THE ROLE OF WORSHIP P “Man is one of your creatures, Lord, and his instinct is to praise you…. The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.”1 -Augustine by Matthew Stewart, Dean of Spiritual Development eople were created to worship God. The fifth-century pastor-theologian, Augustine of Hippo, argued this from personal experience, which he recounted in his Confessions. Before Christ, Augustine searched for meaning and gratification in the fleeting pleasures of the world, only to be met with disappointment time and again. It wasn’t until, in the midst of an emotional breakdown, he picked up a copy of Paul’s letter to the Romans and read, “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:13–14).” For the first time, Augustine realized that his restless heart could only find rest through faith in Christ. Why revisit church history? Because Augustine and others remind us that humans are worshipping creatures (see Romans 1:18-25 and Acts 17:22-31). From birth to death, people love something; they devote their time, thoughts, affections, and energy to what they value most. Thus, education (whether Christian or “secular”) is ultimately about shaping worshippers, since all education is based upon presuppositions that are inherently theological. Knowingly or unknowingly, educators are constantly painting a picture of the “good life” for their students, and they do this in part through daily schedules and rhythms, or “liturgies.” That’s why James K. A. Smith argues “…the primary goal of Christian education is the formation of a peculiar people – a people who desire the kingdom of God and thus undertake their vocation as an expression of that desire.”2 Our goal as Christian educators is to shape students to become true followers of Jesus who love and treasure Christ and His Kingdom so that they live all of life to the glory of God, and we accomplish this in large part due to the daily liturgies we set for them. 30 SECONDARY CHAPEL
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