom 8:31)? Human
understanding is limited by time and space. God’s understanding is not limited
by anything so Christians should trust God. The effect will be hearts that are
sold complete to Christ and operate by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).
An understanding of God outside of time
and space, moreover, realizes that God transcends circumstances. In all
situations, God is provident, even when they seem not to favor those in the
midst of them. God not only knows every circumstance intimately, he ordains and
controls them. The end results are not in the future, for to God, there is no
difference between the past, present, and future. Humanity’s biggest problems
are, nevertheless, small to God.[9]
In the context of Christian worship,
human circumstances should never dictate one’s ability or desire to worship the
living God. In fact, conditions should not have any impact on worship, for God
is worthy of worship irrespective of human situations. Christians should take
comfort in the fact that God controls their best and worst situations and, in
response, worship him regardless of how good or bad those situations are.
Being mindful of God’s worthiness
despite human circumstances aids in Christian perspective, for it is easily
shaken in times of difficulty. For example, nearly one-hundred thousand planes
take off and land safely each day around the world. Few people think much of
it, but when a plane crashes, many people shake their fists at God and ask,
“How could you?” God has not changed in such circumstances. He is the same and
equally as worthy as in previous days.
When Christians hold a perspective that
is grounded in God’s worthiness and humanity’s worthlessness, the perspective
is accurate. Outside of time and space, God’s worthiness does not change.
Similarly, inside of time and space, God’s worthiness does not change.
Human understanding is limited. Therefore, God’s people should worship in a spirit of trust: trust of the living God who knows and understands everything. Although human comprehension is limited, the church should use what is clearly understood for purposes of worship. Believers should live within the reality of the time and space God has created for his people’s benefit and his glory.
A Great
High Priest Who Understands Time and Space
While God exists outside of time and
space, a gift was given to humankind through the Incarnation. Jesus became
flesh and dwelt among people (John 1:1-3) so he understands time and space.
Certainly, Jesus created time and space (John 1:3), but as a man who walked the
earth until his death, burial, Resurrection, and Ascension, God also
understands human limitations within time and space. When the author of Hebrews
asserts that Jesus is the Great High Priest who sympathizes with people, the
assertion is relevant now because it is not only that Jesus once could
sympathize with humanity, but he currently does sympathize with humankind (Heb
4:14-16).
Jesus faced temptation and yet was perfect (Heb 4:15), Christians need to accept human limitations of time and space but realize a God who exists outside of the two elements and who is worthy to be praised in all situations. The human condition (sinful) necessitates a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ who lived, ministered, died, rose, and ascended within the bounds of time and space. Therefore, worship should not only tell the story of God but live within the reality of his story by using time and space in all contextual worship experiences. The story of God is the same no matter where it occurs in the world. Likewise, time and space is the same so the one holy catholic church should strive for the employment of time and space to worship the God who transcends them both.
[1]
Worship has a start time. Worship employs aesthetic elements such as music and
art, which certainly engage with time and space.
[2] There
exists no right or wrong type of space to be used in worship, but great care
should be taken to consider where God’s people gather.
[3]
Stephen Hawking, Response to question,
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9539758-people-want-answers-to-the-big-questions-like-why-we.
[4] Satan
battles in a limited understanding of time and space unlike God who is not
controlled by such laws.
[5]
Gregory Ganssle, “God and Time” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.,
https://iep.utm.edu/god-time/#H4.
[6] It is
not inherently wrong not to utilize the Christian calendar, but it is
beneficial in intentionally allowing believers to realize the reality of God’s
story in Jesus Christ.
[7] That
is the metanarrative of Scripture includes time and space; history includes
time and space; and indeed, the Christian calendar includes and recognizes time
and space as the story of God and his people.
[8] Helmer
Ringgren, “Mysticism,” ed. David Noel
Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible
Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 945.
[9] It is not as if God does not care but that he has intimate knowledge of what occurs in people’s lives. People often have difficulty trusting God in smaller situations, although they claim to have trusted him with eternity. Since every human circumstance is small to God, his providence and sovereignty is always relevant.
